Clarence Davis
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Columbia, SC
Attorney Clarence Davis is a partner with Griffin & Davis, LLC, law firm in Columbia, South Carolina. A nationally ranked trial attorney with more than 38 years of total legal experience, Mr. Davis provides exceptional representation to clients across the state who have legal needs involving any of the following:
· Business and commercial litigation
· Federal and white collar criminal defense
· Pharmaceutical, medical device and health care litigation
· Product liability
· Toxic torts
· Class actions
Serving the rights and interests of both plaintiff and defendant clients alike, Mr. Davis has achieved notable success fighting to protect the rights and interests of his clients in state and federal courts throughout the Southeast and all across the United States. Early in his legal career, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney, where he gained invaluable jury trial experience prosecuting a wide range of criminal matters involving securities, environmental crimes, tax fraud and other complex matters.
In addition, Mr. Davis served as circuit trial counsel with the U.S. Air Force, where he prosecuted felony offenders at air bases across the western part of the country, and he has served as a South Carolina delegate for trade missions throughout the Far East. All of these experiences have helped mold him as an attorney, and his past prosecutorial experience provides him with a unique insight into the criminal justice system, which helps him devise the most effective defense strategies possible for the accused.
Honored for his outstanding professionalism and service, Mr. Davis has earned an AV-Preeminent peer review rating* from Martindale-Hubbell as well as consistent recognition from The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation. He also holds a listing in The Legal 500 United States for Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense as well as Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Litigation, and he received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Contributions from the National Bar Association. He also received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest public service award.
A 1979 graduate of the University of South Carolina, Mr. Davis obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1982. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. He is also an active member of many local, state and national legal organizations, including the South Carolina Bar's Trial & Appellate Advocacy Section, among others.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 40%Business Litigation
- 40%Personal Injury - Products: Defense
- 10%Class Action/Mass Torts: Plaintiff
- 10%Criminal Defense: White Collar
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2009, 2012 - 2013, 2017 - 2021
Articles about Clarence Davis appearing in Super Lawyers
Additional Sources of Information About Clarence Davis
Visit my FindLaw® profile
About Clarence Davis
Admitted: 1983, South Carolina
Professional Webpage: http://www.griffindavislaw.com/clarence-davis
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- “Motions in Limine,” DRI Drug and Medical Device Seminar, May 2005
- Primary Author, “Class Action Litigation in Federal and State Courts” Course Materials
- “Opening Statements,” Arkansas State Bar Annual Convention, June 2012
- “A Jury Harvest: Picking the Right People,” DRI’s Drug and Medical Device Seminar, May 2012
- Faculty, “Bring Out the Handkerchiefs: How to Handle Jury Sympathy,” Defense Research Institute, Environmental Toxic Tort Litigation Conference
- Author, “Trends in Criminalization of Business Activities,” National Bar Association, February 2012
- Co-Author, “Conducting Voir Dire,” A Young Lawyer’s Guide to Defense Practice, Defense Research Institute, 2015
- Faculty, American Board of Trial Advocates, Tennessee Chapter, Masters in Trial Program, 2012
- Faculty, American Board of Trial Advocates, Louisiana Chapter, Masters in Trial Program, 2012
- Faculty, American Board Trial Advocates, South Carolina Chapter, Masters in Trial Program 2011 and 2013
Honors/Awards
- Recipient, Presidential Award for Outstanding Contributions, National Bar Association
- Recipient, Meritorious Service Medal
- Recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as AV Pre-eminent, 2017
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Columbia, SC, 2009, 2012 - 2013, 2017
- Recipient, Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest honor, 1999
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Litigation, Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, 2014
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants 2011-2017
Bar/Professional Activity
- Former chair, Transition Team's Economic Development Task Force
- Former member, Governor of South Carolina Transition Team, 2003
- Defense team captain, International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy, 2010
- Member, South Carolina Judicial Invitational Golf Tournament (invitation only)
- Permanent member, U.S. Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference (invitation only)
- Former member, The Palmetto Institute (South Carolina economic development “think tank”)
- Member, National Bar Association (NBA)
- Former member, NBA Commercial Law Section, Executive Committee
- Former State Liaison, DRI Drug and Medical Device Litigation Committee
- Member, Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Former chair, South Carolina Jobs Economic Development Authority
- Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (invitation only)
- Former member, University of South Carolina School of Law, Office of the Dean, search committee
- Former member, South Carolina Coordinating Council, Economic Development and Enterprise Zone Committee
- Former member, South Carolina Bar, Judicial Qualifications Committee
- Former chair, South Carolina Governor’s Commission on Race Relations, Economic Development Subcommittee
- Former board member and second vice chair, Santee Cooper Public Utility, Board of Directors ($2.4 billion in gross revenue)
- Member, American Bar Association
- Former chair, U.S. Magistrate Judge Selection Panel, South Carolina
- Board member, Woodward Academy, Atlanta GA, Board of Governors (Finance and Executive Committee)
- Former board member, University of South Carolina Alumni Association, Board of Governors
- U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
- Former board member, Central Carolina Community Foundation, Board of Directors
- Board member, Benedict College, Columbia, SC, Board of Trustees, 2014-present
- General council, South Carolina Bar, Trial & Appellate Advocacy Section, 2015-2018
- South Carolina
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Educational Background
- Government and International Studies, University of South Carolina, Bachelor of Arts, 1979
Industry Groups
- Banking/finance
- Chemical
- Pharmaceutical & Medical Device
- Retail
Last Updated: 5/21/2020