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Emily GIfford Lucey
  • Columbia Office:
  • 1900 Barnwell St.
  • Columbia, SC 29201
  • Charleston Office:
  • 235 Magrath Darby Boulevard, Suite 100
  • Mt. Pleasant, SC  29464
  • Mailing Address:
  • P.O. Drawer 7788
  • Columbia, SC 29202

  • Emily Gifford Lucey

  • Shareholder
  • Columbia Office
Practice Areas
  • Construction Defect Litigation 
  • Design Professional Malpractice Defense 
  • Federal, State and Local Procurement 
  • Fidelity and Surety 
  • Insurance Coverage Disputes and Litigation
  • Healthcare Law
  • Mediation
Education
  • University of South Carolina Honors College (B.A., English, cum laude, 2001) 
  • University of South Carolina School of Public Health (M.A., Health Administration, 2005)
  • University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 2005)
Bar Admissions
  • 2005, South Carolina
  • 2006, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina

Emily Gifford Lucey is a shareholder of Richardson Plowden in the Columbia office and leads the Firm's Construction Law Practice Group. Her statewide litigation practice focuses on construction law, including surety law and commercial litigation. Mrs. Lucey defends design professionals and contractors in complex construction defect cases. She has represented national, regional and local companies in construction defect matters.

Mrs. Lucey's experience includes:

  • Defending design professionals in complex construction defect cases with millions of dollars in claimed damages.
  • Assisting sureties with investigations, defaults and indemnification actions.
  • Defending contractors and subcontractors in disputes related to multi-family construction.
  • Assisting construction clients with contract review, dispute resolution, and corporate issues.

Scholarly Lectures and Speaking Engagements 
Presenter, Top Five Things to Know about Surety Law in South Carolina, 2013 SC Bar Convention Construction Law CLE 
Speaker, “Professional Negligence Defense for Architects and Engineers,” USC School of Law, Law Practice Workshop 
"E-Verify" presentation for the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys 2012 Corporate Counsel CLE


Pro Bono/Community Involvement
Pro bono special prosecutor for criminal domestic violence prosecution, South Carolina Attorney General's Office. Mrs. Lucey has served in this role since 2006.

 

Certifications
Certified Circuit Court Mediator by the South Carolina Supreme Court
Certified Circuit Court Arbitrator by the South Carolina Supreme Court


Publications/Writings 
Co-author, "A Survey of Certificate of Merit Statutes," The Construction Lawyer, Volume 34, Spring 2014, Journal of the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry

Co-author, Rocket Man: A Case Study on Engineers' Limitation of Liability Clauses 

Co-author, Bonds and Suretyship Chapter, SC Bar Construction Law Deskbook (1st ed.)

Author, "The National Practitioner Data Bank: Not for Public Consumption," 42 Medical 
Trial Technique Quarterly 223, 2002.

During law school, Mrs. Lucey served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Journal, as published by the American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section.

Other Professional
  • Chair, Construction Law Section, South Carolina Bar 
  • Member, American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)
  • Member, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, Forum on the Construction Industry 
  • Member, Surety Claims Institute 
  • Past Member, National Association of Women in Construction 
  • Young Lawyers Division, South Carolina Bar 
  • Richland County Bar Association 
  • South Carolina Women Lawyers Association 
  • South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association 
  • Editor-in-Chief, TortSource (ABA Tort Trial Insurance Section Publication), 2013-2015
  • Former Chair, TIPS Self Insurers and Risk Managers Committee 
  • SC Bar Leadership Academy, Class of 2013 
  • ABA TIPS Leadership Academy, 2010-2011
Awards, Honors, Accolades
  • Download vCard
  • 2019-2014 South Carolina Super Lawyer for Construction Litigation 
  • 2019, 2018, Listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Construction Law
  • 2013, 2012 Rising Star, South Carolina Super Lawyers for Construction/Surety Law
  • Rated AV Preeminent® for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Law Firms
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