Event Information

Barbara Seymour represents lawyers, law firms, judges, and law students in matters related to ethics, professional discipline, and Bar admissions at Clawson & Staubes, LLC in Columbia. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Management and Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1990 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia in 1993. Barbara worked as a trial lawyer until 2000 when she joined the staff of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. She served as the Deputy Disciplinary Counsel from 2007 until 2017. Barbara is a member of the South Carolina Bar, the State Bar of Georgia, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, and the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association. She currently serves on the Law Related Education, Professional Responsibility, Unauthorized Practice of Law, and Diversity Committees at the South Carolina Bar. She was a 2006 and 2011 Fellow of the National Institute for the Teaching of Ethics and Professionalism. She is the author of Trust Accounting for South Carolina Lawyers: An Annotated Practice Manual, published by the SC Bar. She has also taught a variety of Paralegal Studies courses since 1998. 

Beth Padgett was named Director of Lawyers Helping Lawyers at the SC Bar in August of 2022, after having served as Co-Director and Assistant Director since coming to LHL in December of 2010. Beth received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts in Human Behavior and Conflict Management from Columbia College. She has completed numerous graduate hours in counseling and addiction studies at USC and holds a certification in drug and alcohol counseling through the South Carolina Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors. She recently completed certification as a Grief Specialist through University of Wisconsin at Madison Continuing Education Program. Mindfulness and other contemplative practices have been the foundation of her life and work for over twenty years. She completed the Mindfulness for Professionals Program at Duke Integrative Medicine Center in 2011, Phase 1 of Koru Mindfulness Teacher Certification, a mindfulness program for emerging adults developed at Duke University; a 200-hour yoga teacher training course in 2014, teacher training in Y12SR (Yoga for 12-Step Recovery) in 2015, and numerous continuing education hours in yoga, including laughter yoga and yoga for grief recovery, and mindfulness, including Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery.

Destinee S. Wilson was born in Augusta, GA and raised in North Augusta, SC. She graduated with honors from North Augusta High School in 2012. She then went to Clemson University where she graduated with honors with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Communication Studies. Upon receiving her bachelor's degree, Destinee went on to receive her dual Juris Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina School of Law and the Darla Moore School of Business.

She passed the Bar to become an attorney in 2021. For the first year of her legal career, Destinee served as a Staff Attorney for the South Carolina Supreme Court. She now has pursued her passion of family law and works as an Associate Attorney at Archer Swearingen Family Law, LLC in Columbia, SC. In addition to being an attorney, Destinee owns and operates DSW Consulting Agency, a luxury event planning business.

Destinee actively serves on numerous South Carolina Bar and Young Lawyer Division committee including the Judicial Qualifications Committee, the Diversity Committee, the Cinderella Project Committee, the Membership Events and Professional Development Committee, and the Special Projects Committee. In addition to her work for the Bar, Destinee is an active member of the Gamma Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  She also serves faithfully at her church, Forward City Church. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, going to the movies, and having brunch with friends.
 

M. Kent Lesesne joined the Association of Counties in February 2007. Prior to that time, he was a litigation attorney in the General Counsel’s Office of the South Carolina Department of Labor, License and Regulations. Kent is a 1989 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and English from the University of South Carolina in 1986. He served as the Director of Governmental Affairs at the Association for six years where he managed a team of attorneys that advocated behalf of the counties at the General Assembly. He currently serves as Of Counsel and continues to assist the legislative team at the General Assembly as well as conducts training for counties on various issues, including the Freedom of Information Act.

Sheila Abron is a partner at Fisher Phillips, LLP. Certified as a Specialist in Employment and Labor Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court, Sheila represents companies and educational institutions-large and small-as they navigate employment issues related to hiring, discipline, investigations, employment discrimination, unemployment, and other related issues. As Chair of the Firm's Government Contracting, Compliance and Reporting Practice Group, she has extensive experience providing compliance advice to federal contractors on affirmative action and OFCCP regulations and audits. Sheila also has a wealth of experience working on collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and class actions under wage and hour state laws. She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA). Sheila also provides training for supervisors and managers on harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, the Family Medical Leave Act, diversity and inclusion, and many other areas. 

Sheila is involved in various professional and community activities. She is a past president of the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations, the South Carolina Women Lawyers' Association (SCWLA) and the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers (SCYLD) Division. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Columbia - Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the Riverbanks Zoo Society. Sheila is active in the Richland County Bar, American Bar Association, and is a member of the Junior League of Columbia.

Prior to attending law school, Sheila was a member of store leadership for a Fortune 500 retail company, providing employee supervision and managing a variety of employee issues related to wage and hour, workers' compensation, discrimination issues, performance management, and other personnel issues.
Sheila has been recognized for her contributions to the legal profession and her community at large, having been twice named to the Columbia Regional Business Report's Women of Influence list, Columbia Business Monthly's Legal Elite of the Midlands, and the American Bar Association's On the Rise - Top 40 under 40. She has been consistently recognized in South Carolina Super Lawyers and was a recipient of the Leadership in the Law award.  She was awarded the Johnathon Jasper Wright Award by The Honorable Matthew J. Perry Chapter of the Black Law Students Association at the University of South Carolina School of Law, is a three-time recipient of the President's Award and a four-time recipient of the Star of the Quarter award from the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers' Division. Sheila has also been recognized as a Silver Compleat lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association. This award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of professional competence, ethics, and integrity.

Sheila's depth of experience in a variety of employment-related issues has made her a trusted source for commentary. She is regularly quoted in prominent media outlets such as Bloomberg Law, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, SC Lawyers Weekly, Business Insurance, Federal News Network, Law 360, EHS Today, and HR Dive.  
 

Shelley Montague is a shareholder in her firm’s Columbia, South Carolina office and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, including complex construction and insurance matters. She represents clients in state and federal courts across South Carolina, frequently handling multi-million dollar claims. Her experience with insurance coverage disputes covers all types of third-party and first-party claims, such as commercial general liability, professional liability, auto, and property. She has handled numerous matters involving time-limited demands, umbrella/excess coverage, and additional insured issues. Shelley also frequently represents clients against bad faith and extra-contractual claims.

Shelley is a graduate of Washington & Lee University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She is an active member of the Defense Research Institute and the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), where she serves on its Membership Committee. Shelley has earned an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been repeatedly recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Columbia Business Magazine for her work in construction and insurance law.