Burke, Thomas M.

Richard C. Burke is an experienced civil litigation and trial attorney focused on providing you the personal service you deserve with the professional ability you expect. 

An Atlanta, Georgia native, Richard graduated Cum Laude in 1989 from the Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia, and then graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in Politics in 1993. While at W&L, Richard was elected Class President all four years of his attendance, served on the student Executive Committee (Honor Council), the Student Conduct Committee from 1989-93, and served as Chairman of the Student Conduct Committee in 1991.

Richard then attended and graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1997, where he was a member of the Law Review and recipient of the 1996 Victor A. Michalewitz Award for Excellence in Legal Writing (Highest Score in Law Review Writing Competition).

After graduation, Richard worked for Turner Padget Graham & Laney, PA, in their Florence, South Carolina office, where he established an insurance defense trial practice focusing on auto accidents, premises liability, products liability, and medical malpractice defense. In late 1999, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina to work for Moore & Van Allen, PLLC. There, he continued his defense work for insurance and corporate clients, but also began representing plaintiffs in corporate and personal disputes. 

In 2002, Richard joined a boutique construction litigation firm in Charleston, where he focused his practice primarily on construction cases, both for plaintiffs/owners and for developers, contractors, and material manufacturers/applicators, as well continuing his mixed civil litigation practice. He also gained significant experience in dram shop/liquor liability cases, including trial experience and obtaining summary judgment for an establishment in a case that was upheld on appeal in 2006.

Richard opened the Burke Law Firm in March of 2007, focusing his practice on civil litigation, including construction litigation, real estate litigation/disputes, personal injury cases, corporate disputes, dram shop/liquor liability cases, products liability, and insurance defense.

In all, Richard has tried dozens of cases to verdict and personally handled many successful appeals through the South Carolina appellate courts and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Richard has lectured on Construction Law topics for the National Business Institute, and is a graduate of and former Instructor for the Trial Academy of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorney's Association. Since his arrival in Charleston in 1999, Richard has provided Pro Bono legal services to students of the Medical University of South Carolina. He is also a member of the Legal Advisory Board of the Southeastern Legal Foundation.

The Burke Law Firm's goal is to provide every client with professional service geared towards crafting the right solution for your particular legal issue. No two clients are the same, nor are the facts of their cases. We take pride in having the ability to assist clients in all phases of dispute resolution, from negotiation, to litigation, alternative forms of dispute resolution (arbitration and mediation), or all the way through trial and the appeals process, if necessary.

We look forward to finding the most expedient and effective means to meet your legal needs.