Zachary Steven Naert was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 8, 1984. His father was in the Navy, and shortly after being born they were transferred to where he grew up – the Charleston, South Carolina area. Zach graduated from Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston in 2002, with honors, and also earned an International Baccalaureate degree. Zach accepted academic scholarships to first attend Winthrop University and then Charleston School of Law. He earned two Bachelor of Science degrees from Winthrop, Modern Languages with a concentration in Spanish and Political Science from the honors college, also graduating with honors in 2006. It was also during college that Zach lived in Spain for a semester attending The University of Salamanca, one of the oldest universities in the world, earning outstanding marks. During his time at the Charleston School of Law, Zach was offered an internship for the United Stated Judge Advocates General’s (JAG) office and worked at the JAG office on Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, watching F-16 fighter jets all-lunch-long. He also worked extensively as an intern with the Migrant Farmworker Division of South Carolina Legal Services, a non-profit agency offering free civil legal services to indigent people. It was here that Zach got his first taste of advising and assisting people in standing up for their rights. In school, Zach earned a CALI Award of Excellence in Property and served as an Articles Editor on the Federal Courts Law Review. He graduated with honors in 2009 Following law school, Zach continued to work as a Migrant Farmworker attorney, which included traveling around the State of South Carolina to advise farmworkers about their rights and bringing lawsuits in the Federal Courts. It was during this time that Zach lived in Zacatecas, Mexico, studying at the FENIX Language Institute and volunteering at the Center for Migrant Rights. As a result of all of his studies and travels, Zach does speak, read, and write Spanish rather fluently. Zach has also worked for other private civil litigation law firms in Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 2011, Naert Law Firm, LLC was founded. Zach has been to the South Carolina Supreme Court and prevailed. He has also practiced in Federal Court, the Court of Appeals, the Court of Common Pleas, Small Claims or Magistrate’s Court, Arbitration, and others. Zach maintains a balanced workload of workers’ compensation and car accident cases, along with timeshare disputes and less common personal injury matters like slip and falls, nursing home abuse and neglect, and premises liability. Zach prides himself on maintaining a high level of client-satisfaction through communication and education. All of Zach’s clients are offered his personal cell phone number. If he is playing the guitar, he should stop and answer your call. Zach enjoys playing and listening to music, and he is also a fan of sports and a collector of sports cards and memorabilia. However, he enjoys nothing more than being a family man with his better half, Stephanie, and two little boys, Paxton and Haddox.

Gene M. Connell, Jr. has been a member of the law firm since 1983. With his vast experience in many legal areas, he has received an “AV” rating with Martindale Hubbell, the most prestigious lawyer rating service in the country. He has been involved in some of the largest class-action suits ever brought in South Carolina, one of which (Bass v. State of South Carolina) went all the way to the United States Supreme Court before it was successfully settled. He has also argued numerous appeals before the South Carolina Supreme Court, the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission Appellate Division, the United States District Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Additionally, he has served as an expert witness in class actions on the issue of attorneys’ fees in both state and federal courts. Mr. Connell’s trial practice has included being a Mediator for other lawyers and being appointed by the Circuit Court as a Special Referee (Special Judge) to hear cases. He was also selected as the “National Trial Lawyers Top 100” in 2014 and chosen ” Best of The Beach” Lawyer.

Attorney Graham Buckner’s practice is primarily focused on helping injured workers as well as criminal defense. If you have been injured at work, Graham has extensive experience in the area of workers’ compensation having practiced before the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission for years. He knows what needs to be done to get the medical care benefits as well as weekly checks and permanent disability benefits. Graham also was a state prosecutor for the 13th Judicial Circuit, Pickens, South Carolina. This gives him unique experience and insight in representing criminal defendants. He handles cases in Easley Municipal Court, Pickens County Magistrates Court, as well as Greenville, Anderson and Pickens State Court. Graham lives in Greenville with his wife, Anne Green, and his three children, Graham Jr., James, and Virginia. He is an active member of Christ Church Episcopal where he serves as an usher. When he is not working, Graham enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, playing golf and basketball, and attending Clemson football games.

Kelly Burnside is the founding owner of Burnside Law Firm, LLC. Kelly focuses on personal injury, workers compensation and social security disablity. She was a founding partner at Oswald & Burnside, LLC in West Columbia and also a partner at the Law Offices of Robert Dodson, PA. before opening her own firm, Burnside Law Firm, LLC in West Columbia, South Carolina. Ms. Burnside received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance and Real Estate from the University of South Carolina in 2006 and her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2013. Prior to opening Burnside Law Firm, Ms. Burnside was a partner at two local law firms in the Columbia area. An active member in her West Columbia community circle, Ms. Burnside is also a member of the South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates, South Carolina Association for Justice, South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, and the Lexington County Bar Association. Ms. Burnside was elected by her peer recognition and professional achievement in 2021 as Top Attorneys in South Carolina Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2021, Lawyers of Distinction for Recognizing Excellence in Personal Injury Law in 2021 and Elite Lawyer in 2022. She is a participate in the Alzheimer’s Association, where she participates in the Blondes vs. Brunettes Flag Football game. She also volunteers at Lighthouse for Life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her 1 year old, 4-year-old, 15-year-old, and husband. She enjoys gardening, yoga, working out and skiing.

David Pearlman has spent his entire life observing the dignity of and respect for the law, thanks to the example of his father, the Honorable Gus H. Pearlman, who was probate judge for Charleston County for 35 years. “He taught me that everybody deserves respect, dignity, and equal justice, no matter their background,” David says. He has spent his entire career trying to ensure that “justice for all” means just that, beginning even before going into practice by marching for civil and workers’ rights as a student at both the University of Georgia and George Washington University. After receiving his law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1976, David joined the Steinberg Law Firm. “Irving Steinberg founded the firm to help the working people of South Carolina,” he says, “which is why it’s always been the perfect place for me to practice law.” In 1980, he became a partner of the firm. David has been a member of the South Carolina Bar for more than 40 years and has won landmark cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. He has been credited in protecting working people through victories against some of the country’s largest corporations. David served as an adjunct professor of workers’ compensation law at the Charleston School of Law for two years, has lectured about workers’ rights, and served on numerous committees devoted to such concerns, including as legislative chairperson for South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates (IWA) for the last 12 years. He is a past recipient of the Gedney M. Howe Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service and a 2011 and 2017 honorable recipient of the Leadership in Law recognition by Lawyers Weekly. For over a decade, he has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America and has been nominated by his peers as a Super Lawyer year after year. He also holds the highest professional and ethical rating (AV) in Martindale-Hubbell, a prestigious legal directory. Not only is David highly respected by his peers; he is deeply loved by his staff because of his character and passion for helping people. He is a champion in his profession and dedicated to community outreach. Among his volunteer activities, he helps local first responders and law enforcement personnel cope with mental injuries sustained as a result of their jobs. He also supports the Trident Literacy Association, which helps adults reverse the cycle and impact of generational poverty and illiteracy by helping them acquire vital life skills. David and his wife of 39 years, Janet, live on Sullivan’s Island and have two children. He is proud to say that their children are following his family’s tradition of legal service: Their daughter is a lawyer in Chicago, and their son is a lawyer in New York City.

Catherine “Catie” Meehan is a partner at the Steinberg Law Firm. She has an extensive background in the medical field with degrees in both psychology and nursing, in addition to her law degree. Catie’s nursing background comes into play daily as she represents individuals who have been injured at work or in their lives. Her experience as a licensed registered nurse (RN) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) gives her an understanding of her clients’ medical issues, injuries, treatment, and healing that many attorneys do not have. As a nurse, she developed the empathy to understand what her clients are experiencing. Clients also appreciate Catie’s open and honest communication and her ability to set realistic outcomes. She advocates fiercely on her clients’ behalf because she knows the toll a workers’ compensation or personal injury case can take on her clients and their families. Catie helps her clients by answering their questions that range from obtaining medical treatment and weekly compensation checks while out of work to getting partial and total disability benefits. Catie understands the difficulties a personal injury or work accident creates including pain and income loss. She works hard to ensure that clients receive regular workers’ compensation weekly checks and uninterrupted medical care. Catie earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Notre Dame before heading to MUSC to earn a B.S. in nursing. After years of serving patients in a hospital setting, Catie wanted to help them in a legal setting and decided to become a lawyer. Both medical and legal disciplines serve her well in understanding what victims of accidents go through. While in law school, Catie received the Founder’s Award for Professionalism in Advocacy. She also served as Student Works Editor of the Charleston Law Review. Catie has authored published articles for Charleston Law Review that explored human tissue property rights. Her other study covered NFL concussion litigation with a proposal to create a victim relief fund to compensate former NFL players with football-related neurological injuries. In addition to her law practice, Catie is involved in her community and professional organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Kids’ Chance of South Carolina. This organization provides scholarships and support for college and vocational education to dependents of South Carolina workers catastrophically or fatally injured in work-related accidents. She also serves on the Alumni Board of the Charleston School of Law and the MUSC College of Nursing Board — the latter service keeps her knowledge of nursing trends current, which often aids her in helping her clients. She is a member of Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Junior League of Charleston, South Carolina Bar Association, and the bar association’s Young Lawyers Division. Catie and her husband, Jerry, live in Charleston with their two daughters.

Wes represents individuals and companies in matters in state and federal court and also regularly advise clients in transactions, corporate, employment, and compliance matters. For corporate clients that can benefit from consistent, readily available legal advice, Wes acts as an outside general counsel. He also handles individual and corporate defamation cases, breach of contract matters, corporate/shareholder disputes, personal injury cases and wrongful termination cases for both defendants and plaintiffs. We has represented plaintiffs and defendants on federal and state whistleblower cases involving healthcare and banking fraud . Wes regularly represent individuals and entities, particularly health care professionals, on the full range of state licensing and regulatory matters, including Certificate of Need applications and disputes. Wes regularly advises health care clients in corporate matters and regulatory and compliance advice including the development of compliance programs and advising on Stark, Antikickback and other federal and state law compliance. He regularly represent health care providers including Nursing Homes, Hospices, Physicians, Hospitals, Dentists and others with ZPIC, RAC and other federal and state audits to include initial response and appeal of audit findings.

Tommy Pope is a managing partner of Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys in Rock Hill, South Carolina bringing an extensive background of over 30 years of litigation experience. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of South Carolina in 1984 and a Juris Doctorate from the School of Law in 1987. He also attended the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy where he graduated with honors. From 1993-2006, Tommy served as the elected Solicitor for the 16th Circuit (Union & York Counties, SC). In 1999, he received the Silver Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina Law School Alumni Association, recognizing competence, integrity, ethics, and superior performance in his profession. In 2008, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, our state’s highest civilian honor for his dedication and service to the people of South Carolina. That same year, Tommy joined Luke Elrod and the Elrod Law Firm to form the Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys where he has since focused primarily on helping people who were injured or killed by the negligence of others. Since 2010, Tommy has also served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives for District 47. In December of 2014, he was selected by his peers as Speaker Pro Tempore of the House and continues in that capacity today. As an attorney, Tommy has been selected yearly since 2013 as a South Carolina Super Lawyer. This prestigious honor is awarded to less than five percent of South Carolina lawyers. Selection is based on outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. He was also an honoree for the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s Leadership in Law Award in March of 2014. He is currently rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer rating standard. This is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers. Throughout his career, Tommy is most often recognized for his 1995 prosecution of Susan Smith in Union County, South Carolina, who made national headlines for the drowning deaths of her two children. Today, he is frequently called upon by various national and international media outlets to provide legal commentary on cases involving parents who kill their children. Tommy and his wife Kim have 4 children and 3 grandchildren and reside in York. They are active at Elevation Church Riverwalk in Rock Hill. When not working at Elrod Pope or in the Legislature in Columbia, Tommy enjoys his time with Kim taking care of the farm in York and fishing in Holden Beach, North Carolina.

Ben knows there are a lot of smart lawyers to choose from and attributes his success to “out-working” the other side. He always strives to develop positive relationships with his clients and is available to them for the long haul. Joining the Steinberg firm in 2008 was a natural choice because of how well its culture fit his perspective. “The Steinberg Law firm has been around for almost 100 years because each attorney understands the vision and principles of our founder, Irving Steinberg: to give a voice for the voiceless,” Ben says. ”We have a commitment to honor and carry on his legacy.” Ben joined the Steinberg Law firm in 2008 and became a partner in 2016. His practice focuses on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and social security disability law. After a personal injury or workers’ comp-related accident, Ben’s clients want to know how they are going to pay their bills and possibly adjust to a life of pain. While the COVID-19 crisis has changed some of the ways his workers’ compensation cases are proceeding, Ben is not afraid to fight the insurance companies — and, if necessary, go to trial. He keeps in constant communication with his clients and lets them know that “it might take a little longer, but I will keep you safe and get you to court if needed.” Ben earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston, where he was a member of the Communications Honor Society. He was also a scholarship athlete in both basketball and baseball during his first two years of college. While at Emory University’s School of Law, he served as staff attorney at the Indigent Criminal Defense Clinic, representing individuals in Georgia’s criminal courts. He also received the Morton H. Aronson Franchise Law Award. Ben is a member of the South Carolina Bar, Charleston County Bar, and Berkeley County Bar, where he served on the board of directors and as president of the Young Lawyers Division. He serves on the board of governors of the South Carolina Association for Justice and is a member of the Injured Workers Advocates. Other lawyers often refer clients to him because they can be confident that Ben will provide exceptional service. For four years in a row, Ben has been listed in Best Lawyers in America (2016-2020, 2022). He was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2017 and nominated by the National Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Top 40 Attorneys Under 40 in South Carolina. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition to his service in professional organizations, Ben is an active member of Crosstowne Christian Church and serves as chair of the board of directors of Healing Farms. He lives in West Ashley with his wife, Apryl, their two daughters, and a son.

Steven E. Goldberg followed his father into a career of law by joining the Steinberg Law Firm in 1993. As he explains, “Growing up, I was impressed to see my father working hard and his clients being truly thankful for that hard work.” Now in practice for more than 25 years, Steven has represented clients in cases involving on-the-job injuries and automobile wrecks, and has expanded his practice representing families of those who have had loved ones injured or killed in nursing home neglect. He has been successful in many trial appearances and settlements totaling over several million dollars; most recently, he represented a family whose elderly father died because of a truck driver’s negligence in a case that settled for $3.5 million. The father was rear-ended, and Steven fought the insurance company over the settlement amount when the company tried to use the fact that the driver was 75 years old to say his family shouldn’t receive such a large settlement. Steven maintains his office in Summerville, and practices law at both the firm’s Broad Street and Goose Creek locations. He is active in the legal community, having served as president of the South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates and chairperson of the South Carolina Bar Workers’ Compensation Section. He has served on the board of Governors for the Association for Justice (Trial Lawyers), and has argued Workers’ Compensation cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. He also shares his experience and knowledge regarding workers’ compensation issues with colleagues and the business community members at various seminars. Active in his community, Steven is a member of KKBE and has served as president of the East Cooper Jewish Community; chair of Operation Home, an organization devoted to making homes safer for lower-income residents; and chair of the Grantmaking and Leadership Committee of the Coastal Community Foundation. Steven earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.