Chris Nickels was recently named as a Top 100 Litigator in South Carolina by the American Society of Legal Advocates (ASLA).

ASLA is an invitation-only, nationwide organization of elite lawyers in practice today. ASLA draws its affiliation from lawyers who combine exceptional legal credentials with a proven commitment to community engagement and the highest professional standards. Their exclusive membership comprises less than two percent of all licensed lawyers nationwide.

Chris specializes in helping clients with business disputes, injury claims and insurance matters. He tries a number of cases each year, appearing in state and federal courts representing individuals, employers, self-insured’s and insurance carriers.

“Chris has been such an asset to our litigation department since he has been with us,” says Sam Clawson, managing member at Clawson & Staubes. “The combination of his experience in trying cases with negotiating skills to seek successful results for our clients at every stage of the legal process has been very valuable.”

In November 2011, Nickels was elected to Mount Pleasant Town Council. He chairs Mount Pleasant’s Public Services Committee and serves on the Annexation, Human Resource and the Police, Legal and Judicial Committees of Council.

Nickels has a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics and a Juris Doctorate with honors from Northern Illinois University.

Charleston, SC – Sam Clawson and Ron Jones recently made the 2013 Super Lawyers list. Five other attorneys, Christy Fargnoli, Kristen Nichols, Brittany Boykin, Barrett Brewer and Natalie Fisher, were named Rising Stars - a list of the top up-and-coming attorneys in South Carolina.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state receive this honor. The annual service selections are made using a rigorous, multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The Rising Stars lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines across the country.

Sam Clawson has served as the managing member of Clawson and Staubes for the past 27 years. He is active in the tort defense of individuals, partnerships and corporations. As a certified mediator, Clawson has an interest in alternative dispute resolution and was a pioneer in the development of binding summary jury trials as an alternative to binding arbitrations. In addition to his AV rating from Martindale, he has also been named by Best Lawyers® as the 2013 Insurance Lawyer of the Year.

Ron Jones, a certified specialist in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law, established the commercial law and bankruptcy section at Clawson and Staubes in 1992. He is an active member of many groups including the SC Bankruptcy Law Association, the Commercial Law League of America and the American Bankruptcy Institute. Additionally, Ron holds an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell and is one of the top bankruptcy specialists in the Charleston area.

For more information about Super Lawyers, please visit superlawyers.com

Christy Fargnoli, an associate attorney at Clawson and Staubes practices in the area of general civil litigation, with concentrations in insurance defense, business litigation and municipal law. She represents individuals, insurance carriers, businesses and municipalities in both state and federal courts.

Kristen Nichols joined Clawson and Staubes in 2006. Her area of practice focuses on consumer, corporate and commercial law, bankruptcy, foreclosure and general civil litigation.

Brittany Boykin specializes in civil litigation, defending the interests of insurance carriers and the individuals they insure. More specifically, her practice focuses on personal injury litigation, transportation and trucking matters.

Barrett Brewer joined the firm in 2002 and has been named a Rising Star for the second year in a row. Barrett’s litigation practice focuses on business and contract disputes, business property and trade secret disputes, banking and lender liability, real estate and property disputes, product and commercial liability claims, and negligence claims.

Natalie Fisher, associate attorney with Clawson and Staubes, practices primarily in the areas of general civil litigation and workers’ compensation defense. Natalie was honored on the 2012 South Carolina Rising Stars list as one of the best young lawyers in the state in the area of workers’ compensation.

The U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. All of the quantitative and qualitative data were combined into an overall “Best Law Firms” score for each firm. This data was then compared to other firms within the same metropolitan area and at the national level. The first tier in each metropolitan area includes those firms that scored within a certain percentage of the highest-scoring firm(s).

“Being recognized as a Tier 1 law firm in by US News and World Report is a terrific honor,” says Sam Clawson, managing partner of Clawson and Staubes. “It is a real testament to Ron Jones who established our commercial law/bankruptcy section in 1992. Under his leadership, the attorneys in that section are recognized by other attorneys for ‘expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility and whether they would refer another client to the firm.’ I could not be any prouder of Ron and those attorneys. ”

Clawson & Staubes was also recently recognized for three attorneys receiving “Best Lawyer” awards by the same publication, a pre-requisite for being named “Best Law Firm.”

Clawson & Staubes has added an associate to its legal team. Nick Sanders joined the firm’s commercial law, bankruptcy and business section in November.

Sanders practices in the areas of commercial law, bankruptcy, foreclosure, lender liability and commercial litigation. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Furman University in 2005 and a juris doctor degree from Charleston School of Law in 2012. While attending law school, Sanders was the symposium editor of the Charleston Law Review, as well as an active member of the Moot Court Board and James L. Petigru Inn of Court. He graduated with magna com laude honors and was selected for membership in the Forensic Club.

Prior to law school, Sanders played professional basketball in the Netherlands and coached for a brief period at Furman University. He now resides in downtown Charleston with his wife, son and labradoodle. During his free time, Sanders enjoys spending time with his family at the beach, playing basketball and working on various projects around the house.

“We are thrilled to have Nick join our team,” says Ron Jones, attorney at Clawson & Staubes who established and leads the commercial law and bankruptcy section. “His zealous attitude demonstrates his dedication he has for his clients. We’re certain Nick will excel in this area of practice based on his variety of knowledge he possesses.”

Sam Clawson Jr., an associate with Clawson and Staubes, was recently published in the maritime publication, Seaways, the international journal of the Nautical Institute.  Clawson brings a unique aspect to the practice of law — in addition to having his law degree, he also has a master’s degree in international transportation management and a merchant marine deck officer’s license.  He spends part of his time in the practice of law and part of his time sailing as a deck officer for a major international container liner.

Clawson authored an article entitled “Mandated Rest Hours; The Compliance Connundrum” published in the September issue of Seaways Magazine. The article addresses the issues of the Manila Amendments to the Standards for Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) and the difficult choices the ships’ masters are faced with on a daily basis.

“The demands of port calls mean that it is almost impossible for masters and chief officers to comply with the standards for STCW legislation on rest hours,” says Clawson. “Finding a solution could mean a radical rethink of operations and manning.”

Professional Mariner also published an article written by Clawson addressing this same subject in their Oct. 3, 2012 issue.

Clawson has served as an adjunct professor at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina lecturing on terrestrial navigation and the maritime rules of the road. A native of South Carolina, Clawson received his undergraduate degree and his juris doctor from The University of South Carolina. He is a member of the Charleston County Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association, Propeller Club of Charleston, and Maritime Association of South Carolina. Together he and his wife, Lauren, own Charleston Dog Walking Company.

Charleston, SC – Laura Simons, attorney for Clawson & Staubes, recently joined the Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® as their newest board member just in time to be involved with the 19^th annual Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure taking place on Saturday, October 20 at the Family Circle Cup Stadium on Daniel Island.

Simons joins the Lowcountry Affiliate as the 12^th member of the board which functions to advise, assist and aid in efforts to support breast health education, outreach programs and to be another liaison in the community. She was inspired initially by the grassroots network of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, providing education, screening and treatment programs to those most in need. She comes to the Lowcountry Affiliate with experience working with the Cinderella Project in Greenville, South Carolina and Meals on Wheels in Charleston.

“Since becoming involved, I have been so highly impressed by the dedication of those who give their time and energy to the Komen Lowcountry affiliate,” says Simons. “I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to see firsthand the lifesaving impact this organization has in our community.”

Born in Charleston and raised in nearby Holly Hill, South Carolina, Laura earned a degree in English and journalism from Clemson University in 2005. She received her juris doctorate, magna cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law. Simons practices corporate law and business litigation at Clawson and Staubes and assists corporations and other business entities with their legal and regulatory needs. Laura resides on Sullivans Island, where she enjoys spending time on the beach, the boat or the golf cart. She also enjoys visiting with family and friends, traveling and Clemson football.

About the Race

Race for the Cure started as one local 5K (3.1 miles) race and has grown to be a national series of 110+ races in cities around the globe. The Race is one of the nation’s top 5K races and would not be possible without the 75,000+ volunteers and respective race committees that help put this event together. The local Race is South Carolina’s largest 5K race. To learn more, visit www.komenlowcountry.org or call the Race hotline at (843) 556-3343.

About the Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

The Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the local partner for the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. The Lowcountry Affiliate has invested more than $5 million in our 17-county service area to provide breast cancer screenings, support services, and breast health education to those in need. Seventy-five percent of net proceeds raised by the Affiliate stay in our local communities, while the remaining income goes to the national Komen for the Cure Award and Research Grant Programs – supporting research, awards and educational and scientific programs around the world. For more information, visit www.komenlowcountry.org, www.facebook.com/komenlowcountry and www.twitter.com/komenlowcountry.

Clawson & Staubes, a law firm headquartered on Daniel Island with offices in Greenville and Charlotte, was recently recognized by the national publication, The Best Lawyers in America®, for the 2013 edition. Attorneys Sam Clawson, Ron Jones and Chris Staubes were selected as “Best Lawyers.” Sam Clawson also received the “Lawyer of the Year” award – the firm’s first ever “Lawyer of the Year” recipient. For more than a quarter century, Best Lawyers has been regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.

Sam Clawson was selected for the “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of insurance law, as well as Charleston, SC insurance law “Lawyer of the Year.” Clawson has served as the managing member of Clawson & Staubes for 28 years and practices in the areas of personal injury litigation and insurance. He is a certified South Carolina Circuit Court mediator and mediates cases involving insurance law, business disputes, medical malpractice and personal injury. A proponent of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Clawson was instrumental in helping to establish summary jury trials in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties and lectures on this topic throughout the country.

Ron Jones was selected for the “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of bankruptcy law. He practices in the area of commercial law and bankruptcy, and is a certified specialist in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law, receiving the specialist distinction from the South Carolina Supreme Court. Jones has also served on the South Carolina Specialization Committee for Bankruptcy and Debtor Creditor Law. Jones currently serves as the chairman of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Chris Staubes was selected for the “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of corporate law. Staubes heads up the corporate law and business litigation sections at Clawson & Staubes. Within his areas of practice, Staubes assists corporations and other business entities with their legal and regulatory needs. Staubes is a certified South Carolina Circuit Court mediator and mediates cases involving business disputes.

Amanda joins the firm’s Commercial Real Estate and Corporate Law sections. She concentrates her practice in the areas of real estate and business transactions, banking and finance law, and corporate law, and has experience in commercial real estate acquisitions and development, entity formation, asset purchase transactions, and contract negotiations.

She is an active St. Andrews Rotary Club and currently serves as an officer and a member of the Board of Directors. She lives on James Island with her husband and their two children.

Chris Nickels recently spoke to the Charleston Young Professionals at their August luncheon held in the board room at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

The purpose of the luncheon is to educate young professionals on the role of local government and its impact on the business community. Specifically, Chris discussed that as election season is upon us, do the “young professional” truly understand the roles of their local elected officials? The discussion also entailed how to become engaged and make a difference. Chris emphasized that young professionals can make a significant impact on the region. Moreover, he emphasized that it is important for all citizens, including young professionals, to learn about the responsibilities of our local government at the city, county, and state level and how local government impacts the business community.

CYP was established in 2006 by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce to help Charleston’s next generation of talent get connected and make an impact on the Charleston region. Through professional development activities, social networking opportunities and advocacy efforts, CYP is cultivating the next generation of leaders