Jeff Crudup is a partner in the Charleston office and focuses his practice on complex civil cases involving medical malpractice, automobile and motor carrier accidents and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Carlock Copeland, Jeff practiced in a large law firm based in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He has an array of litigation experience involving medical malpractice, construction litigation, employment litigation, general business and commercial litigation, and real estate disputes. Jeff also has experience providing general business advice to clients. As a litigator with transactional business experience, he works to limit the costs of litigation to his clients while working for the best possible outcomes for them. Since coming to Charleston, Jeff has become an active member of the South Carolina bar, but remains a member of the Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York Bars.
 

As even those outside the legal profession know, the right to a jury trial is fundamental in American law.  Another familiar legal concept is the class action lawsuit, where a group of similarly situated plaintiffs can band together to bring a civil suit, often against larger corporate defendants.  Less familiar is that these rights - the right to a jury trial and the right to form a class action - can be contracted away.  While jurisdictions may vary and each case turns on its own set of facts, this is the conclusion that the South Carolina Court of Appeals reached earlier this year in the case The Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Association v. DDC Construction, Inc., et al.  In the construction litigation context, this case is particularly notable given the increasing number of class action claims that general contractor, design professional  and subcontractor defendants face.

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Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification Defeated in South Carolina

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