Firm History

Pope & Hudgens, P.A. was founded by Thomas H. Pope (1913-1999), one of the pre-eminent trial attorneys in 20th century South Carolina. He began practicing law in 1938 and continued an active trial practice until a few years before his death. Thomas H. Pope was a former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives and President of the South Carolina Bar Association. He was also a lawyer who excelled in the courtroom: his trials included antitrust cases, murder cases, will contests, railroad defense, business litigation, product liability, and commercial litigation. He successfully tried hundreds of cases in his career and was recognized as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and as the recipient of the South Carolina Compleat Lawyer of the Year Award. He was listed in Best Lawyers in America for his skills as a trial lawyer in business and personal injury litigation.

Mr. Pope founded the firm with fundamental principles: that lawyers have an obligation to fight for their clients and that includes a commitment to work extra hours and on weekends if necessary. In office matters the firm policy is to diligently help clients with their legal needs in a thorough, timely manner.

The Firm Today

That philosophy continues to the present day. Pope & Hudgens, P.A. has a reputation for obtaining good results. Since 2000, for example, Pope & Hudgens, P.A. attorneys have successfully concluded cases, either by trial, arbitration or settlement, in the following areas: condemnation, personal injury, defamation, products liability, legal malpractice, consumer class action, construction, wrongful death, criminal defense, workers' compensation, family court, products liability, business litigation, automobile accidents, foreclosure, and professional disciplinary matters.

Our policy is to treat clients with respect and to accommodate tight schedules as well as possible. We help our clients with matters large and small, but we specialize in complex litigation of all types. For the last several years, the firm has handled class action cases, as well.

The firm of Pope & Hudgens, P.A. is heavily committed to a trial practice, and its lawyers prepare each case as if it will be tried in court. The trial philosophy is that if you prepare a case for trial you will enhance the chances of a favorable settlement. Since 2001 the firm obtained a jury verdict for $1.5 million, an arbitration award in excess of $3.85 million, a settlement of $1.2 million in a condemnation case, and a number of confidential settlements, particularly in product liability cases.

The lead trial lawyer in the firm is Tom Pope III, who has tried cases in state and federal court for over 33 years. Tom is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and Past President of the South Carolina Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates. He is a former board member of Southeast ABOTA and a current bar examiner for the State of South Carolina. His practice areas include personal injury and business litigation, and he has an active caseload in the areas of products liability, condemnation (on behalf of landowners whose property has been condemned), and professional negligence. Tom handles mostly plaintiff's cases, but also represents defendants in litigation.

Joe Hudgens has over 45 years as a practicing attorney and is the senior lawyer at the firm. Joe is a former judicial clerk to two (2) chief justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court and former chairman of the South Carolina Board of Character and Fitness. Joe's practice is business-oriented and includes litigation. He helps clients in the areas of real estate, probate administration, wills and trusts, and construction law.

After serving for one year as a law clerk to Circuit Judge Kenneth Goode, Chad Jenkins joined the firm Pope & Hudgens, P.A. in August 2000 and is a member/shareholder. Chad has developed an expertise in criminal defense and he has successfully tried a number of felony cases in General Sessions Court. Chad is also involved in civil litigation, including auto accident cases and business cases, as well as Family Court matters and Social Security Disability claims.

Kyle Parker is the newest member of Pope & Hudgens, P.A. Kyle graduated from The Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University and has served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable J. Carlisle Overstreet and the Honorable Carl C. Brown in Georgia. Kyle also served as an Assistant Solicitor for the First Judicial Circuit where he prosecuted and successfully tried numerous felony cases. Kyle's areas of practice include estate planning, trusts, wills, probate administration, real estate, business formation and business litigation.

Pope & Hudgens, P.A. endeavors to meet the needs of its clients by being available for appointments when it suits clients. If clients have unusual schedules or needs, we try to be available for client meetings late in the evening or on weekends. If a client has a claim that may justify a lawsuit, we conduct an initial consultation at no cost to the client. After evaluating the case, we frequently take cases on a contingent fee basis, which means we charge a percentage of recovery but no fee unless there is a recovery. Where appropriate, costs may be advanced by the firm and deducted at the conclusion of the case after fees.