Susan Drake DuBose

AREAS OF PRACTICE

DIAL DIRECT NUMBERS

Phone:

803-799-9091
803-343-3868

Fax:

803-779-3423

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sdubose@brblegal.com

ADMISSIONS
  • South Carolina, 1996
  • U.S. District Court District of South Carolina, 1997
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2000
EDUCATION
  • University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D. (Cum Laude), 1996
  • Carolina Legal Scholar
  • Order of the Coif
  • Order of the Wig and Robe
  • John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court
  • Student Works, Editor
  • South Carolina Law Review
  • University of Georgia, B.A. (Summa Cum Laude), English and Psychology, 1993
  • Phi Beta Kappa
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
  • Richland County Bar Association
  • South Carolina Bar Association
  • South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
  • Chair, Children and Youth Committee at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (2009-2012)
  • Past Chair Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Vacation Bible School
HONORS AND AWARDS
  • 2016 Legal Elite of the Midlands – insurance law
SUPPORT STAFF
Susan joined the firm in 1996 and left in 2002 to focus on her family. Susan and her husband, Jones, have three children.  Susan returned to the firm in 2010 after her youngest child started school.  She is so thankful that the firm welcomed her back and has enjoyed returning to the practice of law.  Much of her free time is spent watching her children play soccer, baseball, and basketball. When not attending athletic events, her family enjoys spending time on the May River in Bluffton.  Susan is also an active member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Jay Bender

AREAS OF PRACTICE

DIAL DIRECT NUMBERS

Phone:

803-799-9091

Fax:

803-779-3423

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jbender@brblegal.com

ADMISSIONS
  • South Carolina, 1975
  • U.S. District Court District of South Carolina, 1975
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • U.S. Supreme Court
EDUCATION
  • University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina J.D, 1975
  • University of South Carolina
  • B.A in Journalism, 1970
CERTIFICATION/SPECIALTIES
    • Certified Civil Mediator, State and Federal Courts
    • Certified Arbitrator
PEER RATING

Martindale Hubbell rated AV 5.0/5.0

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
    • Permanent member, Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference
    • Richland County Bar Association
    • South Carolina Bar
    • Richland County Planning Commission, Member, 1979-83; Chairman, 1981
    • South Carolina Occupational Health and Safety Review Board, Chairman, 1983 -1990
PUBLISHED WORKS
  • “Law Affecting South Carolina Newspapers”, SCPA Foundation, 1995
  • Legal Guide, S.C. Broadcasters, 1998
  • “Closed Doors and Closed Drawers: Public Access to Courtrooms and Court Records”, S.C. Lawyer,   Nov./Dec., 1994
  • “The Constitution and the Challenge to the Culture of Confidentiality”, S.C. Lawyer, May/June, 1995
  • “Restraints on Extrajudicial Comment: Who Can Say What, When and Where?”  S.C. Lawyer, May/June,   1999
  • “One Week That Changed the State”, S.C. Lawyer, Nov./Dec., 1999
  • “An Outbreak of Prior Restraint in the Palmetto State”, S.C. Lawyer, March 2012
HONORS AND AWARDS
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • Super Lawyer
SUPPORT STAFF

Jay Bender has built a national reputation as a lawyer for newspapers and broadcasters, and is regarded as South Carolina’s foremost authority on the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.  Bender represents the South Carolina Press Association, the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, and many of the members of those associations.  Since beginning his media law practice in 1975 Bender has appeared in a multitude of trial and appellate courts, both federal and state, to advocate press-related cases.  As a lobbyist for the South Carolina Press Association, Bender was instrumental in the adoption of amendments to strengthen the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act and the adoption of a reporter’s shield law.  Bender has also published two books on South Carolina media law.

Bender holds the Reid H. Montgomery Freedom of Information Chair at the University of South Carolina where he is a visiting professor in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies and a lecturer in the School of Law.  Bender teaches courses in the law and ethics of mass communication in both schools and a course on constitutional limitations on commercial speech regulation in the law school.  Bender’s students include undergraduates, law students and doctoral candidates.

In addition to his media law practice and his teaching Bender is a frequent speaker to press groups, lawyer organizations, judges and academic assemblies on access to courts, public records and meetings, and free speech issues.  Bender is quoted regularly by reporters commenting on free speech and access controversies ranging from a police department’s refusal to provide a crime report to the arrest of protesters on the state capitol grounds.

Bender has prepared summaries of South Carolina media-related law for the Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press and the Libel Defense Resource Center. He has also written on media law issues for the South Carolina Bar magazine, his most recent publication being “An Outbreak of Prior Restraint in the Palmetto State” in the March 2012 issue of South Carolina Lawyer.  Bender’s provocative speech on free speech at the inaugural  Columbia TEDx talks received a standing ovation.

Between 1975 and 2006 Bender was an attorney for the Catawba Indian Nation and participated in litigation and negotiations leading to the settlement of a land claim that arose in 1840.

Away from his professional career Bender has been active in community service having been a “radio reader” on the South Carolina Radio Network for the Blind for 30 years and a frequent platelet donor for the Red Cross.  In 2010 Bender received an award for service to journalism and the community from the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and previously was honored as an outstanding alumnus of that school.

Bender has been a vintage motorcycle racer (a reference to both the rider and his mount), a whitewater kayaker, marathoner and mountain climber.  Bender has ridden a motorcycle from Key West, Florida to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and later to the “Four Corners” of the United States:  Key West, Florida, San Ysidro, California, Blaine, Washington, and Madawaska, Maine.  Bender’s more sedate hobby is collecting pueblo and Catawba pottery.

Catharine Garbee Griffin

AREAS OF PRACTICE

DIAL DIRECT NUMBERS

Phone:

803-799-9091
803-343-3863

Fax:

803-779-3423

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cgriffin@brblegal.com

ADMISSIONS
  • South Carolina Bar, 1987
  • United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, 1987
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1987
EDUCATION
  • University of South Carolina School of Law
  • J.D., 1987
  • Order of Wig and Robe
  • Dean’s List
  • University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
  • B.A. English, 1984
JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS
  • Law Clerk 1988-1989, The Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal
PEER RATING
  • Martindale Hubbell rated AV 5.0/5.0
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
  • Richland County Bar Association
  • John Belton O’Neal Inn of Court (Past President)
  • South Carolina Defense Trial Attorney’s Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American College of Trial Attorneys.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
  • Volunteer, WA Perry After School Program
  • Liturgy Prep teacher, Trinity Episcopal Church
HONORS AND AWARDS
  • 2017 Bar Register Preeminent Attorney – Listed Lawyer
  • 2017 Top Attorneys in the Midlands
  • 2017 AV Preeminent Attorney
SUPPORT STAFF
“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare”

Juma/Kangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon Winner

Running and practicing law have a lot in common. After running a marathon a year for more than a decade – including seven Boston Marathons – Catharine has learned that running up hills allows you to relax on the other side; that running the tangents saves steps; that flat terrain can be boring; that various weather conditions — rain, cold, heat — offer some advantage; and that preparation is the key to finishing a race. All of these principles, absorbed during the miles spent on the road running to prepare for a marathon, equally apply to her daily practice as a litigator.

When not running or practicing law, Catharine enjoys the company of her three beautiful daughters, and she hopes to run a marathon with one of them before she is too old.

S. Markey Stubbs

AREAS OF PRACTICE

DIAL DIRECT NUMBERS

Phone:

803-799-9091
803-343-3864

Fax:

803-779-3423

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mstubbs@brblegal.com

ADMISSIONS
  • South Carolina Bar, 1986
  • U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, 1987
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1987
EDUCATION
  • University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D., 1986
  • Clemson University, B.S., Administrative Management, 1983
CERTIFICATION/SPECIALTIES
  • Certified Court Mediator and Arbitrator
PEER RATING
  • Martindale Hubbell rated AV 5.0/5.0
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
  • Phi Alpha Delta
  • Richland County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • South Carolina Council for Mediation and Arbitration
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
  • Board of Directors, former Chairman, Executive Board, PALSS (1999-2012)
  • Sponsor Torch Cabaret (2008-2017)
  • Sponsor Orange Party (2009-2012)
  • Community Impact Award – United Way – 2005
HONORS AND AWARDS
  • 2017 Bar Register Preeminent Attorney – Listed Lawyer
  • 2017 Top Attorneys in the Midlands
  • 2017 AV Preeminent Attorney
SUPPORT STAFF
A former gym rat and instructor at Gold’s Gym, Strong Hold, and YMCA, Markey is now content with weight training and a much reduced cycling schedule to Personally Fit and occasionally across town to the office.

Georgia Federal Court Protects Web Reporter from Subpoena

Camden Military Academy was sued in federal court in South Carolina by a former student who alleged that the school failed to protect him from hazing and sexual assault.  The plaintiff lives in the Atlanta area and a Georgia web publication, Southern Free Press, published a piece on the plaintiff and his suit.  The military school sought to depose the reporter and issued a subpoena for her deposition in Georgia.  The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted the reporter’s motion to quash the subpoena on grounds that the reporter was protected from being forced to testify by privileges arising under the First Amendment and reporter shield laws in both Georgia and South Carolina.  The reporter was represented by Bill Davis and Jay Bender.

D. Cravens Ravenel

In Memoriam

DuVal Cravens Ravenel of Columbia died peacefully on December 16, 2018, at home. Born on October 4, 1938, in Sewanee, Tennessee, Cravens was the son of the late Theodore DuBose “Binks” Ravenel, III, and Mary Virginia “Sis” Cravens Ravenel Paine. He graduated from Dreher High School and enrolled in the University of South Carolina, but interrupted his studies when he joined the United States Marine Corps. He returned to Columbia after completing his military service to resume college and soon was engaged to the love of his life, Sandra Jane Harmon, whom he married on June 1, 1961.

Cravens earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of South Carolina in 1963, and returned to his alma mater for law school, graduating in 1970. A skilled litigator for nearly fifty years, he was known for his civility, courage, respect, and integrity, as well as for his keen wit and self-deprecating sense of humor. Among other accolades, he was awarded the Richland County Bar Association Matthew J. Perry, Jr. Civility Award in 2011.

He retired from the firm of Baker, Ravenel & Bender in 2017. He was dedicated to this community and his church. He was a life-long member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, where he served in many capacities. He touched countless lives in big and small ways, and he left a legacy of love and compassion, teaching these precepts by example. To his family, he was the most loving, dedicated, supportive husband, father, and grandfather a person could be. A kid at heart with a twinkle in his eye, he enjoyed showering his family with attention. For twelve years, he could be seen the first day of school on his grandchildren’s route to Brennen Elementary dressed as a superhero, a goofy animal, or some other fictional character. He was a loyal Gamecock fan, always there on game days to cheer on the football, basketball, and baseball teams.

Cravens was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Branwell Bennett Ravenel; and a brother-in-law, Peter Randolph Kapeluck. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sandra; two daughters, Janie Ravenel Godbold (Jack) and Virginia Cravens Ravenel, both of Columbia; a granddaughter, Ravenel Godbold Khashram (Dimitri) of Jerusalem, Israel; two grandsons, James Judson Godbold, Jr., of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Williams Cravens Godbold of Columbia; a brother, Theodore “Ted” DuBose Ravenel, IV (Chere) of Edisto Beach; a sister, Florence Fain Ravenel Kapeluck of Wake Forest, North Carolina; a brother-in-law Samuel Eugene Harmon, III (Barbara) of Columbia; many cousins, nieces, and nephews; and his loyal companions, Pumpkin and Pippa.

A memorial service was held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Friday, December 21, 2018. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Homeless No More, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Columbia, SC 29204, or the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Homeless and Hungry Breakfast Ministry, 1100 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201.

Administrative Law

At Baker, Ravenel & Bender, our attorneys have appeared before various state, local and federal regulatory agencies across South Carolina on behalf of corporations and individuals. We have  addressed boards, commissions and departments on behalf of clients in a range of occupations and businesses.

Our attorneys have:

  • Represented South Carolina professionals such as teachers, insurance carriers and brokers in licensure issues that threaten both   their reputations and their livelihoods.
  • Helped businesses with zoning and land use ordinances .
  • Stood at the forefront of education innovation, representing charter schools involved in litigation with school districts.

Administrative law is about more than just knowing the agency or the topic, though. It is also about litigation skills, and we strive to handle our administrative law work with the same exacting detail and case management that we would devote to a court case. We stay in constant communication with clients, carefully outlining options at each stage of the case so that they can make informed decisions.

Appellate Advocacy

As a part of one of the oldest litigation firms in South Carolina, the attorneys at  Baker, Ravenel & Bender realize that the verdict often is not the end of a case but instead the beginning of a very lengthy next step.

Our attorneys handle appeals as well as trial work, a combination that enhances their skills as trial lawyers as a case is tried to a jury and also for appellate review.    Baker, Ravenel & Bender often is called upon to handle appeals for other firms as well, stepping in either after the trial is over or as the case is being developed.

Our attorneys have appellate experience across all state and federal levels, up to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Our appellate lawyers include skilled researchers and polished advocates capable of presenting compelling arguments whether orally or in writing.

Automobile Liability

At Baker, Ravenel & Bender,  we are experienced in handling automobile accident cases through out South Carolina—whether a low-impact accident with a soft tissue injury or a major accident that caused death or brain injury.

Automotive liability cases can be complicated mixes of eyewitnesses, physical evidence, police investigations , and accident reconstructions.   Our attorneys are skilled at preparing a case for trial and defending cases on liability issues.  Our attorneys are also well qualified to dismantle the damages cases presented by litigants.

Bad Faith Litigation

Baker Ravenel & Bender has represented insurance companies in South Carolina against claims that they acted in bad faith in investigating, adjusting or refusing to pay claims.  Our firm also advises insurers on claim handling practices and how to avoid potential bad faith claims during the handling of the claims or the defense of a third-party lawsuit.

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