TONNSEN BACH - Key Persons
Cameron S. Wesley joined Tonnsen Bach in May 2017 when he opened the firm's Charlotte office. Cameron's practice focuses on Workers' Compensation defense and mediation. Cameron has been a Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation law since 2011. He regularly appears before the North Carolina Industrial Commission in a variety of cases, including complex occupational disease claims and appellate matters, among others. Prior to beginning a Workers' Compensation practice, Cameron represented creditors in all three North Carolina Federal Bankruptcy Districts, as well as statewide foreclosure actions.
Cameron believes that accessibility and communication are the key to achieving optimal and cost-efficient results. To that end, he feels strongly that the best results are gained when he and his clients work in partnership to evaluate the entirety of each case. This joint evaluation may result in litigation and may result in a settlement, but that decision is only made after a careful risk analysis. Ultimately, results matter.
Cameron is also a certified mediator and is available to mediate Superior Court cases and cases pending before the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
Derek A. Gehring focuses his practice on Worker's Compensation and Litigation. He graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2012 were he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. After a period of Active-Duty service in the United States Army, he returned to higher education. Derek attended the Wake Forest University School of Law, from which he graduated in 2022. His public service work resulted in him received a Pro Bono distinction and a Hon. James B. McMillan Fellowship. Derek was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in October 2022.
Raised for much of his life in North Carolina, Derek's military career and high education has convinced him to set down permanent roots in the Tar Heel State. When not practicing law, he enjoys shooting trap and skeet, biking, and spending time outdoors with his wife Yawei and dog Patience.
Donald L. Van Riper (otherwise known as "Rip") focuses his practice on Workers' Compensation matters. He is admitted to practice before all SC Courts and the United States Supreme Court, and is listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He is also available as an experienced mediator through the offices of Tonnsen Bach.
Emily R. Godwin practices in the areas of commercial business litigation, insurance defense, real estate litigation, and government liability. A native of the South Carolina Upstate, Emily graduated summa cum laude from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, earning the Social Studies Award for the outstanding senior in a social studies major. Emily attended law school at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she received CALI Awards for the highest grade in the following classes: Legal Research Analysis & Writing, Appellate Advocacy, Business Associations, Nonprofit Organizations, Land Use Planning, and Religion and the Constitution.
While in law school, Emily was the Senior Articles Editor for the Journal of Law and Education, completed a judicial externship with the Honorable James Spence, Master-in-Equity for Lexington County, and completed the Judicial Observation and Experience Program with the Honorable Kaye Hearn, Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Emily graduated law school magna cum laude and in the top 10% of her class, earning her membership in the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Wig and Robe.
Before joining Tonnsen Bach, Emily practiced at an Upstate civil litigation defense firm focusing on construction and design law and professional negligence. Emily remains active in the South Carolina Bar and in the Upstate community through her church.
Memberships:
South Carolina Bar
North Carolina Bar
Eric Tonnsen's practice focuses on defending serious personal injury, wrongful death, and construction defect lawsuits on behalf of corporations, contractors, insurance companies, trucking companies, and retail businesses. From local transportation businesses to Fortune 500 companies with global reach, Eric is experienced in all phases of civil defense practice including expert discovery, emergency response, complex and high-value damages evaluations, and trial. He practices out the firm's Greenville and Charleston offices and serves as statewide counsel for insurance carriers regarding complex insurance coverage questions including issues related to priority of coverage between carriers, claimed additional insured status in construction defect litigation, and bad faith denial of claims. He has given numerous continuing education and other presentations relating to the litigation and trial of brain injury cases and the nuances of South Carolina bad faith law.
John Scully concentrates his practice on civil litigation and corporate matters with an emphasis on business litigation and insurance defense.
John is a native Texan and a proud alumnus of Washington and Lee University and the Washington and Lee University School of Law. As an undergraduate student, John graduated cum laude with a double major in business administration and American history. During law school, John worked in the W&L immigration program for non-citizens and he was a sportswriter for the student newspaper. While he was a W&L student, John met a wonderful girl from South Carolina and they were married in her hometown of Greenville.
Following law school, John became a licensed attorney in both South Carolina and Texas. Before moving to Greenville, John practiced law in Houston, where he handled a wide variety of transactional and litigation matters throughout Texas. John has represented clients in many different legal arenas, including Magistrate's Court, Probate Court, Family Court, General Sessions, Common Pleas, the South Carolina Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of South Carolina.
When he is not practicing law, John enjoys spending time with his wife, Harriet, as well as hunting, fishing, and rooting for the Houston Astros.
Experience
Elizabeth (Liz) Moore focuses her practice on construction defect and business-related disputes. She is experienced in all phases of civil defense practice and has successfully advised corporations and individuals as in-house counsel with insurance carriers and with insurance defense firms. Liz's practice areas include construction defect, business litigation, employment disputes, personal injury, property disputes, and professional liability issues.
Education
Liz is a 2008 graduate of Virginia Tech and a 2011 graduate of West Virginia University School of Law. She participated in the Veteran Will Clinic and the Magistrate Court mediation program earning her the Pro Bono distinction upon graduation. Liz also interned with the FBI White Collar Crime Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
R. Hudson Smith graduated from Furman University in 2009 where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. In 2013, Hudson obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. During law school, he clerked with federal and state prosecutor's offices. Hudson was admitted to the South Carolina bar in November 2013.
After graduation from law school, Hudson served as a judicial law clerk for the now retired Honorable G. Edward Welmaker, Circuit Court Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. During his clerkship, Hudson advised Judge Welmaker in making rulings in a number of civil litigation matters, including professional malpractice, personal injury, business litigation, and employment cases. Prior to joining Tonnsen Bach, Hudson worked for a civil litigation firm in Spartanburg, South Carolina where he worked on complex business, construction, and professional liability matters.
Wilson Murff attended South Carolina School of Law and graduated in 2022. He served as the Finance Director and Intake Editor for the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Prior to law school, Wilson attended the University of Arkansas, where he graduated cum laude from the Sam M. Walton School of Business, majoring in accounting and minoring in finance. Wilson concentrates his practice on construction defect, insurance defense, and business-related disputes.
As an Arkansas native, Wilson fell in love with the State of South Carolina during his time in law school and decided to make it his home. In his free time, Wilson enjoys hanging out with friends, all things sports, and spending time outdoors.
Zachary (Zac) Turner attended South Carolina School of Law and graduated Cum Laude in 2021 as a member of the Order of the Wig and Robe. While in law school, Zac served as a Symposium Editor of the South Carolina Law Review and worked closely with a solo practitioner in Columbia doing criminal defense work.
After graduation from law school, Zac served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable J. Mark Hayes, II, an at-large judge of the South Carolina Circuit Courts based out of Spartanburg. He now focuses his practice on construction defect, insurance, and business-related disputes.
Zac spent most of his life in Indiana but as a South Carolina native is glad to now be back. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and being active outdoors.