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Cooke and Stoney Named Super Lawyers

Cooke Listed Among Top Ten Attorneys in the State

M Dawes Cook, a Barnwell Whaley attorney

April 20, 2009

Charleston, S.C. -- M. Dawes Cooke and Randell Stoney, Jr., of Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms, LLC, a Charleston-based law firm established in 1938, have been named to the South Carolina Super Lawyers list for 2009. Only five percent of lawyers in the state of South Carolina are named to the list, and Cooke placed among the top 10 of those in the state. This is the second year that both have been named to the list.

The selections for Super Lawyers are made by Law & Politics of Minneapolis, Minn. Each year, a rigorous multi-phase selection process is conducted, which includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent evaluation of candidates by Law & Politics’ attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and a good-standing and disciplinary check.

“We are pleased that our peers and Law & Politics have selected Dawes and Randell for inclusion in the 2009 South Carolina Super Lawyers list,” said B.C. Killough, Barnwell Whaley’s managing member. “This is an honor they both have earned by successfully representing their clients in case after case over their careers. All of us at Barnwell Whaley are proud to call Randell and Dawes our friends, mentors and partners.”

A fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, Cooke holds an AV Martindale-Hubbell rating and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. He is chairman of South Carolina’s Commission on Judicial Independence and Impartiality and is a member of the Defense Research Institute, as well as the International Association of Defense Council (IADC). Additionally, he has served on the board of the East Cooper Community Outreach since its inception 19 years ago and was honored with the 2008 Stone Soup Award for his outstanding service. Cooke received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia where he graduated with high distinction and his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina, where he graduated cum laude. In 1993, he received an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.

Randell Stoney, Barnwell Whaley attorney A seasoned civil trial lawyer, Stoney focuses his practice on premises and product liability, construction law, and general liability. He is also a certified mediator. Stoney is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the South Carolina Defense Trial Lawyers Association, and the International Association of Defense Counsel. Stoney, who received his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston (B.A.) and his Juris Doctorate from Campbell University, holds an AV Martindale-Hubbell rating, the highest awarded.

Super Lawyers can be found online at www.superlawyers.com, where lawyers can be searched by practice area and location.

Established in 1938 in Charleston, Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms, LLC, serves and counsels businesses and professionals in the state of South Carolina and beyond. Widely respected for their work in complex litigation matters, the firm’s 15 members and associates focus on the areas of intellectual property, civil litigation defense, professional malpractice defense, construction law, business law, and products liability defense. Barnwell Whaley is located on Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C. For additional information, visit www.barnwell-whaley.com.

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Firm backgrounder

Established in Charleston in 1938, Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms, LLC, serves and counsels businesses and professionals throughout South Carolina and beyond.

With over seven decades in business under the same banner, the firm is highly respected for its work in complex civil litigation in state and federal courts at both trial and appellate levels.

The firm’s 15 members and associates focus on intellectual property protection, civil litigation defense, professional malpractice defense, construction law, business law and products liability defense.

Barnwell Whaley is a full-service firm of seasoned lawyers supported by an experienced staff of paralegals, secretaries, medical and science professionals, engineers, chemists, law clerks, accounting and administrative personnel totaling 21 staff members. Though the firm may be considered “boutique” in size, the depth and diversity of its professional team allows it to handle complex civil litigation without the encumbrances and overhead of larger firms.

The firm serves and counsels businesses in Charleston, the Carolinas and throughout the country, and is engaged as counsel in several international matters involving intellectual property.

Sample clients include Sawgrass Technology, Maybank Industries Group, The Medical University of South Carolina, the S.C. State Ports Authority, The Citadel (including its defense in the landmark case attempting to admit women to the institution in 1995), Traveler’s Insurance, CNA Insurance, and Lloyds of London, among others.

One of the central practice areas for Barnwell Whaley is its insurance defense practice, which represents numerous insurance carriers and self-insured businesses in the state. The firm is frequently retained to defend insured individuals and businesses who have been sued in various types of negligence actions, including professional liability and malpractice, products liability, construction defects, vehicular accidents, premises liability and other insured risks.

The common thread that connects all of Barnwell Whaley’s practice areas is complexity. Barnwell Whaley’ attorneys have been described by their peers as "lawyers' lawyers." The firm is frequently called by other attorneys to help at trial and is often selected to handle the most difficult cases in a company’s portfolio.

Barnwell Whaley is dedicated to obtaining the best possible outcome for its clients. Often that means carefully and thoroughly preparing a case for trial and then trying the case to a decision. However, there are times when a thoughtfully negotiated settlement is the best interest of the client both emotionally and economically. In any case, the firm always puts the needs and best interests of its clients first.

Barnwell Whaley is located on Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C.

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