North Charleston, SC

Mark Joye

Mark Joye is a trial lawyer and Firm Partner at Joye Law Firm, heading the litigation department. He specializes in trucking litigation, personal injury, and product liability, particularly focusing on tractor-trailer crashes and defective automobile components. Following in his father's footsteps, he is deeply empathetic to clients experiencing catastrophic events and prides himself on solving their problems and educating them on the legal process. He finds great satisfaction in seeing clients start new lives after successful case resolutions.

George Sink

George Sink has served all his life, starting as a teacher, then serving two tours in Vietnam as a Marine. After his military service, he graduated from Emory University School of Law in 1973 and began practicing law in 1974, establishing his own firm in 1977. He focuses his practice on serving injured people, with a client-oriented approach, and has helped over 40,000 injured individuals.

John D. Hawkins

John Hawkins is the Founder and CEO of HawkLaw, a firm he created and has grown and nurtured since 2002. He has been licensed to practice law in South Carolina since his graduation with honors in 1994 from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was on the Law Review and Order of Wig and Robe. John’s career has been focused on litigation, and he is experienced in handling Car Wrecks, Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, Social Security Disability, Administrative Law, and Criminal Law matters. His familiarity with the courtroom began when he clerked for the South Carolina Supreme Court and South Carolina Circuit Court. He also served for eight years as a South Carolina State Senator and for four years as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. John has served his country for 23 years in the South Carolina Army and Air National Guard, where he rose to the rank of Major and gained even greater legal experience as a JAG officer. John graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wofford College. His legal experience as a litigator, Legislator, Senator, and JAG officer, as well as the leadership skills learned in politics and the military, are put to excellent use for HawkLaw’s clients. John’s love of companies that put their customers first has led him to insist that every HawkLaw client receive an Amazing Client Experience. John enjoys spending time with his two daughters. He’s also a pilot, cyclist, and avid reader.

Shelly M. Leeke

Shelly M. Leeke is the founder of Shelly Leeke Law Firm and has successfully represented people injured in accidents for over a decade. The firm handles accident cases throughout South Carolina, particularly in the low country counties of the state. Shelly has written numerous articles aimed at helping accident victims understand the legal process. She is an avid promoter of accident victims’ rights under the law and fights insurance companies in the pursuit of protecting these rights and recently published The South Carolina Accident Book, to help South Carolina residents and accident victims to understand personal injury law and the insurance claims process, both before and after an accident. She is a member of both the South Carolina Bar and the Louisiana State Bar. She is an active member of the South Carolina Bar Association, serving on the Disaster Relief board and the Young Lawyer Division committee. She is a member of the South Carolina Association For Justice, the American Association For Justice, the American Bar Association, Rotary International, and the Mount Pleasant Rotary. A native of South Carolina, Ms. Leeke received her Bachelor of Science degree from Wofford College in Spartanburg. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she graduated cum laude. She is the recipient of a CALI Excellence for the Future Award, and also earned an Achievement Award from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, CA for her studies in human rights law. She served as a judicial law clerk in the Louisiana Supreme Court. Ms. Leeke is big sister with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Carolina, and when she is not working, she can be found playing tennis, biking, jogging, reading, writing, or spending time with her family.

E. Lindsay Blanks

E. Lindsay Blanks is a lead attorney with over 30 years of experience representing clients in workers' compensation and personal injury litigation throughout South Carolina. A lifelong resident of Charleston, he earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1987 and a B.S. in Political Science from the College of Charleston in 1984. He previously served as a North Charleston City Prosecutor and a Public Defender in Aiken County. Mr. Blanks is admitted to practice in all South Carolina Courts and the Federal District Court for South Carolina. He is known for securing a $1.25 million jury verdict in Clayton v. Lands Inn and has been honored by the City of North Charleston with a 'Lindsay Blanks Day'.

Ken Harrell

Ken Harrell is the Managing Partner at Joye Law Firm, joining in 1994 after six years in corporate defense. He focuses on business operations but also handles workers' compensation, car accidents, and defective products, and leads the firm's referral practice. He is known for his listening skills and empathy, aiming to understand clients' true needs. He grew up in a blue-collar family in Virginia and moved to Charleston after law school.

Stefan Latorre

Stefan Latorre is the founder and managing partner of Latorre Law Firm. The firm specializes in the aggressive representation of individuals in both state and federal courts in personal injury, workers’ compensation, criminal defense, and immigration matters. The firm has offices throughout the North and South Carolina and Florida. Mr. Latorre earned his Juris Doctorate degree with honors from the Florida State College of Law in 1991 and a Masters in Tax Law from the University of Florida in 1992. He began his legal career as an international tax attorney in Miami, Florida, and helped U.S. companies establish business operations in over 20 foreign countries. In 1996, Mr. Latorre founded Latorre Law Firm and dedicated himself to representing injured individuals and immigrants with their litigation needs. Since then, Mr. Latorre has devoted his law practice to ensuring his clients receive every benefit available regardless of their economic situation. Mr. Latorre has successfully represented over 20,000 individuals throughout the Carolinas and Florida. He has successfully argued and represented clients before the North Carolina Industrial Commission, District and Superior Courts in North Carolina and South Carolina, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and the North Carolina Supreme Court. Among the many cases he successfully argued, Mr. Latorre is most proud of two seminal cases in North Carolina: Francisco Ruiz v. Belk Masonry and Vicente Acosta v. Edwin Painting. Mr. Latorre has helped thousands of immigrants obtain their lawful permanent resident status and naturalization in the United States. He has also successfully represented hundreds of immigrant clients in removal proceedings and obtained lawful permanent residence for many of his clients on the verge of being deported from the United States. Mr. Latorre is licensed in the States of Florida and North Carolina. He is a member of the North Carolina and Florida Bar Associations, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the American Association for Justice, the Mecklenburg County Bar Association, the Mecklenburg County Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Mr. Latorre has written several articles in national and local publications. He has been featured in many publications and has been a frequent guest on live audio programs in English and Spanish, including Nation Public Radio. He has received several awards including the Business Journal’s “40 under 40” top business persons, the Charlotte Center City Partners’ Vision Award, and the Excellent Award as the Outstanding Businessman of the Year. Mr. Latorre is also the host of “La Verdad De La Ley” a Spanish Language radio show that is broadcast in four states. Mr. Latorre was instrumental in the development of the restaurant and entertainment scene in downtown Charlotte. He firmly believes in giving back to his community. He has represented numerous clients without charge and actively supports numerous charitable and nonprofit organizations. He has served on the board of directors of Charlotte Center City Partners, Theater Charlotte, McColl Center for Visual Arts, Discovery Place, and the Latin Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Latorre is a regular contributor to numerous organizations including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Arts and Science Council, The March of Dimes, Historic Charlotte, The Latin American Women’s Association, Theater Charlotte, Discovery Place, The North Carolina Dance Theatre, The Children’s Law Center, United Way, the UNCC Athletic Foundation, and the Florida State College of Law. In addition to supporting other charitable organizations, Mr. Latorre also founded two annual charitable events to benefit the lives of families in the community: Fiesta de Regreso a la Escuela and Fiesta con Santa. Mr. Latorre was the chair of the Charlotte Immigrant Integration Task Force.