William C. Cleveland III Principal

Phone: (843) 720-4606  |  Fax: (843) 723-7398  |  Email: wcleveland@buistmoore.com

Practice Areas
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Business and Banking
Business Litigation
Civil Litigation
Intellectual Property
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
Product Liability

Will Cleveland is head of the Business Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Cleveland has handled a broad range of business litigation and products liability lawsuits for over thirty years. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business break-up, commercial, securities, products liability (including pharmaceuticals) and intellectual property litigation. Additionally, he is certified as a mediator, with substantial experience mediating complex business disputes.

Representative Matters:

•	Brockmann Industries, Inc. v. Carolina Securities Corp., 677 F.Supp. 430 (D.S.C.,1987); Brockmann Industries, Inc. v. Carolina Securities Corp., 861 F.2d 798 (4th Cir. 1988)(Affirmed summary judgment granted with respect to issuer’s rights of rescission under Blue Sky laws)
•	Elf Acquitaine v. Smith (Jury verdict for approximately $1,000,000 obtained against plaintiff’s fraudulent comptroller)
•	Evangelical Lutheran Charities Soc. of Charleston v. South Carolina National Bank, 329 S.C. 16, 495 S.E.2d 199 (1997) (Held trust created to preserve historic structures not available for public visitation, served a charitable purpose, and constituted a charitable trust)
•	Hines v. FmHA (Secured claims of Farmers Home Administration declared unenforceable)
•	Hines v. IBG (Represented plaintiff, recovering $1,000,000 for claims arising out of defective green houses)
•	Integrity Ins. Co. v. Taylor, 295 S.C. 143, 367 S.E.2d 441 (S.C.App.,1988) (Affirmed order requiring county clerk of court to enroll judgments of United States District Court)
•	Ligon v. Affinity (Represented plaintiff where jury awarded judgment for breach of contract to provide stock in a start-up corporation)
•	Maddox v. Tosco Marketing Co., 2006 WL 1726887 (D.S.C.,2006) (Granting summary judgment to ConocoPhillips for alleged violations of retail dealers’ rights)
•	Middleton v. U.S. Steel (U.S. Steel exonerated by jury verdict from claims arising from plaintiff’s exposure to anhydrous ammonia)
•	Morrisette v. Barnes, 285 S.C. 123, 328 S.E.2d 627 (S.C.,1985) (Affirmed jury verdict on attorney’s lawsuit for legal fees rejecting defendant’s claim that fees were satisfied)
•	Mulherin-Howell v. Cobb, 362 S.C. 588, 608 S.E.2d 587 (S.C.App.,2005) (Affirmed summary judgment in favor of real estate developer seeking to quiet title to time share units in dispute with time share home owners association)
•	National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. John F. Beasley Const. Co. (Affirmed jury verdict that defendant subcontractor was not liable to general contractor)
•	Nucor Steel v. SeverCorr (Defended steel company against claims of trade secret misrepresentation, case resolved through mediation)
•	Otranto Homeowners Association v. CSX (Jury verdict, exonerated CSX from claims it was responsible for repeated flooding of a neighborhood adjacent to its facilities)
•	Remgrit Corp. v. Remington Arms Co., Inc. (Jury verdict to Dupont in defense of claims of breach of contract with respect to sale of a division)
•	Shakespeare Co. v. Silstar Corp. of America, Inc., 906 F.Supp. 997 (D.S.C.,1995) (Defendant’s use of plaintiff’s incontestable trademark declared non-actionable under Fair Use doctrine); 110F3d234 (4th Cir. 1997) (Affirming district court’s favorable verdict)
•	Thaxton bankruptcy cases were consolidated before U.S. District Court for District of South Carolina under rules for multi-district litigation, argued motion for summary judgment on behalf of Unsecured Creditors’ Committee obtaining order equitably subordinating claims of debtor’s secured lender to over $100,000,000 of unsecured claims

Educational Background:

•	University of Virginia School of Law, 1975 - J.D.
•	Yale University, 1972 - B.A., American Studies

Honors:

•	The Best Lawyers In America, Commercial Litigation
•	Chambers USA - Leaders in their Field, General Commercial Litigation
•	South Carolina Super Lawyers, Business Litigation

Professional Organizations:

•	President, International Association of Defense Counsel, 2001-2002
•	Board Member, Lawyers for Civil Justice, 2001-2002
•	Director, Defense Counsel Trial Academy, 1999
•	American Board of Trial Advocates
•	Board Member, Defense Research Institute, 2000-2003
•	American Bar Association
•	California State Bar Association
•	South Carolina Bar
•	Charleston County Bar Association
•	Richland County Bar Association

Bar Admissions:

•	California, 1975
•	South Carolina, 1979

Community Organizations:

•	Charleston County Library Foundation • Board of Directors, 1998-2000
•	Charleston Day School • Chairman, Board of Directors, 1998 • Board of Directors, 1995-1999
•	Cold War Nuclear Submarine Memorial Committee, 1999-2002
•	Department of Health and Environmental Control • Bridges-to-Islands Task Force
•	George Washington Statue Committee • Board of Directors, 1990-2000
•	South Carolina Coastal Conservation League • Chairman, 2006-2007 • Vice Chair of Board of Directors, 2004-2005 • Board of Directors, 1999-Present