09/19/2021
Welcome to our first post on our new page!
The Law Office of Bill Nettles is a unique Columbia, South Carolina law firm that focuses on False Claims Act/whistleblower claims, criminal defense, personal injury, and appellate litigation. We have a statewide practice, and also frequently represent whistleblowers in federal courts across the country.
With more than 100 years of combined legal experience, the four attorneys at the Law Office of Bill Nettles have a breadth of experience that is unparalleled.
Attorney Bill Nettles was appointed by President Obama as the United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina. Bill served in this role - as the chief federal prosecutor for the State of South Carolina - for six years. During his tenure, Bill focused on prosecuting serious federal crimes, including public corruption and government fraud, but he took a nuanced approach towards first-time, nonviolent offenders, viewing imprisonment as "a last resort." To that end, Bill created the BRIDGE Program, which is one of the country's first federal drug courts. On the civil side, Bill created one of the nation's most proactive and aggressive Affirmative Civil Enforcement ("ACE") teams in order to recover money from individuals and companies who have defrauded the federal government. Often, these cases were brought to the U.S. Attorneys Office by "whistleblowers," who are entitled to a percentage of the money recovered. Bill has now brought this experience, along with his many years as a public defender and private criminal defense attorney, to private practice and represents whistleblowers, plaintiffs, and criminal defendants in state and federal courts across the country.
Attorney Fran Trapp spent 23 years as an Assistant United States Attorney, focusing on False Claims Act/whistleblower cases. Fran was on the ACE team at the U.S. Attorneys Office and worked closely with Bill Nettles in order to recover money fraudulently obtained or withheld from the federal government. Fran now represents whistleblowers in federal courts across the country, and has unmatched experience dealing with the federal government in False Claims Act cases.
Attorney John Delgado is one of the most experienced criminal defense lawyers in the State of South Carolina. John has obtained many beneficial results for clients in state and federal court, including acquittals in several high-profile murder cases. Despite his trial acumen, John recognizes that the best results in criminal cases typically occur before a jury is ever empaneled. For that reason, John strives to obtain successful results for his clients as efficiently as possible so that they can put their criminal charges behind them.
Attorney John L. Warren III focuses his practice on civil litigation, criminal defense, and appellate litigation. John worked for a boutique litigation firm in Columbia for several years, and also clerked for judges on the Supreme Court of South Carolina, United States District Court, and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. His time working for state and federal judges gives him an unmatched insight into the way the courts work and how judges evaluate and decide cases. Given his experience working inside the court system, John is often consulted by other attorneys on high stakes civil, criminal, and appellate litigation.
At the Law Office of Bill Nettles, we have counseled and represented clients in nearly every type of civil or criminal case imaginable, ranging from victims of car wrecks to individuals facing the death penalty. We look forward to serving the legal needs of our fellow South Carolinians and individuals across the country.
