DUFFY & YOUNG - Key Persons
Blake McKie is a civil litigator who represents individuals and businesses in state and federal courts in a broad range of matters.
Blake graduated from Furman University in 2006 and the University of South Carolina School Of Law in 2010, where he was a member editor of the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal. Prior to joining Duffy & Young in 2017, Blake practiced law with a large regional insurance defense firm. He is admitted to practice in all of South Carolina's state and federal courts and is a member of the Federal Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association and the Charleston County Bar Association.
Blake is a civil litigator who helps individuals and businesses obtain favorable results in complex litigation matters. Each client's case has a unique set of facts and circumstances behind it that Blake enjoys tackling in order to put forth the best possible legal strategy for that client. He has extensive trial and mediation experience in a wide variety of civil matters. His work includes commercial litigation, class actions, securities litigation and arbitration, real property disputes, construction litigation, estate litigation, personal injury, premises and product liability litigation, and professional liability litigation.
Away from work, Blake enjoys playing golf, travelling, and spending time with his family. Blake is active in a number of charitable and social organizations in Charleston. Blake and his wife, Mary Neill, have two daughters and live in West Ashley.
Brian C. Duffy is a trial lawyer with experience in civil cases of all shapes and sizes-from cases in the United States Supreme Court and with judgments and settlements of tens of millions of dollars to a variety of smaller disputes in South Carolina's trial courts and administrative law courts
"Never be afraid to learn. Never be afraid to act. When you have dedicated yourself to learning the ins and outs of a case, standing up for your client in court and in negotiations comes naturally." That is how Brian Duffy describes his approach to trial practice.
Many lawyers fall prey to the daily grind, following the same process, doing the same types of things-for cases that are not the same. No case is the same as another. Brian learned in his first years out of law school, serving as a law clerk at the trial and appellate court levels of the United States Courts, that you have to explore the facts of a case, the circumstances that led the parties to their conflict, before you can marshal those facts into the proper legal strategy to be deployed for battle in court.
Brian has applied his approach to civil cases of all shapes and sizes-from cases in the United States Supreme Court and with judgments and settlements of tens of millions of dollars to a variety of smaller disputes in South Carolina's trial courts and administrative law courts. This breadth of experience helps Brian toward his single goal in every case no matter the size of the case or type of client: to get the best possible result for his client. With a practice of representing both plaintiffs and defendants, Brian brings valuable insight to matters which helps him and his clients achieve that goal.
Brian is honored and humbled by the recognitions and responsibilities the legal community has granted him. Brian served as the President of the Charleston County Bar Association for the 2016-17 term, after having served for years as an officer or member of the Executive Committee. He earned the highest rating from the local legal community when he received AV rating years ago, and has been repeatedly recognized as a member of Super Lawyers. Brian is a Past President of both the South Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the James L. Petigru American Inn of Court. He continues to serve as an active member in each of these organizations. Brian is a permanent member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference and participates in other legal service organizations and civic projects. Brian also served as an Adjunct Professor at the Charleston School of Law.
Brian is a former partner of one of South Carolina's largest law firms. Prior to returning home to practice in South Carolina, he practiced with Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, D.C.
David is a trial attorney who has tried over 50 cases to verdict across the state. Since he began practice in 1987, he has handled cases involving wrongful death, personal injury, product liability, workers compensation, trucking cases, insurance bad faith, medical malpractice, construction defects, partnership disputes, breach of contract actions, and unfair trade practices claims.
David Whittington is an attorney working in the Johns Island office where his practice is focused on the representation of individuals and small businesses in matters ranging from personal injury cases to business disputes. Prior to joining Duffy & Young, David owned Knight & Whittingon LLC and prior to that David was a shareholder at Sinkler and Boyd, now known as Haynesworth Sinkler Boyd.
Over the course of his career, David has defended insurance companies, businesses and individuals in a variety of civil litigation matters and prosecuted personal injury cases against insurance companies businesses and individuals. Since he began practice in 1987, he has handled cases involving wrongful death, personal injury, product liability, workers compensation, trucking cases, insurance bad faith, medical malpractice, construction defects, partnership disputes, breach of contract actions, and unfair trade practices claims.
He has tried over fifty cases to verdict in the state and federal courts of South Carolina and argued cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the South Carolina Supreme Court, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2023, David became a fellow in the American College of Trial Attorneys. He is currently the Immediate Past President of the Charleston Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is board certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a mediator and also serves as a mentor for the South Carolina Supreme Court's mentoring program.
He is a member of the South Carolina Bar and has served on the South Carolina Bar's Board of Governors. He is also a member of the Torts and Insurance Practice Section, the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section, and the Workers Compensation Law Section of the South Carolina Bar. He is a past president of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division. He has also served as a member of the South Carolina Association for Justice, Board of Governors. He is a member of the Charleston County Bar and the Dorchester County Bar. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice.
Active in his community, he served as the Chief Municipal Judge for the Town of Summerville from 2012 through 2023.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1987. While in Law School he was a member of the Moot Court Bar, the Order of the Barrister, and the National Moot Court team. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the College of Charleston in 1983. He presently lives on Johns Island with his wife Lisa.
Hunter's civil litigation practice spans many areas, but his primary focus is representing businesses, organizations, and individuals in commercial disputes and representing individuals who have suffered personal injury. Prior to joining Duffy & Young, Hunter gained invaluable experience clerking for The Honorable A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr. for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as working for two regional law firms.
Hunter graduated from The University of Alabama School of Law summa cum laude and was inducted into its chapter of The Order of the Coif. During law school, Hunter was an editor on the Alabama Law Review and participated in the John A. Campbell Moot Court Competition. He and his partner were finalists in the competition and were presented with the "Best Respondent's Brief" award. Before law school, Hunter graduated from Wofford College summa cum laude, double-majoring in Economics and Government. At Wofford, Hunter played running back for the Terriers and was a three-time member of the Southern Conference All-Academic Football Team.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the South Carolina Bar Association
- Vice President to the Board of Directors for the Charleston Day School
Rutledge is a Charleston native and has been a trial lawyer for close to 20 years. Rutledge has represented injured people, defrauded investors, employees, borrowers, landowners, businessmen, and closely held companies. During his career Rutledge has tried cases against banks, insurance companies, publicly traded corporations, and national product manufacturers among others. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, and anyone can be held accountable through a jury trial.
Rutledge graduated from the University of Virginia in 1993 and the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1997 with high honors. Rutledge served as a law clerk to United States District Judge David C. Norton from 1997-1999. Rutledge practiced law with the local law firm of Wills, Massalon, & Allen from 1999-2007. Rutledge is admitted to practice in all of South Carolina's state and federal courts.
In 2007 Rutledge and Brian formed Duffy & Young, LLC. The firm's focus has always been on tough cases and complex legal matters. Through creative thinking, hard work, and tenacity the firm has been able to help its clients obtain favorable outcomes in a wide range of situations.
Rutledge is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Rutledge is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, the Charleston County Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the South Carolina Association for Justice.
Rutledge currently serves as Vice President to the Board of Directors for the Charleston Day School. Rutledge is a past president of the Board of Directors for the Preservation Society of Charleston. Rutledge has served as a board member to the Middleton Place Foundation and First Scots Kindergarten.
Away from work, Rutledge enjoys fishing, hunting, and spending time with his family. Rutledge is active in a number of charitable and social organizations in Charleston. Rutledge and his wife Molly live in West Ashley with their three children.
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the American College of Trial
- President of the Charleston County Bar
- Special Counsel
Hunter graduated from The University of Alabama School of Law summa cum laude and was inducted into its chapter of The Order of the Coif. During law school, Hunter was an editor on the Alabama Law Review and participated in the John A. Campbell Moot Court Competition. He and his partner were finalists in the competition and were presented with the "Best Respondent's Brief" award. Before law school, Hunter graduated from Wofford College summa cum laude, double-majoring in Economics and Government. At Wofford, Hunter played running back for the Terriers and was a three-time member of the Southern Conference All-Academic Football Team.
In over thirty years of handling civil matters for Plaintiffs and Defendants, Johnny Linton has concluded jury and non-jury trials in counties throughout South Carolina and in five Divisions of the United States District Court. He has prevailed in appeals in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the South Carolina Supreme Court and the South Carolina Court of Appeals. He also argued an original jurisdiction case in the Supreme Court of the United States. Johnny continues a vibrant practice representing landowners in eminent domain proceedings. He brings his problem-solving skills to bear for clients in business and fiduciary administration matters, and in serious personal injury matters for Plaintiffs. In addition, Johnny is often called upon by his colleagues or courts to handle matters through alternative dispute resolution as a mediator, arbitrator, or special referee.
Johnny is a fellow of the American College of Trial lawyers, and formerly served on its State Committee, and is a permanent member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for over five years in the Bet-the-Company category, and has been awarded the Bet-the-Company Litigator of the Year for the Charleston area for 2014. He is a long standing member of Super Lawyers, and has been designated in the coveted Tier One of Chambers Best Business Litigation Lawyers in America. Johnny is also recognized by Global Lawyers Experts for his commercial litigation and condemnation experience.
Locally, Johnny has served as President of the Charleston County Bar and as President of the Coastal Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates. He was previously appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a South Carolina Bar examiner and as a member of the South Carolina Supreme Court's Grievance Committee. The United States District Court appointed him to a committee to review a Magistrate Judge's qualifications for reappointment. A graduate of Wofford College, Johnny served on its Alumni Advisory Board. He also graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and received its Compleat Lawyer Award in 2003. He is also a life fellow of The American Bar Foundation.
Mr. Linton continues to practice full-time as Special Counsel at Duffy & Young. He also remains very active in a number of civic undertakings as well. His civic interest and commitments have included his service on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Trident Way, the Board of the Coastal Community Foundation, and as Vice-Chairman of the Pinewood Preparatory School Board of Directors. He has received the Order of Palmetto from the Governor of the State of South Carolina for civic commitments, and a special recognition by the Town of Summerville for his leadership and involvement in civic affairs.
Julie is a trial attorney who represents clients in courtrooms across South Carolina. She advocates for individuals and small business who have been treated unfairly - including families who've lost a loved one in wrongful death claims, consumers in product defect cases, patients who have been injured due to medical malpractice, and individuals and businesses who have been treated unfairly or been the victims of fraud.
Mary Linton is a civil litigator who focuses on complex matters and prides herself on helping clients navigate the judicial process. Mary understands the needs of clients and utilizes her litigation background and time as a judicial law clerk to help clients understand their case so they remain comfortable and fully informed.
Mary earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina and her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston. While in law school, Mary served as the Articles Editor for the ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Journal, was a member of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, and served as a student mentor. During law school, she clerked for the South Carolina legislative counsel and a mid-size litigation firm, where she gained valuable experience that led her to continue her career in litigation.
Prior to joining Duffy & Young, Mary worked for a highly respected litigation firm where she focused her practice on representing clients involved in dram shop, personal injury, premises liability, and construction defect actions. Following law school, she served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Deadra L. Jefferson, Resident Judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit. Mary's prior experience in litigation has allowed her the opportunity to represent clients from the inception of a case through mediation and trial.
Mary currently serves on the South Carolina Judicial Qualifications Committee. Members of this committee evaluate candidates for selection to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit and Family Courts, and Administrative Law Courts in South Carolina. Outside of the office, she resides in Charleston with her husband and beloved dog, Corduroy. She is an avid equestrian and a zealous supporter of the H.O.P.E Acres Rescue.
Matt Hubbell is a former federal prosecutor with decades of experience advising and defending clients in white collar criminal defense and False Claims Act/Qui Tam cases. Matt began his legal career in 1991 as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina, where he prosecuted complex white collar and other high-profile cases.
In private practice, he brings global law firm experience to a local practice with deep ties to the legal community in South Carolina. Matt has represented many health care providers, defense contractors, and numerous CEOs and other executives in complex white collar and False Claims Act/Qui Tam matters. He has extensive experience in internal investigations, federal grand jury investigations, State grand jury investigations, parallel criminal and civil proceedings, and trials.
Matt handles matters involving government program fraud, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other Covid relief programs, health care, defense contracting and set-aside programs, environmental enforcement, tax, bank fraud, public corruption, securities, customs, and forfeiture.
Matt is often called upon by corporate counsel to represent individual executives and employees. He has years of experience working in joint defense/common interest groups and serving as local counsel for national and international law firms. He has represented clients in many if not most of the significant and high profile white collar and False Claims Act matters in South Carolina over the last 20+ years. To learn more about Matt's representative experience, click here.
Patrick Wooten has a broad litigation practice and more than ten years of experience litigating civil matters in state and federal courts. A former clerk to a United States District Court Judge, Patrick has experience handling small and large matters, and he looks for creative ways to solve his clients' problems in a cost-efficient manner. Patrick has represented corporate, institutional, and individual clients in a wide range of litigation matters, including complex commercial litigation, business litigation, appellate litigation, class action litigation, real estate litigation, False Claims Act litigation, probate litigation, and trust and fiduciary litigation. In addition to successfully defending many clients, Patrick has recovered in excess of $50 million for his clients who were plaintiffs, including two settlements of $15 million or more. Patrick has been consistently selected by his peers as a South Carolina Super Lawyers' Rising Star, a distinction reserved for 2.5% of attorneys practicing across the state.
In addition to practicing law, Patrick is active in the Charleston community and with various professional organizations. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Charleston Legal Access, Charleston's only non-profit, sliding scale law firm, and he previously served as President of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division. Patrick has been selected as one of Charleston's "Forty Under 40" and received the Leadership in Law award from South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. He is a graduate of Leadership Charleston, the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative, and the IADC Trial Academy, and he is a board member of the South Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and a member of the James L. Petigru American Inn of Court.
Patrick is a former partner of one of South Carolina's largest law firms. Patrick and his wife, Tara, live in West Ashley and are the parents of a daughter and a son.
Rob Wehrman graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010 and from Columbia Law School in 2013. Rob has represented corporate clients in a large firm setting and has litigated on behalf of indigent clients at the Charleston County Public Defender's office. Rob also served as a law clerk for United States District Judge David C. Norton from 2015-2017. He is a member of the Charleston County Bar Association and is admitted to practice in all of South Carolina's state and federal courts.
Rob's practice focuses on civil litigation, where he uses his wide-ranging experience to solve the difficult issues that often arise in complex cases. He understands the need to combine strong, creative advocacy with a strategic approach to achieving his client's goals.
In addition to his legal practice, Rob serves on Charleston County Council. He lives in North Charleston with his wife and two children.
Wilson practices in the areas of civil litigation and white collar criminal defense. In his practice, Wilson employs the insight and experience he gained during his time as a federal law clerk to strategize and problem-solve in ways that best serve his clients.