Vaux Marscher Berglind, P.A.
1251 May River Road
P.O. Box 769
Bluffton, SC 29910
(843) 757-2888
vaux-marscher.com
Vaux Marscher Berglind, P.A. is deeply rooted in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The law firm was established in 1973 by Roberts Vaux. Over the years, the firm has provided legal services to thousands of individuals and businesses in Beaufort County, Jasper County and the surrounding areas.
Rick Marscher was born and raised in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. He focuses his practice on real estate. Tabor Vaux, son of Roberts Vaux, was also born and raised in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. He focuses his practice on personal injury. Mark Berglind joined the law firm in 2008 and focuses his practice on workers’ compensation and personal injury.
Vaux Marscher Berglind, P.A. is excited to announce that Stephen Meyer has joined the firm as a partner this year. Meyer was born and raised in the rural Finger Lakes region of New York. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Meyer began practicing with Vaux Marscher Berglind, P.A. in 2015. His practice focuses primarily on family and matrimonial law, criminal defense, and general civil litigation. Meyer also serves as a Certified Family Court Mediator. He is involved in the community, serving in numerous leadership roles with local civic organizations. He is a past president of the Beaufort County Bar Association and teaches Constitutional Law for the OLLI program at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
The attorneys and staff members institute a team approach to understanding and resolving their clients’ needs. Collectively, the team works to offer insightful legal counsel and diligent representation to each and every client.
The lawyers at Vaux Marscher Berglind, P.A., have more than 100 years of combined experience and use that experience to assist their clients with their legal needs.
Whether it is a client injured in a motor vehicle accident or a client buying their first home, experience allows the lawyers at Vaux Marscher Berglind, P.A. to confidently and efficiently handle the clients’ needs and goals. Their clients always come first.
Regina M. Banis
Regina M. Banis, LLC
Magnolia Village Business Park
181 Bluffton Rd., F-202, Bluffton, SC 29910
(843) 699-8137
reginabanis.com
Regina M. Banis is proud to be a family-based attorney who genuinely values her relationship with each client. She has been practicing law for 28 years and has been a sole practitioner since 2007.
Going to see an attorney can be intimidating and stressful, from the issues that bring clients to the office to the dreaded legalese. People are always surprised when they see Regina coming down the hall barefoot with her teacup Yorkie, Ella, peeking through the doggie gate behind her.
Regina’s down-to-earth nature combined with her expertise as an attorney turns legalese into legal ease.
Whether clients are making estate planning decisions, navigating probate, buying or selling a house, starting a business, or going through a divorce, Regina puts them right at ease, which is why she was voted Best Attorney in Best of Bluffton 2008 and 2010; Best Attorney in Sun City Select 2014 and 2017; and Favorite Family Law & Estate Planning Lawyer in Hilton Head Monthly’s Reader Choice Awards 2020 Bluffton.
With a personal approach to estate planning, Regina spends time getting to know her clients’ goals in order to create a plan that will best serve their vision and bring them peace of mind.
When it comes to commercial and residential real estate, Regina has nearly three decades of knowledge and experience to look out for her clients’ best interests throughout the process of buying, selling, or refinancing.
As a successful business owner herself, Regina helps entrepreneurs become their own bosses, setting up LLCs and preparing operating agreements.
From prenup to “had enough,” Regina safeguards her clients while they focus on a new beginning.
Call to schedule a consultation.
Beth Ann Prince
Prince Law Firm, P.C.
200 Central Ave.
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
(843) 681-9000
bethprincelawfirm.com
On her solo family law practice: “I don’t just represent ‘clients.’ I represent people.” My approach to the practice of family law is an integration of serious trial experience with compassionate understanding. Family law clients need strong, solid legal advice, but they also want to be heard. To ensure I can effectively tell each client’s “story” to the court, I dedicate myself to learning the specific details that make each person’s case different.
Emerging issues in family law practice: It is not enough to be knowledgeable about just the law. Modern family law practitioners must stay well-versed on increasingly common issues affecting their cases, such as mental illness, personality disorders, addiction, and abuse. How we present these issues in court may profoundly impact the outcome, particularly regarding child custody, which is why we often use expert witnesses to assist us.
We also often use experts to assist in presenting complex financial issues to the court. For example, many local individuals are self-employed, which poses a special set of financial issues, such as income verification and business valuations. Experience in handling complex issues and utilizing financial experts can be a crucial factor in achieving a favorable financial result in your case.
On experience: My legal career has afforded me trial experience from both sides of the bench: I started as an Assistant Solicitor and Special Gun Prosecutor for the 14th Judicial Circuit. Following that, I was in private practice as a civil and family trial attorney. Eventually, I was appointed as a Magistrate Court Judge, where I was responsible for the jury trial docket. After I finally returned to private practice, I quickly narrowed my focus exclusively to family law because that was where I felt I was making the greatest difference in my clients’ lives.
On family and home: Hilton Head has grown tremendously since the days when I could ride my moped from my father’s house in Sea Pines to the (old two-lane) bridge without the burden of the traffic we all expect today. I remember well the car dealership that used to occupy the property where my office is currently located. I love the Lowcountry, and I love practicing law in our community. My husband and I are proud to be raising our daughter here along with our three dogs: Duke, Jax, and Ozzy.
Hunter Montgomery, Esq.
Montgomery Law Firm, LLC
10 Pinckney Colony Rd., Suite 402
Bluffton, SC 29909
(843) 815-8580
MontgomeryEstatePlanning.com
What is your area of practice?
Estate planning and estate administration.
What is your most memorable case?
A very dear but quite stubborn prospective client had a large estate with 25-year-old incorrect estate planning documents. Despite my advice to immediately update her documents to protect her wishes and her beneficiaries, she died after saying, many times, “I’ll get around to it.” She died never having gotten around to updating her plan, which has caused significant delays in distributing her assets, court appearances, incorrect beneficiaries receiving her property, and unnecessary legal expenses. An estate which should have taken four to five months and about $5,000 dollars to administer is now costing her estate years of delay—a true textbook case of why proper planning is needed.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
By working hard on client matters during the day, I’m able to have a work-free home life. Also, the 10-minute drive home listening to classic rock and blues music is a great way to unwind from the day. Plus, having chosen the estate planning area of law, I enjoy a mostly positive experience in a client’s life, and therefore, there is very little negative to worry about bringing home.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
Having seen my own family struggle through my grandfather’s incapacitating stroke, I became aware that there was a specific type of lawyer who addresses these issues: an estate planning attorney. Loving order, despising chaos, and protecting family were (and are) my primary motivations for becoming an estate lawyer. Having personally seen how poorly things can go upon incapacity and death without a proper estate plan, I was motivated to become the person who prevents this heartache for others.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
The most valuable thing I do for my clients is provide a smooth and safe road map for life’s troubles and inevitable scenarios. Also, of equal value, is helping my clients understand their options and why they need to plan in the first place.
What’s something your clients would never guess about you?
I can’t imagine that any of my clients are aware that I have *perfected* the best mustard-based barbeque sauce. One of these days, you may see my sauce on market shelves near you: MontyQue!
What’s the most important tool you use?
My most important tools in assisting clients are my taking the time to comprehend the client’s unique underlying issues, compassionately planning to address those issues, and my ‘A-Team’ staff.
What’s the last great book you read for pleasure?
The Mound, by H.P. Lovecraft: an imaginative science fiction story about a timeless subterranean civilization.
Ryan and Tiffany Mikkelson
Mikkelson Law Firm, LLC
214 Bluffton Road
Bluffton, SC 29910
(843) 757-9330
blufftonlawfirm.com
What is your area of practice?
Real Estate Transactions, Life & Business Planning, and Family Law.
What is your most memorable case?
Our mission at Mikkelson Law Firm is to know our community and clients as we help to navigate life’s trials. While there is not a single most memorable case, we particularly love establishing relationships with our clients and are so happy that many clients continue to return to our firm time and time again. We are honored to be able to assist our clients and help them navigate through their legal needs.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
As partners in business and partners in marriage, it’s nearly impossible to separate us. You will often find our children at the office in the afternoons as we juggle the demands of the business and the kids’ schedules. We are proud to have our children learn what it takes to operate a business and hopefully instill a strong work ethic in each of them as well. Our family enjoys lots of time together outside of the office on weekends at the kids’ sporting and dance events.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
After Ryan decided he could not follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a medical degree due to his rather “weak” stomach, he landed on law school instead; Tiffany found law school after watching Legally Blonde and wanting to be like Elle Woods. Despite the paths that led us to a legal career, we both knew that service to our community was a priority. Our vision for Mikkelson Law Firm was actually mirrored by Ryan’s father’s medical practice, which has served the local Bluffton community for 30 years. Being an attorney in a small town where we can make a lasting impact on the community and build a family of staff members for years to come was our dream.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
We desire to practice law in a very personal way and truly try to meet the needs of our clients. We do not want clients to feel overwhelmed when they go through life’s events that require legal services. We have created a warm and friendly office environment for clients to feel welcome to discuss their legal needs. One important legal matter that we encourage clients to consider is Life & Business Planning, which is essential for all adults, especially those with children and those who are business owners. We tailor our approach to ensure that each plan is unique to our clients. It’s probably the most important thing you can do for your family and business, and it’s never too early to start planning!
What’s something your clients would never guess about you?
We have six kids!
What’s the most important tool you use?
Client communication is definitely the most important “tool” we use in our law firm. Keeping the clients informed and always being accessible to talk to clients is one of our firm’s core values. We have implemented various client and case management systems and processes to keep our office and cases organized, especially with real estate closings. We want our clients to always feel comfortable to call us with any questions or ways we can assist them with future legal needs.
What’s the last book you read for pleasure?
We probably should not admit this, but neither of us has probably read a physical book for pleasure since law school. We often joke that the amount of reading we did in law school was enough to last a lifetime. With our busy schedules, reading often looks like a children’s bedtime story (Ryan’s favorite is “Once Upon a Potty”) or listening to a podcast while traveling.
Johnson & Davis, PA
(843) 815-7121
10 Pinckney Colony Road
Victoria Building, Suite 200
Bluffton, South Carolina 29909
jd-pa.com
Johnson & Davis, PA is a local law firm whose attorneys have over 100 years of combined legal experience in the Lowcountry. This experience has resulted in an extraordinarily deep understanding of the area, its history, and its people. Our firm has effectively and prudently represented clients in a variety of civil matters such as home/property owners association matters, land development/zoning, business and transactional matters, professional liability defense, medical law, regulatory agency representation, construction law, and complex civil litigation. Our attorneys and staff are well experienced in construction and other complex civil litigation matters. This translates into a more knowledgeable and efficient understanding of less complex legal matters in real estate, contracts, and probate.
The Firm is headed by Barry L. Johnson and Hutson S. “Buster” Davis, Jr. Johnson holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and focuses primarily on land development matters, POA/HOA matters, and complex civil litigation. He was involved in the early development of Hilton Head Island and other Lowcountry areas. Davis holds an undergraduate degree and J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina, and served as a United States Air Force Captain in the JAG Corps. He originally practiced general defense litigation, but his practice has since evolved almost exclusively into medical malpractice defense, professional regulatory matters, and other medical legal issues. The firm has an associate attorney, W. Lamar Johnson, II, who holds an undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his J.D. degree from Charleston School of Law. Johnson is a great addition to the firm and assists in handling complex legal and litigation needs of all the firm’s clients, with particular focus on POA/HOA matters and development matters.
At Johnson & Davis, we believe in practicing law with honesty, integrity, passion, and decorum. We are always striving to do things in an appropriate and ethical manner. We understand that hiring your attorney is a very important decision, and we and our very experienced and capable staff make it our mission to protect and advance our clients’ interests, legally and otherwise.
Contact us today for a FREE consultation at jd-pa.com or (843) 815-7121.
Additional Contact Information: Barry L. Johnson, Esq., 10 Pinckney Colony Road, Victoria Building, Suite #200, Bluffton, South Carolina 29909
Robert Dills
Dills Law Firm
4 State of Mind Street, Second Floor
Bluffton, SC 29910
(843) 868-8210
DillsLawFirm.com
What is your area of practice?
We are a full-service law firm in the Bluffton Promenade with a focus on real estate, estate planning, and business needs—serving Hilton Head, Bluffton and the greater Lowcountry area with flat fee and subscription services. The beauty of our expertise areas is that we get to be a resource and partner during your larger life events: when you are buying or selling a house, planning for the future of your family, or starting a new business. These are big moments. Helping our clients navigate the legal side of these events is why we love doing what we do.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
I genuinely wanted to become a resource for those in my community. And I have always been drawn to analytics and strategy. Law allows me to combine those traits so that I can help clients achieve their goals and put the proper plans in place for peace of mind.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
Provide support and guidance as their dedicated legal resource. I view myself as my client’s partner. It’s more than just a transaction when they come into the office. I am there to help them make the best decisions to reach their goals and to direct them with actionable advice when needed. Whether looking at a home contract or setting up an estate plan, the flat fee structure allows us to spend the time needed to really understand needs and wants and plan accordingly. I am always just a quick phone call away.
What’s something your clients would never guess about you?
I can’t wait until the day I can go shark diving. It has been number one on my bucket list for years. If I can convince my wife that it is safe enough, I am there!
What’s the most important tool you use?
Our law firm technology. It allows our clients to provide information with ease from phones, smart tablets or computers through secure portals. It allows us to securely store past information that can be accessed when needed (like a 1099 during tax season) and streamline sometimes outdated and slow processes in the legal field.
Patrick W. Carr
Carr Legal Group, LLC
1917 Lovejoy Street
Beaufort, SC 29902
(843) 738-2277
(833) 728-2277 – Toll Free
What is your area of practice?
Civil litigation with a focus on serious personal injury and wrongful death matters.
What is your most memorable case?
Too many to list. I recall several cases involving serious injuries resulting from drunk driving crashes and defamation cases involving false allegations of misconduct leveled against my clients.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
Impossible. I am constantly thinking of my clients and how to better serve them.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
Working in the South Carolina House of Representatives in college and working as a courier for a law firm in Columbia.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
Helping them in a time of uncertainty and genuine need. Giving them some peace of mind and sound professional advice when they encounter the legal system against their wishes due to the bad conduct of others.
What’s something your clients would never guess about you?
I am passionate about cancer awareness and research. I love golf but rarely get to play due to professional obligations.
What is the most important tool you use?
Critical thinking skills.
What’s the last great book you read for pleasure?
I can’t recall. Most of my reading involves continuing education materials and books designed to make me a better lawyer.
Pictured left to right: Heather Miller, Kathy O’Leary, Tom McNutt, Ashley Adams Brown, Mackenzie Antonucci, and Jamie Jeschke
Butler & College, LLC
(843) 284-8676
bandclawfirm.com
At Butler & College, LLC, we focus our practice on helping businesses, individuals, and families with their real estate and estate planning needs in a manner that is honest, affordable, and customer-oriented. We are committed to establishing long-term relationships with all our clients. Our firm has deep community ties and seven convenient locations along the coast of the Carolinas—stretching from Calabash, N.C. to Bluffton, S.C.
Who is Butler & College, LLC?
In 2019, Ryan Butler & Andrew College hired Ashley Brown to open and manage the Bluffton office to service the greater Bluffton, Hilton Head Island and Savannah areas. When it comes to real estate, it is important to understand the role of an attorney in buying, selling, or refinancing a home. Ashley and her team are with you from contract to closing. Though many of our clients never see us except for the day they sign their closings documents, it is important to understand how much your real estate closing attorney and support team are working for you behind the scenes. From researching the history of your title to making sure the right documents have been executed correctly, Ashley and her team have your best interests at heart to make sure things go smoothly on closing day.
Ashley, who is also passionate about estate planning, brought on Tom McNutt in January of 2022 as a dedicated estate planning attorney for the Bluffton location. Both attorneys now offer estate planning products because they know that no matter where you are in your life’s journey, you have undoubtedly worked hard to build your personal and financial legacies. They are aware that you want to protect these legacies and that you worry about what would happen to your family if you were to become disabled or pass away. When you create an estate plan with Ashley and Tom, you can worry less. Butler & College offers free estate planning consultations so you will know what your options are and how much it will cost before you commit.
What was your most memorable case?
The practice of law can be both challenging and rewarding no matter how simple the transaction or case. Tom distinctly remembers one closing at a client’s home where he had to speak over a talking parrot for the hour-long closing to be sure the client understood the closing documents. Sadly, South Carolina law would not allow the parrot to serve as a witness.
In contrast, Ashley’s most memorable transaction in recent years was a closing for a woman in Sun City. This woman mentioned at closing that she had recently been diagnosed with cancer, but a few months later Ashley received a call from the woman who was now on her death bed unexpectedly. Ashley and two other members of the team went to her Sun City home on Christmas Eve to execute estate planning documents pro bono as a holiday gift to her client. The client’s family was very appreciative and kept in touch throughout the next several months as they dealt with the newly acquired Sun City home. It is moments like those that make us truly appreciate the purpose of our jobs and the joy that helping our neighbors in their times of need can bring our team.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
We know that how you treat people will propel or hinder your career. Work product can speak for itself, but kindness makes all the difference in a transaction and creates clients for life. This includes being kind to yourself. As professionals, we tend to be hyper focused on perfection at work which can carry over into our personal lives as well. Remember, that our personal relationships are our why and work is our how—setting thorough processes for our team members and good expectations for clients during the workday allows us to honor our own time and invest in ourselves.
Brittany Holmes
Brittany Holmes Law, LLC.
10 Pinckney Colony Road, Building 300
Bluffton, SC 29910
(843) 593-8183
brittanyholmeslaw.com
What is your area of practice?
Family Law and Estate/Life Planning.
What is your most memorable case?
Due to the way that I run my firm, it is hard to point out one case as the most memorable. However, when I need reminders of the good that I do for others, I remember how I’m able to provide all my clients with a sense of relief that I know they won’t find at “just any other law firm.” My mission is to provide an overall experience that is unmatched, whether that means getting a great result that we had not considered to be possible or just being a “legal sidekick” when they need it the most. The law is complicated, and with both family law and estate planning, my clients deal with heavy stuff. I aim to develop unique relationships with all my clients, and because of that, almost all of my cases are memorable.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
In all honesty, I don’t. There are many nights where I work late into the night finalizing details for my clients, but their appreciation makes it worth it. Most days, my two-year-old can be found working with me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Although he doesn’t quite understand it all right now, I love that he gets to see how hard I work to provide him with a life that looks completely different from what I had (not that I had a bad one).
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
Becoming a lawyer was an idea that kind of fell into my lap during my final year of college at the University of South Carolina. I remember taking a media law course as an elective just to fill up my schedule and falling in love with the idea of working with businesses and people as an advisor. After speaking with my academic advisor, we decided that it wouldn’t hurt to give law school a shot. Well, here I am. Being a lawyer allows me to create a positive impact in the lives of my clients. I never knew how many people were searching for lawyers just like me, but I am glad I found the courage to take this leap. Hopefully the work that I do inspires others to do the same. I’m now living a dream that I had no idea even resided in my head before now.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
I bring back civility in a society where common courtesy is often lost. I educate my clients in ways they understand and appreciate. I truly get my clients and that makes them feel heard. During divorce and custody disputes, I encourage my clients to leave the drama “at the door”. High conflict does nothing more than cause stress, damages children and empties their pockets. That’s not why I became a lawyer. When developing estate plans, I help my clients think through options that they may have never considered. One of my favorites, as it is especially dear to me, is helping parents set up their estates in ways that protect their children, both financially and physically, in the unfortunate event that the parents become unable to care for them.
That might be the most valuable thing I do. I focus on saving families. If I had a magic wand, everyone would co-parent without drama and have multiple layers of protection for their children at every stage of their life. Luckily the clients who choose me share that same desire and that’s why I’m able to love what I do while making a rather large impact.
Deborah H. Boshaw
Boshaw Law Firm, LLC
10 Pinckney Colony Road, Suite 501
Bluffton, SC 29909
(843)837-9050
BoshawLawFirm.com
What is your area of practice?
Estate planning, probate, family law, and business law.
What is your most memorable case?
Each case is memorable. I feel most rewarded when, after a matter has been completed, a client lets me know how my work helped them—whether it was proper estate planning or obtaining custody of their children.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
I enjoy being with my family, practicing yoga, and reading “beach read” books.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
My father is a lawyer. He encouraged me to pursue this career, and it has been a great fit.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
I listen to them to determine the best solution for their individual needs.
What’s something your clients would never guess about you?
I saw the movie Jaws in 1975 in a drive-in theater and have been scared of sharks ever since.
What’s the most important tool you use?
My paralegals, Christine and Brenda. They make sure the office runs smoothly and that our clients are taken care of.
What’s the last great book you read for pleasure?
The Paradise book series, by Erin Hilderbrand.
Jim and Meredith Bannon
Bannon Law Group, LLC
10 Westbury Park Way, Ste. A
Bluffton, SC 29910
(843) 815-4505
bannonlawgroup.com
What is your area of practice?
Jim handles criminal defense and Meredith handles residential real estate closings.
What is your most memorable case?
Pre-BLG, we were prosecutors here locally. When Meredith was 8 months pregnant, we were able to try a murder case together. There were a lot of pregnant pauses.
How do you avoid bringing the job home?
By embracing the fact that boundaries do not exist and that our daughter will have a colorful childhood.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
We learn something new every day and each day pushes us to be better and stronger. Being a lawyer allows you to dabble in everything.
What is the most valuable thing you do for your clients?
We aim to demystify the legal process and make them feel comfortable be it purchasing a home or facing criminal charges.
What’s something your clients would never guess about you?
Jim was a professional actor prior to being a lawyer, which helps in the courtroom. Meredith was most definitely not a professional actor.
What’s the most important tool you use?
Compassion and common sense are our most used skills. We ask if it makes sense for our clients and the overall goal.
What’s the last great book you read for pleasure?
We both agree that living in the Lowcountry, The Prince of Tides is a prerequisite to understanding where we live.
Dale Akins
Akins Law Firm, LLC
P.O. Box 1547
6 Johnston Way, Unit A
Bluffton, South Carolina 29910
(843) 757-7574
dakins@hargray.com
Dale Akins is a trial lawyer and is licensed in all state and federal courts in South Carolina and Georgia. He is rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell and has earned a reputation for excellence and integrity. He is also on the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell list of Top Lawyers in South Carolina. He has been selected as a South Carolina Super Lawyer in the Plaintiff’s counsel category and has lectured on several occasions as part of continuing legal education programs. He is a South Carolina certified mediator and an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Mr. Akins graduated from Furman University in 1988 and earned his law degree from Mercer University in 1991. He has practiced in Beaufort County since that time. He and his wife, Sally, who is also an attorney practicing in Savannah, Georgia, have lived in Rose Hill since 1994.
Mr. Akins has provided aggressive legal representation for over 30 years, mainly in the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire, and currently maintains a dynamic practice in the heart of Old Town Bluffton, focusing on serious personal injury, wrongful death, and bad faith insurance cases. He offers his clients rigorous representation and personalized focus and attention. He believes it is of paramount importance in any case to keep the client’s best interest at the forefront through innovative and ethical means, and he persistently advocates for his clients to ensure they receive maximum recovery and the compensation they deserve. He has handled hundreds of cases and has a great deal of experience and skill, both in and out of the courtroom.
If you find yourself in times of trial, consider the Akins Law Firm.
