Keith M. Babcock
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Columbia, SC
Attorney Keith M. Babcock is a founding partner of Lewis Babcock L.L.P. in Columbia, South Carolina, where he devotes his practice to business disputes and litigation. In his more than 40 years as a lawyer, he has accumulated decades of experience handling complex matters involving eminent domain, professional negligence and business litigation. He represents clients in Columbia and throughout South Carolina.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Babcock’s professionalism and hard work have earned him the respect of his colleagues. Martindale-Hubbell awarded him an AV Preeminent* peer review rating. This is the organization’s highest rating, representing exceptional legal ability and high ethical standards. He is listed in the publication “The Best Lawyers in America,” and the Columbia Business Monthly magazine included him on its “legal elite” list in 2018 and 2019.
Mr. Babcock has served as president of the American Board of Trial Advocates South Carolina Chapter. He also sits on the advisory committee for the Commission on Judicial Conduct and belongs to the Richland County Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice, the American Bar Association, the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit and the Federal Bar Association South Carolina Chapter.
A graduate of Princeton University, Mr. Babcock went on to graduate with honors from The George Washington University Law School. Early in his career, he worked in the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and served for several years as an assistant attorney general. He has represented clients in private practice since 1981.
Mr. Babcock holds licenses to practice law before all South Carolina state courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Supreme Court of the United States.
*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
- 50%Eminent Domain
- 10%Professional Liability: Plaintiff
Legal Malpractice, Professional Malpractice - Other
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2008 - 2021
Additional Sources of Information About Keith M. Babcock
Visit my FindLaw® profile
About Keith M. Babcock
Admitted: 1977, South Carolina
Professional Webpage: https://www.lewisbabcock.com/keith-m-babcock.html
Bar/Professional Activity
- Spring Valley Homeowners Association, Board of Directors
- Advisory Committee on the Commission on Standards of Judicial Conduct, Chair, 2013 -2015
- Advisory Committee on the Commission on Standards of Judicial Conduct, Member
- South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, President, 2016
- State of South Carolina, Bar Examiner, 2001-2006
- Permanent Member, Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference
- South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
- Owners’ Counsel of America, Board of Directors
- South Carolina Association for Justice
- Federal Bar Association, South Carolina Chapter
- Professional Liability Committee, 2013–2015
- Professional Responsibility Committee, 1985–1986
- South Carolina Bar Chairman
- American Bar Association
- Richland County Bar Association
- South Carolina Board of Law Examiners, 2001–2006
- Civil Justice Advisory Committee, District of South Carolina, 1991–1993
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1977
- U.S. Tax Court, 1981
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1980
- United States Court of Federal Claims, 1979
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, 1977
- South Carolina, 1977
Honors/Awards
- 2013 Columbia Israel Bonds Star of David Award, Co-recipient
- Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2020
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Legal Elite in Business Litigation, Columbia Business Monthly magazine, 2019
- Leading vote-getter in the field of Business Litigation, , 2018
- South Carolina Super Lawyers, 2008-2020
Pro bono/Community Service
- Keith serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Columbia Educational Advancement Foundation, the Columbia Jewish Federation, the Columbia Jewish Community Center, and the Owners' Counsel of America.
Verdicts/Settlements
- Scott v. Greenville County, 716 F.2d 1409 (4th Cir. 1983)
- Rice v. South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation, 289 S.E.2d 645 (S.C. 1982)
- South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation v. Manning, 323 S.E.2d 775 (S.C. 1984)
- Manning v. City of Columbia, 377 S.E.2d 335 (S.C. 1989)
- Layman v. State, 630 S.E.2d 265 (S.C. 2006)
- Dutch Fork Development Group, II, LLC v. SEL Properties, LLC, 753 S.E.2d 840 (S.C. 2012)
- South Carolina State Ports Authority v. Jasper County, 629 S.E.2d 624 (S.C. 2006)
- Vortex Sports & Entertainment, Inc. v. Ware, 662 S.E.2d 444 (S.C. Ct. App 2008)
- In Re Mullinax, 722 S.E.2d 524 (S.C. 2012)
- Bennett v. Carter, 807 S.E.2d 197 (S.C. 2017)
- Baugh v. Columbia Heart Clinic, P.A., 738 S.E.2d 480 (S.C. Ct. App. 2013)
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- 9/06 — CLE International – SC Eminent Domain Conference – Environmental Issues in Condemnation Cases (North Charleston, SC)
- 1/02 — 19th ALI-ABA Course of Study – Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation – Severance Damages (Scottsdale, AZ)
- 1/05 — 22nd ALI-ABA Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Seminar – Environmental Issues and Interaction with State Environmental Agencies (Miami, FL)
- 2/05 — CLE International – SC Eminent Domain Conference – Public Taking for Private Gain (Charleston, SC)
- 2/14 — Chaired the 2014 Masters in Trial Demonstration presented by the South Carolina chapter of ABOTA (Columbia, SC)
- 12/07 — SC Bar (Real Estate Section) Eminent Domain CLE – Condemnation Practice (Columbia, SC)
- 1/08 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Course of Study – Condemnation 101: Fundamentals of Condemnation Law and Land Valuation (San Francisco, CA)
- 1/09 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Course of Study – Condemnation 101: How to Prepare and Present an Eminent Domain Case (Miami Beach, FL)
- 9/09 — SC Bar / S.C. Association CPAs – Litigation Conference 2009 – Lost Profits and Economic Damages (Columbia, SC)
- 2/11 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Making the Complex Simple in Eminent Domain – Representing the Condemnee and Winning from the Start: Overview and Suggestions for a Case Plan (Coral Gables, FL)
- 1/12 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101:Winning the High Ground with Fundamentals of Eminent Domain Valuation and Trial Practice – What a Lawyer Should Look for When Reviewing an Appraisal in Eminent Domain (San Diego, CA)
- 2/13 — Co-chaired the 2013 Masters in Trial Demonstration presented by the South Carolina chapter of ABOTA (Columbia, SC)
- 1/14 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: How to Prepare and Present an Eminent Domain Case – The Income Approach to Value: What Makes it Tick (New Orleans, LA)
- 1/17 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: The Difference between Winning and Losing (Panel) (San Diego, CA)
- 1/15 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Name That Tune: Common Trial Themes used by Condemnors and Condemnees (Panel) (San Francisco, CA)
- 1/15 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Valuation of Temporary Construction Easements (San Francisco, CA)
- 11/19, 11/18, 11/17, 3/13, 3/12, 3/11 — Guest Lecturer, University of South Carolina Law School, Commercial Real Estate Transactions – Eminent Domain Overview (Columbia, SC)
- 1/18 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – The Project Influence Rule and its Evidentiary Burdens (Panel) (Charleston, SC)
- 1/18 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Wanna Win ? Effective Attorney-Appraiser Interaction (Panel) (Charleston, SC)
Educational Background
- Princeton University, A.B., 1973
Last Updated: 5/5/2021