Lawyer Bio : Henry E. Grimball
Henry E. Grimball
Charleston
Henry Grimball has tried over 250 cases in the state and federal systems in his thirty-seven years of practice as a trial attorney. His clients include multi-national corporations and major national companies, including a variety of manufacturers and insurers. Henry’s practice focuses primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance law, products liability law, premises liability and appellate law. He has handled over thirty appeals to the South Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and to the Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.
While most of his clients are defendants, he has obtained a number of multi-million dollar judgments and settlements representing claimants in personal injury, insurance bad faith, tax and medical malpractice actions. Commercial litigation clients include a multi-national corporation he has represented for the last ten years in a multi-million dollar intellectual property dispute.
Henry has handled products liability cases involving industrial machinery, electrical equipment, automobiles, kerosene heaters and other heating equipment and construction tools. He provides advice and handles suits involving complex insurance issues and has handled a wide variety of premises liability personal injury claims for both claimants and defendants. He is currently engaged in the defense of car dealerships in a class action with a nine figure exposure.
Representative Matters
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Plaintiff verdict of $3.1 million dollars in a bad faith insurance case involving a claim over a $95,000 life policy.
- Sustained on appeal dismissal of unfair trade practices class action involving a claim of over $13 million dollars against a car dealership.
- Settlements in excess of $6 million dollars on behalf of a claimant in separate medical malpractice cases brought against her surgeon and assisting third-party.
- Representation of insureds in hundreds of personal injury claims resulting from automobile and train wrecks, slip and falls, electrocutions, and product failures.
- Representation of a defendant in a series of multi-million dollar intellectual property cases, all resulting in summary judgments for the client.
- Plaintiff verdict of $1.1 million dollars in a tax/constitutional law claim.
- Settlement in excess of $2.5 million dollars on behalf of a claimant in a medical malpractice action.
Selected Reported Decisions
- O’Leary-Payne v. RR Hilton Head, II, Inc., et al., 371 S.C. 340, 638 S.E.2d 96 (Ct.App. 2006).
- Ferguson v. Charleston Lincoln, Mercury, Inc., 349 S.C. 558, 564 S.E.2d 94 (S.C. 2002).
- South Carolina Property and Cas. Guar. Ass’n v. Jensen, 345 S.C. 512, 548 S.E.2d 880 (Ct.App. 2001).
- State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Aytes, 332 S.C. 30, 503 S.E.2d 744 (S.C. 1998).
- Rivers v. State, 327 S.C. 271, 490 S.E.2d 261 (S.C. 1997).
- McGee v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 19 F.3d 11 (4thCir. 1994).
- State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Horry, 304 S.C. 165, 403 S.E.2d 318 (S.C. 1991).
- Sherrill White Const. Inc. v. South Carolina Nat. Bank, 713 F.2d 1047 (4th Cir. 1983).
Professional Activities
Bar Associations: South Carolina Bar Association, House of Delegates, 1982-2000; Defense Research Institute; Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, 1981- Present; South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association, 1974- Present; American Board of Trial Advocates, 1994, Diplomate, 1999.
Admitted to bar 1974, South Carolina. Admitted to practice before the United States District court for the District of South Carolina and the United States Court of Appeals of the Fourth Circuit. Approved Mediator and Certified Circuit Court Mediator.
Named Charleston, SC Insurance “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America for 2011.
Civic Activities
City of Charleston, Council Member, 1975-1982; Charleston Library Society, President, 2006-2008; County of Charleston, Assistant County Attorney, 1982-1997; Historic Charleston Foundation, Trustee, Nine Years; Kanuga Conference Center, Board of Visitors, 1996-1999; Landmark Masonic Lodge, Master, 1976; Preservation Society of Charleston, Past President; St. Michael’s Episcopal Church: Vestryman, 1975-1977, Solicitor, 1995-Present; Licensed Lay Reader, 1999-Present; Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina, President, 2006-2008.
Education
B.A., 1970, University of the South, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors in Economics, and Valedictorian.
J.D., 1974, University of South Carolina School of Law, Society of Wig and Robe, Law Review, Honor Council.
Prior Legal Experience
Principal, Buist Moore Smythe McGee P.A., 1997-2011; Grimball & Cabaniss, Partner, 1974-1996; Certified Federal and State Court Mediator.
Areas of Proficiency
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Appellate Practice
- Business Litigation
- Civil Litigation
- Insurance
- Product Liability
Honors

Practice & Industry Teams
Articles
News
- 125 Womble Carlyle Attorneys Ranked Among The Best Lawyers in America 2012
- 21 Womble Carlyle Attorneys Named to 2011 South Carolina Super Lawyers Rankings
- 20 Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers Legal Resource Directory
- Charles P. Summerall, IV and Henry E. Grimball Listed in Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition, July/August 2010
- Twelve Attorneys Included in South Carolina Super Lawyers 2010
- 21 Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers® Legal Resource Directory
- Eleven Attorneys Included in South Carolina Super Lawyers 2009
- Grimball and McCormack Listed in Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition
- Twenty Lawyers Named to Best Lawyers in 2009
