Bert Brannon
Of Counsel
EDUCATION
New York University School of Law, Master of Laws in Taxation, 1992
University of South Carolina School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1991
University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business, Master of Business Administration, 1990
Furman University, Bachelor of Science, Computer Science/Mathematics, 1987
Associations
South Carolina Bar
Richland County Bar
American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, fellow
Columbia Tax Study Group, past chairman
Columbia Estate Planning Council, past president
Past Member of South Carolina Bar Estate Planning and Probate Law Advisory Committee
Leadership Columbia – Class of 1995
about
Bert Brannon concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, choice of entity planning, and business succession planning for high net worth individuals.
Bert is a Certified Specialist in the Areas of Estate Planning and Probate Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court. He represents individual and corporate fiduciaries in administration matters and is often called upon to serve as Personal Representative or Trustee in contested matters.
Although born in Bethesda, Maryland, Bert is a lifelong South Carolinian. He earned his B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Furman University, followed by an M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina School of Business. He received his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served as Associate Editor In Chief of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Journal, and was inducted into both the Order of the Wig and Robe and the Order of the Coif. Bert later earned his Master of Laws in Taxation (LLM) from New York University School of Law. He has been a member of the South Carolina Bar since 1991.
In his free time, Bert enjoys home meat processing, curing and smoking whatever he can get his hands on. He and his two sons, Brig and Rucker, are members of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia.
Honors & Awards
South Carolina Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate, Closely Held Businesses, 2010 to present
Legal Elite of the Midlands, Tax & Estate Law, 2020
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Best Lawyers in America:
Trusts and Estates, 2008 to present
Litigation – Trusts & Estates, 2018 to present
Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Trusts & Estates, 2019, 2022
Tax Law, 2020 to present
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Lawyer of the Year in 2024 for Trusts and Estates
Lawyer of Year for 2025 in in the practice areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Admissions & Certifications
U.S. Tax Court, 1993
U.S. District Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1992
U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, 1992
South Carolina 1991
South Carolina Supreme Court Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law
Published Works, classes & Seminars
Co-author, Wills and Testamentary Trusts Chapter, Estate Planning in South Carolina, Volume II
Author, South Carolina Probate Practice Manual, 5th Edition
South Carolina Author for Lawgic – South Carolina Wills and Trusts
University of South Carolina School of Law, adjunct professor, estate planning (2000 – 2019)
Frequent lecturer at SC Bar continuing legal education seminars