News & Insights

​Lewis Babcock is again being honored in “Best Law Firms®,” this year in three practice areas.
 
Lewis Babcock is recognized in the 2026 edition in Tier 1 for the Columbia area for its attorneys’ work in Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law. The firm is honored in Tier 2 in the practice areas of Appellate Practice and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs.
 
Lewis Babcock became eligible for “Best Law Firms” based on the inclusion of its attorneys in the 2026 edition of “Best Lawyers in America:”
 

• Firm co-founder Keith Babcock was honored in the practice areas of Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, and Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs.

 

• Joseph Berry was included in the categories of Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Real Estate, and Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law.

 

• Ariail King was recognized for her work in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs and in Appellate Practice.

 
Once inclusion in “Best Lawyers” establishes eligibility for “Best Law Firms,” the selection process includes feedback from colleagues and clients in areas such as experience, responsiveness, cost effectiveness, and more.
 
Published annually since 2010, “Best Law Firms” evaluates firms across hundreds of practice areas and cities across the country. Learn more here: https://www.bestlawfirms.com/.

​For the third consecutive year, all three attorneys at Lewis Babcock are included in “Best Lawyers in America,” a national directory of leading attorneys in the country.
 
The 2026 edition of the annual guide was released today. It includes honors for Lewis Babcock in seven different practice areas. All three attorneys were recognized in multiple categories. The attorneys and their honors:
 
Keith Babcock: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law; and Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs.
 
Joseph Berry: Commercial Litigation; Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; and Litigation – Real Estate.
 
Ariail E. King: Appellate Practice and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Plaintiffs.
 
Keith Babcock has been included in every “Best Lawyers” edition since 2007, and Ariail King has earned honors in three consecutive editions. This is Joseph Berry’s first year in “Best Lawyers.” He previously has been included in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” a companion piece recognizing attorneys under 40 or with less than 10 years’ practice.
 
Published annually for more than 40 years, “Best Lawyers” aims to capture a consensus opinion about the abilities of other attorneys in the same practice area and same cities. The "Best Lawyers" selection process begins with a nomination, followed by peer voting. Next, the “Best Lawyers” staff conducts independent research.
 
A companion piece, “Best Law Firms” is released every November. Lewis Babcock was honored in last year’s “Best Law Firms” in two practice areas.

​Lewis Babcock co-founder Keith Babcock has been named to the 2025 South Carolina Super Lawyers list. This marks the 18th consecutive year that he has been selected to the list.
 
Across over 40 years of law practice in South Carolina, Keith has focused almost exclusively on litigation. He holds national regard in the practice area of eminent domain and is an emeritus member of the Owners’ Counsel of America (OCA), a national group of lawyers who represent property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases.
 
Keith has been listed in both the Super Lawyers directory and the South Carolina Super Lawyers annual publication each year since 2008.
 
Super Lawyers selects attorneys for inclusion based on a patented process with the stated goal of creating a comprehensive guide that individuals and businesses who need legal services can utilize. The first step is a nomination from a colleague. Next, independent research is conducted, and attorneys are evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Next, a panel of attorneys reviews their peers in the same practice area and the yearly lists are finalized.

Lewis Babcock is being honored in the 2025 edition of “Best Law Firms” in two practice areas: Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs.
 
Published annually since 2010, “Best Law Firms” evaluates firms across 127 practice areas and in hundreds of cities across the country.
 
Lewis Babcock became eligible for “Best Law Firms” based on the inclusion of all three of its attorneys in the 2025 edition of “Best Lawyers in America” and its companion piece, “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.”
 
In that peer-reviewed directory, firm co-founder Keith Babcock was honored in the practice areas of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law and Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs. Partner Ariail King was recognized for her work in Appellate Practice and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs.
 
Partner Joseph Berry was included in “Ones to Watch” for his work in Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, and Litigation – Real Estate.
 
Once inclusion in “Best Lawyers” establishes eligibility for “Best Law Firms,” the selection process includes feedback from colleagues and clients in areas such as experience, responsiveness, cost effectiveness and more.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The quality of representation provided across the board by Lewis Babcock law firm remains high, according to The Best Lawyers in America®. In its 2025 edition, the publication has, for the second year in a row, honored all three attorneys in the firm.
The first two are on the main “Best Lawyers” list. Here they are with the practice areas in which they are being chosen from among lawyers in the Columbia area:

• Keith M. Babcock: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, and Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs.
• Ariail E. King: Appellate Practice, and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs.

The third member of the firm is on the publication’s “Ones to Watch” list, which honors attorneys who have practiced less than 10 years. This is his third year in a row being so honored:

• Joseph Berry: Commercial Litigation, and Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law.

Founding Partner Keith Babcock has now been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2007. In the area of eminent domain, he is regarded as a national thought leader. He regularly addresses groups across the state and country regarding that area. He’s an Emeritus member of Owner’s Counsel of America, a national group of eminent domain attorneys.
The aim of “Best Lawyers” is to capture the consensus opinion of lawyers about the abilities of their colleagues within the same geographic regions and same practice areas. The selection process begins with a nomination from a colleague and then peer review from attorneys previously recognized in “Best Lawyers.” Independent research also is conducted. For more information, go to https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

​Keith Babcock, a co-founder of Lewis Babcock, is again honored in the just-released 2024 edition of “Legal Elite of the Midlands.” He’s listed in the category of business litigation.

Mr. Babcock was first listed in “Legal Elite” in 2018. His 40-year legal practice has focused on litigation. He’s highly regarded in the area of eminent domain and an emeritus member of the Owners’ Counsel of America, an organization of attorneys who represent property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases.

​Published by “Columbia Business Monthly” annually since 2010, “Legal Elite of the Midlands” honors the region’s top attorneys across more than 20 practice areas. The selection process begins with a nomination from another lawyer. A vote of the area’s active attorneys determines the final selection.

For the 17th consecutive year, Lewis Babcock co-founder Keith Babcock has been selected to the South Carolina “Super Lawyers” list of leading attorneys.
 
Mr. Babcock has practiced in South Carolina for more than 40 years. He’s focused almost exclusively on litigation, including business disputes. He’s long been highly regarded in the practice area of eminent domain and is an emeritus member of the Owners’ Counsel of America. That organization consists of lawyers who represent property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases.
 
Mr. Babcock has been listed in the “Super Lawyers” directory and the related “South Carolina Super Lawyers” publication yearly since 2008.
 
With a goal of creating a comprehensive guide that individuals and businesses who need legal services can turn to, “Super Lawyers” selects attorneys for inclusion based on a patented process. The first step is a nomination from a college. Next, independent research is conducted, and attorneys are evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Next, a panel of peers reviews attorneys in the same practice area before final selection. Only about 5 percent of the attorneys in each state are included in “Super Lawyers” each year.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – At Lewis Babcock law firm, we’re fearless in our dedication to serving our clients. Our clients know that, and so do our peers in the legal profession.

It’s no surprise that every attorney in our firm has been honored by “Best Lawyers in America®” in its 2024 edition. Here they are with the practice areas in which they are being recognized among their peers in the Columbia area:

• Keith M. Babcock: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, Legal Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs
  
• Ariail E. King: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions — Plaintiffs
  
• Joseph Berry: “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” in Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Litigation — Real Estate

The “Ones to Watch” list honors attorneys who have practiced less than 10 years. This is Joseph’s second year in a row on the Ones to Watch list. His practice includes fiduciary negligence, business disputes, eminent domain cases, and appellate matters. 

Founding Partner Keith Babcock has made the Best Lawyers list every year since 2007. As noted above, he was yet again honored in the area of eminent domain, a topic in which he is particularly known and widely respected. He regularly addresses groups across the state and country on that area of law. He’s the only full member in South Carolina of the Owners’ Counsel of America, a national group of eminent domain attorneys who represent landowners.

Partner Ariail King is a new addition to the Best Lawyers list, as it is her first time being recognized for her work in mass tort litigation. She focuses her practice on appellate cases in addition to class actions.

The goal of “Best Lawyers” is to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the abilities of their colleagues within the same geographic regions and same practice areas. The selection process begins with a nomination from a colleague and then peer review from attorneys previously recognized in “Best Lawyers.” Independent research also is conducted. For more information, go to https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

For the sixth year in a row, Lewis Babcock founding partner Keith Babcock has been honored by Columbia Business Monthly in its annual “Legal Elite of the Midlands” list for 2023.

The annual guide is again recognizing him in two practice areas – business litigation and eminent domain.

His 40 years of experience have focused on business disputes, professional negligence, and eminent domain, and he is particularly known and respected widely in the last category. He has conducted Continuing Legal Education seminars on eminent domain across the state and the country, and is the only South Carolina attorney who is a full member of “Owners’ Counsel of America,” a national eminent domain organization.
​
Columbia Business Monthly has published the “Legal Elite” list since 2010. The process includes nomination and voting by fellow attorneys throughout the Midlands. Those listed represent the top 10 attorneys in each of the Legal Elite’s 20 practice areas.

The 2023 edition of South Carolina Super Lawyers again includes Keith Babcock, who has now been honored by the annual guide of leading attorneys 16 times.

He is a founding member of Lewis Babcock law firm, which represents plaintiff and defense clients all across South Carolina.

Mr. Babcock has practiced law in South Carolina for more than 40 years. His practice consists almost entirely of litigation, concentrating in particular on business disputes, eminent domain, and professional negligence.

He is South Carolina’s only member of the Owners’ Counsel of America — an organization of attorneys who advocate for property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases.
Mr. Babcock has also been selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® from 2007 through 2023, and South Carolina Super Lawyers® from 2008 through 2023.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process begins with a nomination from a colleague and includes independent research and peer evaluations. Learn more about the selection process here: https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html

Only about 5 percent of a state’s attorneys are selected each year for “Super Lawyers.”

Two attorneys at Lewis Babcock L.L.P. are honored in the just-released 2023 edition of “Best Lawyers in America” and its companion piece, “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.”
 
The list includes firm co-founder Keith Babcock, who has been included in the national directory every year for the past 15. This year, attorney Joe Berry is also honored as “Ones to Watch”.
 
Both are recognized for their work in multiple practice areas in the Columbia area.
 
The attorneys and their honors:

• Keith Babcock, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
• Joe Berry – Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Litigation – Real Estate

 
The firm has a strong reputation for their work in eminent domain law. Keith Babcock is the sole South Carolina attorney who’s a full member of the “Owners’ Counsel of America.” The group consists of attorneys who represent property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases. Berry was recently invited to join the group as affiliate members.
 
The goal of “Best Lawyers” is to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the abilities of their colleagues within the same geographic regions and same practice areas. The selection process begins with a nomination from a colleague and then peer review from attorneys previously recognized in “Best Lawyers.” Independent research also is conducted.
 
“Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” recognizes attorneys who have practiced less than 10 years. Otherwise, the selection criteria are the same.

Columbia Business Monthly has recognized Lewis Babcock L.L.P. in the magazine’s “Legal Elite of the Midlands” list for 2022.

Lewis Babcock founding partner Keith Babcock is listed for the fifth year in the annual guide. He is being honored for his work in two practice areas – business litigation and eminent domain.

Keith Babcock is a highly skilled attorney with more than 40 years’ experience. He focuses his practice on litigation, concentrating on business disputes, professional negligence, and eminent domain. He has conducted Continuing Legal Education seminars on eminent domain across the state and the country. He is the only South Carolina attorney listed in “Owners’ Counsel of America,” a national eminent domain organization.

Columbia Business Monthly has been publishing the Legal Elite list since 2010. The selection process includes nomination and voting by fellow attorneys throughout the Midlands. Those chosen for the list represent the top 10 attorneys in each of the Legal Elite’s 20 practice areas.

​Keith Babcock is again listed in “South Carolina Super Lawyers,” a national guide to the nation’s leading attorneys.
 
Babcock, a founding member of the law firm, is listed for his work in business litigation. It’s the 15th time he’s been honored in Super Lawyers. His work in eminent domain and professional liability: plaintiff, is also highlighted.
 
Babcock is South Carolina’s sole member of the Owners’ Counsel of America—an organization of attorneys who advocate for property owners in eminent domain and condemnation cases. Lewis Babcock associate Joe Berry recently joined the selective group as affiliate members.
 
The patented Super Lawyers selection process begins with a nomination from a colleague. “Super Lawyers” then independently researches the attorneys, focusing on 12 key indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition. Finally, a select panel of attorneys from the same practice area as the nominees makes the final selection.
 
Only about 5 percent of a state’s attorneys are selected each year for “Super Lawyers.” For “Rising Stars,” which is limited to attorneys younger than 40 or with less than 10 years’ practice, it’s only about 2.5 percent.

Joseph Berry, an attorney with Lewis Babcock law firm, shared advice on enforcing laws against perpetrators of animal cruelty with statewide law enforcement and animal control officers at a two-day training conference in Kershaw.

Berry was the head of the Richland County Animal Cruelty Prosecution Task Force when he served previously in the Solicitor’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit.

At the conference in late March, titled “Animal cruelty and fighting investigations: considerations for South Carolina enforcement officers,” Berry covered the whole range of animal cruelty, from individuals with neglected animals chained in their backyards to organized criminal enterprises running dog-fighting operations.

The free conference was open to law enforcement, animal care and control, humane investigators, code enforcement officers, veterinarians, solicitors, and magistrates. More than 40 people participated.

Berry spoke from his prosecutorial experience, covering such areas as:

• The main South Carolina code sections covering cruelty to animals and fighting and baiting.
• Examples of what criminal neglect looks like.
• How to assess whether an animal's condition shows evidence of cruel treatment.
• The difference between misdemeanor and felony offenses.
• The role that criminal intent plays in prosecuting a case.
• Various lesser-known forms of abuse, such as forcing an unfit animal to work, improper transportation, removing tails and other forms of mutilation and abandonment.
• Various legal issues involved in arrests, including issuance of warrants and custody and care of confiscated animals.
• How to build a case that will stand up in court.
• How best to present the case in court, from preparing witnesses to dealing with cross-examination.

Animal cruelty is an offense that has gained greater attention and resources in recent years, and for good reason, according to Berry. Abuse of animals frequently leads to abuse of humans, such as violence against children and spouses. It also tends to occur alongside other criminal activities, such as drug trafficking.

As head of the Animal Cruelty Task Force during his time in the solicitor's office, Berry worked to improve communication and trust between agencies and promoted awareness within law enforcement. The task force successfully prosecuted 29 cases over three years.

In private practice with Lewis Babcock, Berry now represents clients in the areas of fiduciary negligence, business disputes, eminent domain cases, and appellate matters.

Joe Berry of Lewis Babcock L.L.P. has joined the by-invitation only Owners’ Counsel of America as an affiliate member. The organization is a national network of attorneys who practice eminent domain law.
 
Only one attorney per state is chosen to serve as the OCA Member—founding partner Keith Babcock has served as South Carolina’s representative for over twenty years.  Berry now joins the organization as affiliate members to support Babcock.
 
To qualify to join, attorneys must have an active eminent domain practice that focuses on representing landowners. They must demonstrate professional achievement in defending private property owners and their rights.
 
Berry is a former prosecutor with extensive trial experience, and he focuses his practice on eminent domain and business disputes. He also represents clients in cases involving fiduciary negligence and appellate matters. Before practicing law, Joe worked for a nonprofit public policy organization.