Press Releases

Gallivan White  Boyd (GWB) is pleased to announce that 21 attorneys from the firm’s Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston offices have been selected for inclusion in the 2021 edition of South Carolina Super Lawyers®. Most notably, Super Lawyers recognized GWB Partner John T. Lay as one of the Top 25 Lawyers in South Carolina.  Super Lawyers, published by Thomson Reuters, lists the top 5% of the attorneys in the state who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Super Lawyers utilizes a multiphased selection process that includes peer nominations, independent third-party research, and peer reviews by other attorneys in their primary practice area. The 14 GWB attorneys...

Gallivan White Boyd is pleased to announce growth throughout the Carolinas. The firm welcomes associate attorneys to each of its offices in North Carolina and South Carolina. James “Brad” Cheek is an associate in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office concentrating his practice on commercial transportation and tort and personal injury. Brad is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law where he was publication editor for the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal and an executive member of the Holderness Moot Court Corporate Law Appellate Advocacy Team. Currently, Brad is an active member of the Mecklenburg County Bar. Makenzie E. Polston is a litigation attorney in the firm’s Columbia,...

Partner T. David Rheney has been AV Preeminent® Rated with Martindale-Hubbell for 15 years. The American registry recently honored David for this outstanding endorsement by both peers and the Judiciary. In existence for more than 130 years, Martindale-Hubbell was the first publication to provide attorney ratings to assist the public with information when making a decision to seek legal advice. Martindale-Hubbell is a peer-review rating system with client input that rates legal ability and ethical standards. An AV Preeminent® rating is Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer rating standard. The rating is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise,...

Partner John T. Lay Jr. has been elected Dean of the Corporate Counsel College of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) for 2022. IADC has been serving a distinguished membership of corporate and insurance defense attorneys and executives since 1920. Its activities benefit approximately 2,500 invitation-only, peer reviewed members and their clients, as well as the civil justice system and the legal profession. IADC takes a leadership role in many areas of legal reform and professional development. As Dean, John T. will continue to uphold the organization's mission to ensure equal opportunity in the legal profession, creating a pipeline of future leaders in the field that reflect the diversity of...

Gray T. Culbreath has been appointed treasurer of the Southeastern American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA). SEABOTA is a chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) that promotes ABOTA’s goal of preserving the Seventh Amendment, enhancing the honor of the legal profession and civility in the practice of law. Gray T. Culbreath represents corporations, individuals and insurers in trials and appeals. For over 30 years, he has handled complex trials and appeals in federal and state courts across South Carolina. His career has taken him from Army courtrooms to almost every federal and state courthouse in South Carolina. Gray principally practices in the areas of commercial and class action...

Attorney Zach Weaver has been named by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly as a Go To Lawyer in business law. The “Go To Lawyers” program identifies and recognizes top lawyers across the state in a given practice area. The first field of practice for this new program is business law. A Go To Lawyer is a lawyer who is well-versed in the nuances of case law, statutes, issues, and regulations business clients will encounter. Zach is a business and commercial litigation partner in the firm’s Greenville, South Carolina, office. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex issues before and during litigation, providing guidance on resolving disputes and trying them to a jury when appropriate. Some of Zach’s most...

Gallivan White Boyd congratulates partner H. Mills Gallivan on his second term as chairman for the board of directors at Bon Secours St. Francis – Greenville. In this position, Mills will help guide local leadership toward the fulfillment of the overall mission, vision and values of Bon Secours St. Francis for the upstate of South Carolina. Mills has deep roots in the Greenville community and has long invested in its growth and development. His career as civil defense trial attorney, counselor and mediator spans more than four decades. Mills brings his skill of negotiation, leadership and execution to the Board of Bon Secours St. Francis. He has formerly served Greenville and the St. Francis communities as a...

Gallivan White Boyd is pleased to announce that Heather A. Chiovaro and Eleanor L. Jones have joined the firm as associate attorneys. Heather A. Chiovaro is an associate practicing in the firm’s Charleston, South Carolina, office. Her primary legal focus is handling construction defect litigation.  Heather’s industry knowledge and experience includes representing developers, design professionals, contractors and construction product manufacturers. Heather also has experience handling complex products liability, class action and mass torts litigation. Eleanor L. Jones has joined the firm as an associate attorney in the Columbia, South Carolina, office. Eleanor’s practice will focus on business and...

Johnston Cox has been accepted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Founded in 1958, ABOTA is an invitation only national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges. ABOTA and its members are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ABOTA membership consists of more than 7,600 lawyers— equally balanced between plaintiff and defense—and judges spread among 96 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Johnston is a partner in the firm’s Columbia, South Carolina, office. For the past 25 years, his practice has focused on insurance litigation, business litigation, commercial...

The firm and seven of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2021 Edition of Benchmark Litigation – United States. Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys. Rankings are based on extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients, as well as analysis of the market’s most important cases and firm developments. Local Litigation Stars for each state reflect only those individuals who were recommended consistently as reputable and effective litigators by clients and peers.

• Gray T. Culbreath - Columbia, South Carolina Appellate; Product Liability
• John T. Lay, Jr. - Columbia, South...