History

Our firm can trace its history back to the year 1887, when Harry J. Haynsworth opened his first law office in Greenville, South Carolina.

He was later joined in the practice by his son and eventually, his grandson, Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr., who served as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for 32 years - 17 years as chief judge. In 1986, almost a century later, the Haynsworth firm merged with the Columbia/Charleston, South Carolina firm of McKay & Guerard to form Haynsworth Marion McKay & Guerard, LLP.

Prior to World War II, the late Huger Sinkler of Charleston formed the law firm that would become Sinkler, Gibbs & Simons, a practice known for its strength in public finance and the areas of tax, real estate, insurance, admiralty law and commercial litigation.

In 1951, the late William C. Boyd formed the Columbia firm which became Boyd, Knowlton, Tate & Finlay, P.A., representing major financial institutions, utilities and numerous state and national corporations in the areas of tax, securities, finance, real estate and civil litigation. That same firm merged with the Sinkler firm in 1987 to form Sinkler & Boyd, P.A., which in turn merged with the Haynsworth firm in 2001 - establishing the Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. firm we know today.