Meet Parker

Parker Barnes focuses on real property and business litigation, primarily on matters involving tax sales, real estate-related disputes, consumer financial services and commercial lending disputes.

Property taxes

For over 20 years, Parker has represented tax sale purchasers, servicers, financial services companies and other businesses in cases focused on the process for collecting property taxes. These matters have included actions to both confirm and invalidate tax sales.

Real estate litigation

Parker has represented businesses, public utility companies and individuals in various real estate matters. His work ranges from contractual disputes arising out of property sales to actions involving title insurance, boundary disputes, easements, encroachments, commercial leases and actions to partition real property.

Lending laws

He has represented local, regional and national financial services companies (banks, mortgage lenders and finance companies) in matters concerning the enforcement of federal lending laws, the South Carolina Consumer Protection Code, similar laws and in matters involving the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Parker has defended mortgage lenders in statewide class-action lawsuits. With the onset of the Great Recession, his consumer financial services practice expanded to include defending foreclosing lenders against various consumer-law counterclaims, as well as counterclaims arising out of the Home Affordable Modification Program and other foreclosure intervention options. He continues his practice of defending lenders and assisting with the resolution of the various issues that confront lenders.

A native of South Carolina and knowledgeable about the regional business environment, Parker represents businesses in contractual and operational disputes of many other types.

• University of South Carolina, J.D., 2000
• Furman University, B.A., cum laude, 1997

• South Carolina, 2000
• U.S. District Court, South Carolina, 2001

• The Best Lawyers in America© Commercial Litigation (2020-2025) and Litigation - Real Estate (2019-2025)
• Best Lawyers® 2022 Litigation - Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” Columbia
• South Carolina Lawyers Weekly 2020 Leadership in Law Award 
• South Carolina Super Lawyers® Real Estate (2018-2021) and "Rising Stars" Banking (2014-2015)
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® Rating  

• National Tax Lien Association
• Independent Banks of South Carolina
• South Carolina Bar, House of Delegates (2014-2018)
• American Bar Association
• John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court
• Leadership Columbia, Class of 2004

• “A Tax Sale Timeline,” South Carolina Association of Auditors, Treasurers, and Tax Collectors Academy, Columbia, SC, February 8, 2024
• “South Carolina Tax Sales,” National Tax Lien Association 2022 Fall Symposium, October 13, 2022
• “South Carolina Department of Revenue Issues Decision Regarding 2019 Tax Sale,” HSB Blog, August 30, 2021
• "Quiet Title Post Tax Sale," 2018 South Carolina Bar CLE Division Master-In-Equity Bench and Bar, October 12, 2018
• "Recent Developments/Best Practices for Tax Collectors," 2018 Academy for County Auditors, Treasurers and Tax Collectors, February 8, 2018
• "Three Common Pitfalls in Tax Sales Purchases," HSB Blog, March 2017
• “Pitfalls to Avoid at South Carolina Tax Sales,” National Title Lien Association 2017 Annual Conference, March 2017
• “Tax Sales and Quiet Title Actions,” South Carolina Bar Government Law Section Mid-Year Update, June 19, 2015