News: Press Release

The Law Offices of James C. Hardin III, PLLC is Joining Forces with Offit Kurman Furthering Offit Kurman’s Expansion in the Southeast

Baltimore, MD - Effective January 1, 2021, James C. ('Jim') Hardin III and The Law Offices of James C. Hardin III, PLLC will officially join forces with Offit Kurman. Mr. Hardin is exceptionally well known in the Carolinas with his two-state practice and has a regional reputation in speaking and educating his peers.

Offit Kurman's affiliation with The Law Offices of James C. Hardin III, PLLC is part of Offit Kurman's plan to grow substantially in the Southeast. Offit Kurman opened its first office in the Southeast in Charlotte last year through affiliation with the Charlotte-based law firm of Horack Talley. Many of the attorneys in Offit Kurman's Charlotte office are dual licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina. The Law Offices of James C. Hardin III, PLLC affiliation will provide the platform needed for Offit Kurman to serve clients throughout the Carolinas.

Jim Hardin Headshot 1

James C. Hardin, III

"We are very excited that The Law Offices of James C. Hardin III, PLLC are joining Offit Kurman. This affiliation will be our first progression into South Carolina with others to follow. Jim Hardin and Amy Montague are well known and highly respected estate planning and estate administration attorneys. They will add experienced depth to Offit Kurman's Trust and Estate practice."

— Smithy Curry, Managing Principal of the Offit Kurman Charlotte office

The affiliation with Offit Kurman will complement Mr. Hardin's current practice areas of Estate and Business Succession Planning, Probate and Trust Administration, and service as expert witness and consultant. Adding multiple estate planners, along with a real estate and family law practice to their arsenal, Mr. Hardin feels the affiliation "will be a great way to practice law, especially due to the tremendous amount of interaction between South Carolina and North Carolina, while providing clients precisely what they'll need from start to finish."

 

"Offit Kurman allows me to focus on the practice of law, and the symbiotic practice group relationships between our firms will grant us a greater opportunity to better serve our clients."

James C. (“Jim”) Hardin III

 

Jim Hardin has devoted his legal career to complex estate planning matters, including charitable giving, business succession, asset protection, probate, trust administration, and serving as an expert witness in trust and estate litigation matters. He has a wealth of experience in complex estate planning matters. Some representative cases include planning a $50 million estate for a North Carolina real estate developer and establishing multi-generational trusts and estates, including limited family partnerships and limited liability companies for intergenerational wealth transfers and asset protection. Mr. Hardin also has particular expertise in charitable planning, including preparing charitable lead and remainder trusts and establishing private foundations. He was retained to revise Duke University's charitable giving forms.

Mr. Hardin is a Board-Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law in South Carolina and North Carolina. He is an elected Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He has been selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Trusts and Estates every year since 1987, a South Carolina Super Lawyer, in Business North Carolina Legal Elite, and a North Carolina Super Lawyer numerous times, including selected as one of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in 2006. He also holds Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV-Preeminent rating, indicating preeminent legal ability and the highest ethical standards.

Mr. Hardin is frequently called upon to share his expertise with other attorneys and specialists as a speaker on estate planning matters, including the Uniform Trust Code, estate and gift taxation, trusts and estates income taxation, and trust administration. He is also a published author and has helped sculpt estate planning laws in South Carolina and North Carolina. Mr. Hardin served as one of several South Carolina Bar liaisons to the General Assembly during its consideration and subsequent adoption of the South Carolina Uniform Trust Code in 2005, the Uniform Principal and Income Act in 2001, the South Carolina Prudent Investor Act in 2001, and the South Carolina Probate Code in 1986.

ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

Offit Kurman is one of the fastest-growing, full-service law firms in the United States. With over 230 attorneys offering a comprehensive range of services in virtually every legal category, the firm is well-positioned to meet dynamic businesses' needs and the people who own and operate them. Our offices serve individual and corporate clients in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

At Offit Kurman, we are our clients' most trusted legal advisors, professionals who help maximize and protect business value, and personal wealth. In every interaction, we consistently maintain our clients' confidence by remaining focused on furthering their objectives and efficiently achieving their goals. Offit Kurman represents its clients the better way.

Whatever and wherever your industry, Offit Kurman is the better way to protect your business, preserve your family's wealth, and resolve your most challenging legal conflicts. At Offit Kurman, we distinguish ourselves by the quality and breadth of our legal services — as well as our unique operational structure, which encourages a culture of collaboration and entrepreneurialism. The same approach that makes our firm attractive to legal practitioners also gives clients access to experienced counsel in every area of the law.

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