Speaker Biographies

Our Distinguished Speakers for Super CLE 2024

The CLEs will be held at the Hilton Head Country Club, Hilton Head Plantation, 70 Skull Creek Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC. Please allow a few extra minutes for the security gate pass. Please tell security you are going to the country club for the Hilton Head Bar meeting.

David Lail, Esquire

David Lail's practice focuses on helping people that have experienced a life-changing event or crisis and found themselves with a real fight on their hands – a fight that many times involves powerful and connected interests on the other side. Regardless of the opposition, his approach remains the same – build the strongest case possible for trial and let the results speak for themselves.
Since he began practicing law in 2011, Lail has helped achieve over $181 million on behalf of injured clients – including over $54 million in jury verdicts and more than $60 million for victims of drunk driving.
Lail devotes much of his practice representing victims in Dram Shop Litigation and has written extensively on this niche practice area. Lail is a principal author of the book, "South Carolina Dram Shop Litigation: A Practice Guide" and is a contributing co-author of, "South Carolina Damages, Second Edition, Dram Shop Liability", both published by the South Carolina Bar. In addition, Lail is co-author of, "Dram Shop Discovery", published the American Association for Justice's (AAJ) Trial Magazine.
Lail also speaks regularly on representing crime victims and has conducted numerous trainings, presentations, and CLEs on Dram Shop Litigation for law enforcement agencies, the South Carolina Bar, The Charleston School of Law, the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ), The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), and Strafford Publications.
As a lawyer advocate for victims, Lail is a member of The National Crime Victim Bar Association, The National Organization for Victim Assistance (VOCA), The National Alliance of Victims' Rights Attorneys & Advocates (NAVRA) and he has undergone victim advocacy training through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC).
Lail is a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 and South Carolina Super Lawyers. Lail is also a Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ), a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), and he is also licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.
David received a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Kentucky in 2001 and then moved to Charleston in 2006 after a career with a Fortune 500 company. Next, David received an M.B.A. from The Citadel, highest honors, and a J.D., cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law where he was an Associate Articles Editor of the Charleston Law Review, a member of the Charleston School of Law Moot Court Board, and a Teaching Fellow in the Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing Department. During his legal study, David received CALI Awards for the highest law school grade in: Torts, Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing I & II, and Pleadings & Practice.
David lives in Charleston with his wife, Lauren, and their two children, Evie and Hugh.

Christopher Kays, Esquire

Christopher Kays is a Senior Associate with the Brinkley Law Firm. Originally from Los Angeles, Christopher Kays moved to Charleston in 2007 when he reported to The Citadel for his knob year to study psychology. As a cadet, Christopher volunteered at the VA hospital and helped establish Leadership Day, The Citadel’s annual day of service.
After earning a B.A. in Psychology from The Citadel, Christopher joined AmeriCorps where his team worked with Charleston Miracle League to create HealthyPlay! Wiffleball League to help children from Title I schools learn about healthy eating and exercise habits.
During his time at the Charleston School of Law, Christopher enhanced his legal education by completing a study abroad program through The Hague in the Netherlands and membership in the International Law, Maritime Law and Business Law Societies.
Additionally, Christopher continued this focus on service while at Charleston School of Law, volunteering with My Sister’s House, People Against Rape, the Domestic Violence Clinic, Habitat for Humanity, and received his Darkness to Light training. Through his many service projects, Christopher has remained passionate about raising awareness in the community to the detrimental effects of abuse upon women and children.
Christopher’s experiences working with the veteran community and children are in line with the Brinkley Law Firm’s goals to keep family first, ensuring that the well-being of children is a high priority in all of our divorce cases, and serving those who serve our nation.
In his personal life, Christopher and his wife, Carrie, have made the Lowcountry their home where they enjoy taking advantage of the Lowcountry’s natural beauty while fishing, boating, or playing disc golf. He and his wife like to stay active by weightlifting, yoga, martial arts, and taking trips to the Upstate to hike.
Professional Memberships Include:

South Carolina Bar
Charleston County Bar
The Citadel Alumni Association Lifetime Member
The Citadel Alumni Association Awards Committee
Psi Chi International Psychology Honors Society

Stephanie Brinkley, Esquire

Founder and Owner of Brinkley Law Firm, LLC, in Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina, Stephanie Brinkley focuses her practice on the complex area of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and related legal issues impacting future families. She is the Chair of the Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) Committee for the American Bar Association and manages its successful mentorship program. Her professional memberships also include the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Resolve, and the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS). She is also the co-author of Developing a Successful Assisted Reproduction Technology Law Practice, written with colleague Richard B. Vaughn, which is published by the American Bar Association.
As part of her practice, Stephanie represents clients throughout South Carolina seeking to build their families through surrogacy and/or gamete donation. She is also called upon to represent gestational carriers who have offered their services. With greater frequency, Stephanie is consulted to advise families transitioning divorce after creating children through third party reproduction. Parental disputes arising from genetic relationships (or lack thereof), same sex legal parentage issues, misapplication of medical consent forms, and ownership rights of unused embryos are rising among divorce litigants.

Jennifer Johnson, Esquire

Jennifer Johnson grew up in Spartanburg, SC. She received a BA in History from Clemson University in 1992 and a JD from St. Louis University in 1997. Jennifer entered private practice for a year before she joined the Spartanburg Public Defender Office. She joined the Anderson Public Defender Office in 2002 after relocating to Anderson County. Jennifer was appointed Circuit Public Defender for the 10th Judicial Circuit (Anderson and Oconee) in 2017 and is currently serving her second term as Circuit Public Defender.

Robert Metro, Esquire

Michael Virzi, Esquire

Michael Virzi teaches courses in Professional Responsibility and Legal Writing at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he has also taught Fundamentals of Law Practice and Professionalism and Advanced Legal Writing. He has a solo practice in Columbia, the Virzi Law Firm, which focuses on lawyer ethics, discipline, and malpractice. Michael is a former Assistant Disciplinary Counsel for the South Carolina Supreme Court’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel, prior to which he practiced primarily in the area of business litigation. He serves on the South Carolina Bar’s Professional Responsibility (Chair 2018-2020) and Ethics Advisory Committees (Chair 2007-2010). Michael is a frequent CLE speaker and law school guest lecturer on the topics of ethics, malpractice, and lawyer discipline and is a member of the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the South Carolina Association of Ethics Counsel, and Phi Delta Phi. He graduated cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2000.

Samuel Bauer, Esquire

Sam is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a former President of the Beaufort County Bar Association and Former President of the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is a regular speaker at the South Carolina Summary Court Judges School on topics including Evidential Alcohol Analysis and Search Warrants. He has served as a Public Defender, a Municipal Prosecutor, and on one unfortunate occasion as a Municipal Court Judge. Sam has been an Island Resident since his grade school years at Sea Pines Academy, and is the Father of Izzy Bauer (15), who already says she wants to be lawyer, but not one like her dad and Sylvie (1), who has yet decided on her career path.

The Honorable D. Garrison Hill, Supreme Court

Judge D. Garrison "Gary" Hill was born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1964. His late father, Leo H. Hill, was former president of the South Carolina Bar; his mother Dr. Grace L. Hill, a retired educator and school psychologist. He has a sister, Lillian H. Pinto, and a brother, L. Howard Hill, Jr.
Judge Hill received a B.A. degree magna cum laude from Wofford College in 1986, and his juris doctor from USC Law School in 1989, where he was a member of the South Carolina Law Review.
After graduation from law school, he served as law clerk to Judge Billy Wilkins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. From 1990 to 2000, he was a member of Hill, Wyatt & Bannister, a general civil and criminal practice law firm in Greenville. In 2000, he and his father started Hill & Hill, LLC, which was listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers. The firm primarily handled business litigation, government law, and public utility law including the representation of numerous special purpose districts throughout the state.
From 2004 to 2017, he served as a resident Circuit Judge for the Thirteenth Circuit. On February 1, 2017, he was elected to the Court of Appeals. On February 8, 2023, he was elected as an Associate Justice to the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Judge Hill served in the House of Delegates of the South Carolina Bar and as president of the Government Law Section. He is also the former editor-in-chief of the South Carolina Lawyer and the author of several legal articles. He and his father published Doing the Public's Business, a legal guide designed to assist lay members who serve on the boards of public bodies.
While in private practice, he served on the boards of the Greenville Literacy Association, Greenville Mental Health Association, YMCA Camp Greenville, and as chairman of the City of Greenville Board of Zoning Appeals.
Judge Hill has three children and is a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The Honorable Robert Reibold

Judge Robert Reibold was elected by the General Assembly as a judge of the Administrative Law Court in 2021. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University in 1992 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1995, where he was a member of the Order of the Barristers.

Before taking the bench, Judge Reibold spent 25 years as a litigator, litigating both simple and complex civil matters. His work involved personal injury cases, class action defense, trust litigation, employment litigation, business litigation, and appellate matters, including argument in a patent matter before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Immediately before taking the bench, Judge Reibold was a shareholder with the firm of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A.

Judge Reibold has published a number of articles in the South Carolina Lawyer Magazine and is a principal author of South Carolina Equity: A Practitioner’s Guide, published by the South Carolina Bar Association. He has spoken at CLE seminars and lectured on administrative law at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Judge Reibold is a graduate of both Leadership Columbia and Leadership South Carolina. He has served on the practice and procedure committee of the South Carolina Bar Association and is a member of the House of Delegates.

Thank you to all of our distinguished faculty for their time and efforts to educate our members.

CLEs are free to all members of the Hilton Head Bar Association. To join the Hilton Head Bar, please mail your dues check to the attention of treasurer Tyler Melnick at Finger, Melnick & Brooks, 35 Hospital Center Commons, Suite 200, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926.

To reserve your spot in our CLES, or if you are interested in speaking to our membership, please contact Margaret S. Day, Vice President, at Law Office of Margaret S. Day, LLC, P.O. Box 763, Bluffton, SC 29910 or (843) 836-3714.