Thomas E. McCutchen

Thomas English McCutchen, Jr. received his AB degree from the University of South Carolina in 1940 (magna cum laude). In 1941 he was admitted to the Bar by examination after one and one-half years in Law School.  He then entered the Army Air Corps (later United States Air Force) in 1941 and served as a pilot until he was discharged as a Major in 1945.  He reentered Law School and received his LLB degree from the University of South Carolina in 1946. He began the practice of law in 1946 in Columbia, South Carolina.  In 1948-49, he taught Business Law at the University of South Carolina.  In 1949-50, he was an instructor at the University of South Carolina School of Law.  In 1956 he became a member of the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit.  In 1970 he was President of the Richland County Bar Association.  Later he received the Williams Award from the Richland County Bar Association. He was a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and a member of the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel.  He was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1972.  He is listed in the publication "The Best Lawyers in America" under Business Litigation and Personal Injury and Civil Litigation (1995-96 edition - 2001-2002 edition). He was President of the Columbia Junior Chamber of Commerce, President of the Columbia Rotary Club, President of the South Carolina Mental Health Association and served for several years on the National Board and Executive Committee of the National Mental Health Association. He was special counsel for the State of South Carolina throughout the proceedings in the boundary case of Georgia v. South Carolina and argued that case in the Supreme Court of the United States (497 U.S. 376, 110 S.Ct. 2903).  In 1992 the Law School of the University of South Carolina bestowed upon him the Compleat Lawyer Award.


Current Employment Position(s):

Of Counsel

Areas of Practice:

Civil Litigation

Bar Admissions:

South Carolina, 1941 U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1948 U.S. Supreme Court, 1955

Education:

University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina, 1946 L.L.B.
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA, 1940 A.B.
Honors: Magna Cum Laude

Representative Cases:

Georgia v. South Carolina, 111 L.Ed.2s 309 (110 S.Ct. 2903 1990)

South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation v. E.S.I. Investments, 505 S.E.2d 592 (332 S.C. 490 1998)

Southern Development Land and Gold Co., Ltd. v. South Carolina Public Service Authority, 426 S.E.2d 748 (311 S.C. 29 1993)

Chapman v. Citizens and Southern National Bank of South Carolina, 395 S.E.2d 446 (302 S.C. 469, S.C. App 1990)

Columbia East Associates v. Bi-Lo, Inc., 386 S.E.1d 259 (299 S.C. 515, S.C. App 1989)

Dennis v. South Carolina National Bank, 382 S.E.2d 237 (299 S.C. 34, S.C.App 1988)

Hall v. Walters, 85 S.E.2d 729 (226 S.C. 430, 1955)

Classes/Seminars Taught:

Instructor, University of South Carolina School of Law, 1949 - 1950

Honors and Awards:

Recipient, Compleat Lawyer Award, University of South Carolina School of Law, 1992
Listed, "Best Lawyers in America", Business Litigation and Personal Injury and Civil Litigation, 1995 - Present

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Judicial Conference of Fourth Circuit, 1956 - Present Member
Richland County Bar Association, 1970 President
American Bar Association Member
John Belton O'Neall Inn of Court Member
South Carolina Bar Member
International Association of Defense Counsel - Past Member
Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel - Past Member
American College of Trial Lawyers, 1972 - Present - Fellow

Fraternities/Sororities:

Omicron Delta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa