Litigation Experience
For over 29 years, Joe has followed a unique and diverse path as an attorney. After graduating from Duke Law School in 1990, Joe began his career representing defendants in mass tort product liability cases, working with and facing some of the best attorneys in South Carolina and the entire country. Within three years of graduating from law school, he served on a Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”) steering committee representing hundreds of defendants in products liability litigation.
He took over all appellate work for the first firm he worked for and since then has participated in dozens of appeals in before the South Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
He has represented attorneys, accountants, actuaries, and real estate agents in professional negligence cases. He has represented developers, large corporations, and partnerships in a wide array of contractual disputes.
Later in his career, Joe turned his attention to representing plaintiffs. Joe initially represented plaintiffs in products liability cases, primarily defective automotive cases. Eventually, he turned his attention to consumer rights and class action matters. Joe brought the first “junk fax” lawsuit under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to be certified as a class in the entire country. In 2009, he and several other attorneys obtained the second largest verdict in the country, winning over $800,000,000 for individuals defrauded in a stock loan scheme. He prosecuted a class action in South Carolina that brought millions of dollars in compensation to thousands of time-share purchasers that had been defrauded.
“He has worked with the City to slow and push back development of super-beachfront lots.”
Municipal Experience
Driven by his love for Folly Beach, where he has resided since 1992, Joe undertook a new chapter in his legal career and applied for the position of Folly Beach City Attorney in 2016, following the retirement of the legendary Ben Peeples. He has played his own small role in helping the tiny, quiet beach side town, once known as “Mayberry by the Sea” grow into the “Edge of America,” a major vacation destination that greets up to a million visitors every year. He has helped the City update ordinances governing short-term rentals, signs, noise, street festivals, and beachfront protection. He has worked with the City to slow and push back development of super-beachfront lots. He works with the City staff on a daily basis addressing residents’ and owners’ building and zoning concerns.
Joe also represents the Town of Ravenel, a small rural community south of Charleston that is facing increasing interest from developers. He has helped the Town initiate its comprehensive land-use review plan, looking to maintain its rural character while allowing reasonable development. He has prepared numerous new ordinances and provided advice on contractual and personnel issues.
Joe also represents the Town of Kiawah Island. Like Folly Beach, Kiawah faces many issues related to being a destination resort that also has full-time residents. Joe has helped Kiawah address those issues in its short-term rental ordinance, noise ordinance, and relations with Kiawah’s homeowners’ association and developer.
