News & Blog

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® honors 22 Robinson Gray attorneys for the quality of their practice in Columbia.

Two of those – J. Calhoun Watson and Shannon Till Poteat – were also named Lawyers of the Year, in Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants and Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers, respectively. Best Lawyers gives this award to individuals with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each practice area and location.

Here is the Best Lawyers list for Robinson Gray:

• Grady Beard – Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers
• Kevin Bell – Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law
• Frank Ellerbe – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Energy Law; Energy Regulatory Law; Litigation-Environmental; Litigation-Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy); Utilities Law
• Kevin Garrison – Real Estate Law
• Benjamin Gooding – Commercial Litigation
• Betsy Gray – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation
• Nick Haigler – Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers
• Paul Hoefer – Commercial Litigation; Litigation-Real Estate; Real Estate Law
• Becky Laffitte – Insurance Law; Litigation-Construction; Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Product Liability Litigation-Defendants; Transportation Law
• Gibbs Leaphart – Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers
• Bill Metzger – Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Michael Montgomery – Litigation-Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants
• Kelly Morrow – Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers
• Shannon Till Poteat – Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers
• Beth Richardson – Commercial Litigation; Litigation-Securities
• Kerk Spong – Real Estate Law
• Bobby Stepp – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation
• Monty Todd – Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants
• Rob Tyson – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation-Trusts and Estates
• Cal Watson – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants

Also, two attorneys were named Ones to Watch by Best Lawyers:

• Chris Boguski – Commercial Litigation
• La’Jessica Stringfellow – Commercial Litigation; Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants

“Ones to Watch” awards are recognitions of attorneys who are earlier in their careers – typically, they have been in practice for 5-9 years.

“Of course, I am deeply appreciative of the recognition I’ve personally received this year from Best Lawyers,” said Cal Watson, who is the law firm’s managing member. “But I’m even prouder of all my colleagues, from Becky Laffitte, who has been recognized since 2003, to those who made the list for the first time this year: Ben Gooding, Kelly Morrow, and La’Jessica Stringfellow. Thanks so much to all our local peers who voted for us.”

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on just that – peer review. The methodology 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.