Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Rock Hill

Bios

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  Thomas "Tommy" E. Pope

  Senior Counsel

  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.

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  Harold C. Staley, Jr.

  Partner

  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.

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  Andrew “Drew” W. Creech

  Partner

  Andrew “Drew” W. Creech was born and raised in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and is a proud graduate of Berkeley High School. Drew was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2008 after earning both his Undergraduate and Law Degrees from the University of South Carolina, following in the footsteps of his father who was also an attorney and longtime serving South Carolina Family Court Judge. While in law school, Drew served on the editorial board for the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Journal. After receiving his Law Degree, Drew returned home and completed a Clerkship with the Honorable R. Markley Dennis, Jr., of the 9th Judicial Circuit in Charleston, South Carolina. During his clerkship, Drew was exposed to all different types of criminal and civil law, but he was ultimately drawn towards helping injured people. In 2009, Drew relocated to Rock Hill and joined the Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys as an Associate Attorney, focusing his practice on Workers’ Compensation and Catastrophic Injury cases. As an Associate Attorney, Drew was personally mentored and trained by the Late Luther “Luke” Elrod, the founding attorney of Elrod Pope. Drew was made Partner in 2014, and now manages the firm’s Workers’ Compensation and Catastrophic Injury Departments, where he often serves as the lead attorney in all types of civil litigation, including tractor-trailer accidents, product liability claims, and wrongful death actions. When not zealously advocating for his clients’ best interests, Drew can often be found hunting or fishing outdoors, rooting for the Carolina Gamecocks, or spending time with his wife, Ashley, their three children, and their Boykin Spaniel, Hercules, who has become the unofficial mascot of Elrod Pope.

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  Garrett B. Johnson

  Partner

  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.

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  Ben P. Leader

  Partner

  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 describes his clerkship with Judge Hayes as one of the best years of his life, and he is forever grateful for the mentorship and guidance he received from Judge Hayes. 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 has always viewed his dad as his biggest role model and closest friend, and being able to practice law along his dad’s side for more than a decade has been an incredibly rewarding experience that he will always cherish. 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.

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  Zachary D. Griffin

  Attorney

  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.

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  Preston T. Pope

  Attorney

  A Rock Hill native, Preston Pope began his legal journey with Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys as a runner in 2015. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the South Carolina Air National Guard as an F-16 crew chief with the 169th Fighter Wing, overseeing and performing aircraft maintenance. While serving weekends performing maintenance on F-16 fighter jets, Preston attended the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business and worked part-time as a page for the Ethics Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He graduated cum laude in 2021 with a B.S. in Business Administration (Marketing) and began law school that August at the University of South Carolina School of Law. Throughout law school, Preston remained enlisted through his second year and gained hands-on experience at a Columbia law firm, assisting experienced attorneys on complex civil litigation, criminal, and family law matters. During the semesters, he served as a law clerk to the House Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee, supporting legislation-drafting attorneys; assisted the Judicial Merit Selection Commission’s screening process; and prepared bill summaries for members of the House. After graduating, Preston clerked for the Honorable William A. McKinnon, Circuit Court Judge for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit (York County), an experience that provided invaluable insight into courtroom practice and the inner workings of the judicial system. Preston is deeply appreciative of the mentorship and guidance he received from Judge McKinnon, which played a pivotal role in shaping the foundation of his legal career. In addition to practicing law, Preston serves as Secretary of the York County Bar Association’s Executive Board. Preston is grateful to share life with his wife, Bailey, whom he first met in middle school in Rock Hill. The two reconnected later and married just before Preston graduated college. Bailey is a high school history teacher at York Preparatory Academy in Rock Hill, where she has built her own reputation for commitment and care in the classroom. Together, they share a love for their community and enjoy investing their time and talents into making their community a better place. Preston’s passion for law was shaped early by his father, Tommy Pope, who has practiced with Elrod Pope since 2008. Watching his father dedicate his career to helping others instilled in Preston a strong sense of purpose and a desire to follow in those footsteps. Tommy’s example of integrity, advocacy, and service continues to inspire Preston in his own practice today.

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  Riley Cranford

  Attorney

  Riley Cranford grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the Darla Moore School of Business and the University of S outh Carolina Honors College. During her senior year she focused her senior thesis on South Carolina’s Domestic Violence Reform Act and its effects on how the judicial system handles domestic violence cases and seeks to address its root causes. She graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2019. During her time there, she spent a semester focusing on the development of regulations and legislation surrounding autonomous vehicles and a semester focused on feasibility studies and drafting of local and municipal regulation of communal bikes and scooters. She participated in the Domestic Violence Clinic during her final year assisting individuals seeking protection from domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking through emergency civil litigation. After law school, Riley practiced at two regional defense firms in general civil litigation including motor vehicle accidents, premises, liability products liability and construction defect work. While there she developed a thorough knowledge of how to handle and evaluate an insurance claim from start to finish. She has successfully tried several cases to verdict and has negotiated hundreds of successful settlements for clients of all types, including individuals, businesses, and insurance companies. She is passionate about her work advocating for individuals and solving problems for her clients. Riley moved to Rock Hill when she married Will Cranford, a Rock Hill native, who is a dentist at Cranford Dental. They share a love for community service and being involved in local events. They are thankful to settle in Will’s hometown where they can both serve their friends and neighbors. When she is not working, Riley enjoys traveling and cooking with Will for their friends and family.