Press Releases
James K. Lehman Elected Managing Partner of Nelson Mullins
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jan. 9, 2012) – The partnership of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP has elected Columbia partner James K. Lehman as its new managing partner. He will oversee the Firm's 12 East Coast offices and more than 430 attorneys and government relations professionals, as well as more than 500 support staff.
Mr. Lehman will maintain his practices in the areas of business litigation and investigations and environmental litigation. He replaces David E. Dukes, who is stepping down after serving as managing partner of the Firm since 2001. Mr. Dukes will continue to serve on the Firm's Executive Committee and will continue his national litigation practice.
"David has led the Firm through phenomenal growth over the past decade despite significant challenges," Mr. Lehman said. "I look forward to continuing his work expanding our services to our clients, broadening our geographic reach, and attracting talented professionals to the Firm."
"Jim has proven his skills as a leader by leading various Firm committees and through his role as Operations Partner of the Firm," Mr. Dukes said. "He is an exceptional leader in our Firm and in our community in addition to being a highly sought-after business litigator and counselor."
In the fall of 2004, Mr. Lehman returned to Nelson Mullins after serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary to Safety-Kleen Corp., where he helped the corporation emerge from Chapter 11 protection in what, at the time, was one of the larger and more complicated bankruptcies in U.S. corporate history. Before first joining Nelson Mullins in 1995, he worked at law firms in Washington, DC, and New York. After law school he served as law clerk to Judge Robert F. Chapman of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A member of the South Carolina Bar and the District of Columbia Bar, Mr. Lehman is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth and District of Columbia Circuits; the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the District of South Carolina.
In 1990, Mr. Lehman earned a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He earned a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Bob Jones University in 1987.
Active in the community, Mr. Lehman recently completed a two-year term as board chair of the United Way of the Midlands and is the current chair of the Midlands Housing Alliance. He also serves on the boards of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Good to Great Foundation, the City Center Partnership, and the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough Center on Professionalism. He is a past president and former board member of the South Carolina Philharmonic and a former member of the boards of directors of the Central Carolina Community Foundation and Hannah House, a shelter for women. He is a graduate of Leadership South Carolina and a Liberty Fellow.
Established in 1897, Nelson Mullins has office locations in the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. For more information on the Firm, go to www.nelsonmullins.com, or call 803.255.9794.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo of Mr. Lehman
