Peter David Brown
Peter David Brown graduated from The Citadel in 1983 with a major in Business and a concentration in English.
Peter followed a career path similar to his older brother. Thomas F. Brown, II, a plaintiffs' lawyer who has practiced law for thirty two (32) years in Georgia. First Thomas and then Peter, purposely chose to work for insurance companies before law school in order to learn the inner workings of the insurance claims' industry.
Peter worked as a multi-line adjuster for Progressive Casualty Insurance Company to gain his insight into the claims handling procedure.
Also before law school, Peter worked for Georgia Governor Joe Frank Harris, with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. It was during that time Peter worked with Harold Hill, the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.
Peter attended Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. During law school Peter served as a student representative, Vice President and ultimately the President of the Student Bar Association. Between his first and second year of law school, Brown clerked for the Chief Administrative Judge of the Fulton County Superior Court, The Honorable Ralph Hicks.
Between his second and third years of law school, Brown chose to clerk for a ten (10) lawyer law Workers’ Compensation and Insurance Defense Law Firm that represented Cincinnati Insurance Company and did the Workers’ Compensation Defense for the entire State of Georgia.
In 1988, upon graduation, Brown accepted the offer of full time employment as an insurance defense attorney at the same firm.
Brown handled primarily Personal Injury Lawsuits and defended Workers' Compensation Claims. These initial experiences "on the other side of the fence" have proven invaluable.
Peter was taught how insurance companies (adjusters) and their attorney's evaluate and pay personal injury claims and defend lawsuits. Brown used these defenses himself while working for the insurance companies.
In 1990 Peter David Brown and his wife Debora Brown, DPT, MA, PT moved to Charleston.
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In order to gain valuable trial experience, Peter held the position of Senior Staff Attorney from 1990 until 1993 at the Charleston County Public Defender’s Office. He personally handled in excess of twelve (12) murders and five hundred (500+)felonies during that time. By the end of his tenure as the Senior Staff Attorney, Brown had tried numerous major felonies ranging from Murder, Trafficking Cocaine, Armed Robbery, Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Failure to Stop for Blue Light, to the relatively basic "Throw Down" Drug cases.
Brown obtained several "Not Guilty" verdicts as a result of taking matters to trial in General Sessions Court. Peter Brown developed an equal passion for both Criminal Defense and Personal Injury/Workers' Compensation work.
Since 1993 Peter David Brown has been in private practice. Peter opened his own law firm in 1994, handling Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation and Criminal matters. Sixteen (16) years later, in 2010 the firm added a paralegal who works with Peter handling our growing Social Security Practice.
Peter David Brown's successful defense in State v. Williams, 351 S.C. 591, 571 S.E.2d 703 (Ct. App. 2002). in which he successfully defended at trial and subsequently with the SC Court of Appeals has served as a precedent setting case in limiting the detention and scope of police stops in South Carolina. State v. Williams calls into question the stop of two vehicle occcupants and the police questioning of these individuals in an attempt to gain consent to search the vehicle. Their efforts were successful, but their methods were discovered and revealed by Brown's cross examination. Peter Brown successfully challenged the constitutionality of the stop and subsequent questioning of a vehicle with two occupants that resulted in a search and seizure of twenty five (25) pounds of high grade marijuana. Brown made the Motion to Suppress the marijuana. His argument was well founded based on existing U.S. Supreme Court cases and several South Carolina cases he cited. The trial judge granted Brown’s Motion to Suppress and the trafficking marijuana charges were dismissed! The solicitor’s office appealed and the matter was upheld by a panel of three Appellate Judges. The state again appealed to a full panel and the matter was affirmed by the full Court of Appeals unanimously.
Peter Brown has spoken at Law Enforcement Conferences and served as a panelist on a South Carolina Continuing Legal Education Approved Criminal Law Seminar.
Both of his children attend Public Schools in Charleston County.
In his over 20 years of practicing law, Peter David Brown, P.A. has handled literally thousands of legal matters. This extensive experience handling everything from traffic tickets to drug trafficking, from workers' compensation claims to social security matters, has served him well. Peter Brown has grown familiar with the South Carolina Courts by way of working with matters that involve Magistrates Courts, Municipal Courts, General Sessions, Common Pleas, Federal Courts and on occasion, the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Sixteen (16) years ago, Peter Brown was publically regarded as being “a seasoned attorney" by the Charleston Post and Courier in an article where Brown obtained the release of client erroneously charged with an Armed Robbery. (March 2, 1995). While the firm has handled many high profile and front page matters since that time, one of our main goals in every case is to keep the client’s name out of the news.
We promise prompt and informed communication with all of our clients. The client will be informed and consulted during all substantial stages of the matter. No important decisions will be made without the client’s knowledge and consent. We look forward to helping you and your family by representing them during your most difficult of times.
Areas of Practice:
- Criminal Defense
- DUI
- Workers' Compensation
- Social Security
- Personal Injury
- Automobile Accidents
Bar Admissions:
Georgia (1988)
South Carolina (1989)
Georgia Court of Appeals (1989) Personal Injury/Automobile Accidents
U.S. District Court of South Carolina (1990)
Social Security
Workers' Compensation
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (1989)
Professional Associations:
National College of DUI Defense, Inc.
South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
National Association of Social Security Claimants
South Carolina Workers' Compensation Educational Association
Charleston County Bar Association
Education:
The Citadel (1983)
Emory University School of Law (1988)
Dale Savage
Dale Savage graduated from the College of Charleston (B.A. Economics, 2001) and earned his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in California (J.D., 2004). During law school Mr. Savage clerked for the District Attorney’s Office in San Francisco as well as one of the largest Workers’ Compensation defense firms in California. After returning to South Carolina and admission to the bar in 2006, he worked for a large plaintiff’s personal injury firm before he transitioned to criminal prosecution.
From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Savage served as an Assistant Solicitor for the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Charleston. As an Assistant Solicitor, he prosecuted over 2,100 warrants ranging from DUI’s and misdemeanor drug and firearm offenses, to violent crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, burglary, assault and battery with intent to kill, and bank robbery. He was the liaison to the U.S. Attorney’s Office where he coordinated the federal adoption of state gun crimes.
Mr. Savage gained significant courtroom experience trying more than twenty felony jury trials over four years. During his tenure he tried more cases than any other Assistant Solicitor in the office. He worked side-by-side with Solicitor Scarlett Wilson on two high profile cases. The first involved a Charleston County Sheriff’s Deputy shot in the line of duty and the second was the home invasions committed by two former Citadel football players along with two College of Charleston students.
Mr. Savage brings this invaluable experience, knowledge, and proven work ethic to his representation of clients with the Law Office of Peter David Brown in all courts of South Carolina.
Notable Cases*
- Deputy shooting Trial Begins
- Simmons Guilty of Shooting Deputy - 25 yrs.
- Home invasion Trial begins
- Accomplice in home invasion trial testifies
- Accomplice guilty in home invasion - 18 yrs
Areas of Practice:
- DUI
- Criminal defense (state and federal)
- Workers' Compensation
- Plaintiff’s personal injury
- Social security
- Family law
Bar admissions:
South Carolina (2006)
U.S. District Court, South Carolina (2011)
Education:
College of Charleston (B.A., 2001)
Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D., 2004)
Professional Associations:
Charleston County Bar Association
