James S Meggs, Attorney

Mr. Meggs graduated from The Citadel in 1974 and received his Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina in 1977.

After several years in private practice, he joined the office of the City Attorney for the City of Columbia, South Carolina. In his early years with the City he was the primary civil litigator for the office. In 1990, he was promoted to City Attorney and served for 17 years in that capacity until joining the firm in 2007. He continues to serve the City as Corporation Counsel, responsible for special projects and providing on demand resources for the City Council.

During his municipal law career, Mr. Meggs represented Columbia and its officials in a wide array of cases including tort liability, eminent domain, construction disputes, intergovernmental relations, land use planning, and zoning. He was trial counsel in a federal anti-trust case which found its way to the United States Supreme Court in 1991. City of Columbia, et al. v. Omni Outdoor Advertising, Inc. 499 U.S. 365, 111 S.Ct. 1344,113 LEd. 2d 382 (1991) In addition to his trial experience, he prepared and argued over twenty-five cases in the appellate courts of South Carolina and in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Meggs was admitted to practice in South Carolina in 1977, to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1984 and the United States Supreme Court in 1989.

He serves as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina Law School teaching in the areas of land use regulation and local government.

He was elected to two terms as President of the South Carolina Municipal Lawyers Association, chaired the Government Law Section of the South Carolina Bar, and served for a number of years as the South Carolina State Chair of the International Municipal Lawyers Association.

Mr. Meggs' practice concentrates on litigation, zoning and land use planning, local government, and assisting firm clients in navigating through the maze of the local government environment.

• Torrie Taylor v. Douglas Murphy and The Citv of Columbia. Beverly Moblev v. Checker Yellow Cab and Citv of Columbia. 1987

• State of South Carolina, ex rel. Charles M. Condon v. City of Columbia. 2000

• State By State Budget & Control Bd. v. City of Columbia. 1992

• Rowe v. Citv of Columbia

• Quinn v. Citv of Columbia.

• Newman v. Richland County Historic Preservation Commission. 1997

• Manning v. Citv of Columbia. 1989

• John F. Williams v. Citv of Columbia.

• Jennie Dreher Evins v. Richland County Historic Preservation Commission. Citv of Columbia. South Carolina. County of Richland. South Carolina and the Historic Columbia Foundation 2000

• City of Columbia & Columbia Outdoor Advertising. Inc. v. Omni Outdoor Advertising. Inc. 1991

• Citv of Columbia v. Town of Irmo 1994

• Citv of Columbia v. Jennings, et al. 1986

• Calcaterra v. City of Columbia. 1993

• Brabham y. Citv of Columbia. 1987

• Bannum. Incorporated v. The Citv of Columbia. 1999

• Ballenger Corporation v. Citv of Columbia. 1985