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2008 Ceremony

School of Law honors exemplary alumni at Compleat Lawyer Awards Dinner

Six outstanding alumni were recognized for their significant contributions to the legal profession and high standards of professional competence, ethics and integrity at the University of South Carolina School of Law’s annual Compleat Lawyer Awards dinner on April 17, 2008. Established in 1992 by the USC Law School Alumni Association Board (LSAAB), the awards recognize alumni for outstanding civic and professional accomplishments.

U.S. District Court Judge William S. Duffey , Jr., of the Northern District of Georgia, a 1977 alumnus of the School of Law, delivered the keynote speech. Awards are given in categories based on years in practice. The Platinum Award, given to three attorneys who have been in practice over 30 years, was awarded to William C. "Bill" Boyd, of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. in Columbia, SC; Elaine Fowler, of Turner Padget Graham & Laney in Charleston, SC; and W. Reynolds Williams, of Willcox, Buyck & Williams, P.A. in Florence, SC. The Gold Award, given to three attorneys who have been in practice for 15-30 years, was awarded to Lee Coggiola, Disciplinary Counsel for the South Carolina Supreme Court; Michael A. "Mike" Colombo,of Colombo, Kitchin, Dunn and Ball in Greenville, NC; and Anne S. Ellefson, of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. in Greenville, SC.

Recipients are nominated by members of the South Carolina Bar and are chosen by a committee consisting of the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the President of the South Carolina Bar, the President of the Alumni Association, and the Dean of the Law School.

Compleat Lawyer Platinum Recipients

Bill Boyd, shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. in Columbia, SC, has been a leader in the South Carolina legal and business community for many years. His practice principally focuses on managing complex transactions and business counseling. A 1965 graduate of the School of Law, he served on the South Carolina Law Review while in school. Regarded by many of his peers as one of the best business lawyers, not only in South Carolina, but throughout the country, Boyd’s “business acumen and sound judgment make him an extraordinary counselor and advisor,” according to Francis Mood, Sr. Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary for SCANA. He serves as chair-elect of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, sits on the board of directors of the Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) and the executive committee of the Midlands Business Leadership Group.

Elaine Fowler, a 1975 cum laude graduate of the School of Law, served as a member of the South Carolina Law Review and Society of Wig & Robe while in law school. She has been practicing with Turner Padget Graham & Laney since graduation and focuses her practice in the corporate transactions and personal planning arenas. Fowler was the first woman to serve as Chair of the House of Delegates of the South Carolina Bar Association and subsequently as every office, including President, of the association. In addition to devoting much time to her legal career, she is committed to service in her community and serves as a member of the Sullivan’s Island Planning Commission. Fowler also is an active supporter of numerous charities and is ready to volunteer and lend a helping hand when needed. Elizabeth Van Doren Gray, partner at Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, credits Fowler for “setting the standard for so many [women] who followed her” and “never letting any of us down.”

W. Reynolds Williams graduated from the School of Law in 1973 after serving in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze star and the Combat Infantry Badge. While in law school, he received the American Jurisprudence Award in Contract law. Williams joined the Willcox Law Firm in 1977 and became its CEO in 1990. He currently serves as the first Chairman of the commission whose duty is to direct and determine the investments of the South Carolina Retirement System. He has served as actor, director and President of the Florence Little Theater, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest honor, in 1999 by Governor Beasley, served as Chairman of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and was named Business Person of the Year by the Chamber several years ago. Mark W. Buyck, Jr., partner Willcox, Buyck, & Williams, considers Williams an “all-around excellent lawyer in every aspect of practicing law including trial advocacy, business and legal advice and community involvement.” His peers highly regard him as an outstanding civic leader in his region and a complete lawyer in every respect.

Compleat Lawyer Gold Recipients

Lee Coggiola, Disciplinary Counsel for the South Carolina Supreme Court, is a 1988 graduate of the School of Law. In 2003, she was named Lawyer of the Year by the Public Defender’s Association. Coggiola’s peers tout her as a “voice for the vulnerable” and someone who works as “an advocate for indigent defendants at both trial and appellate levels.” Coggiola served on the editorial board for the first edition to Appellate Practice in South Carolina and is co-editor of the soon to be published Law in South Carolina. She has taught in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of South Carolina and is an adjunct professor at the School of Law. Actively involved in the community, Coggiola is a founder and board member of The Women’s Shelter, a member of the board of the Community Mediation Center and on the board of the South Carolina Academy of Authors. Jonathan Gasser, Harris & Gasser, Attorneys at Law, says that “Lee is one of the most competent and ethical lawyers that I have had the privilege of knowing.”

Mike Colombo has been practicing law in Greenville, NC, since graduating from the School of Law in 1979. A partner in the firm of Colombo, Kitchin, Dunn and Ball, he served in the US Air Force five years prior to entering law school. Colombo, an expert in estate and trust matters, served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association from 2005-2006. He is considered a “consummate family man” that is an “invaluable advisor, stand-in and worker for the cause” by G. Gray Wilson, senior partner, Wilson & Coffey, LLP. Colombo is very active in his community as well, serving in leadership roles with the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Pitt County Community College Board of Trustees, the Pitt-Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the Pitt County Chapter of the American Red Cross, just to name a few.

A 1979 graduate of the School of Law, Anne Ellefson is heralded as one of the best real estate lawyers in South Carolina. She is a shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. in Greenville, SC, practicing in real estate, representing owners and developers in commercial real estate transactions. Ellefson is former chair of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and recently chaired the chamber’s Higher Education Committee. She is past president of the South Carolina Bar Foundation, served as campaign chair of the United Way of Greenville in the first campaign that exceeded $10 million in funds raised and was recently elected trustee of the ETV Endowment of South Carolina. Her peers consider her a vital member of South Carolina’s legal, civic, philanthropic and business communities.

The LSAAB commends the high standards of these individuals whose conduct, competence and conscience reflect positively upon themselves, the legal profession, and the University of South Carolina School of Law. Walter F. Pratt, Jr., Dean of the School of Law, stated that, “Their example is worthy of emulation, and it is a privilege to honor them not only at this annual event, but year round.”