Tyson was elected this month to a second two-year-term representing South Carolina’s 5^th Judicial Circuit, which is composed of Richland and Kershaw counties. Prior to his two elections, he previously was appointed to the House in 2008 and 2009 as a representative of the Government Law Section.

The House of Delegates meets throughout the year and establishes policy for the Bar. Tyson, whose practice areas include government law, regulatory, and administrative law, will begin his second term July 1.

“We’re pleased that Rob’s peers have selected him to continue to serve in this important position,” Sowell Gray Managing Partner Cal Watson said. “His work in this important area reflects his – and Sowell Gray’s – commitment to the Bar, its principles and its programs.”

Tyson is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and the University of Mississippi School of Law. He joined Sowell Gray in 2001.

In addition to his service in the House of Delegates, Tyson previously chaired the
Government Law Section of the South Carolina Bar Association and is a member of the Richland One School Board.

About Sowell Gray

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

Gray is recognized for her broad experience in business litigation. It’s the fifth consecutive year she has earned a Super Lawyer designation.

Betsy’s practice areas include: Professional Liability and Ethics; Probate and Estate Litigation; and Commerical Litigation and Business Dispute Resolution. She was also named a local litigation star in Benchmark: Litigation, a definitive guide to the country’s leading lawyers and firms as well as listed in The Best Lawyers in America® “Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation.”

About Super Lawyers:

Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selection is based on nominations from peers, evaluation by an independent research department and a blue-ribbon review by attorneys in the same practice areas. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators.

About Sowell Gray:

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in South Carolina. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

Six members of Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC have been named to the 2012 list of South Carolina Super Lawyers®.

Biff Sowell, Betsy Gray, Bobby Stepp, Becky Laffitte, Cal Watson and Monty Todd were listed in the annual publication, which is distributed to attorneys and certified law schools across the United States and reaches more than 13 million readers. The attorneys also will be highlighted in a special edition of Columbia Living this spring.

It’s the fifth consecutive year the six have earned Super Lawyer designations.

The six Sowell Gray attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list and the practice areas for which they are included are:
Betsy Gray – Business Litigation
Biff Sowell – General Litigation
Bobby Stepp – Business Litigation
Becky Laffitte – Personal Injury Defense: Products
Monty Todd – Personal Injury Defense: Products
Cal Watson – Business Litigation

The firm’s 2012 Rising Stars, which are up-and-coming attorneys who are either under 40 years of age, or who have been practicing law for 10 years or fewer include:
Tina Cundari – Business Litigation
Amy Hill – Business Litigation

Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state receive this honor.

Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selection is based on nominations from peers, evaluation by an independent research department and a blue-ribbon review by attorneys in the same practice areas. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators.

In its ninth annual edition, “20 Under 40” recognizes young professionals who have made an impact in the community and who show great promise as future leaders.

In addition to her work with Sowell Gray since 2005, Cundari’s professional resume includes a two-year clerkship with The Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. During her second year of clerking, she taught legal writing at the University of South Carolina School of Law. In 2010 she spent four months as a law clerk to The Honorable Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Cundari’s community service includes her current position as chair of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia. She’s also president of the Shandon Neighborhood Council. She’s been an active member in the South Carolina Bar, previously serving as co-chair of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division Cinderella Project.

Cundari, who grew up in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of Charleston and a law degree at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Her practice at Sowell Gray focuses on commercial litigation and business dispute resolution, as well as appellate advocacy.

About Sowell Gray

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

The firm received the award in recognition of its commitment to providing free legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.

Since 2009, the firm has dedicated its pro bono efforts to representing residents of the Hannah House, a transitional housing facility for women and their children. The firm’s lawyers have handled a variety of cases on behalf of the residents, including matters related to divorce, child custody and support, domestic violence and disability benefits.

“There are many, many attorneys at Sowell Gray who contributed to this award, just as they contribute their time, talents and energies to this community on a daily basis,” managing partner Cal Watson said.

About Sowell Gray

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

“Tina has proven herself time and again since coming to Sowell Gray,” managing partner Cal Watson said. “We are extremely pleased to elect as a member someone with such immense talent and dedication.”

Cundari, who grew up in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of Charleston and a law degree at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Following graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to The Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. During her second year of clerking, she taught legal writing at the University of South Carolina School of Law. In 2010 she spent four months as a law clerk to The Honorable Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.

“I’m thrilled about becoming a member of Sowell Gray,” Cundari said.  “The members of this firm have taught me how to practice law and what it means to be a complete lawyer. It is an honor to join them as a member.”

Her practice at Sowell Gray focuses on commercial litigation and business dispute resolution, as well as appellate advocacy.

Cundari is also involved in the community, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia. She’s also president of the Shandon Neighborhood Council. She’s been an active member in the South Carolina Bar, previously serving as co-chair of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division Cinderella Project.

About Sowell Gray
Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

A 2011 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, Davis earned a bachelor’s in history from Wake Forest University in 2008. He also studied abroad for a year, at the Institute for the International Education of Students in Barcelona, Spain.

While in law school Davis earned a number of academic honors, including induction into the Order of the Wig and Robe and Order of the Coif. He won CALI Awards, which go to the highest-scoring student in each law school class, in trial advocacy and family law.

His practice at Sowell Gray will focus on products liability, healthcare litigation and construction litigation.

About Sowell Gray

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

Sowell Gray was recognized as a tier one law firm in five areas: administrative/regulatory law; commercial litigation; personal injury litigation – defendants; professional malpractice law – defendants; and workers’ compensation law – employers. The firm also was ranked in litigation – construction.

“We’re very pleased to have earned such an excellent placement from such a prestigious news publication,” Sowell Gray managing member Cal Watson said. “It’s even more gratifying because the rankings were based on the opinions of clients as well as evaluations from other attorneys. It’s great to see that the people we represent and our peers have rated us so highly.”

Best Law Firms rankings were compiled after more than 100,000 surveys were sent to clients, attorneys, and law firms. Clients evaluated firms on benchmarks such as responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to a firm. Law firms assessed their peers in areas including integrity, cost-effectiveness, and whether they would refer a matter to a firm and whether they consider a firm worthy competition.

A firm’s performance in “Best Lawyers” rankings also was taken into account. Sowell Gray attorneys – Grady L. Beard, Elizabeth Van Doren Gray, Rebecca Laffitte, Thornwell F. Sowell, Robert E. Stepp, Monteith P. Todd and J. Calhoun Watson – were highlighted in eight categories in that publication.

The law firm rankings appeared in a November edition of the U.S.News, as well as in a special publication going to 30,000 general counsels in the U.S. and at USNews.com.

About Sowell Gray
Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in South Carolina. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

The committee fields complaints from people who suspect that someone has practiced law without a license and coordinates with state authorities in taking appropriate action. Unauthorized practice of law is prohibited to protect the public from the consequences of inaccurate legal advice and the erroneous preparation of legal documents.

Hill is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She’s held a number of other Bar leadership positions, including serving on the Ethics Advisory Committee from 2006-08. She is currently a member of the South Carolina Bar Professional Responsibility Committee and of the Richland County Bar Executive Committee.

Hill’s practice at Sowell Gray focuses on professional liability and ethics; probate and estate litigation; commercial litigation and business dispute resolution; and appellate advocacy.

About Sowell Gray

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in South Carolina. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

Lindsay is a 2009 graduate of the University of South Carolina’s Dual Degree Program with a J.D. and a master’s degree in international business administration. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Clemson University in 2005.

Lindsay served two judicial clerkships prior to joining Sowell Gray, with The Honorable Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in 2010-11 and with The Honorable G. Thomas Cooper, Jr., Fifth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina in 2009-10.

She is a member of the South Carolina Young Lawyers Division, serving on committees for the Cinderella Project and the annual Backpack Drive. Additionally, Lindsay is a board member of Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art.

Her practice at Sowell Gray will focus on commercial litigation and business dispute resolution.

About Sowell Gray

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC provides business and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Founded in 1996, the firm serves clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.