William B. Harvey, III moved to Beaufort with his family shortly after he was born. As an almost-lifelong resident, he now serves the Beaufort community as a partner in Harvey & Battey, P.A. and as the Beaufort city attorney. Recently, Bill (as he is known) was certified as a life member in both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, two of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States.
Growing up with a father and grandfather who were attorneys, Bill says that all he ever wanted to do was to become a lawyer himself and join his father’s firm. Soon after graduating cum laude from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law, he did just that.
“I have had the joy and privilege of practicing law with my father for 33 years,” Bill says, “and the honor of continuing the family’s involvement in Harvey & Battey for a third generation.”
It was Henry Chambers, who Bill says was like second father to him when he was growing up, who encouraged him to apply for the open position of Beaufort city attorney in 1987. It’s a position he has held since.
“I have loved helping steer Beaufort City Council and the city administration as they work for the good of our beautiful and historic community.”
Known and appreciated for his dedication to his clients and working to win their cases, Bill says his philosophy is to provide aggressive, but compassionate, legal representation to those who seek his services. Bill remembers a time early in his career when a judge wasn’t a fan of his courtroom style, though.
“In the course of a jury trial, former (now deceased) Circuit Judge Clyde Eltzroth threatened, in front of the jury, to throw me in jail for contempt for zealously representing my client at the trial,” says Bill. “I won the case, and surmise that the jury must have felt sorry for a young lawyer being ‘beaten up’ by such an experienced judge.”
In his recent appointment to the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums, Bill joins an elite group of approximately 4,000 attorneys in the United States who have served as lead counsel and have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements. Less than 1 percent of U.S. lawyers are members of these groups.
Additionally, Bill is a member of the bar in South Carolina, and can practice in the 4th and 11th Circuit Courts of Appeals. He’s also a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Court and a Certified South Carolina Mediator.
Bill has served on the Board of Trustees for the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation for nine years and he’s currently the chairman of the Hospital Foundation. He’s also a member of the Board of the Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail and an elder at First Presbyterian Church. In his free time, Bill is a member of the Sea Island Chamber Singers, an auditioned choral group, and a member of the First Presbyterian Church choir. He enjoys playing the guitar, hunting, fishing and road cycling.
Bill and his wife Martha are the parents of William Brantley Harvey, IV, Laura W. Harvey and Stuart C. Harvey.
Bill says he is proud that Harvey & Battey has been, and continues to be, a stable force in the legal community of Beaufort and Lowcountry South Carolina, providing continuous services for over 93 years.
“I am especially proud of my ability to work for over 33 years with my father, Colden Battey, and the other attorneys in our firm. One of my professional goals is to remain in the leadership of Harvey & Battey until it reaches its 100th anniversary in 2022.”
