Giles Schanen is a litigation partner in the Firm’s Greenville, South Carolina office. He focuses his practice primarily in the areas of business and commercial litigation, product liability, and construction law. Mr. Schanen has tried numerous cases, and has extensive experience representing clients in litigation involving contract disputes, construction disputes, insurance coverage disputes, business torts, trade secrets, shareholder law, employment law, and consumer law. He also regularly advises clients on the legality under state and federal law of various sweepstakes and other business promotions. He has taught and published in the areas of electronic discovery, trade secret law, and construction law.

Mr. Schanen is a member of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association where he currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Commercial and Business Litigation Substantive Law Committee.  He also is a member of the American Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, and the Greenville Bar. He is active in the Greenville community, where he currently serves as chair of the finance and stewardship committees at his church, and has served on various committees at Thornblade Club.

Mr. Schanen earned a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2002. During law school, he served on the Journal of Intellectual Property, and as an intern for the Honorable John C. Few, Circuit Judge for South Carolina’s 13th Judicial Circuit. In 1999, Mr. Schanen earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Furman University, where he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta and the varsity baseball team.

Representative Cases

• Successfully represented synthetic stucco installer at trial on claims by owner of automobile dealership that faulty installation of synthetic stucco led to severe moisture intrusion issues.
• Represented start-up company and its founder against claims by founder’s former employer that start-up’s valuable fiber technology was invented on former employer’s time, and therefore belonged to former employer. Obtained dismissal of start-up prior to trial, and, following trial against founder, obtained ruling that start-up was entitled to retain all rights to the technology at issue.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of former Chief Executive Officer of technology company against claims that alleged mismanagement of company resulted in losses of more than $10,000,000.00. Following grant of summary judgment, obtained award of attorneys’ fees against former technology company under state indemnification statute.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of grocery chain on claim that insurance company wrongfully denied coverage of large claim stemming from assault of customer outside of grocery store, resulting in award to grocery chain of amount paid to settle underlying claim plus attorneys’ fees.
• Successfully defended large restaurant chain against request for temporary injunction based on alleged violation of South Carolina Trade Secrets Act which, if granted, could have resulted in temporary nationwide closure of chain’s restaurants.
• Obtained dismissal prior to trial of multiple lawsuits against lighter manufacturer brought by plaintiffs who claimed to have suffered burn injuries as a result of lighter malfunctions.