Thad H. Westbrook is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP who practices in Columbia in the areas of business litigation, consumer finance litigation, and class action defense.  He is Chairman of the Firm's Recruiting Committee and a former member of the Firm’s Associates Committee.  In February 2006, Mr. Westbrook received the Firm’s Edward W. Mullins Excellence in Marketing Award.

A member of the South Carolina Bar, Mr. Westbrook is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Westbrook was a law clerk for U.S. District Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr. of South Carolina.

Mr. Westbrook has experience in handling business litigation matters in federal and state courts and multiple arbitration forums. For several years he has managed significant matters and case loads for several major institutions. Mr. Westbrook has also handled a variety of other business litigation disputes involving real property, insurance, class action, and commercial issues.

Currently, Mr. Westbrook is a member of the South Carolina Supreme Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness, a former member of the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and a member of the John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court. 

Mr. Westbrook is a member of the American Bar Association and remains active in the Section of Business Law. Previously, in the ABA Young Lawyers Division, Mr. Westbrook served as chair of its Business Law Committee (2005-06) and vice chair of that committee (2003-05). Active in the South Carolina Bar, Mr. Westbrook has served as chair of the Bar's Law Related Education Committee (2004-06) and as chair of the Professionalism Committee for the South Carolina Bar’s Young Lawyers Division (2005-06). 

Mr. Westbrook was the featured speaker on the topic of consumer lending and the South Carolina High-Cost and Consumer Home Loans Act at the 2004 South Carolina Bar Convention. He also is the author of 

• "Arbitration: Alive and Delivering Results in South Carolina," South Carolina Lawyer, September 2008 (co-author);
• "Daniel Webster’s Tribute to the Law and Legal Profession," South Carolina Lawyer, January 2008;
• Putting Litigants on Notice: Bell Atlantic Corporation v. Twombly’s Tightened Pleading Standard," The Defense Line, Summer 2007 (co-author);
• "At Least Treat Us Like Criminals! - South Carolina Responds to Victims Pleas for Equal Rights," S.C. L. REV. Vol. 49, No. 3, at 575; and
• "Balancing the Scales: Victims Rights in South Carolina's Justice System," South Carolina Lawyer, May/June 1999 (co-author).

Active in the community, Mr. Westbrook serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of South Carolina, having been elected to the position by the S.C. Legislature in 2010. He is also a former Vice Chairman of the Board of Visitors at the University of South Carolina.  Mr. Westbrook is the Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for Lexington Medical Center and now serves as Vice Chair of the Lexington Medical Center Foundation Board. He is a former member of the Board of Visitors for the Medical University of South Carolina.  Mr. Westbrook also serves on the Advisory Board of the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough Center on Professionalism at the University of South Carolina School of Law. Mr. Westbrook is a member of the Waterfront Steering Committee, which is working together with the University of South Carolina, City of Columbia, and Richland and Lexington counties to develop and enhance the City of Columbia’s riverfront. From 2001-02, he served on the Board of Directors for the Nancy K. Perry Children's Shelter. Mr. Westbrook was a 2001 recipient of the Beyond Pro Bono Award from the Richland County Court Appointed Special Advocates. In 2004, Mr. Westbrook served as a member of the Dedication Committee for the Lexington County Judicial Center. In 2009, The State newspaper selected Mr. Westbrook for inclusion in its 20 Under 40 Class of young business leaders in the Midlands of South Carolina.

Mr. Westbrook earned a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1999.  During law school, he served as Articles Editor for the South Carolina Law Review, and received its Editor’s Award.  He was a student member of the John Belton O'Neall Inn of Court and the Order of Wig and Robe.  In 1996, Mr. Westbrook earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude, from the South Carolina Honors College at the University of South Carolina.