Watson has served on the South Carolina Bar Board of Governors since 2009 after previously serving from 1997 to 2000. He served as treasurer in 2012-13 and as secretary in 2011-12. He’s been on the South Carolina Bar’s House of Delegates since 1997. Watson also was president of the South Carolina Bar Foundation (2006-07) and president of the John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court (2010-11).

“We congratulate Cal as he assumes the office of President-Elect of the South Carolina Bar,” Sowell Gray founding member Betsy Gray said. “Knowing Cal as we do, we believe he is ideal for this leadership role. The Bar will benefit from his recognized strong management skills and dedication to the legal profession.”

Watson serves the community as well as the legal profession. He was president of the Historic Columbia Foundation in 2007-09 and of the Wofford College Alumni Association in 2000.

His practice areas at Sowell Gray are professional liability and commercial litigation and business dispute resolution. Watson is also a certified South Carolina Circuit Court mediator.

Watson earned his juris doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law after graduating summa cum laude from Wofford College. He has been selected as a South Carolina Super Lawyer for six consecutive years and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America yearly since 2009.

About Sowell Gray:

Located in Columbia’s historic Vista district, Sowell Gray Step & 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.

Horner joins three other attorneys at Sowell Gray who hold licenses in states in addition to South Carolina: member Grady Beard in Georgia, member Rob Tyson in Mississippi and associate David Dick in Kentucky.

Working with a firm whose attorneys can practice law in different states often is a benefit for Sowell Gray clients who conduct business in more than one location.

Horner is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of Wig and Robe.

His practice at Sowell Gray focuses on workers’ compensation.

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 mulch-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more information, please visit sowellgray.com.

Betsy Gray is listed among the state’s Top 10 business litigators. Biff Sowell, Bobby Stepp, Becky Laffitte, Cal Watson and Monty Todd also are listed in the annual publication. Distributed to attorneys and law schools across the United States, the guide reaches more than 13 million readers. The attorneys also will be highlighted in a special edition of Columbia Living this spring.

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

In addition to Gray’s ranking in business litigation, the attorneys were recognized in various practice areas:

Sowell – General Litigation

Stepp – Business Litigation

Laffitte – Personal Injury Defense: Products

Todd – Personal Injury Defense: Products

Watson – Business Litigation

Super Lawyers are attorneys across more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selection is based on peer nominations, independent research and a 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.

Super Lawyers, which is distributed to attorneys and law schools across the United States, reaches more than 13 million readers annually. The Super Lawyers also will be highlighted in a special edition of Columbia Living this spring.

Rising Stars are up-and-coming attorneys who are either younger than 40 or who have been practicing for 10 years or fewer. Both Hill and Cundari are being honored as business litigators. It’s the second year they’ve been recognized.

Selection to the annual Super Lawyers guide is based on peer nominations, independent research and a review by attorneys in the same practice areas. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators.
In addition to Cundari and Hill, six Sowell Gray members were named 2013 Super Lawyers. Betsy Gray was rated in the Top 10 business litigators in the state.

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.

“Tina has served the John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court well and will be an outstanding leader,” said Sowell Gray Managing Member Cal Watson, himself a former president of the Inn of Court. “We are proud of Tina for this accomplishment.”

Alexis Lindsay, an attorney with Sowell Gray, is serving as the Inn’s webmaster and special counsel, while attorney Michael Montgomery is serving as meeting coordinator.

The organization meets monthly during the academic year for programs and discussions about ethics, skills and professionalism. Cundari will become its president in 2014.

Cundari earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of Charleston and a law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her practice at Sowell Gray focuses on commercial litigation and business dispute resolution, professional liability and ethics, and appellate practice.

Lindsay and Montgomery are graduates of the University of South Carolina School of Law. Lindsay’s practice focuses on commercial litigation and business dispute resolution, while Montgomery’s focuses on products liability, construction litigation, commercial transportation and trucking, and appellate practice.

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.

COLUMBIA, S.C. –

The University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association bestows the honor annually to attorneys who demonstrate outstanding professional and civic accomplishments. The award goes only to those who exemplify the highest standards of professional competence, ethics and integrity. The Silver Medallion is for those who have practiced less than 14 years.

Hill, who graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, in 2000, is a litigator with Sowell Gray. Her colleagues are pleased that Hill was selected to receive the prestigious award. “Amy is a tremendous asset to the South Carolina Bar. I’m very pleased and proud that Amy’s many contributions will be recognized in such a meaningful way,” Managing Member Cal Watson said.

She has a lengthy resume of professional and community service. Hill recently was elected president-elect of the Richland County Bar, and she’ll become president of the group in December. She’s served on the executive committee since 2010.

She’s served the South Carolina legal community, too. She currently chairs the South Carolina Bar Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, and she’s previously served as vice chair of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Foundation and as co-chair of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division Minority and Diversity Committee. She served on the South Carolina Bar Ethics Advisory Committee from 2006-08.

Hill is involved in the community as a board member for The Friends of Richland County Public Library. She’s a 2007 Leadership Columbia Graduate

Hill is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in accounting. Her 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.

Additionally, Sowell Gray members Betsy Gray, Biff Sowell, Bobby Stepp and Cal Watson will be recognized as Leaders in their Fields. The guide will honor all four in the category of “Litigation: General Commercial.” Each has been included in at least the five previous editions of the guide.

The publication, an internationally recognized guide to the legal profession, first included Sowell Gray in its 2006 edition.
“This group of high-profile litigators continues to grow in reputation and stature while maintaining its client focus,” past editions have said about the firm.
In order to earn the ranking, the firm and its attorneys had to undergo a stringent review. The evaluation included confidential, in-depth interviews with clients and lawyers. Attorneys are assessed on legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness, diligence, commitment and other qualities clients value.

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.

Since 1993, Kids’ Chance has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships that have helped students continue their educations. Recipients have ranged from the child of a nurse killed while helping a fellow motorist to the family of grocery store employee shot three times during a robbery.

Kids’ Chance supports the scholarships through donations and fund-raisers held throughout the year. As a board member, Haigler will help make sure Kids’ Chance has the resources it needs to help deserving students.

Haigler is a Midlands native and graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law. He joined Sowell Gray in September 2007. In addition to serving on the Kids’ Chance board, he’s been a member of the Leadership Columbia board since 2010. He also volunteers his legal services with Hannah House, a faith-based transitional housing facility serving women and their children from Columbia and the surrounding communities.

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.