Columbia associate Madison Guyton focuses her practice in the areas of general business litigation, consumer financial services litigation, appellate practice and strategy, and insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. Prior to joining Nelson Mullins, she served as a law clerk for the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee and Richland County Probate Court, and she also served as a research assistant for the University of South Carolina’s Rule of Law Collaborative.

Madison graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2021, where she earned six CALI Awards for Excellence, served as a property tutor, and was a member of the Order of the Coif, Order of the Wig and Robe, and South Carolina Law Review.

What do you like the most about your work? 

As a second-year associate, one of the things I appreciate most about my work is the diversity of my caseload. I’m fortunate to be on a team that does work across several different practice areas, which has afforded me the opportunity to work on a wide variety of matters like contractual disputes between corporations, alleged construction defect class actions, and consumer finance arbitrations, to name a few. I get to learn something new every day while working with people whose careers I admire, and that makes me truly value my position.

What do you attribute to your success in your career so far? 

I attribute the success I’ve experienced at Nelson Mullins so far to the firm’s culture of mentorship. When I first started, the firm connected me with a mentor who encouraged me to become involved with committee work to learn more about and connect with people across the firm. Volunteering to serve on the programming subcommittee for the Women’s Affinity Group, WOGO, provided me with the opportunity to meet with and receive the advice of numerous women throughout the firm, and I attribute their trailblazing and commitment to raising each other up to what I’ve been able to accomplish.

What led you to the practice of law? 

As a senior at a STEM high school, reading “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw” for a field biology class made me consider how the law shapes the world and also how the practice of law captures a multitude of my intersecting interests. My decision to pursue the practice of law was solidified in college when a guest speaker noted how, in practicing civil litigation, he got to learn something new almost every day. Similarly, my decision to practice at Nelson Mullins was strongly influenced by a partner telling me that the firm’s environment encouraged him to remain intellectually curious.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

When I’m not working, I enjoy painting, baking, and exploring South Carolina’s state parks — my resolution for 2023 is to camp in a state park at least once a month throughout the year. A more recent out-of-office endeavor is training my dog, Dudley, with my partner to run next to our bikes. He’s catching on pretty quickly and has a trailer (chariot) to climb into once he gets tired out.