South Carolina Legal Pioneer Judge Margaret Seymour Joins Saxton & Stump

Press Release

Saxton & Stump is pleased to announce that the Hon. Margaret B. Seymour has joined the firm in its Charleston office. In 1998, President Bill Clinton nominated Judge Seymour to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She became the first African American woman to be named a U.S. District Court Judge in South Carolina. In 2012 she became the first African American named chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.  Judge Seymour, who retired from the bench on August 31, 2022, will now join Saxton & Stump to offer her services as a mediator and arbitrator, as well as providing support to the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Title IX and Labor and Employment groups, putting to use her decades of legal experience both from behind and in front of the bench to help clients navigate complex legal issues.

“We are thrilled to deepen our team in Charleston by adding Judge Seymour, who is one of the luminaries of the South Carolina legal community,” said Saxton & Stump CEO James Saxton. “We strive to grow by delivering the highest quality of services possible to our clients, and someone as deeply connected to South Carolina as Judge Seymour will help us uphold that standard.”

Judge Seymour’s career began in Washington, D.C., where she worked as an equal opportunity specialist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare from 1972 to 1979 while earning her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, in 1977. After serving in the same position at the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission, she began her law career as an attorney for the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education from 1980 to 1988. After a short stint in private practice, she returned to public sector work as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina from 1990 to 1996. Twice during that time, she was named the interim U.S. attorney for the district. In 1996, Judge Seymour was named as a United States Magistrate Judge in South Carolina. In 1998, she was nominated and confirmed by the Senate to U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, ultimately serving as chief judge and later taking senior status.

Judge Seymour will also be part of Optimal Dispute Resolutions, a Saxton & Stump partner company that works with parties who are pursuing alternative dispute resolutions to avoid a lengthy and costly court trial. The company is led by the Hon. Lawrence F. Stengel (Ret.) who leads a team of neutrals who handle both general and niche-specific matters. Seymour will add her experience specifically to handling disputes involving class actions, complex civil litigation, employment and commercial disputes.

She joins the Saxton & Stump office in Charleston, which recently added attorneys Alice Paylor, Elizabeth “Beth” Palmer, and Bijan Ghom, as well as other associates and paralegals. Saxton & Stump is a full-service law firm with established practices in commercial litigation, insurance, labor and employment, as well as a full suite of business and corporate services. The firm continues to grow based on their strategic plan for 2022 and plans to expand its current team of lawyers and professionals, focusing on bringing additional resources to support client needs.

“Saxton & Stump has quickly made a name for itself in the Charleston area and in all of South Carolina,” Judge Seymour said. “I’m eager to start the next stage of my career during this exciting time for the firm in South Carolina and throughout its entire footprint.”

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