Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP (commonly referred to simply as Nelson Mullins) is a U.S. law firm and lobby group based in Columbia, South Carolina. Nelson Mullins has over 1000 attorneys, policy advisors, and professionals across 33 offices serving clients in more than 100 practice areas. In 2023, the American Lawyer ranked the firm as the 68th largest law firm in the nation based on 2022 gross revenue. It is the largest law firm in South Carolina by number of lawyers.

History

The firm was founded by Patrick Henry Nelson II (1856-1914) of Camden and Columbia, S.C. Nelson was the Fifth Circuit Solicitor, President of the South Carolina Bar Association (1911-1912), and member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1885-1887). His son, William Shannon Nelson (1881-1939) ran the firm after his father, as did William's son, Patrick Henry Nelson III (1910-1964). Patrick Henry Nelson II became a key player in one of South Carolina's most famous criminal trials, State v. Tillman. Nelson defended Lt. Gov. James Tillman for the murder of the editor of The State newspaper in Columbia. Nelson Mullins opened its 18th office in Baltimore, MD in February 2018. On January 24, 2022, it announced the addition of 22 partners to the firm’s national litigation practice including new offices in Minneapolis, San Diego, and Richmond, with nine additional partners expected to be added in Dallas in the near future. As of 2023, Nelson Mullins had 33 offices including in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP celebrated 125 years of legal service in 2022.

Practice Areas

Notable lawyers and alumni