May 20, 2011
Trey Watkins Creates New Partnership as Chair of the S.C. Bar’s
Community Law Week
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 28, 2011) — The Young Lawyers
Division of the South Carolina Bar is sponsoring several public service
projects across the state during Community Law Week, May 2-6. These projects
are designed to promote the legal profession and provide the public with
information about their legal rights.
In a new program started by Elmore & Wall attorney Trey Watkins, YLD is
partnering with USC’s Center for Children through its Cocky Reading Express
program. On Friday, May 6, young lawyers from across the state will travel
with Cocky to various elementary schools. They will read aloud to children
and talk with them about the importance of reading. After making a pledge to
Cocky that the children will read aloud at home with their families, each
child is given a book of their very own. The ultimate goal is to reduce the
cycle of illiteracy among South Carolina’s children and adults, particularly
in those communities that are underserved or disadvantaged.
To read more about the new program started by Trey Watkins, please go to the
News Section of our website.
Elmore & Wall, P.A., is pleased to announce the addition of
William Silverman who has associated with the firm's Raleigh office. A
graduate of the University of Virginia and the Wake Forest University School
of Law, Mr. Silverman's practice will focus on construction disputes and
insurance coverage and defense. He is a member of the North Carolina
Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, and the Wake County Bar
Association.
January 28, 2011
Elmore & Wall, P.A., is pleased to announce that Morgan S.
Templeton has been invited to join the prestigious Council on Litigation
Management. The Council is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of
insurance company, corporations, Corporate Counsel, Litigation and Risk
Managers, claims professionals, and attorneys. Through education and
collaboration the organization’s goals are to create a common interest in
the representation by firms of companies, and to promote and further the
highest standards of litigation management in pursuit of client defense.
Selected attorneys and law firms are extended membership by invitation only
based on nominations from CLM Fellows.
January 25, 2011
On January 7, 2011, the South
Carolina Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion on insurance
coverage for contractors [to read the opinion
click here].
When damage to property is no more than the natural and probable
consequence of faulty workmanship, such that the two cannot be
distinguished, the Court held that a contractor does not have
coverage under its CGL policy. The Court held that faulty
workmanship must result in an “occurrence” for it to give rise
to potential coverage. An “occurrence” is defined by the
Court as “an accident” and involves a fortuity or “chance”
component. For example, the natural and expected consequence of
negligently installing siding is water intrusion and damage to
the interior. The Court held that there was no fortuity or
chance component to these facts and therefore, no “occurrence.”
The Court pointed out, however, that a finding of faulty work
alone may not preclude coverage. Rather, faulty work may cause
an “occurrence” when the event causing damage is fortuitous or
by chance and the damage is to non-defective work. It is
expected that a petition for rehearing will be filed before
February 3, 2011.