Christian B. Stegmaier

Practice Focus/Trial Experience:

• Appellate: representing clients in state and federal appellate venues in civil and criminal matters.  Building on the experience as an appellate law clerk and appearing numerous times before appellate tribunals as counsel, representation includes pre-briefing review and analysis of the case - including candid advice concerning the chances for favorable outcome, careful research and briefing and appearing at oral argument.
• Retail / Hospitality / Entertaiment Liability Defense: defending  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, Dram Shop / alcohol liability.  Also involved in matters pertaining to licensure and other administrative decisions of state regulatory agencies.

Professional, Civic, and Community Involvement:

• Defense Research Institute
  • Retail & Hospitality Substantive Law Committee
• Primerus Defense Institute
  • Chair, Retail / Hospitality / Entertainment Liability Practice Group
• Professor, Hotel & Restaurant Law
  • University of South Carolina, College of Hospitality, Retail & Sport Management
• Global Alliance of Hospitality Attorneys
• Hospitality Association of South Carolina
• South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association
• South Carolina Bar
• Richland County Bar Association
• Boy Scouts of America, Indian Waters Council
  • Chairman, Scoutreach District
  • Chair, Finance Committee - Scoutreach District

Papers, Presentations and Publications:

• Publisher of the South Carolina Retail & Hospitality Law Blog
• Publisher of retail/hospitality/entertainment-related tweets on Twitter at @cstegmaier
• Third Party Assault Case: What You Need to Know About Protecting Your Customers, Employees, and Business, South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores Fall Planning Conference, September 12, 2011, Columbia, South Carolina
• Identified by the University of South Carolina as a “Hurricane Expert” in the areas of retail and hospitality hurricane preparedness and emergency response, 2011
• Current Trends in Loss Prevention and Security, Defense Research Institute-Strictly Retail CLE, May 12, 2011, Chicago, Illinois (presented with Catherine Kays of JCPenney and Robert Vranek of Belk, Inc./Belk Stores Services, Inc.)
• Applying the Rules of Running a Successful Drive-thru to Satisfying Your Law Firm’s Clients: The Surprising Connection, The Primerus 180, Spring 2011
• Understanding the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, March 7, 2011, South Carolina Public Risk Managers Association 2011 Conference, Greenville, South Carolina
• Limiting Liability in Alcohol Sales, The 2011 Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Exposition, March 2, 2011, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Ripped from the Headlines: Avoiding Liability and Negative Publicity by Taking Lessons from Actual News Stories (with Elizabeth DeConti and David T. Denney), Ninth Annual Hospitality Law Conference, February 9-11, 2011, Houston, Texas
• Celebrating New Year’s Eve Safely (quoted in WECT-TV web story), December 31, 2010

Speaking Engagements:

• Collins & Lacy Shareholder Christian Stegmaier to Present at 2011 DRI Strictly Retail Conference
• Collins & Lacy Shareholder Christian Stegmaier to Present at SC PRIMA 2011 Conference, March 7, 2011
• Collins & Lacy Shareholder Christian Stegmaier to Speak at the SE Petro Show, March 2, 2011,Limited Liability in Alcohol Sales
• Hospitality Law event, featuring attorney Christian Stegmaier, to examine privacy and PR, February 11, 2011
• In Defense of Your First Amendment Rights, Collins & Lacy Attorney Christian Stegmaier to present at Clemson University, October 13, 2010
• Collins & Lacy Attorney Christian Stegmaier to present to S.C. Hospitality Association on New Rules with Alcohol Liability, October 12, 2010