What’s Next? Post COVID-19 World for Retailers/Hospitality Operators and Litigation

What’s Next? Post COVID-19 World for Retailers/Hospitality Operators and Litigation

Shareholder Christian Stegmaier is a member of the Management Committee and chair of the firm’s Retail & Hospitality Practice Group. He defends national and regional leaders in the retail, hospitality, and entertainment sectors doing business in South Carolina in claims involving premises liability, loss prevention, food adulteration, third party torts, and alcohol liability. He is also involved in matters pertaining to ADA issues and licensure and other administrative decisions of state regulatory agencies.

In addition to his practice focus in retail and hospitality, Christian is skilled in appellate advocacy and complex litigation. Building on his experience as an appellate law clerk and appearing more than 30 times before various state and federal appellate tribunals as counsel, Christian’s representation includes prebriefing review and analysis of the case with careful research and candid advice, as well as appearing at oral argument.

Christian is founder and contributor of the South Carolina Retail & Hospitality Law Blog, a resource for retailers and hospitality-related entities doing business in South Carolina. In addition to his practice, Christian is a Professor of Hotel & Restaurant Law at the University of South Carolina’s nationally acclaimed College of Hospitality, Retail & Sport Management. He has taught Hotel & Restaurant Law (HRTM 357) to upperclassmen HRTM majors since Spring 2009. Prior to joining Collins & Lacy, Christian served as a law clerk to The Honorable Ralph King Anderson, Jr., Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals.

Rich is a seasoned litigator with 24 years of extensive jury trial and courtroom experience, and has achieved the highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubble, an AV rating. He represents insurance companies and their insureds, as well as self-insured companies, in serious litigation involving premises liability, retail and hospitality defense, construction injuries, insurance law, product liability, automobile and company trucking issues, and other complex litigation involving generally high-exposure claims. He has handled nearly every type of injury and death case imaginable. Rich likewise handles serious cases arising out of dependent care such as at schools, daycares, assisted living facilities and nursing care related claims.

He has developed a particular focus on the hospitality and retail industry, and the companies that he represents include many of the largest and most recognizable companies and brands in the United States and around the world. He fully understands the philosophy of protecting the brand of his clients and is oftentimes called upon to conduct emergency investigations of serious accidents just after they occur. Rich has a particular focus on shifting litigation exposure from his clients to other entities through indemnification agreements, contracts and other tools that are not so obvious, and has been called upon to give presentations to attorneys and other groups across the United States on this subject. Rich handles business and commercial disputes between companies, often times arising out of vendor-seller relationships, as well as other company related disputes. He has handled extensive litigation involving defamation such as in political campaigns and business related defamation cases.

In addition to handling a full caseload of defense litigation, Rich supervises and mentors attorneys and provides strategy input on cases being handled by others in the firm. He is also the Chair of the firm’s Retail and Hospitality practice. Rich is frequently called upon to make presentations to groups covering legal-related topics relevant to his practice areas, including to attorneys, clients and other professionals around the country.