Experienced South Carolina law firm focusing on civil litigation and business matters. Strives to provide clients with the same quality service offered by larger firms with greater personal attention, simpler communication, and lower costs.
Our Philosophy
Barnes Alford's philosophy is simple. Our goal is to provide excellent, aggressive legal services with a minimum of expense and stress to the client. We also aim to communicate effectively with clients in order to make certain that the goals we pursue in litigation and other matters are consistent with the client's expectations. We pride ourselves on remaining in touch with our clients.
Barnes Alford understands that clients want to keep legal fees and expenses to a minimum. We endeavor to resolve each case at a minimum charge to our clients. As a mid-sized firm, we are able to keep our overhead expenses low and pass the savings on to clients. However, our fee structure does not sacrifice the quality of our work. We defend and prosecute cases actively and aggressively.
Professionalism is also extremely important to Barnes Alford. Treating clients, opposing counsel, and others with respect is a cornerstone of our philosophy.
Our Firm's History
Barnes Alford's roots in the South Carolina legal community run as far back as the 1940s, when the firm's senior founding partner, Rudolph C. Barnes, Sr., returned to South Carolina to practice law after serving as an aerial navigator in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The firm he co-founded, which eventually became Barnes, Stork, Wolff & Reyner, merged in 1983 with Alford, Johnson & Salane to form Barnes, Alford, Stork & Johnson, LLP. The merger brought together two well-known and respected law firms with diverse practice areas.
In 1984, the firm moved to its present location at 1613 Main Street, the historic Lever Building in the center of Columbia's business district. The Lever Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in 1903 and has previously been occupied by an architectural firm, a small college, and other unique tenants. It is conveniently located only blocks from nearly every government building and courthouse in Columbia.
Mr. Barnes died in 1995 after a long and successful legal career. He continues to be recognized in the South Carolina legal community through the annual Barnes Symposium at the University of South Carolina School of Law. The City of Columbia has also dedicated Barnes Park in his memory. As for the firm's other named partners, Mr. Alford retired from the practice of law in 2000 and passed away in 2008, Billy Stork is currently of counsel to the firm, and Weldon Johnson is the firm's senior partner. The firm's current managing partners are David Wolff and Tom Strickland.
