News & Blog

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Paul Hoefer, a member of Robinson Gray law firm, has been named the 2026 Lawyer of the Year for Columbia in the area of Litigation – Banking and Finance by The Best Lawyers in America®.

Paul 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, which is reserved for individuals with 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 Cal Watson in Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Matt Hill in Banking and Finance Law.

In the main Best Lawyers list, Paul was honored in four additional practice areas: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate, and Real Estate Law.

Paul is a litigator focusing on creditor-debtor, real estate, and related business disputes. He has experience in real property and lien litigation, commercial debt recovery, and financial fraud matters. He has represented financial institutions, individual and corporate property owners, and local and national businesses. Paul has been named to “Best Lawyers in America” for his practice in Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Real Estate Law (2021-2025), Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2025), and Litigation – Banking and Finance (2025). He has also been named a “Super Lawyer Rising Star” for Creditor-Debtor Rights (2018-2023).

He is also an active leader within the firm’s Meritas network, a global alliance of law firms serving 245 business markets. He is a past Chairman of the Meritas Emerging Leaders Advisory Board and currently serves as a designated Meritas member contact. Additionally, Paul currently serves on Robinson Gray’s executive committee.

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/.