Steve Pugh

Steve is a shareholder and Chief Financial Officer of Richardson Plowden and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  His civil litigation practice includes the defense of major class actions, electric and gas utility claims, business disputes, product liability claims, toxic torts including asbestos and environmental contaminants (including PFAs), pharmaceutical and medical device claims, and transportation matters. Steve has had more than 100 jury trials. This deep courtroom knowledge offers his clients the advantage of strategic case preparation skills with effective and compelling courtroom presentation.

Steve’s experience includes:

• Long-time counsel to a Fortune 300 energy company in a wide variety of high-exposure personal injury and death claims, ratepayer class actions, shareholder derivative claims, securities class actions, tax litigation, expedited injunction and TRO matters involving significant corporate assets.
• Obtained summary judgement in an arc flash case involving survival and wrongful death claims.
• Obtained outright dismissal of multiple parties in a multi-billion dollar case alleging unjust enrichment, alter ego, amalgamation and successor liability for asbestos claims.
• Obtained granting of new trials or JNOV motions in several cases involving multi-million dollar verdicts.
• Obtained summary judgments in alleged wrongful death, prescription refill cases.
• Co-lead trial counsel in a pharmaceutical case wherein the State was seeking statutory penalties in excess of $2 billion.
• Lead counsel in the defense of a salmonella class action with more than 1,000 claimants, including multiple death and catastrophic injury claims. 
• Successfully tried and subsequently argued the appeal in the South Carolina Supreme Court of a multi-million dollar commercial foreclosure case. 
• Obtained a directed verdict in the defense of a wrongful death case filed by the parents of a sixteen-year old who allegedly became intoxicated at work. 
• Directed the investigation of a multi-million dollar fabric mill fire on behalf of the manufacturer of an allegedly defective loom, which resulted in no claim ever being asserted against the manufacturer. 
• Directed the investigation of numerous truck and bus accidents, several of which resulted in no lawsuit ever being filed.
• Negotiated the favorable resolution of a wrongful death and severe personal injury action arising out of an apartment complex fire due to alleged faulty wiring. 
• Obtained the outright dismissals of several personal injury suits arising from tractor-trailer accidents. 
• Has represented numerous defendants in more than 1,500 asbestos cases in South Carolina and the MDL. 
• Has represented numerous entities in hundreds of silica cases in South Carolina.

Awards, Honors, and Accolades

• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
• 2024, Faculty member, 50th IADC Trial Academy
• 2026-2016, Listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Products Liability Litigation
• 2026-2016, South Carolina Super Lawyer for Civil Litigation Defense
• Selected as Midlands Legal Elite for Civil Litigation and Energy/Utilities by Greater Columbia Business Monthly 
• Rated AV Preeminent® for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability, Martindale-Hubbell since 2005
• Recognized with 2011 Leadership in Law award by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly