Christian Stegmaier, the Chair of the Retail & Hospitality Practice Group, was elected to membership in the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates on October 3, 2020.
An invitation-only organization, the American Board of Trial Associates is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges who are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right. All members must have tried at least 10 civil jury trials to jury verdict or hung jury as lead counsel for the minimum requirements to have been met.
American Board of Trial Advocates’ mission is to foster improvement in the ethical and technical standards of practice in the field of advocacy to the end that individual litigants may receive more effective representation and the general public be benefited by more efficient administration of justice consistent with time-tested and traditional principles of litigation.
Stegmaier has been with Collins & Lacy, P.C. for 18 years and chairs the firm’s Retail & Hospitality Practice Group and is also a member of the firm’s management committee. Stegmaier defends national and regional leaders in the retail, hospitality, and entertainment sectors doing business in South Carolina in claims involving premises liability, loss prevention, food adulteration, third party torts, and alcohol liability. Prior to joining Collins & Lacy, Stegmaier served as a law clerk to The Honorable Ralph King Anderson, Jr., Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
“ABOTA is one of the nation’s most effective organizations in championing the ethics, professionalism, and principles of the legal profession,” said Stegmaier. “I’m honored to be part of this select group. For me, this is the most important achievement of my career. It’s been many years in the making.”
The South Carolina chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates features 165 members from around the state. Stegmaier joins Collins & Lacy, P.C. co-founder, Joel W. Collins, Jr., as one of two representatives from their firm. Collins currently serves as an Appointee on the American Board of Trial Advocates national leadership team. Current American Board of Trial Advocates membership includes more than 7,600 lawyers and judges among 96 chapters in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia.
