January 1, 2008
We live in a country that is far from perfect but which undoubtedly is the greatest democracy in the history of mankind. Thirty-five of our Founding Fathers were either lawyers or benefitted from legal education. These men drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights which are the building blocks for our collective and individual freedoms.
South Carolina has a wonderfully talented bar that can trace its roots back to our Founding Fathers. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and John Rutledge were both lawyers and delegates from South Carolina to the Constitutional Convention. Both were signers of the United States Constitution and Rutledge went on to serve as the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Since that time South Carolina's lawyers and jurists have consistently distinguished themselves locally and nationally.
Each lawyer licensed in South Carolina has taken an oath that (in part) requires him or her to: "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of this State and of the United States; maintain the respect and courtesy due to courts of justice; pledge fairness, integrity, and civility; maintain the dignity of the legal system; and assist the defenseless or oppressed by ensuring that justice is available to all citizens and will not delay any person's cause for profit or malice..."
For over 31 years I have been practicing law in Greenville with my partners Danny White and Howard Boyd. In the late 1970's we started practicing with a firm with roots in the Greenville legal community back to the 1940's. The common bond that has kept us together is our commitment to a set of core values. We have a passion for excellence in client service and the quality of our work. We believe that the practice of law is a profession not a business and that integrity comes first. Our decisions are driven by a code of professional responsibility and an overarching desire to do what is right for each individual client. We are proud to be a part of a team of 43 lawyers that are "Leading the Way" at the bar, in the community and with our clients.
Our society has changed significantly in the last 220 years since the adoption of our Constitution. We live in incredibly complex times and we face new challenges that our Founding Fathers could not have foreseen. Thankfully they gave us a framework for a society governed by law with respect for individual rights. At Gallivan, White and Boyd we believe in using our talent and experience to improve our client's positions, our community and our system of justice.
We wish you a New Year filled with peace, happiness and prosperity.
H. Mills Gallivan is a Shareholder with Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A. and served as Managing Partner from 200? to 2007. He has 31 years of experience as a civil defense trial attorney, mediator and arbitrator. Gallivan's leadership roles in both professional and community organizations include: Vice President of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Council, President of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, Chairman of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the South Carolina Bar Association, Program Chair for the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence, Commissioner for City of Greenville Planning Commission, and 28 years of service in the Rotary Club of Greenville.
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