Stephan V. Futeral

Stephan Futeral is an experienced Charleston attorney who handles lawsuits in South Carolina's state and federal courts. As a trial lawyer located near Charleston, South Carolina, Mr. Futeral deals with many types of legal matters involving consumer law, employment law, business law, DUI / DWI defense, personal injury, auto accidents, wrongful death, medical and legal malpractice, products liability, divorces, child custody and visitation, and criminal defense, to name a few.

Before attending college, Stephan Futeral served in the United States Army from 1982 to 1985 and the United States Army National Guard from 1985 to 1987. While in the military, Mr. Futeral worked with strategic nuclear weapons and was a tactical satellite communications operator in the European Theater. He was also a member of the 440 Armor Unit, Fort Carson, Colorado. Further, he participated in such mass military exercises as Return of Forces to Germany and Desert Chief III.

In 1990, Mr. Futeral graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Business Administration. Throughout his attendance of the College of Charleston, he was a member of the National Dean's List. In 1990, he received the Outstanding Student Award. He also received the National Collegiate Business Merit Award and the All-American Scholarship Award. Mr. Futeral is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Fraternity.

In 1993, Mr. Futeral received his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Futeral was a member of the Moot Court Bar and the Order of the Barristers. He also was a student editor of the American Bar Association's Real Property and Trust Journal.

After graduating law school, Mr. Futeral was the judicial clerk for the Honorable C. Tolbert Goolsby, Jr., Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Thereafter, he practiced law in Columbia, South Carolina for several years until returning to his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Futeral is a partner in the law firm of Futeral & Nelson, LLC and has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Charleston School of Law. He has written articles for the South Carolina Lawyer magazine and the American Bar Association Magazine. Further, he has published a legal annotation regarding the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act in South Carolina Jurisprudence. He has been an instructor for the South Carolina Mandatory Magistrate's School and, in 1997, taught the paralegal certification program in Charleston sponsored by the University of South Carolina. Mr. Futeral frequently lectures to non-lawyers and attorneys on such topics as personal injury practice and employment law.

Education

University of South Carolina School of Law
Juris Doctorate - 1993
Honors & Activities:

• Moot Court Bar Order of the Barristers
• Student Editor ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal
• Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity

College of Charleston
Bachelor of Science Business Administration - 1990
Honors & Activities:

• Outstanding Student Award
• National Collegiate Business Merit Award
• All-American Scholarship Award
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society

Bar Admissions 

• South Carolina
• U.S. District Court District of South Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

Representative Cases (click to view)

• Johnson v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 178 F.3d 1284 (4th Cir. S.C. 1999)
• McMillan v. S.C. Dept. of Corrections, 16 F.Supp.2nd 635 (D.S.C. 1997)

Published Works 

• The Biggest Legal Mistakes PhysiciansMake and How to Avoid Them, The 10 Biggest Legal Mistakes PhysiciansMake After Filing for Divorce (Seak, Inc. 2005)
• Unfair Trade Practices Act, 28 S.C. Jurisprudence (West Group 1998)
• Public Impact: The Stumbling Block to Stating a Private Cause of Action Under the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act, South Carolina Lawyer Magazine, Sept./Oct. 1995
• Developing a Firm Web Site, ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section, Volume 16 No. 4, 1999

Classes/Seminars Taught 

• Adjunct Professor of Law - Charleston School of Law
• Top Ten Things You Need to Know: Tort Law South Carolina Bar, 2000
• Magistrate's School, 1997
• Paralegal Certification, University of South Carolina, 1996 - 1998
• The Internet for Attorneys Half Moon, LLC, 1996
• Personal Injury Practice for Paralegals Clearwater Information Systems, Inc., 1995
• Computer Technology: Making the Right Choices for Your Law Office South Carolina Bar, 1994

Professional Associations and Memberships 

• American Bar Association
• Charleston County Bar Association
• South Carolina Bar Association
• South Carolina Trial Lawyer's Association
• Association of the Trial Lawyers of America
• Certified Civil Court Mediator
• Certified Family Court Mediator

Past Employment 

• Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable C. T, Goolsby, Jr.,
  
• South Carolina Court of Appeals- 1993 - 1994
• Army National Guard Specialist 4th Class - 1986 - 1988
• United States Army Specialist 4th Class - 1982 - 1985
  

Areas of Practice 

Family Law: Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Childrens' Rights, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence & Neglect, Prenuptial Agreements; Employment Law:  Civil Rights, Age Discrimination, Disability & Illness Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Religious Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wage & Hour Laws, Wrongful Termination, Employment Contracts, Wrongful Termination, Labor Law, Unfair Labor Practices; Criminal Defense:  DUI/DWI, Drug Violations, Felonies, Misdemeanor, Traffic Violations, White Collar Crimes; Personal Injury & Malpractice:  Motor Vehicle Accidents, Premises Liability, Property Damage, Slip and Fall, Wrongful Death, Products Liability Law, Aviation Accidents, Professional Malpractice, Medical Malpractice, Legal Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse; Business Law: Deceptive Trade Practices, Unfair Competition, Contracts, Business Organizations, Incorporations and Partnerships, Covenants Not to Compete, Closely Held Businesses, Formation & Business Planning, Shareholders' Rights, Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secrets, Trademarks; Consumer Law: Consumer Protection, Fair Debt Collection, Fair Credit Reporting, Truth in Lending Violations; Real Estate: Construction Law, Construction Liens, Construction Litigation, Residential Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Landlord/Tenant, Other: Living Wills, Wills, Insurance Law, Bad Faith Insurance Claims, Litigation & Appeals, Complex Litigation, Federal Appellate Practice, Federal Trial Practice, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit    

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For more information regarding how Mr. Futeral can assist you with your legal needs, please contact him locally at (843) 284-5500, toll free at (877) 913-5500, or email sfuteral@charlestonlaw.net.