+ Sheria Clarke

Sheria is a dynamic litigator and former prosecutor with extensive experience in white collar and regulatory matters, government investigations, and Congressional oversight investigations. Characterized by her diplomatic disposition, she is particularly skilled in forging cross-party relationships which makes her particularly effective in avoiding and resolving conflict. Sheria blends her varied background in complex policy, litigation, and criminal matters with her prosecutorial expertise, legislative acumen, and exceptional investigative prowess.

Prior to her return to private practice, Sheria served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice where she handled False Claims Act litigation, whistleblower investigations, as well as a variety of criminal matters. Sheria has nearly a decade of experience working across multiple administrations in the U.S. House of Representatives. She served in several key positions, including as Staff Director for the Committee on Oversight and Government and Majority Counsel for the House Committee on Ethics. Throughout her career, she has provided both legal and investigative work on scores of congressional hearings, interviewing witnesses, developing investigative strategies, and securing access to documents from both the Obama and Trump Administrations.

An established thought leader, Sheria is regularly tapped by local and national media syndications to provide legal analysis and commentary on topical subject matters. Additionally, she teaches at Wofford College where she is an adjunct professor of government.

+ Lance Crick

+ Adam Bach

Adam Bach practices complex business litigation, focusing on shareholder litigation, contract disputes, trade secrets, intellectual property, real estate litigation, insurance coverage litigation, employment agreements, and governmental liability. Adam works with individuals and businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to multi-national corporations, in all phases of litigation, from pre-suit negotiations through trial and appeal. Adam has tried cases in state and federal courts in South and North Carolina and appeared before South Carolina appellate courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Bach’s peers have elected him to Upstate Legal Elite since 2012. He has also been recognized by Super Lawyers™ in Business Litigation, Best Lawyers™ in Intellectual Property Litigation and Business Organizations and is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell™.

Bach earned his undergraduate degree from Furman University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina. While in law school, he was admitted to the Order of the Coif, the Order of the Wig and Robe, the Order of the Barristers, and the John Belton O’Neill Inn of Court. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2006 and the North Carolina Bar in 2013. He is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in North and South Carolina and before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Bach currently serves on the Greenville County Bar executive committee and is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. He is also a member of First Presbyterian Church Greenville where he has served as an elder and deacon. He lives with his wife and three children in Greenville.

+ Francis Brown Anderson

Frances Brown Anderson works for Lawyers Helping Lawyers whose mission is to support attorneys with mental health and/or substance abuse issues.

+ Nekki Chutt, South Carolina Bar President-Elect

A certified specialist in South Carolina employment law, Nekki Shutt built on her experience working in a corporate human resources department to create a legal practice focusing on civil litigation.

Nekki’s goal as an attorney is to treat every client with dignity and to strive for justice. These values were instilled at an early age, as she watched her mother, a public defender who went to law school when Nekki was in second grade, advocate for people trapped in the system.

Similarly, Nekki represents clients in their fights against the system. Her emphasis is on employee benefits under ERISA.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act is the federal law governing all benefits under pension and health plans. Private companies aren’t required to provide those benefits, but if they do, they must meet certain standards. This includes having a written plan and maintaining funding levels.

Nekki’s clients include employees who believe the company has wrongfully denied them disability benefits. She works with them from the time of the initial claim, on through internal appeals and into the court system if necessary. She also assists those denied life insurance benefits.

Her work in employee benefits also includes cases involving federal COBRA and South Carolina health insurance continuation laws.

A co-founder of Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, Nekki’s practice includes a range of other employment law issues as well, such as wage disputes, discrimination and wrongful termination.

Nekki earned her Juris Doctor at the University of South Carolina School of Law after working for several years for a publicly traded insurance company. She rose through the human resources department to the position of corporate recruiter, responsible for hiring employees for more than 225 positions a year.

In addition to her legal career, Nekki has long been committed to the cause of social justice. In 2002 she was a founder SC Equality, the state’s LGBTQ civil rights organization. She served on its board and related boards for 15 years. Her legal work at times has overlapped her commitment to the cause.

Nekki and Burnette Shutt & McDaniel co-founder Malissa Burnette led the legal team that paved the way for same-sex marriage in South Carolina nine months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled all states must recognize same-sex marriage.

Nekki also is deeply committed to helping the next generation of lawyers. She’s presented, moderated, planned and created a number of Continuing Legal Education programs for the SC Bar. She’s developed innovative programs, such as a CLE on Modern Family Law that addresses issues related to lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender clients. Another CLE she co-created, “Against The Wind: A Legal History of Civil Rights in South Carolina,” received a national Award of Professional Excellence from the Association for Continuing Legal Education.

+ Barabara Seymour

Barbara M. Seymour practices in the area of Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics at Clawson & Staubes, LLC, in Columbia, SC. She assists lawyers and law firms in ensuring ethical compliance, including conflicts analysis; advertising review; risk management assessment; trust account management training; and, departure and dissolution guidance. Barbara also defends lawyers and judges in disciplinary enforcement matters. She represents Bar applicants before the Committee on Character and Fitness and the Supreme Court of South Carolina. Barbara provides consulting and opinions in legal malpractice matters. She represents lawyers and law firms in litigation matters related to disqualification, fee petitions, unauthorized practice of law, and sanctions.

Barbara earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1990. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1993. She began her legal career as a trial lawyer in Greenville, SC. She then worked as a prosecutor for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel to the Supreme Court of South Carolina for seventeen years, serving as the Deputy Disciplinary Counsel from 2007 to 2017. She was an adjunct professor in the Paralegal Degree Program at Midlands Technical College and an instructor in the Paralegal Certificate Program at Converse College. Her courses included Civil Litigation, Legal Research and Writing, Business Law, Torts, Introduction to Law and Ethics, and Law Office Management.

Barbara is a member of the South Carolina Bar, the State Bar of Georgia, the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, the SC Board of Paralegal Certification, and the Richland County Bar. Barbara was a Fellow of the National Institute for the Teaching of Ethics and Professionalism in 2006 and 2011. She frequently presents continuing legal education programs to local, state, and national audiences on a variety of topics related to professional ethics and lawyer wellness. She is the creator of the SC Bar’s three-part online CLE series Trust Account Academy and the author of Trust Accounting for South Carolina Lawyers: An Annotated Practice Manual. In addition to presenting seminars for MCLE credit, Barbara’s service to the South Carolina Bar includes volunteering for the Law-Related Education, Professional Responsibility, Unauthorized Practice of Law, and Diversity Committees.

+ The Honorable Charles B. Simmons

Judge Simmons was born and lives in Greenville, SC.

Judge Simmons graduated from East Tennessee State University, magna cum laude. He then graduated University of South Carolina School of Law. While in law school, he served as Chairman of the Honor Council.

Upon his graduation from law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable C. Victor Pyle, Jr. He then joined the Carter, Smith Law Firm and later became a partner in the Wilkins Law Firm.

Judge Simmons became Master in Equity for Greenville County in 1989. He also serves by designation of the South Carolina Supreme Court as a Special Circuit Court Judge. He presides over the 13th Circuit Adult Drug Court and the 13th Circuit Veteran’s Treatment Court.

Judge Simmons has served as President of the South Carolina Equity Court Association, President of the South Carolina Treatment Courts Association, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Drug Court Association in Washington, DC.

Judge Simmons is a Recipient of the South Carolina “Order of the Palmetto.” He has also been named to Who’s Who in American Law, the South Carolina Bar Association “Young Lawyer of the Year”, recipient of the Sertoma Club’s “Service to Mankind Award” and the Jaycee’s “Distinguished Service Award.” He has also been named to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals “National Hall of Fame.”

+ Trey Gowdy

Trey Gowdy was born in Greenville, South Carolina and grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is the son of Hal and Novalene Gowdy and has three sisters: Laura, Caroline, and Elizabeth.

He graduated Spartanburg High School in 1982, Baylor University in 1986, with a degree in history, and the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1989, where he was a member of the scholastic honor society “Order of the Wig and Robe.”

After law school he clerked for a judge on the South Carolina Court of Appeals and then for a United States District Court trial judge. From 1994-2000, as a federal prosecutor, Trey prosecuted the full range of federal crimes including narcotics trafficking, bank robbery, car jacking, kidnapping, child pornography cases, and the murder of a federal witness. He was awarded the Postal Inspector’s Award for the successful prosecution of J. Mark Allen, one of “America’s Most Wanted” suspects. He also received the highest performance rating a federal prosecutor can receive – two years in a row.

In 2000, he left the U.S. Attorney's office to run for 7th Circuit Solicitor (District Attorney)in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. As 7th Circuit Solicitor, Trey led an office of 25 attorneys and 65 total employees. He started a Violence Against Women Task Force, a Worthless Check Program, enhanced and expanded Drug Court, and implemented a Drug Mother Protocol designed to assist expectant mothers break the cycle of addiction.

He has been recognized statewide for his commitment to victim’s rights and drunken driving enforcement and nationally for excellence in death penalty prosecutions.

In 2010, he ran for congress to represent the 4th Congressional District (Greenville and Spartanburg Counties). While in congress he served on the Judiciary Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Intelligence Committee, Education and the Workforce Committee and Ethics Committee. He was also chosen to chair a Select Committee on the events occurring in Libya on September 11-12, 2012.

While in congress he actively participated in numerous congressional investigations,sponsored bills signed into law, and had deep and meaningful relationships with scores of colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

After four terms in congress, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 and would leave public service for good; thus ending his career with a flawless record in the courtroom and undefeated in political races. In January of 2019, he returned to his beloved South Carolina to practice law, teach classes with his close friend Senator Tim Scott, and speak on legal issues he considers important to our country.

Trey is an author, host of a television show and podcast. Trey is married to Terri Dillard Gowdy, a former first grade school teacher in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They have two children, Watson and Abigail.

+ Bakari Sellers

Bakari Sellers has spent his life fighting for justice, equality, and the power of community. As an attorney with Strom Law Firm, L.L.C., he represents clients in civil rights, criminal defense, personal injury, and government accountability cases, carrying forward a lifelong mission to protect the vulnerable and hold powerful institutions accountable.

Born and raised in Denmark, South Carolina, Bakari was shaped by both his family’s history and his own determination to create change. The son of civil rights icon Dr. Cleveland Sellers, Bakari grew up surrounded by stories of courage, sacrifice, and perseverance. That legacy instilled in him a deep belief in justice, fairness, and public service — values that continue to guide his work inside and outside the courtroom.

Bakari graduated from Morehouse College, one of the nation’s most prestigious historically Black colleges, where he cultivated his passion for leadership and social justice. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, preparing for a career that would bridge law, politics, and public advocacy.

In 2006, at just 22 years old, Bakari made history as the youngest African American elected official in the United States, serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives for nearly a decade. During his time in office, he worked tirelessly to address issues that directly impact working families and underserved communities — championing education reform, healthcare access, criminal justice reform, and economic development.

His legislative career reflected both courage and compassion: he wasn’t afraid to challenge systemic injustices or stand up for those without a voice. His ability to connect with people from all backgrounds made him one of the most respected young leaders in South Carolina politics.

At Strom Law Firm, Bakari Sellers has become a powerful advocate for individuals and families across South Carolina. His legal practice focuses on civil rights, police misconduct, wrongful death, personal injury, and government negligence. He represents clients who have been wronged by powerful institutions —whether it’s government agencies that violate citizens’ rights, corporations that cause harm through negligence, or systems that perpetuate inequality.

Bakari’s commitment is simple: to ensure that every person, regardless of race, class, or circumstance, has access to justice.

Through his work with the Strom Law team, Bakari combines strategic litigation, public advocacy, and community engagement to drive real change. He believes that the law is not just a profession, but a platform for transformation — one that can give power back to the people.

In addition to his legal practice, Bakari Sellers is known across the country as a CNN political commentator, author, and national voice for social justice. He has appeared regularly on major news networks to discuss race, law, and public policy, offering a balanced and deeply informed perspective shaped by both legal expertise and lived experience.

Bakari is the author of the New York Times bestseller My Vanishing Country, a powerful memoir that chronicles his life growing up in the rural South and his ongoing fight to uplift overlooked communities. He is also the author of the children’s book Who Are Your People?, which celebrates identity, heritage, and resilience.

His influence extends far beyond South Carolina. Bakari has been recognized by Time Magazine, Ebony, and The Root as one of the nation’s top young leaders. He has spoken at universities, corporations, and conferences nationwide, inspiring audiences to pursue justice, equality, and civic engagement.

Bakari Sellers believes that true leadership begins with service. Outside of the courtroom and the media spotlight, he is deeply engaged in local and statewide community initiatives. He works with nonprofit organizations to expand access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity — particularly in rural and historically underserved parts of South Carolina.

He has supported scholarship programs, youth mentorship initiatives, and voter education campaigns that empower the next generation of leaders. Bakari also frequently volunteers his time to speak at schools and community events, encouraging young people to believe in their ability to change the world around them.

His dedication to community service reflects a simple but powerful philosophy: “The measure of success is not what you achieve for yourself, but what you help others achieve.”

At Strom Law Firm, Bakari’s approach to advocacy blends empathy, precision, and purpose. He works closely with clients who have endured trauma, loss, or discrimination — listening to their stories, building strong cases, and fighting relentlessly to ensure they are heard.

Whether representing victims of police brutality, employees wrongfully terminated for speaking up, or families devastated by preventable injuries, Bakari stands as a steadfast advocate for fairness and accountability. His legal career is not just about winning cases; it’s about restoring dignity, hope, and justice.