Benjamin P. Carlton is a shareholder of Richardson Plowden in the Columbia office. He is a member of the Richardson Plowden Business & Corporate Law Practice Group, and handles a diverse array of transactional and litigation matters.

On the transactional side of his practice, Ben assists businesses and non-profits with choice of entity; formation and licensing; ownership and governance; internal and external contracts; mergers, acquisitions, and sales; and general advice and counseling for the many issues that arise over a business’s lifespan.  Additionally, specific to health care providers, Ben assists with regulatory compliance (including HIPAA), governmental audits and investigations, and payment appeals.

Ben also assists individuals with effectuating their estate planning objectives; considering and negotiating employment offers and proposed agreements, including for physicians and other health care providers; analyzing existing non-competition and similar restrictive covenants; liability protection; and other personal, contractual matters.

On the litigation side of his practice, Ben has represented businesses and individuals in South Carolina state and federal courts, including South Carolina appellate courts and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals as well as South Carolina administrative and regulatory agencies.  The varying subject matter of such representations include: contractual agreements, covenants, and representations; warranties; owner dissociation and disputes; securities laws and regulations and derivative actions; professional malpractice; general real estate, easement access, and road closure; insurance coverage; debt collection and enforcement; tax controversies; class actions; injunctive relief; and various tort claims.

Prior to joining Richardson Plowden in 2013, Ben earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Law, graduating with honors. As a law student, Ben served as the Associate Editor in Chief of the South Carolina Law Review for Volume 64. He also served as Treasurer of the Calhoun Inn of the Phi Delta Phi Honor Society and received CALI Awards in Secured Transactions, International Trade Law, and Legal Writing II. While attending law school, Ben clerked for Richardson Plowden and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Pro Bono/Community Involvement

•   Park Scholarship (NC State)—Selection Committee Member
•   Leadership Columbia, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Class of 2017
•   Capital Rotary Club—Current President; Past Officer & Director; Paul Harris Fellow
•   Wills Clinic Participant, Habitat for Humanity, SC Bar Young Lawyers’ Division