ABOUT

Christopher P. Kenney

For more than a decade, attorney Chris Kenney has litigated complex disputes at all levels of the state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Kenney’s efforts have helped clients recover millions of dollars of compensation in death, serious personal injury, and dram shop cases. His work on civil fraud cases has led to the recovery of tens of millions of dollars by taxpayers and millions of dollars being paid to whistleblower clients as a reward for coming forward with allegations of fraud.

He has helped achieve excellent results for criminal defendants, including freeing three clients from incarceration through post-conviction relief (PCR).

Attorney Chris Kenney has also been involved in numerous high-profile public interest matters involving petitions for extraordinary relief and appellate advocacy.

Prior to starting Chris Kenney Law in 2023, Kenney worked for Columbia trial lawyer Dick Harpootlian.

He is an adjunct professor teaching civil litigation in the paralegal program at Midlands Technical College and a part-time assistant solicitor for the First Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Bar Admissions

South Carolina, 2011
U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, 2011
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 2020
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2012
U.S. Supreme Court, 2016

Reported Cases

Wilson ex rel. State v. City of Columbia, 434 S.C. 206, 863 S.E.2d 456 (2021) (argued)
Creswick v. Univ. of S.C., 434 S.C. 77, 862 S.E.2d 706 (2021) (original jurisdiction, relief granted)
Duggins v. Lucas, 431 S.C. 115, 847 S.E.2d 793 (2020) (original jurisdiction granted)
Campbell v. Florian, 972 F.3d 385 (4th Cir. 2020), as amended (Aug. 28, 2020) (argued)
Salley v. Myers, 971 F.3d 308 (4th Cir. 2020) (reversing summary judgment)
U.S. ex rel. Vitale v. MiMedx Grp., Inc., 381 F. Supp. 3d 647 (D.S.C. 2019)
Baten v. McMaster, 374 F. Supp. 3d 563 (D.S.C. 2019), aff’d, 967 F.3d 345 (4th Cir.), amended (July 2020)
Newkirk v. Enzor, 674 F. App’x 276 (4th Cir. 2017) (argued, affirming denial of qualified immunity)
Newkirk v. Enzor, 240 F. Supp. 3d 426 (D.S.C. 2017)
U.S. ex rel. Szymoniak v. Am. Home Mortg. Servicing, Inc., 679 F. App’x 299 (4th Cir. 2017) (argued)
U.S. ex rel. Brown v. Celgene Corp., 226 F. Supp. 3d 1032 (C.D. Cal. 2016)
Hutto v. S.C. Ret. Sys., 773 F.3d 536 (4th Cir. 2014)
Stephens v. HSBC Mortg. Servs., Inc., 565 F. App’x 238 (4th Cir. 2014)
Rainey v. Haley, 404 S.C. 320, 745 S.E.2d 81 (2013)
Smith v. S.C. State Election Comm’n, 901 F. Supp. 2d 639 (D.S.C. 2012)
Anderson v. S.C. Election Comm’n, 397 S.C. 551, 725 S.E.2d 704 (2012)
Backus v. South Carolina, 857 F. Supp. 2d 553 (D.S.C.), aff’d, 568 U.S. 801 (2012)

Other Notable Representations

Bailey v. Thrasher, C.A. No. 3:21-CV-02748-MGL, Dkt. No. 57 (D.S.C. April 14, 2022) (First Amendment challenge resulting in consent decree and state Ethics Commission adopting new rule)
Harpootlian v. S.C. Dep’t Commerce, No. 2021-000794 (S.C. Ct. App. Feb. 10, 2022) (dismissing appeal and vacating trial court order in favor of negotiated settlement that expanded state agency FOIA transparency)
Parvin v. State, No. 2018-001540 (S.C. Ct. App. Nov. 23, 2021) (declining to review PCR grant)
Williams v. State, No. 2017-001877, 2020 WL 2466783 (S.C. May 13, 2020) (writ of certiorari dismissed, leaving PCR grant in CSC case in place)
Nordan v. State, No. 2016-001690 (S.C. Ct. App. March 13, 2018) (denying certiorari, leaving PCR grant that vacated guilty plea in hit-and-run in place)
Hutto v. S.C. Ret. Sys., No. 2016-000021, 2016 WL 4208093 (S.C. Aug. 10, 2016) (argued)

Education

Juris Doctor, University of South Carolina (May 2011)
Bachelor of Arts, History (Honors Program) Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH (May 2004)

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