Event Information

Harvey M. Watson III is a graduate of The Citadel and Emory University School of Law. He has worked in private practice since his admission to the SC Bar in 2005. He began at a small firm with a general practice, handling personal injury and domestic litigation, then later real estate closings before joining the Law Offices of Desa Ballard. He now calls on that varied background as a partner in the firm of Ballard & Watson, where he handles appellate litigation of a varied nature, but devotes the majority of his practice to representation of licensed professionals before regulatory boards and agencies. As part of that focus, he has the opportunity to represent many attorneys involved with pending disciplinary investigations before the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. He also assists attorneys and firms who hope to prevent such matters from arising (or recurring) through consultation regarding law firm and trust account management generally. Harvey enjoys assisting clients when broad, generalized rules of professional conduct must be translated and applied to issues that arise in the real world practice of law, such as handling difficult clients, interpreting vague and confusing advertising limitations, or when associates suddenly depart.

Harvey serves on the SC Bar's Professional Responsibility Committee to gain insight into the evolution of the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the Ethics Advisory Committee to help contribute to their reasonable interpretation and application.

James L. Bell is the founder and senior partner in THE BELL LAW FIRM, P.A., formerly Bell, Thames, Strait & McCall, with offices in Charleston, SC and Jacksonville, Florida.  His practice includes federal civil trial law, tort litigation, medical malpractice litigation, personal injury, arbitration and mediation and international law. 

Mr. Bell has been a member of The Florida Bar for over thirty years (past member of the Professional Ethics Committee) and the South Carolina Bar (past member of the Ethics Advisory Committee). He has also been a member of the Federal Bar Association, the American Association of Justice  and has is a past Board Member and President  for the Florida Legal Services, Inc; and has served on the Florida Bar Foundation Board of Governors. He was honored as one of America's Most Honored Lawyers in 2020. ( The America Registry)

Mr. Bell is a member of the United States Supreme Court; Florida Supreme Court; United States Tax Court; United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals of Richmond, VA; United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans, LA; Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta, GA; United States District Court, Southern District of Florida; United States District Court, Middle District of Florida; United States District Court, Northern District of Florida.

Mr. Bell has an extensive history of community and Bar volunteer services. He was admitted to the Pro Bono Honor Roll by the Supreme Court of South Carolina on March 3, 2021. His community volunteer services include assisting with the Boys Club, the YMCA and the Red Cross during several disasters and hurricanes. He volunteered to give free insurance coverage advice in Fort Lauderdale after recent hurricanes and has assisted legal service agencies with state and federal civil ligation matters. He currently is a member of the Alternate Dispute Section of the Florida Bar and is a volunteer with Florida Free Legal Answers project sponsored by the American Bar Association.
He has written numerous legal articles for the Florida Bar, the South Carolina Bar and other professional publications and has also participated in Continuing Legal Education seminars over the last 25 years in California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, the latest being "Ethics and professionalism" E.U. Attorneys, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sept. 16, 2023,SC Bar "Hot Topics"Ethics Seminar, Legal Ethics,February 22, 2023: "Professionalism  of  an Attorney,"Annual Florida Bar Convention. June 5, 2022,  Attorney Fees and Client Funds," National Business Institute (NBI), February, 21, 2020, and several medical-legal issue seminars, including "Medical Records Seminar HIPPA Regulations, " in Charleston, South Carolina and Miami, FL. (April, 2009) and HIPPA Medical Documentation Requirements in Florida, Lorman, Publication #483579. He has continually participated in CLE seminars during entire his legal career.  Mr. Bell received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of South Carolina.