C. Pierce Campbell

Pierce Campbell advises start up and established businesses on any kind of problem they may encounter and is skilled at keeping those issues from becoming bigger legal hurdles.

A lifelong Florence resident, Pierce represents well-known small to midsize businesses in the area, as well as regional market leaders and national companies. Pierce assists companies with their organization, their ongoing business and through mergers and acquisitions. In addition to counseling businesses, he litigates commercial and contract disputes, probate matters and banking law suits. His banking experience includes all types of banking litigation as well as special assets work, where he helps lenders collect on bad debts and commercial foreclosures. In addition to his legal practice, Pierce serves the firm as its Chief Executive Officer, chairing the Executive Committee and directing the work of the Client Service Leaders and Practice Team Managers.

Pierce takes to heart the firm’s philosophy of exceeding expectations, and he prides himself on being accessible and responsive to his clients. His clients recognize his drive to get the job done as efficiently and effectively as possible, as well as the benefits of his practical approach. From the beginning, Pierce’s focus is on the resolution of whatever matter his client faces. By clearly understanding the business objectives, he can reassess and explain options as situations change. Adept at putting together a collaborative team that may be scaled up or down as the need requires, Pierce recognizes not every matter calls for the same resources and provides solutions that are the best fit for his client’s needs.

Deeply rooted in the community he serves, Pierce is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the McLeod Foundation, an independent, charitable foundation supporting and perpetuating medical excellence at McLeod Health. He previously chaired the City of Florence Design Review Board until 2022, which is geared towards the revitalization of the city’s downtown core.

Corporate Representation

Serves as outside counsel for regional manufacturing and distribution company, managing corporate reorganization, leading financing projects and negotiating contracts.
Represented regional subcontractor through a corporate reorganization and subsequent sale to national contractor.
Served as local counsel for international food and beverage company negotiating development, construction and operation of a food products facility in South Carolina.

Banking Litigation

Represented all large banks in South Carolina as part of a team that successfully dismissed a challenge to the state’s mortgage recordation system, protecting the ability of residents to continue obtaining mortgages in South Carolina.

Business Litigation

Served as lead trial counsel and continuing adviser for more than fifteen years for family members in a series of corporate, probate and partition cases related to a large family-owned farming and development business with assets of more than $15 million.
Successfully defended a trial for the board of stewards of a local church involving issues of corporate, property and ecclesiastical law.
Achieved favorable resolutions through mediation and motion practice in four pieces of litigation arising out of a failed, multimillion-dollar water-bottling business venture.
Successfully represented large regional bank in series of lawsuits regarding collection of more than $1 million operating debt against a local farming operation. The case involved very unique allegations of fraudulent signatures, missing guarantors, collateral sold without lien releases and claims of improper provision of information.
Obtained dismissal of lawsuit, upheld by South Carolina Supreme Court, brought by governmental entities against lenders, alleging improprieties with the lenders’ mortgage recording practices. The novel question in South Carolina lead to the court upholding the system in use, and thus preserving the mortgage lending market in South Carolina.

Administrative and Regulatory Law

Successfully represented a developer of a construction and demolition debris landfill in the South Carolina Administrative Law Court. A group of area residents challenged a permit granted by the Department of Health and Environmental Control after eight years of litigation and reviews. At trial, the developer's motion for an involuntary nonsuit (non-jury directed verdict) was granted on all alleged technical deficiencies of the permit. After the trial, the court ruled that the permit was compliant with the governing regulations, local ordinances and solid waste management plans. The case involved several unresolved questions related to the demonstration of need requirement for waste facilities and consistency with state and local solid waste management plans under newly enacted regulations.

Probate Litigation

Represented a beneficiary in arguing several novel issues of South Carolina law and obtained a successful outcome upheld on appeal.

University of South Carolina, J.D., 2004
University of Georgia, B.B.A., 2001

South Carolina Bar, 2004
United States District Court, District of South Carolina, 2004
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, 2005

American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Chair, Virtual Programming Board 2021-present; Regional CLE Programs chair 2018-2021; Division Director 2014-present; Business Torts Committee co-chair, 2012-2014; First Chair Press Book Publishing Board co-chair, 2009-2012; Technology Committee, 2009-2010; LexisNexis Advisory Board, 2007-2013; Young Lawyer Leadership Program, 2007-2009; Section Annual Conference Host Committee, 2009.
South Carolina Bar, 12th Judicial Circuit Young Lawyer Steering Committee, 2009-2011.
Florence County Bar Association, member, 2004-present.
Young Professionals of Florence, member, 2006-2015.
City of Florence Design Review Board, chair 2017-2022; vice chair 2016-2017; member 2013-2022.
McLeod Foundation Board of Trustees, 2016-present and Chair, Finance & Investment Committee 2022-present.
McLeod Health Foundation Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, 2023-2026
Kiwanis Club of Florence, president, 2011-2012.

Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2024
Columbia Business Monthly's 50 Most Influential, 2020
Super Lawyers, South Carolina Rising Star, Business Litigation, 2012-2019
South Carolina Lawyers Weekly "Leadership in Law" Award, 2019
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2016-2017
Florence Kiwanis Club, Kiwanian of the Year, 2008
Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™-AV®

Articles

Transforming Legal Practice with AI: Opportunities for Law Firms Come with Management Concerns

Accounting Today, "Advising clients on PPP loan forgiveness,” September 2020
SC Business Review Radio, “Lawyers Helping Entrepreneurs,” July 2017
ABA Section of Litigation, “When Associates Gain Trial Experience, Everyone Wins,” 2016
ABA Section of Litigation Business Development Video, “Handwrite Notes to Clients for a Personal Touch,” 2016
ACC Docket, “Succession Planning: A Joint Primer for the GC and Outside Lawyer,” July/August 2016
Rantings of a Partner and Pushback from the Associate, ABA Section of Litigation First Chair Press, Bart Greenwald ed., “The Client Relationship: Associates Care, Too,” 2011
Rantings of a Partner and Pushback from the Associate, ABA Section of Litigation First Chair Press, Bart Greenwald ed. “Trial Experience: Give it to Me!,” 2011
The Young Litigator: Tips on Rainmaking, Writing and Trial Practice, ABA Section of Litigation First Chair Press, “Introduction & Introduction to Writing” section, 2011
Business Torts Journal, Vol. 16, Number 2, ABA Section of Litigation, “HIGH ALERT!: Attorneys Must Be Aware of Potential Abuses of Email Technology,” Winter 2009
Expert Alert, Vol. 1, Number 2, “Expert Witness Fees: What is Reasonable,” ABA Section of Litigation, Summer 2005

Presentations & Speaking Engagements

“Business Torts CLE Seminar: Fiduciary Duties - Limiting Their Scope and Explaining Them to Others,” South Carolina Bar, October 2014
“Lender Liability to Municipalities in Subprime Foreclosure Crisis,” American Bar Association, 2008

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