Burnette Shutt & McDaniel opens new law offices in Vista District
COLUMBIA, SC – Three experienced and skilled attorneys have come together to create Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, a forward-thinking law firm with offices in Columbia’s historic business district.
Burnette Shutt & McDaniel will focus on employment law, environmental law, privacy issues and litigation. Founders M. Malissa Burnette, Nekki Shutt and Kathleen McDaniel practiced together for nearly seven years before forming the firm. Janet Rhodes and Jacqueline “Jax” Pavlicek join them at the new firm.
“The opportunity to build a unique law practice with people who are both colleagues and friends doesn’t arise often in life,” Burnette said. “It is exciting to work with lawyers who have similar values and goals.”
Nekki Shutt pointed to the five attorneys’ common, and at times shared, histories. “The lawyers at our firm have challenged social injustices in landmark cases,” Shutt said. “We’ve also fought for change on a micro level, helping people with issues in their neighborhoods and assisting small businesses. Our attorneys bring the same commitment and determination to every case, whether we’re working to change the law for many people or to help a single person.”
Kathleen McDaniel noted that the firm’s location in a turn-of-the-century building with contemporary touches fits with the attorneys’ histories. “Our offices merge the best of the modern era with a respect for tradition. The same could be said of our practice.”
Employment law, government law and privacy
Burnette and Shutt, along with attorney Janet Rhodes, will focus on employment law. This will include discrimination, civil rights and employee benefits under laws such as ERISA. Shutt and Burnette are certified South Carolina specialists in employment law. They’ve represented clients in precedent-setting cases, serving as lead counsel in the litigation that paved the way for same-sex marriage in South Carolina.
McDaniel’s practice will focus on environmental law, including permitting and zoning and land use. She’ll also represent clients in other government issues such as utility cases, administrative law and condemnation and eminent domain.
Attorney Jax Pavlicek will assist clients with a range of privacy issues, from information security to aiding in recovery in the event of a data breach. She holds a CIPP/US designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Earning that credential requires extensive training and an exhaustive examination.