February 22, 2024
Family law courts handle some of the most emotional and complex legal matters. Across the spectrum of family law cases, judges oversee life-altering decisions regarding marriage, parenthood, support obligations, and protecting vulnerable parties. This article explores five common types of cases handled in family law courts and provides an overview of the legal processes involved with each matter.
November 28, 2023
For the 14th year in a row, Bluestein Attorneys has been listed in the top tier of Best Law Firms for the Columbia area. Here are the practice areas in which the firm is honored in the Best Lawyers in America® annual list of top firms for 2024: Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants A firm is not considered for this recognition unless it has at least one lawyer included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the same year. Bluestein Attorneys easily met that standard, since in August, three firm attorneys were honored with that distinction: Margaret Miles “Marti” Bluestein for her work in the area of Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants; Clarke Newton for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs; and Allison Sullivan in the areas of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Workers’ […]
August 17, 2023
Clients have learned from experience that Bluestein Attorneys will give them the representation they need to put their lives back together. Our community knows this, too. As such, it’s particularly gratifying when a respected national publication such as Best Lawyers in America acknowledges the quality of our work. Best Lawyers in America has named three of our partners to its Best Lawyers list for Columbia, and another of us to its 2024 “Ones to Watch” list. The attorneys and their practice areas are as follows: Margaret Miles “Marti” Bluestein: Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants Clarke Newton: Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs Allison Sullivan: Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants All three were on the 2023 list in connection with the same practice areas. Both Marti and Allison have made the list 10 times, and Clarke has done so for […]
August 10, 2023
Attorney John S. Nichols of Bluestein Attorneys, was honored with the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ) Founders Award at the organization’s annual convention on August 5, 2023. Since 1957, the SCAJ has upheld a reputation for leadership in South Carolina’s legal community. By providing continuing education, legislative monitoring and more, the Association has become an invaluable resource for its members and a well-respected professional association statewide. The Founders Award is one of the organization’s most revered recognitions. The SCAJ’s nomination committee presents attorneys for consideration who are advocates of “great skill and confidence.” Nomination criteria includes experience leading the trial bar and teaching trial advocacy, as well as having earned a reputation among peers for ethical, honest practice and character. “John is the lawyer we should all aspire to be. He is an exceptional lawyer who zealously advocates for his clients, but he has always taken time to mentor […]
August 1, 2023
COLUMBIA, S.C. – This year, Columbia Business Monthly has named five Bluestein Attorneys to its “Legal Elite of the Midlands” list. The list recognizes attorneys in the Midlands based on the views of their peers. The five recognized for 2023, along with the practice areas in which they were cited, are: John Nichols: Appellate Clarke Newton: Criminal – DUI; Personal Injury – Plaintiff; Product Liability – Plaintiff Marti Bluestein: Mediation; Workers’ Compensation – Plaintiff Allison Sullivan: Worker’s Compensation – Plaintiff Stacy Thompson: Social Security Disability The magazine began publishing the Legal Elite feature in 2010. The selection process begins with nominations from more than a thousand active lawyers in the Midlands. While attorneys are allowed to nominate members of their own firm, for each in-firm nomination there must be a corresponding out-of-firm nomination. Attorneys are not allowed to vote for themselves. Attorney votes then narrow the nominees down to the […]
March 23, 2023
Bluestein Attorneys is proud to welcome back John S. Nichols, who together with Margaret Miles “Marti” Bluestein started the firm in 2000. “It is wonderful to be back to the firm Marti and I founded together more than two decades ago,” said John. “Our goal was to create a law firm in which everyone was committed to making a difference in the lives of our clients. I am proud to say that’s still who Bluestein Attorneys is today, and I am excited to be back to continue that mission.” He returns to the firm after five years as Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Supreme Court of South Carolina. His practice areas with the firm will include professional responsibility/ethics consulting, litigation and trial support, and appellate advocacy. John is admitted to practice in South Carolina’s state and federal courts as well as the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Eleventh […]
March 8, 2023
Every device used to read this article contains a battery. Batteries are essential to our lives. They help us connect with friends and even make video calls during power outages. As devices have become more powerful, the batteries inside have become denser, with higher outputs and quicker charge times. This growth has resulted in less expensive batteries capable of powering even high-performance sports cars. But there is a human cost to these batteries’ increased power and capacity because the energy stored inside a battery can be hazardous—and sometimes fatal. News reports about the dangers of batteries are nothing new but are becoming increasingly common. While we must follow certain limitations when using batteries, such as during air travel, when mailing items, and throwing them away, there are many hidden dangers. Just in January, a multi-family home was burned down in Brockton, NY, after a lithium-ion battery caught fire as a […]
March 2, 2023
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Allison Sullivan, a partner with Bluestein Attorneys, has been named to South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s Personal Injury Law Power List, which has been published in the magazine’s February edition. The Power List “recognizes attorneys doing important work in their respective disciplines, and in the community,” according to Jason Thomas, executive editor at SC Biz News. Designation to the Power List is the result of peer nomination, which recognizes top lawyers in South Carolina, who are then selected by the editorial board of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. Allison has dedicated her career to leveling the playing field for those who have been injured across the state of South Carolina. Whether hurt at work or injured by the negligence of others, Allison fights for those who have sustained serious and catastrophic personal injury to receive justice and rebuild their lives. She is also a fierce advocate for veterans, and […]
January 11, 2023
Other than an Honorable Discharge According to the most recent U.S. Census statistics, approximately 16.5 million veterans live in the United States. When service members leave the armed forces, they receive a formal discharge of duties and a D.D. Form 214 that spells out the character of their service. Statistics regarding this process vary widely from year to year based on a variety of factors, including the active or peacetime climate of the Department of Defense at the time. 500,000 veterans are currently living with an “other than honorable discharge.”, according to The Department of Veteran Affairs (V.A.). Current statistics found that 16% of veterans discharged from service received a discharge characterization that did not meet the honorable threshold. Approximately 1% of discharges result in the most severe form of separation, a punitive discharge, labeled as a “Dishonorable” or “Bad Conduct” discharge. Why “Bad Paper Matters” Bad Paper is […]