Desa Ballard
I entered private practice in 1987, after several years of working for the state court system, first as a law clerk to then-circuit judge Ralph King Anderson Jr., and later as law clerk to Chief Justice J. B. “Bubba” Ness. I practiced with a law firm for ten (10) years, then opened my own office in 1997. I started doing attorney grievance work because of my familiarity with attorney grievance procedures, which I learned while working at the Supreme Court. That led to my representation of other professionals before their respective licensing boards, and the development of my “boutique” practice. I have studied the field of attorney ethics issues through membership in the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, and the Center for Professional Responsibility of the ABA, as well as independent study of the development of lawyer discipline throughout the country. I have served on lots of committees with the South Carolina Bar and the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. I lecture frequently on issues related to legal ethics and professionalism and, when I can find time, I write articles for various legal publications. With my good friend, Greg Adams, I have taught a class on advanced legal profession at the USC Law School on and off for about 15 years.
I grew up in Augusta, Georgia, and moved to South Carolina while a high school student, graduating from Irmo High School in a year that was long, long ago. My degrees in Journalism and Law are from the University of South Carolina. My “daughter” (too hard to explain), Mara Ballard, is my best friend and the mother of Marcy, who I consider to be my grandchild.
I am married to my high school sweetheart, Butch Allen, and we live on Lake Murray, which I believe is the most beautiful place on earth. We have a black Dachshund named Frank, who was adopted through an animal rescue program. I freely admit I am a recovering workaholic. I have no spare time, but if I did, I would read non-legal stuff, attend theater and concerts, and do some girly-stuff, like crocheting and quilting. I love fresh flowers and try to keep a bouquet on my desk at all times. I like my music loud, with lots of bass.
Thanks to Harvey and Stephanie for coming on board – this is a great team.
Harvey M. Watson III
I am a native South Carolinian that grew up in Irmo, SC before attending The Citadel, where I served on the Honor Court before graduation with a degree in Political Science in 2002. I left Charleston and headed to Atlanta where I attended the Emory University School of Law until graduation in 2005.
I returned to my home state and practiced in Columbia for several years handling personal injury and domestic litigation, with a portion of my practice devoted to residential real estate transactions. I often call upon that varied legal experience to understand my clients and advocate effectively on their behalf. I currently serve as a member of the South Carolina Bar Association Professional Responsibility Committee.
My wife, who is a nurse at a local hospital, and I have been together since high school and married since 2004. Our beagle and cat are doing well despite receiving much less attention since the recent addition of a beautiful daughter to our family.
Stephanie Weissenstein
A Sumter native and daughter of avid Gamecock Club members, I graduated from the University of South Carolina cum laud in 2001 with a B.A. in Journalism (emphasis on Public Relations). While in college, I worked at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough as a project assistant on one of the mass tort teams.
In 2004, I graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where I served as Business Editor for the Journal of International Law and Business. Immediately after graduation, I joined Carol Sanders, PA in Columbia, practicing domestic litigation. Then, in 2006, I wooed my former professor, Desa Ballard, over a breakfast meeting and subsequently became an associate in her firm the following February. I serve on the South Carolina Bar’s Ethics Advisory Committee and have assisted Desa in preparing materials for her popular lecture and CLE circuit. Harvey and I were very excited when Desa asked us to become official “partners” and created Ballard Watson Weissenstein.
In my spare time, I enjoy activities involving travel, yoga, and art. I love indulging in a decadent meal. My dogs, Nala and Ziva, are husky mixes and they are the prettiest dogs in the world.