SCLAWYERSWEEKLY.COM VOLUME 20 NUMBER 21 ■
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of its kind in the United States, and there are more than 300 Liberty Fellows working collectively across South Carolina. The fellowship strives to activate individual leaders through a deeper understanding of a just, free and equitable society; serves as a convener for bringing together diverse perspectives to advance civil discourse; and provides infrastructure for taking action, according to the release. Liberty Fellowship is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, nondogmatic organization which operates independently of the positions and views of its funders. “Liberty Fellowship is very
Former Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball is returning to his former law firm, Williams Mullen, according to a news release from the firm. Ball rejoined Williams Mullen on Oct. 10 as of counsel in its corporate section, supporting and serving the firm’s Economic Development Team and aiding clients with business expansion needs. He’ll be based in the firm’s Richmond office. Before serving as commerce secretary under Gov. Ralph Northam, Ball was with Williams Mullen for nearly 30 years as a partner, general counsel and a mem- Brian Ball ber of the firm’s board of directors. “We are thrilled to have Brian return to us in a new capacity,” Williams Mullen Chairman, President and CEO Calvin W. “Woody” Fowler Jr. said in a statement. “His knowledge of our firm and its resources, combined with his insight in working effectively with the governor’s office and cabinet secretaries, make him an incredibly valuable asset to clients looking to locate and grow their businesses in the commonwealth and beyond.” As Virginia’s commerce and trade secretary from 2018 to 2022, Ball was instrumental in some of the state’s biggest deals, including bringing HQ2, Amazon.com Inc.’s East Coast headquarters, to Arlington. Other successes include Micron Technology Inc.’s expan-
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Wyche has entered a partnership with Liberty Fellowship as the capstone of the Greenville-based law firm’s year-long celebration of its centennial; above is its office along Broad Street downtown. (Photo/Provided)
Wyche celebrates 100 years with philanthropic investment ■ BY ROSS NORTON rnorton@scbiznews.com Wyche is celebrating a century of practice with a philanthropic investment in one of South Carolina’s most prestigious and unique fellowship programs. Wyche entered a partnership with Liberty Fellowship as the capstone of the Greenville-based law firm’s year-long celebration of its centennial. “The Challenge to Lead” calls on the business community to help build the next generation of leaders in South Carolina by investing in the fellowship’s rigorous leadership program. Wyche is putting $55,000 into the program over the next three
years and has issued a challenge to other regional and statewide businesses to match or exceed the firm’s commitment. For Wyche the commitment is part of the firm’s celebration of 100 years of law practice in South Carolina, according to a news release. This and other contributions by Wyche over the past year are part of the firm’s Centennial Legacy Project, designed to reflect and renew Wyche’s commitment to its core principles of service to the community: advancing the business community, societal impact, community transformation and environmental stewardship. Liberty Fellowship is the only state-based fellowship program
Former state official returns to SC firm
Estate of woman killed during police pursuit awarded $2.5M ■ BY HAVILAND STEWART hstewart@nclawyersweekly.com The estate of a woman fatally struck during a police pursuit was awarded $2.5 million in a settlement. An Anderson, S.C., bystander was killed during a law enforcement vehicle pursuit that was in violation of Anderson Police Department (APD) policy and procedure. APD employees Joseph Chapman and Zack Lucas initiated a vehicle pursuit for a suspected property crime and minor traffic violation. The pursuit was supervised by APD employee Craig Gardner. According to plaintiff attorney Samuel R. Clawson Jr., APD went on to conduct a lengthy high-speed vehicle pursuit that included numerous
instances of reckless driving by the fleeing suspect, which were mirrored by the pursuing officers. The vehicle pursuit lasted approximately 11 minutes and traversed approximately 14.7 miles. According to Clawson, it was alleged that APD officers committed numerous violations of APD policy, SC Code Ann. § 56-5-760, and 42 U.S.C. §1983 with respect to the initiation, continuation, supervision and failure to terminate the vehicle pursuit. The pursuit ended after Gardner requested that the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deploy stop sticks. Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deployed the stop sticks in violation of ACSO policy and procedure, as well as in violation of manufacturer instructions. As the flee-
ing driver swerved to avoid the stop sticks, he lost control of the vehicle and fatally collided with bystander Brenda Wilson, as she was walking in her front yard towards her mailbox. Husband of the deceased, Greg Wilson, as the representative of the estate, presented a claim for wrongful death on behalf of the statutory beneficiaries, as well as individual claims for loss of consortium and bystander liability. The primary issue in the litigation was the application of 42 U.S.C. §1983 to the alleged Fourteenth Amendment right to substantive due process and whether the individual law enforcement officers See Pursuit Page 6 ►
INSIDE VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS
VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS
VERDICTS & SETTLMENTS
Worker’s comp settlement results in $1.4M payout
Vacationer awarded over $1M after fall in home causes injuries
Two lawsuits stemming from motorcycle crash net $11.5M
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