Drew Butler

Drew Hamilton Butler is a shareholder at Richardson Plowden. He joined the firm in 2002 at the Columbia office before helping to open the Charleston office in 2012. As a trial lawyer, he focuses his practice on general litigation, including but not limited to construction litigation, products liability defense, government defense, and personal injury litigation. 

Mr. Butler's experience includes:

• Successfully tried cases in the United States District Court and Circuit Courts of South Carolina 
• Successfully defended general contractors and subcontractors in large exposure construction-defect claims 
• Provides insurance coverage opinions for insurance carriers responding to a claim in South Carolina 
• Defends various government entities in claims brought under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act or 42 U.S.C. §1983

Prior to joining Richardson Plowden, Mr. Butler served as a speech writer for the Pennsylvania legislature and worked as a Judicial Law Clerk for Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission Administrative Law Court.

Scholarly Lectures and Speaking Engagements

• South Carolina Bar - Leadership Academy Presenter (February, 2022)
• CLE Presenter: Defending Dram Shop Claims in South Carolina (November, 2021)
• Strafford National Publications: Dram Shop Liability - Bar, Restaurant and Individual Exposure for Over-serving Customers and Guests (August, 2019)
• CLM National Construction Conference Speaker: Navigating the Modern Settlement Agreement (San Diego, CA / Fall, 2017)
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, Annual Meeting Speaker: Defending Restaurants and Bartenders from Dram Shop Liability (Summer, 2017)
• SC Bar CLE: Defending Restaurants and Bartenders from Dram Shop Liability (Winter, 2016)
• South Carolina Law Enforcement Defense Conference: Defending Prisoner Litigation Claims (Fall, 2016)
• The Hartford Insurance Company: Construction Litigation Defense in South Carolina (Fall, 2014)
• South Carolina Department of Mental Health: Risk Management and Loss Prevention Tactics (Summer, 2013) 
• Lorman Education Services, Lecture: Understanding the Current CGL Policy; The Role of Performance Bonds & Additional Insured Issues (Summer, 2012) 
• Lorman Education Services, Lecture: AIA Contracts - A General Overview/Dispute Resolution & Aribtration (Fall, 2011) 
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, Annual Meeting Speaker: Punitive Damages and Post-Trial Motions (Winter, 2010) 
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, Trial Academy Presentation: Jury Charges, Verdict Forms & Special Interrogatories (Spring, 2010) 
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, Joint Meeting Presentation: Expert Witness Cross-Examination Do's and Don'ts (Summer, 2007)

Publications/Writings

• South Carolina Dram Shop Litigation: A Practical Guide: South Carolina Bar – CLE Division, Nov, 2016
• Understanding the Application of Performance Bonds in Construction Defect Litigation, The Defense Line, Volume 43 (Spring 2015)
• Attorney General's Office Provides Trial Experience While Supporting A Valuable Community Program, The Defense Line, Volume 34 (Fall 2006)