The nine members of the Solo & Small Firm Section Council embody the spirit of the small firm lawyer.
2024
Officers
Charles L.A. Terreni
Chair (January 1, 2024-December 31, 2024)
Terreni Law Firm, LLC
1508 Lady Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(T) 803-771-7228
charles.terreni@terrenilaw.com
Michael “Brooks” Derrick
Chair-Elect(January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024)
Derrick Law Office
224 NE Main Street
Simpsonville, SC 29681
(T) 864-757-0757
brooks@derricklawoffice.com
Thomas E. Andrews, III
Section Delegate (January 1, 2024-December 31, 2024)
Andrews Law Office, LLC
P.O. Box 2744
Columbia, SC 29202
(T) 803-748-1292
thomas@thomasandrewslaw.com
Council Representatives
Blakely Copeland Cahoon
(January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024) (second 2-year term)
Cahoon Law Firm, LLC
P.O. Box 23303
Columbia, SC 29224
(T) 803-462-6700
blakely@cahoonlawfirm.com
Thomas Edward Vanderbloemen
(January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024) (first 2-year term)
Vanderbloemen Law Firm, P.A.
330 East Coffee Street
Greenville, South Carolina 29601
(T) 864-250-9530
tom@vanderbloemenlaw.com
S. Maria Shiloh Averill
(January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024) (first 2-year term)
Averill Law Firm, LLC
528 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 102
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464
(T): 843-998-4583
maria@averilllawfirm.com
Cherie T. Barton
(January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025) (first 2-year term)
Barton Family Law, LLC
1420 Ebenezer Road, Suite 104
Rock Hill, South Carolina 29732
(T): 803-329-0400
cherie@rockhillfamilylaw.com
Mark D. Chappell
(January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025) (first 2-year term)
Chappell, Chappell, and Newman
2725 Devine Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29205
(T): 803-509-5823
mark@chappell.law
Jonathan E.B. Lewis
(January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025) (first 2-year term)
The Law Office of Jonathan Lewis, LLC
501 Charles Street, No. 775
Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
(T): 803-995-2748
jonathan@lawofficeofjlewis.com
Council Spotlight
Charles Terreni
2024 Chair
Columbia, South Carolina
The (Solo & Small Firm Section) listserv is invaluable since so many of us can't "walk down the hall" and ask a colleague. A great place to get advice on any subject!
Tom Andrews
2024 Section Delegate
Columbia, South Carolina
After setting up my own office, I realized how much institutional knowledge I lost when I left a firm. I’ve used the SSF listserv to fill that gap and have gained information as complex as a recommendation for a good expert witness to as simple as the name of a dependable process server in a rural county. I’ve also relied heavily on the collective advice of others on the listserv for technology advice from the best desktop scanner to a good password manager. Last year I had a simple question about a probate matter and within an hour of posting had an email response from a probate judge who invited me to call her so she could walk me through the process! The SSF has not only been a great resource but also a great outlet for meeting other solo and small firm attorneys.
Mark D. Chappell
Council Representative
Columbia, South Carolina
After 38 years in practice growing a law firm from 2 attorneys to 15 and 40 employees, in February 2023, I decided it was time for a new challenge and opened a firm with my son Mark Jr. and Graham Newman. Somewhere along the way, I had become an administrator and marketer, 401 (K) and benefits coordinator, parking space monitor and ultimately a slave to the rat race of business ownership. After some personal and professional life changes, I realized that the rat race was no longer worth running. So, we went back to basics, a client focused firm with limited practice areas. Getting off the hamster wheel is the best thing I have done for my health and sanity. My hope in this next chapter is to use what I have learned over the decades to help the next generation of attorneys in their practice and in their work-life balance.
Blakely Copeland Cahoon
Council Representative
Columbia, South Carolina
Practicing law as a solo practitioner requires not only knowledge of the law but learning how to deal with the accounting, payroll, marketing, security, and other business issues that help keep my firm open. The solo and small firm section has been my go-to for help on practice issues. There are resources, CLEs and the list serve that let me reach out for help from other lawyers. It makes being a solo practitioner less stressful having a resource for help that is one of the best tools I have in practicing law.
Tom Vanderbloemen
Council Representative
Greenville, South Carolina
I started my own practice in Greenville in 2017 after 15 years of practicing in large law firms. Our firm helps clients grow and protect their trademarks and other intellectual property, works with clients to establish and join franchise systems, and serves as an outsourced general counsel for business clients. The Solo & Small Firm Section has been a tremendously valuable resource for us to connect with colleagues across the state and learn tips for effectively running our practice.