Lake Wylie, SC

Thomas “Tommy” E. Pope

Tommy Pope is a Senior Counsel at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys in Rock Hill, South Carolina, bringing an extensive background of over 30 years of litigation experience. As part of a dedicated team of personal injury lawyers in Charlotte, he focuses on advocating for individuals who have suffered due to the negligence of others. Tommy was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and grew up in Lesslie. The son of a local sheriff and schoolteacher, Tommy saw the importance of public service being modeled in his house at a very young age. Tommy, a proud Rock Hill High School graduate, chose to attend college at the University of South Carolina, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management in 1984. During college, Tommy worked as an agent for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, SLED, and attended the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, where he graduated with honors. Following his undergraduate studies, Tommy attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he received a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1987 and was subsequently admitted to practice law in South Carolina in 1988. In 1993, Tommy was elected Solicitor (District Attorney) for the 16th Circuit (Union & York Counties, SC). Throughout his career, Tommy is most often recognized for his 1995 prosecution of Susan Smith in Union County, who made national headlines for the drowning deaths of her two children. Today, he is frequently called upon by various national and international media outlets to provide legal commentary and insight on all types of cases. Tommy retired as Solicitor in 2006 and began his own law firm. In 2008, he joined the Elrod Law Firm to form the Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys, where he has since focused primarily on helping people injured or killed by the negligence of others. Since 2010, in addition to helping manage the law firm, Tommy has also served as an elected member of the South Carolina House of Representatives for District 47. In December 2014, his peers elected him Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, and he continues to serve in that capacity today. Tommy and his wife, Kim, reside in York, South Carolina, and they have four children and four grandchildren. They currently attend Impact Church in Rock Hill. When not working late nights at Elrod Pope or in Columbia during legislative sessions, Tommy enjoys spending time with Kim, taking care of their farm in York, fishing, and relaxing at their home away from home in Holden Beach, North Carolina.

Ben P. Leader

Ben Leader, a Rock Hill native and second-generation attorney, attended Northwestern High School and graduated from Clemson University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, and a Minor in Legal Studies. In 2013, Ben received his Law Degree from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in Raleigh, North Carolina. During his time in law school, Ben worked for the Honorable Chief Judge John C. Martin of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and he also worked for a small plaintiff civil litigation firm. Following law school, Ben served as Law Clerk to the late Honorable John C. Hayes III, of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. Ben’s father, Jack Leader, has been an attorney with Elrod Pope since 1989. While Elrod Pope has always been a big part of Ben’s life, he made the decision to follow in his father’s footsteps and officially joined Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys as an Associate Attorney in 2014. Ben was later named a Partner in 2019. Ben now focuses his practice on all types of Personal Injury cases. He has successfully resolved more than 750 injury claims and collected millions of dollars on behalf of his clients. While Ben prides himself on providing high quality service and results to his clients, he is most proud of the strong relationships that he builds with each and every client that he represents. Ben is now one of the firm’s Managing Partners, overseeing the Intake and Marketing Departments. Ben’s strategic insight on managing and growing a law firm has resulted in him being invited to be a guest speaker at national legal conferences, and also on various legal podcasts. When not working in or on the law firm, Ben enjoys spending time with his wife, Lauren, and their two sons. He also enjoys traveling, playing golf, and avidly supporting his beloved Clemson Tigers.

Harold C. Staley, Jr.

Harold C. Staley, Jr., grew up in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and is a proud graduate of Berkeley High School. Harold attended college at the University of South Carolina. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from South Carolina in 1993, Harold spent three years teaching school in Nashville, Tennessee. In the Fall of 1996, he decided to continue his education and enrolled in Law School in Michigan. After receiving his Law Degree, Harold returned home to South Carolina and worked at the law office of the now-Honorable Robert E. Watson in Moncks Corner. He clerked for the Honorable R. Markley Dennis from 1999-2000. Harold then relocated to the upstate, where he served as an Assistant Solicitor under former Solicitor (and now Elrod Pope Law Partner), Tommy Pope, for the 16th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. In 2002, Harold joined the Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys as an Associate Attorney, and he became a Partner in 2007. Harold has enjoyed a successful career as a proven litigator, and he has successfully tried numerous criminal and civil cases to verdict. Harold has always been passionate about helping students interested in the law, and he coached the Fort Mill High School Mock Trial Team for a number of years. He was ultimately recognized in 2002 as the SC Bar’s Law Related Education (LRE) Lawyer of the Year for his attorney coaching efforts. Harold also served as President of the York County Bar Association in 2005-2006, and as a local representative in the SC Bar’s House of Delegates from 2004-2015. Harold now handles all types of Personal Injury cases for the firm. He resides in Fort Mill with his wife, Mindy, and their three children. When not helping serve his clients at Elrod Pope, Harold can often be found fishing offshore or enjoying time in the Lowcountry, which he still considers home.

Jack G. Leader

Jack Leader, a Rock Hill native, graduated from Rock Hill High School before attending college at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1967, Jack attended law school at the University of South Carolina School of Law and received his Law Degree in 1970. Jack has been practicing law in York County since 1971, making him one of the most experienced injury attorneys in the Upstate. Being a personal injury lawyer in Charlotte, he is dedicated to helping those who have suffered due to the negligence of others. Jack has practiced many different types of law and has served on both the plaintiff and defense side of cases over the course of his career. By working for the same insurance companies early in his career that he now goes against, Jack was able to learn how they operate, and this experience provided him with unique perspective and insight that he has used to greatly benefit his clients throughout his career. Jack previously prosecuted cases for the City of Rock Hill, and he also served as the Assistant Solicitor for York County for nearly a decade under Former Solicitor William L. “Red” Ferguson. Jack has tried hundreds of cases to verdict throughout his career, ranging from criminal matters to personal injury accident cases, as well as a number of Medical Malpractice cases. In 1989, a year after his son, Ben, was born, Jack partnered with the late Luther “Luke” Elrod and joined the Elrod Law Firm, which later became Elrod, Jones, Leader & Benson before becoming Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys. For the last thirty-five years, Jack has exclusively represented people who have been injured due to the negligence of others. Jack has also handled hundreds of Social Security Disability cases during his time at Elrod Pope. Jack is now Of-Counsel with the firm, and he practices law alongside his son, Ben, who is now one of the firm’s Managing Partners. Jack has made it his personal mission to try to help people even when he could not personally represent them on a particular matter. If someone calls Jack Leader for help, he is going to find a way to help them. For matters outside of Elrod Pope’s practice areas, Jack has always taken great pride in referring clients to the best attorney equipped to handle their needs. He leans into his extensive network to make certain that anyone who asks him for help is able to receive the best representation possible, even when he is not able to personally take their case. Jack was a founding member of Hospice and Community Care in Rock Hill, where he has also served as the Former Director and Past-President. Jack has also been actively involved in many community activities by serving on numerous city and county boards. He has always taken great pride in giving back to the Rock Hill community that has given so much to him throughout his life. Jack has helped thousands of people during his career, and has also mentored countless young attorneys, paralegals, and students interested in pursuing legal careers. When not helping injured people, Jack can often be found on the golf course with friends or enjoying time with family, most notably with his two grandsons who affectionately refer to him as “Poppy”.

David V. Benson

David Benson Is a personal injury lawyer born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and grew up in North Carolina and Tennessee. He graduated from The McCallie School and then attended The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in English. David taught English in Tennessee and Ohio before graduating from Ohio Northern University College of Law. While in law school, David worked as a Clerk for the Third District Court of Appeals in Lima, Ohio, and also worked as a research assistant for two of his professors. David was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1984. Before joining Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys, David held a variety of other legal positions in private practice. He also served as a former Assistant Solicitor for the 16th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina where he tried a number of cases to verdict and also spearheaded the Drug Forfeiture Department. David joined Luke Elrod and Jack Leader at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys in 1991 and is now Of-Counsel with the firm. For more than thirty years, David has primarily focused his practice on helping injured workers navigate through the workers’ compensation system. He focuses on solving the problems that injured workers face from their employers and their workers’ compensation insurance companies. David also handles automobile accidents. When he is not helping injured workers, David spends his free time with his loving wife, Lise, their four children, and three grandchildren. He also enjoys working out, being outside, and being in the mountains whenever possible.

Garrett B. Johnson

Garrett B. Johnson is a personal injury lawyer who was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and moved to Fort Mill, South Carolina when he was four years old. He came up through the Fort Mill public school system when it boasted only one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school, and Garrett graduated from Fort Mill High School in 2003. From there, he carried on the family legacy of attending Wake Forest University, becoming the fourth generation in his family to do so. After graduating from law school, Garrett returned to his roots in York County, living in Rock Hill while coaching the Mock Trial team at Fort Mill High School. Over the course of his ten years there, the team won multiple regional championships and was named State Champions in 2016. For his efforts, Garrett was named the Law Related Education Lawyer of the Year in 2016. In 2018, Garrett married Andrea Solorzano Johnson, who practices as a real estate attorney, and relocated to Fort Mill, where they live with their two young children. Garrett’s history with Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys stretches back to his junior year of high school, when his own mock trial team was coached by Harold Staley, a partner at Elrod Pope. After a heartbreaking loss in the state championship round, Garrett recalls Harold telling him, “You’re the one student I’d most like to have in the courtroom with me,” and from that point, the recruitment process was on. Garrett interned with the firm during law school and joined the firm as an associate attorney in 2011. In 2017, he was promoted to partner, and he now oversees the firm’s Finance and Human Resources Departments. Garrett has experience handling all types of personal injury matters, such as: Car accidents, Wrongful death, Workers compensation, Product liability, and more. Garrett is deeply grateful for the loyalty the firm has shown to him over the years, and he now seeks to reflect that loyalty with each and every client he comes into contact with. Garrett prides himself on ensuring that his clients receive full value for their claims, and he is not afraid to litigate a case in order to make sure his clients are ultimately receiving a fair result. Garrett is proud to be a partner at Elrod Pope, and he looks forward to serving members of his hometown community for many years to come.

Zachary D. Griffin

A Rock Hill native, Zach Griffin began working with Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys as an intern in 2012. Zach graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business administration in 2016. He served as the Director of the University’s Congressional Advisory Board and Founding Director of the Legislative Action Network, student groups dedicated to higher education advocacy in the national and state governments, respectively. After college, Zach worked with AmeriCorps VISTA, helping international and local nonprofits improve early childhood, primary, and secondary education in the Washington, D.C., area. In 2017, he returned to South Carolina to work on Tommy Pope’s Congressional campaign before attending law school. In 2018, Zach was awarded the inaugural Russell M. Robinson II Scholarship at Duke University School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 2021. He served as the director of Lawyers for Literacy, a program dedicated to improving literacy in underserved schools, and a member of First-Generation Professionals. Zach is the first in his family to graduate from college or law school. While attending law school, Zach clerked for the Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in York, South Carolina, working on criminal matters ranging from DUIs and drug charges to armed robbery and murder cases. After his second year of law school, Zach worked on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and securities fraud as a summer associate for a multinational firm based in New York City. Zach worked full-time during his third year of law school as Elrod Pope’s Marketing Manager. In addition to his legal practice at Elrod Pope, Zach serves as the Secretary for the York County Bar Association Executive Board and a member of the Gregory-Hayes Inn of Court. He volunteers with local high school debate clubs and participates in local political campaigns, including managing Tommy Pope’s State House races. Zach is recognized on the South Carolina Pro Bono Honor Roll and North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society for serving clients through the V.A.L.O.R. Clinic and personal initiatives.