Frederick A. Crawford

Frederick A. Crawford serves in an Of Counsel role at Richardson Plowden & Robinson, P.A., in the Columbia office. He focuses his business practice on accounting professional liability defense, contract and corporate law, estate planning and probate administration, financial transactions, hospital/healthcare law, and asset acquisitions. He also represents hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers and provides counsel on matters including, but not limited to, the Anti-kickback Safe-harbors, Corporate Compliance and Stark exceptions.

Mr. Crawford’s experience also includes:

• Served as a Law Clerk to South Carolina Circuit Court Judge James H. Price, Jr. from1979-1980.
• Representation of the largest healthcare system in South Carolina, Palmetto Health, since 1980. He served as a principal member of the legal team that successfully “merged” Baptist Healthcare System of South Carolina, Inc., and Richland Memorial Hospital into Palmetto Health, a 1,247-bed nonprofit hospital system, in 1997. 
• Successful representation of Governor Carroll A. Campbell, along with other attorneys, in decennial reapportionment of the S.C. House, Senate and Congressional Districts from 1990 to 1993. 
• Successful prosecution (joint) of collection action in the case R.C. McEntire and Company v. Eastern Foods, Inc., 702 F.2d 471 (1983). The case reaffirmed doctrine of “defacto merger” in South Carolina. 
• Successful representation (joint) of former Athletic Director of the University of South Carolina in breach of contract action against the University in 1989. 
• Successful representation (joint) of former University of South Carolina Athletic Director before National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1990.
• Representation of accountants across South Carolina in the defense of malpractice claims, peer review and subpoena compliance.
• Representation of corporations and organizations in regards to contracts, corporate and financial transactions including, but not limited to  asset acquisitions.

Pro Bono/Community Involvement

• Columbia Chamber of Commerce: Board Member 9/1/17 – 8/31/20
• Columbia Chamber of Commerce: Executive Committee, 9/1/18 – 9/31/20
• Rotary Club of Columbia: Member 26 years; Paul Harris fellow 
• American Heart Association: Executive Leadership Team for the Heart Ball 2011-2013 
• Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville, NC: President 2010-2011; Board Member 2008-2013 
• Boy Scouts of America: Eagle Scout; Former Troop Leader

Awards, Honors, and Accolades

•  Voted 2018 “Lawyer of the Year” for Columbia, S.C. in Healthcare Law by Best Lawyers in America®
• Consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America® from 2009 – 2025 for Health Care Law
• Rated AV Preeminent® for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability, Martindale-Hubbell American since 1994
• Selected as one of the Columbia area Legal Elite in Business Law by Greater Columbia Business Monthly, October 2020, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011
• Selected as one of the Columbia area Legal Elite in Healthcare Law by Greater Columbia Business Monthly, October 2018, 2017, 2012
• Selected as one of the Columbia area Legal Elite in Corporate Law (Mergers & Acquisitions) by Greater Columbia Business Monthly, October 2019, 2018, 2016
• American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law, 1976 & 1977