ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY LAW . .
Back to Practice Areas
Our attorneys have appeared before governmental officials and agencies throughout South Carolina, including numerous city and county governments, local boards and commissions, and state regulatory agencies. Our services include assistance with rezonings, zoning variances, special exceptions, planned developments (PUDs) and annexations; tax controversies before the IRS and SC Department of Revenue; professional licensing and disciplinary matters before the SC Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation; condemnation and eminent domain disputes involving local governments and the SC Department of Transportation; state and local environmental permitting matters and environmental litigation, including claims involving environmental contamination from underground storage tanks (USTs); compliance and enforcement matters before the SC State Ethics Commission; election controversies, compliance with state and local election and election finance laws; bid preparation and contests under the SC Consolidated Procurement Code; Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and controversies; general representation before local government elected officials and staff.

BUSINESS LAW . .
Back to Practice Areas
Our business law services include assisting clients with respect to the formation and structuring of business entities including C-corporations, S-corporations, professional corporations, statutory close corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and general and limited partnerships; preparation of organizational documents and other governing instruments including corporate bylaws, restrictive stock (buy-sell) agreements, LLC operating agreements, and employment, confidentiality and non-compete agreements; business reorganizations including redomestications, entity conversions, mergers, recapitalizations, and other restructuring; business dissolutions; general corporate advice including maintenance of minutes and records, foreign qualification, board of director and shareholder meetings, and corporate governance/management issues; representation of special entities, such as non-profit corporations/tax-exempt organizations; advising directors, officers, and other managers as to their duties and liabilities; shareholder, employment and other intra-company disputes; drafting and reviewing various business and commercial contracts; the acquisition or sale of businesses including the preparation of appropriate asset purchase or stock purchase agreements and related documents; stock transfers; family financial and estate planning including the use of family limited partnerships and limited liability companies; and asset protection and management.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE . .
Back to Practice Areas
HMBS provides a full array of commercial real estate services, from land assemblage and contract negotiation to closing, as well as financing, zoning, and all aspects of development, including administration and regulatory matters; entity selection; land use, zoning, variances and special exceptions; commercial leasing; commercial finance; foreclosure and workout; tax deferred exchanges; road closings; easements; agreements with local governments; annexation; construction matters and litigation; partition actions; lis pendens; mechanics' liens; IRC Section 1031 like-kind exchanges.

HMBS' wholly-owned title company, Old Town Title Company, LLC, provides title insurance services to our real estate clients.

CONSTRUCTION LAW. .
Back to Practice Areas
HMBS provides experienced counsel and representation in all areas of construction law, including assistance in site location; bid preparation; procurement representation; acquisition and financing; land use and zoning; contract drafting and negotiation; agreements with local governments; project administration; damage claims by owners, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers; insurance and surety bond claims; litigation counsel in state and federal courts; arbitration; employment matters; licensing; environmental liability; design professional liability.

Our Estate Planning and Administration practice is led by Hank Sipe, who has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America¨ in the category of Trusts and Estates since 2003.*

*Published by Woodward/White, Inc., Best Lawyers in America¨ is widely regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Lawyers are selected for inclusion on the list through an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the United States confidentially evaluate their peers.

EMPLOYMENT LAW . .
Back to Practice Areas
HMBS offers practical and resourceful solutions to our clients' employment-related needs and vigorous representation when litigation becomes necessary. Our services include providing guidance and representation concerning all aspects of employment law including without limitation: employee handbooks, covenants not to compete, employment contracts, severance agreements, wrongful discharge claims, state Wage Act disputes, and representation at the administrative and federal court level concerning federal employment legislation including Title VII discrimination (i.e. race and gender discrimination and sexual harassment), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination (ADEA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

ESTATE PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION . .
Back to Practice Areas
Our estate planning and administration services include the preparation of wills and trusts; administration of decedent's estates; lifetime giving; charitable gifts including the preparation of charitable remainder trusts and the establishment of private foundations and other tax-exempt organizations including 501(c)(3) public charities; planning for incapacity prior to death including the preparation of durable powers of attorney, living wills, and health care powers of attorney; property ownership structure; minimization of income taxes and federal and state estate, inheritance, gift, and generation-skipping taxes; probate and fiduciary law matters including assistance with the preparation and filing of federal and state estate, inheritance and generation-skipping tax returns, asset valuation, and audits and other tax disputes; post-mortem estate planning including the utilization of disclaimers; trust administration; and estate and trust controversies including will contests, declaratory judgments involving the interpretation of wills, trusts and other instruments, litigation with respect to proper fiduciary conduct, claims of breach of fiduciary duty, and family settlements.

Our Estate Planning and Administration practice is led by Hank Sipe, who has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America¨ in the category of Trusts and Estates since 2003.*

*Published by Woodward/White, Inc., Best Lawyers in America¨ is widely regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Lawyers are selected for inclusion on the list through an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the United States confidentially evaluate their peers.

FINANCIAL SERVICES . .
Back to Practice Areas
HMBS offers experienced legal representation to clients in the varied and complex area of financial services, including serving as trial and appellate counsel in litigation and arbitration; assistance in interpretation and application of state and federal consumer laws and lending statutes; litigating the enforcement and interpretation of arbitration agreements; securities arbitrations; Fair Debt Collection Practices Act compliance and litigation; consumer class actions; litigation involving the SC Consumer Protection Code and the SC Unfair Trade Practices Act; commercial foreclosure, workout and collections.

LITIGATION . .
Back to Practice Areas
HMBS has represented local, national and international clients in commercial and business litigation, as well as cases involving employment disputes, breach of contract, construction matters, fiduciaries, corporate control, real estate and tort claims for personal injuries. Our trial and appellate experience includes matters in such areas as construction defects; bad faith; foreclosure and collection; shareholder disputes; interpretation and coverage of insurance policies; unfair trade practices; covenants not to compete; condemnation and eminent domain; trademark enforcement; fraud and negligent misrepresentation; declaratory judgments; road closings; quiet title actions and title disputes; class actions; arbitration and mediation; administrative proceedings; negligence and intentional torts.

TAXATION . .
Back to Practice Areas
Our tax services include assistance with respect to choice of entity and optimum entity structure; transactional tax planning; real estate activities including the use of limited liability companies and other business entities, and IRC Section 1031 like-kind exchanges; dissolution and liquidation of business entities; business and individual tax accounting matters; state and local taxation including income taxes, franchise taxes, transfer taxes, ad valorem taxes, and sales and use taxes; tax-exempt organizations including the formation and operation of private foundations and 501(c)(3) public charities, preparation of applications for recognition of tax exemption (IRS Forms 1023 and 1024), the preservation of tax-exempt status, and applicability of unrelated business income tax (UBIT) rules; federal and state tax controversies including collection matters, tax liens, audits of previously filed returns, administrative appeals from prior decisions of taxing authorities, and litigation; and proactive measures to avoid or minimize controversies including the procurement of private letter rulings.

Our Taxation practice is led by Hank Sipe, who holds a Masters in Tax Law (LL.M.) from Georgetown University Law Center, and is a certified tax specialist.