Accolades
Cal Watson named a Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers for 2026
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Cal Watson of Robinson Gray law firm has been named the 2026 Lawyer of the Year for Columbia in the area of Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants by The Best Lawyers in America®.
Cal, the firm’s managing member, was one of 34 at Robinson Gray recognized on the main Best Lawyers list for 2026, and one of three to receive the Lawyer of the Year designation. This honor is reserved for individuals who receive the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is named “Lawyer of the Year” in each practice area and location. The location in this case is Columbia.
The other two Robinson Gray attorneys named Lawyers of the Year for 2026 are Matt Hill in Banking and Finance Law, and Paul Hoefer in Litigation – Banking and Finance.
In the main Best Lawyers list, Cal was also honored in the areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation.
Cal has been consistently honored by Best Lawyers, including twice as Lawyer of the Year.
He has also received awards from Chambers U.S.A. America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, South Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly, Columbia Business Monthly and South Carolina Super Lawyers. He is a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and was named the Top-Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation by Litigation Special Report. Additionally, Cal has received the Historic Columbia Innovative Leadership Award and the USC Law School Alumni Association’s Compleat Lawyer Award Silver Medallion.
Best Lawyers in America, used by thousands of lawyers and corporations annually, is presented as a definitive guide to the legal profession nationally.
The recognition is based on peer review. The process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. For more information, go to https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.
About Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC
Located in the BullStreet District, Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, is a South Carolina law firm that offers a tailored, hands-on approach. It provides business transactional and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in South Carolina. The firm’s 41 attorneys serve clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more, visit https://robinsongray.com/
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