2025 “Year-End” CLE
Civil Litigation Afternoon Session- Ballroom
1:15 - 2:00
Depositions in a personal injury Case
(45 Minute CLE)
+ Andrew Carson
Mr. Carson grew up in Newnan, Georgia, but has called South Carolina home since 2001 when
he enrolled at Furman University, where he played football for the Paladins. Mr. Carson handles
cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, automobile and trucking accidents, slip and
falls, and dog bites. He also handles cases against various police and law enforcement agencies
for excessive use of force, unlawful arrest or entry, and other constitutional violations. Prior to
joining The Clardy Law Firm, Mr. Carson represented various insurance companies and
businesses throughout South Carolina. He has been named a SuperLawyers Rising Star every
year since 2016. He has also been recognized in the Legal Elite section of the Greenville
Business Magazine, and the Top Lawyers section of the TALK Greenville Magazine.
+ Haylea Carter
Ms. Carter graduated from the Elon University School of Law, where she received the
Distinguished Service Award for completing over 100 pro bono service hours and her dedication
as president of Elon Law’s Innocence Project, which is a non-profit legal organization that is
committed to exonerating individuals who have been wrongfully convicted through DNA testing
and criminal justice reform. Ms. Carter is an experienced litigator in MGC’s Greenville office.
Prior to joining MGC, she practiced plaintiff's litigation, including personal injury, wrongful
death, premises liability, trucking accidents and estate planning matters at another South
Carolina firm. Most recently, she has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America for her
work in defending personal injury claims in both 2024 and 2025.
+ Timothy Nowacki
Mr. Nowacki also works at the Clardy Law Firm. He is a former Air Force intelligence officer
who focuses his practice on helping people who have been catastrophically injured, and the
families of individuals who have lost their lives. Mr. Nowacki has more than a decade in
experience litigating commercial motor vehicle collisions, auto collisions, defective products,
and premises liability cases. He has been recognized by SuperLawyers as both a Rising Star and
Super Lawyer. He has also been recognized in the Legal Elite section of the Greenville Business
Magazine, and the Top Lawyers section of the TALK Greenville Magazine. He is also a member
of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
2:00 - 2:45
Mediation 101
(45 minute CLE)
+ Mark Bakker
Mr. Bakker is an experienced employment law litigator and trusted legal advisor in employment
and other business-related matters in Maynard Nexsen’s Greenville office. He represents clients
in federal and state courts throughout North and South Carolina, arbitration panels, before the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission
and other state and federal agencies. As a mediator, Mr. Bakker strives to be an efficient and
creative conflict resolver. He has a robust mediation and dispute resolution practice and has been
certified to mediate by the South Carolina state and federal courts. Prior to private practice, Mr.
Bakker clerked for the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth
Circuit and for the Honorable William B. Traxler, Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. He has received a variety of recognitions, including being on the South Carolina
Super Lawyers list since 2013, the Best Lawyers in America list since 2013, and being
recognized by Chambers USA for his work in employment and labor law since 2011.
+ Anne Culbreath
Ms. Culbreath is an experienced litigator who has more than 10 years of experience working as a
mediator. She began working as a mediator in 2014, which ultimately led to her opening
Culbreath Conflict Solutions, where she strives to bring clarity and resolution to a variety of
challenging disputes. Ms. Culbreath focuses on complex litigation, and has mediated cases
ranging from professional negligence and long-term care cases to governmental liability,
trucking accidents, personal injury claims, and probate contests. She prides herself on being able
to navigate complex litigation, manage emotionally charged disputes, and provide extra attention
and care when needed. Her deep understanding of risk analysis, negotiation theories, difficult
personalities, and problem-solving strategies ensures that every dispute is approached with the
right blend of expertise and empathy. Ms. Culbreath is also recognized by the National Academy
of Distinguished Neutrals.
+ Eric Englebardt
Mr. Englebardt is an experienced litigator and mediator at Wilson & Englebardt, LLC. Prior to
Wilson & Englebardt, Mr. Englebardt worked at Haynsworth, Marion, McKay & Guerard (now
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd), the Clarkson Walsh firm, and Turner Padgett. He spent the first 15
years of his career trying cases in North Carolina and South Carolina, where he tried more than
75 cases ranging from personal injury to railroad crossing accidents, employment cases, real
estate disputes, zoning issues, and more. Mr. Englebardt’s extensive experience led him to being
recognized by his peers in both the Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers publications for his
litigation skills, as well as receiving the Martindale Hubbell AV rating for his skills and ethics.
Mr. Englebardt became a certified mediator in 1999 and has since mediated over 2,300 cases. He
has been recognized multiple times as being a local mediator or arbitrator of the year and prides
himself on being able to assist in evaluating and settling various types of complex cases.
+ Tom Stephenson
Mr. Stephenson is an experienced business litigator and mediator at Stephenson & Murphy LLC.
Prior to opening Stephenson & Murphy, Mr. Stephenson opened the Greenville office of Nexsen
Pruet with Joel Stoudenmire and worked there for 21 years. He was the lead attorney for the
prevailing party in Kiriakides v. Atlas Food Systems & Services, Inc., 343 S.C. 587 (2001),
which was the seminal case in South Carolina on the use of the dissolution statute to provide
remedies for minority shareholders. Mr. Stephenson also has extensive experience in litigating
catastrophic injuries, professional liability (malpractice), insurance bad faith, and general
insurance cases. He has been certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a specialist in
labor and employment law and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the
Medical University of South Carolina. In addition to being recognized by SuperLawyers, Legal
Elite, Best Lawyers in America, and Chambers USA, Mr. Stephenson is rated AV by Martindale
Hubbell. Mr. Stephenson has been mediating and arbitrating a wide variety of cases for morethan a decade and prides himself on being able to assist in evaluating and settling various types
of complex cases.
2:45 - 3:00
BReak with Refreshments
Judges Panel - Appellate practice in South Carolina
(60 Minute CLE)
During this hour-long panel, three well-respected local judges – one from each level of our state’s judicial system – will provide insight on preparing for and engaging in the South Carolina appellate process. The judges will bring you up to speed on recent and upcoming changes in practice, procedure, and technology in the courts. They will also discuss common questions about application of South Carolina rules to issues affecting the appellate process, and will discuss tips for effective advocacy.
3:00-4:00
+ The Honorable Letitia Verdin
Justice Letitia Hamilton Verdin—the daughter of Harry and Angela Hamilton—was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Her mother taught at her junior high school, and her father was her high school principal. She has two sisters, Felicia LeRoy and Blythe Hamilton.
Justice Verdin graduated from Furman University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She also attended Clemson University for graduate school, studying Biochemistry. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina in 1997. While in law school, she was selected to be a member of the Moot Court Bar and National Moot Court competition team. She was also named the Outstanding Student Volunteer at the University of South Carolina School of Law for her work with domestic violence victims.
After graduating from law school, she served as an Assistant Solicitor in the Office of the 13th Circuit Solicitor and, later, the Office of the 8th Circuit Solicitor. In this position, Justice Verdin prosecuted domestic violence cases and crimes against children. She also acted as the head of the Family Court unit for juvenile prosecution in both circuits. In 2000, she became an Associate Attorney with Clarkson, Walsh, Rheney, & Turner, P.A. in Greenville, South Carolina. In this position, she practiced in governmental and general civil liability defense, criminal defense, and family law. In 2005, she returned to prosecution at the Office of the 13th Circuit Solicitor.
In 2008, Justice Verdin was elected to the Family Court as a resident judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Then, in 2011, the South Carolina Legislature elected her to the Circuit Court for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. As a Circuit Court judge, she served as President of the Circuit Judges’ Association, Chairperson of Judicial Standards, member of the Circuit Judges’ Advisory Council, and member of the Commission on Continuing Legal Education.
In 2023, she was elected to the Court of Appeals, and in 2024, the South Carolina Legislature elected her to be an Associate Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Justice Verdin is a member of Liberty Fellowship and has taught as an adjunct professor at the Charleston School of Law. She is married to Chuck Verdin, a probate, estate, and corporate attorney in Greenville, South Carolina. They have twin sons, Zack and Eli. The Verdins are members of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.
+ The Honorable Aphrodite Konduros
Judge Aphrodite Konduros was born in Sumter, S.C. She attended the University of South Carolina where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English and was named the Outstanding Junior in the English Department. She won a Canterbury Scholarship to study in Canterbury, Kent, England her senior year.
She graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law where she was the first female Student Bar President and co-recipient of the Claude Sapp Award for Outstanding Graduate. She was admitted to practice in South Carolina in 1985. She is admitted to practice to all state courts and the U.S. District Court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
After law school, she served as law clerk to the Honorable David F. McInnis, retired, Circuit Judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Judge Konduros was thereafter in private practice, deputy general counsel for SCDDSN, a county SCDSS attorney, and assistant general counsel for SCDSS. Before being elected to the bench, she served as County Director for Greenville DSS.
She is a member of the S.C. Bar, the Greenville Bar, and the American Bar Association, and served as vice president of the Columbia Young Lawyers. She has served on the Safe Harbor Shelter Board, Prevent Child Abuse Carolina Board, First Steps Board, and the Greenville Ballet Board and the S.C. Senate Sentencing Reform Commission.
She currently serves chairman of the Chief Justice's Commission on the Profession and is a board member for Lawyers Helping Lawyers.
.
She was elected to the Family Court in February 2002 to fill the unexpired term of the Hon. Amy C. Sutherland, retired. On February 6, 2008, Judge Konduros was elected to the S.C. Court of Appeals to finish the unexpired term of the Chief Justice Donald W. Beatty after he was elected to the S.C. Supreme Court. She received the American Board of Trial Advocates Jurist of the Year Award in 2013.
She and her husband Sam Konduros live in Simpsonville. Sam is the President and CEO of the City of Greenville’s Economic Development Corporation.
+ The Honorable Patick Fant
The Honorable Judge Patrick C. Fant III was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1965, to the late Patrick C. Fant, Jr. and late Sarah Lowe Fant.
Raised in Greenville, Judge Fant graduated high school in 1984, going on to attend Wofford College, obtaining a B.A. in English and Government in 1988. In 1991, Judge Fant received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Following law school graduation, Fant served as a law clerk to The Honorable C. Victor Pyle, Jr. He went on to practice with Ellis, Lawhorne and Sims in Columbia before returning to Greenville to work for Haynsworth, Baldwin, Johnson & Greaves. He opened Fant Law Firm, P.A. leading to the partnership of Fant & Gilbert Law Firm, P.A,. Since 2009, he has practiced law with Fant Law, P.A. Judge Fant has over a decade of experience serving as a mediator.
Judge Fant has been a member of the SCDTAA, SCWCEA, the Terrier Club (President 2012-2014), Board Member Upstate Volunteer Mediation Center (2013-2020), and the Commission on Judicial Conduct (Appointed 2018 and served through 2022).
Judge Fant was elected by the South Carolina Legislature as a Circuit Court Judge, At Large, Seat Three, on February 8, 2023, to fill the unexpired term of the Honorable Clifton B. Newman.
Judge Fant began his service on the bench on January 2, 2024.
+ Moderator: Konstantine P Diamaduros
Mr. Diamaduros is a Shareholder in Maynard Nexsen PC’s Compliance and Investigations practice group. He concentrates his practice on government and internal investigations, white- collar criminal defense, and a broad range of complex civil litigation. From a civil litigation perspective, Mr. Diamaduros frequently litigates a wide range of shareholder disputes, contract disputes, and commercial landlord-tenant disputes in both state and federal court. He is also experienced in defending clients against tort claims and products liability claims. From a white- collar perspective, Mr. Diamaduros’s practice focuses primarily on whistleblower claims under False Claims Act, healthcare fraud, and criminal and grand jury investigations for individuals and companies. Prior to joining Nexsen Pruet (now Maynard Nexsen) in September of 2016, Mr. Diamaduros clerked for the Honorable Joseph F. Anderson in the U.S. District Court of the District of South Carolina after graduating the University of South Carolina School of Law.