Jeffrey L. Payne

Jeffrey L. Payne

Shareholder
Florence
  • 843-656-4432

Jeff Payne is a highly experienced attorney who specializes in business litigation, construction law, probate and trust litigation, and business counseling and transactions. With over 30 years of practice, Jeff has a distinguished track record of representing clients ranging from small businesses to large national corporations, offering them strategic legal counsel and aggressive advocacy in state and federal courts.

Jeff has extensive experience in banking law, where he served as lead counsel for a banking client in a class action involving over 2,000 class members and more than $8 million in alleged damages. He successfully guided his client through the litigation with minimal impact on the client's operations. Jeff has also handled numerous matters involving forged checks, wire fraud, ACH fraud, identity theft, and has counseled both borrowers and lenders on complex issues such as foreclosures, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, restructurings, workouts, receiverships, and large commercial collections. Additionally, Jeff has represented clients in complex commercial collection actions involving sums exceeding $1 million.

In business litigation and counseling, Jeff has secured significant victories, including a judgment for a minority shareholder against the majority shareholders for a violation of a buy-sell agreement. He has successfully prosecuted and defended cases involving claims of fraud, breach of contract, and tortious interference. Jeff also represented a lender in a federal court action against a real estate appraiser for negligent misrepresentation in an appraisal report, obtaining a favorable judgment. He has extensive experience defending manufacturing clients in complex trials involving unfair trade practices, conversion of trade secrets, and civil conspiracy. In addition, Jeff has prosecuted numerous embezzlement cases and secured substantial verdicts in fraud and breach of fiduciary duty cases.

In construction law, Jeff has recovered judgments for contractors in disputes over amounts due under construction contracts and successfully defended contractors against negligence and breach of warranty claims. He has also handled a range of mechanic's lien and payment bond claims, including some of the largest lien foreclosure actions in the state.

Jeff’s estate and trust litigation experience includes defending bank trust departments and individual trustees against claims of breach of trust and other business torts. He has also prosecuted cases on behalf of children seeking to disinter a mother's body for an autopsy and handled numerous cases involving undue influence and lack of capacity in relation to wills, deeds, and contracts.

In real estate law, Jeff has successfully defended both landlords and tenants in high-stakes disputes, including obtaining a directed verdict for a landlord in a specific performance action and securing summary judgment for a tenant in a dispute involving over $1.3 million in damages. He has also handled several eminent domain actions and represented clients in various commercial collections, foreclosures, and repossession matters.

Jeff has broad experience in mergers and acquisitions, having represented clients in the purchase and sale of businesses, including acting as counsel for the owner of 13 radio stations in the purchase and sale of these stations.

In recognition of his exceptional skills, Jeff has earned the Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating, a prestigious honor that reflects his high ethical standards and professional excellence. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute's Commercial Litigation Committee and Business Torts Subcommittee and serves as a Board Member for Florence County Progress (2015-present). Additionally, Jeff is a valued member of the firm’s Executive Committee, contributing his leadership and strategic insight to the firm’s success.

Jeff's legal acumen, combined with his dedication to providing practical, cost-effective solutions for his clients, makes him a trusted advisor for businesses, contractors, financial institutions, and individuals in South Carolina and beyond.

PR AV

Banking

  • Served as lead counsel for a banking client in class action litigation involving over 2000 class members and over $8 million in alleged damages. Jeff guided his client to a successful conclusion of the litigation with minimal impact on the client’s business. 
  • Handled numerous matters concerning forged checks, wire fraud, ACH fraud, and identity theft.
  • Frequently counsels borrowers and lenders on foreclosures, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, negotiated restructurings, workouts, and receiverships, and claim and delivery of personal property and large commercial collection matters. 
  • Handled numerous complex commercial collection actions involving over $1 million.
  • Regularly advises local banking clients on day to day issues concerning their operations.

Business Litigation and Counseling

  • Obtained a significant judgment for the minority shareholder of a corporation in Marion County, South Carolina against its majority shareholders for their violation of a buy-sell agreement.
  • Successfully prosecuted and defended several cases related to factoring based transactions and claims of fraud, breach of contract, tortious interference, payment over statutory notice, detrimental reliance and conversion.
  • Successfully prosecuted an action and obtained a judgment for a lender against a real estate appraiser in federal court for negligent misrepresentations contained in an appraisal report.
  • As co-counsel, defended a manufacturing client in a three-week trial against a competitor’s claims of unfair trade practices, conversion of trade secrets and civil conspiracy.
  • Successfully prosecuted numerous embezzlement cases involving employees. 
  • Obtained a significant verdict for a minority business partner in a fraud and breach of fiduciary duty case against a business partner who took a corporate opportunity and started new business.
  • Regularly advises shareholders, partners and members of limited liability companies on disputes concerning the value of their interests in their businesses.

Construction

  • Recovered a judgment for a contractor against an owner for amounts that were due under the construction contract, and successfully defended the counterclaims for alleged defective construction.
  • Successfully defended a contractor against an owner of a high-rise hotel for claims of negligence and breach of warranty.
  • Prosecuted and defended numerous mechanic's lien and payment and performance bond claims, including some in the state’s largest mechanic’s lien foreclosure action.

Estate and Trust Litigation

  • Defended bank trust departments and/or individual trustees against claims of breach of trust and other business torts.
  • Prosecuted a claim on behalf of children against the estate of their mother and stepfather for the right to disinter their mother’s body in order to allow them to perform an autopsy.
  • Prosecuted and defended numerous claims for undue influence and lack of capacity to sign a will, deed or contract.

Real Estate

  • Defended a landlord and obtained a directed verdict against the claims by the tenant who was seeking specific performance of an option to purchase real estate contained in lease agreement.
  • Defended a tenant in a lease dispute and obtained summary judgment in a matter in which the landlord sought over $1.3 million in damages.
  • Handled numerous matters for a statewide banking client, including foreclosures, commercial collections and repossessions.
  • Handled several eminent domain actions on behalf of convenience store operators and landowners.

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Acted as counsel for an owner of 13 radio stations and assisted with the purchase and sale of these stations. 
  • Represented numerous clients in the purchase and sale of their businesses.
  • University of Georgia, J.D., 1990
  • University of Georgia, BBA, 1985, magna cum laude
  • University of Texas (Austin), MBA, 1987
  • South Carolina Bar, 1990
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, 1990

Professional or Industry Involvement

  • DRI – Commercial Litigation Committee and Business Torts Subcommittee

Community or Pro Bono Involvement

  • Board Member Florence County Progress 2015 to present
  • Board Member Florence Darlington Technical College Foundation 2018
  • Former Board Member House of Hope of the Pee Dee — Florence County Transitional Facility and Homeless Shelter 2014-2017
  • Central United Methodist Church – Chairman of Endowment Committee 2017-2018; Member of Pastor Parrish Committee 2013-2016
  • Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™-AV Preeminent
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Martindale-
Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™
AV Preeminent