About Keith
Founding partner Keith M. Babcock grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and has practiced law in South Carolina for almost 40 years. Now "of counsel" to Lewis Babcock, his practice has consisted almost exclusively of litigation, with a concentration on business disputes, eminent domain, and professional negligence. He has an outstanding reputation for representing real property owners in eminent domain actions, as well as other disputes. He is an emeritus member of Owners' Counsel of America, a national eminent domain organization, and previously served on its Board of Directors. Mr. Babcock has been selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© from 2007 through 2016, and the South Carolina Super Lawyers® magazine from 2008 through 2016. He is a member of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and currently serves as its President. He previously served as a bar examiner for the State of South Carolina from 2001 to 2006, and he also served in 2013 and 2015 as Acting Chair of the SC Advisory Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct. Since 2013, Mr. Babcock has chaired the newly created SC Bar Committee on Professional Liability. Keith Babcock is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review RatedSM by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating available for legal ability and adherence to ethical standards. Mr. Babcock is active in various community organizations. He currently serves as Immediate Past President of the Columbia Jewish Community Center www.jcccolumbia.org and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Columbia Jewish Federation for a number of years. www.jewishcolumbia.org Mr. Babcock was the co-recipient of the 2013 Columbia Israel Bonds Star of David Award. From 2007 through 2012, he was a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Columbia Educational Advancement Foundation, which sponsors the annual Chick-Fil-A Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament in Columbia. www.chick-fil-aclassic.com EducationPrinceton University, A.B., 1973George Washington University, J.D., with honors, 1976Bar admissions and membershipsSouth Carolina, 1977U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, 1977U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1977United States Court of Federal Claims, 1979U.S. Supreme Court, 1980U.S. Tax Court, 1981Civil Justice Advisory Committee, District of South Carolina, 1991–1993South Carolina Board of Law Examiners, 2001–2006Richland County Bar AssociationAmerican Bar AssociationFederal Bar Association, South Carolina ChapterSouth Carolina Bar ChairmanProfessional Responsibility Committee, 1985–1986Professional Liability Committee, 2013–2015South Carolina Association for JusticeThe National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, 2013-2015Rue Ratings' Best Attorneys of America, 2014Professional experienceSouth Carolina Attorney General's OfficeStaff Attorney, 1977–1978State Attorney, 1978–1979Assistant Attorney General, 1979–1981Private Practice - 1981 to presentRecent presentations8/15 — SC Association for Justice Annual Convention - This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land: An Overview of Eminent Domain (Hilton Head Island, SC)2/15 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar: Valuation of Temporary Construction Easements (San Francisco, CA)2/15 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Name That Tune: Common Trial Themes used by Condemnors and Condemnees (San Francisco, CA)2/14 — Chaired the 2014 Masters in Trial Demonstration presented by the South Carolina chapter of ABOTA (Columbia, SC)1/14 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: How to Prepare and Present an Eminent Domain Case – The Income Approach to Value: What Makes it Tick (New Orleans, LA)3/13, 3/12, 3/11 — Guest Lecturer, University of South Carolina Law School, Commercial Real Estate Transactions - Eminent Domain Overview (Columbia, SC)2/13 — Co-chaired the 2013 Masters in Trial Demonstration presented by the South Carolina chapter of ABOTA (Columbia, SC)1/12 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101:Winning the High Ground with Fundamentals of Eminent Domain Valuation and Trial Practice – What a Lawyer Should Look for When Reviewing an Appraisal in Eminent Domain (San Diego, CA)2/11 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Making the Complex Simple in Eminent Domain – Representing the Condemnee and Winning from the Start: Overview and Suggestions for a Case Plan (Coral Gables, FL)9/09 — SC Bar / S.C. Association CPAs – Litigation Conference 2009 – Lost Profits and Economic Damages (Columbia, SC)1/09 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Course of Study – Condemnation 101: How to Prepare and Present an Eminent Domain Case (Miami Beach, FL)1/08 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Course of Study – Condemnation 101: Fundamentals of Condemnation Law and Land Valuation (San Francisco, CA)12/07 — SC Bar (Real Estate Section) Eminent Domain CLE – Condemnation Practice (Columbia, SC)9/06 — CLE International – SC Eminent Domain Conference – Environmental Issues in Condemnation Cases (North Charleston, SC)2/05 — CLE International – SC Eminent Domain Conference – Public Taking for Private Gain (Charleston, SC)1/05 — 22nd ALI-ABA Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Seminar – Environmental Issues and Interaction with State Environmental Agencies (Miami, FL)1/02 — 19th ALI-ABA Course of Study – Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation – Severance Damages (Scottsdale, AZ)Selected reported casesBaugh v. Columbia Heart Clinic, P.A., 402 S.C. 1, 738 S.E.2d 480 (Ct. App. 2013)In Re Mullinax, 395 S.C. 504, 722 S.E.2d 524 (2012)Dutch Fork Development Group, II, LLC v. SEL Properties, LLC, __ S.E.2d __, 2012 WL 3667374 (August 22, 2012)Vortex Sports & Entertainment, Inc. v. Ware, S.E.2d 444, 447 (S.C.App 2008)South Carolina State Ports Authority v. Jasper County, 629 S.E.2d 624 (S.C. 2006)Layman v. State, 630 S.E.2d 265, (S.C. 2006)South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation v. Manning, 323 S.E.2d 775 (S.C. 1984)Manning v. City of Columbia, 377 S.E.2d 335 (S.C. 1989)Scott v. Greenville County, 716 F.2d 1409 (4th Cir. 1983)Rice v. South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation, 289 S.E. 2d 645 (S.C. 1982)
Founding partner Keith M. Babcock grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and has practiced law in South Carolina for almost 40 years. Now "of counsel" to Lewis Babcock, his practice has consisted almost exclusively of litigation, with a concentration on business disputes, eminent domain, and professional negligence. He has an outstanding reputation for representing real property owners in eminent domain actions, as well as other disputes. He is an emeritus member of Owners' Counsel of America, a national eminent domain organization, and previously served on its Board of Directors. Mr. Babcock has been selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© from 2007 through 2016, and the South Carolina Super Lawyers® magazine from 2008 through 2016. He is a member of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and currently serves as its President. He previously served as a bar examiner for the State of South Carolina from 2001 to 2006, and he also served in 2013 and 2015 as Acting Chair of the SC Advisory Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct. Since 2013, Mr. Babcock has chaired the newly created SC Bar Committee on Professional Liability. Keith Babcock is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review RatedSM by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating available for legal ability and adherence to ethical standards. Mr. Babcock is active in various community organizations. He currently serves as Immediate Past President of the Columbia Jewish Community Center www.jcccolumbia.org and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Columbia Jewish Federation for a number of years. www.jewishcolumbia.org Mr. Babcock was the co-recipient of the 2013 Columbia Israel Bonds Star of David Award. From 2007 through 2012, he was a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Columbia Educational Advancement Foundation, which sponsors the annual Chick-Fil-A Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament in Columbia. www.chick-fil-aclassic.com EducationPrinceton University, A.B., 1973George Washington University, J.D., with honors, 1976Bar admissions and membershipsSouth Carolina, 1977U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, 1977U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1977United States Court of Federal Claims, 1979U.S. Supreme Court, 1980U.S. Tax Court, 1981Civil Justice Advisory Committee, District of South Carolina, 1991–1993South Carolina Board of Law Examiners, 2001–2006Richland County Bar AssociationAmerican Bar AssociationFederal Bar Association, South Carolina ChapterSouth Carolina Bar ChairmanProfessional Responsibility Committee, 1985–1986Professional Liability Committee, 2013–2015South Carolina Association for JusticeThe National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, 2013-2015Rue Ratings' Best Attorneys of America, 2014Professional experienceSouth Carolina Attorney General's OfficeStaff Attorney, 1977–1978State Attorney, 1978–1979Assistant Attorney General, 1979–1981Private Practice - 1981 to presentRecent presentations8/15 — SC Association for Justice Annual Convention - This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land: An Overview of Eminent Domain (Hilton Head Island, SC)2/15 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar: Valuation of Temporary Construction Easements (San Francisco, CA)2/15 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Name That Tune: Common Trial Themes used by Condemnors and Condemnees (San Francisco, CA)2/14 — Chaired the 2014 Masters in Trial Demonstration presented by the South Carolina chapter of ABOTA (Columbia, SC)1/14 — ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: How to Prepare and Present an Eminent Domain Case – The Income Approach to Value: What Makes it Tick (New Orleans, LA)3/13, 3/12, 3/11 — Guest Lecturer, University of South Carolina Law School, Commercial Real Estate Transactions - Eminent Domain Overview (Columbia, SC)2/13 — Co-chaired the 2013 Masters in Trial Demonstration presented by the South Carolina chapter of ABOTA (Columbia, SC)1/12 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101:Winning the High Ground with Fundamentals of Eminent Domain Valuation and Trial Practice – What a Lawyer Should Look for When Reviewing an Appraisal in Eminent Domain (San Diego, CA)2/11 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Seminar – Condemnation 101: Making the Complex Simple in Eminent Domain – Representing the Condemnee and Winning from the Start: Overview and Suggestions for a Case Plan (Coral Gables, FL)9/09 — SC Bar / S.C. Association CPAs – Litigation Conference 2009 – Lost Profits and Economic Damages (Columbia, SC)1/09 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Course of Study – Condemnation 101: How to Prepare and Present an Eminent Domain Case (Miami Beach, FL)1/08 — ALI-ABA Eminent Domain Course of Study – Condemnation 101: Fundamentals of Condemnation Law and Land Valuation (San Francisco, CA)12/07 — SC Bar (Real Estate Section) Eminent Domain CLE – Condemnation Practice (Columbia, SC)9/06 — CLE International – SC Eminent Domain Conference – Environmental Issues in Condemnation Cases (North Charleston, SC)2/05 — CLE International – SC Eminent Domain Conference – Public Taking for Private Gain (Charleston, SC)1/05 — 22nd ALI-ABA Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Seminar – Environmental Issues and Interaction with State Environmental Agencies (Miami, FL)1/02 — 19th ALI-ABA Course of Study – Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation – Severance Damages (Scottsdale, AZ)Selected reported casesBaugh v. Columbia Heart Clinic, P.A., 402 S.C. 1, 738 S.E.2d 480 (Ct. App. 2013)In Re Mullinax, 395 S.C. 504, 722 S.E.2d 524 (2012)Dutch Fork Development Group, II, LLC v. SEL Properties, LLC, __ S.E.2d __, 2012 WL 3667374 (August 22, 2012)Vortex Sports & Entertainment, Inc. v. Ware, S.E.2d 444, 447 (S.C.App 2008)South Carolina State Ports Authority v. Jasper County, 629 S.E.2d 624 (S.C. 2006)Layman v. State, 630 S.E.2d 265, (S.C. 2006)South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation v. Manning, 323 S.E.2d 775 (S.C. 1984)Manning v. City of Columbia, 377 S.E.2d 335 (S.C. 1989)Scott v. Greenville County, 716 F.2d 1409 (4th Cir. 1983)Rice v. South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation, 289 S.E. 2d 645 (S.C. 1982)
