So What Exactly…does George W. Speedy, Esquire do and what makes him our ace?

January 12, 2018 | posted by The Bullpen Blogger

Good question! As mentioned in our last blog article, it is the intent of The Bullpen Blogger to give you a glimpse into the lives of the lawyers who comprise Team STACLAW. We can’t share everything…but we think it’s important for all clients, especially ours, to know a little bit about their lawyer, i.e. the person who may be handling one of the biggest legal matters ever to impact their lives. In the first of a four (4) part series detailing our “law dogs,” it is most appropriate to start at the top, with the man who brought us all together and is certainly our mentor, sounding board, and best damn law partner ever to Tanner, Atkinson and Cook. Without the S (Speedy), Team STAC would not exist – it’s that simple! You see, George hired each of us (smart move on his part we think!) out of either the Richland/Kershaw County Solicitor’s Office or the Lancaster/Chester/Fairfield County Solicitor’s Office. Admittedly, this article could be pages long. Due to time constraints and short attention spans, let’s focus on the highlights – well, that would be tough to do – there are many highlights! Maybe let’s focus on what makes George, well…George! In short, George goes by many names and wears many hats. Most clients simply call him “Speedy” (wish I had a cool last name like that to go by!). Some folks, on the other side of his cases (primarily domestic), have far more creative names! Around here, we typically just call him George, “Boss,” or “Door #1.” He answers to most anything and never raises a fuss! In answering the “so what does he do” part of the question it gets far more entertaining. In short, George is a father, grandfather, husband, Marine, lawyer, contractor, landlord, liquor store owner, bar owner, car wash owner, wedding venue owner, and just an all-around “good dude” and “jack of all trades.” Yes, you read that correctly – he has a plethora of “hats.” He stays active and MUST have a project of some sort going on at all times! These different “hats” that he wears are all important and best help to tell the story of what makes George, well…George! The Bullpen Blogger could delve into each “hat” or “profession,” and attempt to humor the reader with an exploration into each venture. Better just stick to law or we’d be here all day. Maybe a future blog article can explain the intricacies of why a small town, “country lawyer” with a larger than life personality and heart of gold would also want to own a liquor store and a wedding venue. Think that one through or just ask George, he’ll tell you – his stories are really good – trust us, we’ve heard most of them many times!

The Formative Years

Let’s just say, George ain’t from around these parts, but after living in Kershaw County for 40 plus years, George “belongs” and has adapted quite well to life in the south. He’s now a NASCAR loving, tractor riding, good ole’ boy who raises chickens, peacocks, and turkeys on his “40 acres” in Lugoff, South Carolina. George grew up in upstate New York in a small town called Limestone. He attended college at the State University of New York at Genesao, home of the fighting Knights, and now proudly serves on his alma mater’s board of directors. After college and just prior to the start of the Vietnam War, George enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, rising to rank of Sergeant.  He served in Vietnam, stationed primarily in the I-Corps Tactical Zone near the DMZ. For his bravery and service to our country, George was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Contact V. Once a Marine, always a Marine, George describes his time in the Marine Corps simply as “the best thing that ever happened to me, but I was damn glad when it was over!” After service, George used the GI Bill to attend law school at the University of South Carolina. Why South Carolina you ask? Well, the short answer is because George’s family wanted to be south of the Mason-Dixon line! Weekends and off time from classes allowed George to make money and support his family by painting houses and tending bar at the Fort Jackson Officer’s Club. While working there, he met the man who would bring him to Kershaw County, Hezekiah Wyndol Carroll Furman a.k.a. H.W.C. Furman or Mr. Furman for short. Mr. Furman was a “cool cat” in his day and was a partner in the law firm that would later morph into STACLAW. If still alive, Mr. Furman would have turned 96 on January 13th of this year. Mr. Furman liked George and persuaded him to move his wife and children to Camden upon graduation from law school. The rest, as they say, is history!

The Law Gig

George is a trial lawyer. There are many lawyers who make this claim but George walks the walk. If he can’t be on a tractor or parking cars at his wedding venue, Rock Bottom Pond, he is happiest in a courtroom. Any courtroom will do, he could care less which one. As long as he’s in the arena, taking care of his clients and mixing it up with other lawyers, judges, bailiffs, and courtroom personnel he’ll be smilin’ and story-tellin’! Never rattled but always charismatic and certainly one of, if not the best-dressed in every court room he enters, George loves the thrill of the fight and is truly fun to watch. He will pick a jury on a simple traffic ticket or a complex personal injury case – doesn’t matter – he’s “all-in.” Energy, compassion and “loyalty to the cause” best describe what you’ll see when he’s in action. George’s practice focuses primarily on the “Big 3” as many refer to it – personal injury, criminal and domestic. By-and-large, the personal injury cases include representing folks hurt in automobile wrecks, a place of business, on the job or elsewhere. The injuries can range from relatively minor to catastrophic. He also loves criminal law and is known in many circles as “the man” when it comes to DUI defense. He is certainly sought after and known by many as “the one to get” if you’re having issues on the home front and are in need of a divorce. The cool part of all this is that George is genuinely passionate about his profession and is not afraid to fight it out or work to reach an amicable compromise. The Bullpen Blogger once asked our fearless leader what made him fearless and undeterred by most every difficult situation or circumstance – legal or otherwise. The answer was simple, memorable and went something like this: “Once you’ve taken fire (think Vietnam) everything else is pretty simple and not worth getting worked up over.” That’s George…and that’s why he’s our Ace!