Frederick Curtis Baker

A veteran litigator with strong roots in complex litigation, Fred Baker has worked on a broad range of environmental, medical costs recovery, consumer and products liability cases and holds numerous leadership roles within the firm.

Fred represents individuals, institutional investors, and governmental entities in a wide variety of cases. He leads the firm’s tobacco litigation, and was a member of the legal team that litigated the groundbreaking tobacco litigation on behalf of several State Attorneys General. Fred has also participated in the litigation of individual tobacco cases, entity tobacco cases and a tobacco class action.

In addition to his tobacco casework, Fred is part of the opioid litigation team which represents dozens of governmental entities, including states, cities, towns, counties and townships in litigation targeting the alleged misrepresentation and fraudulent distribution of harmful and addictive opioids by manufacturers and distributors.

Fred was also a key member of the firm’s representation of people and businesses in Gulf Coast communities suffering as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He held a central role in the negotiation process involving the two settlements reached with BP, one of which is the largest civil class action settlement in U.S. history. In addition, his environmental experience also includes representing a state government in a case against poultry integrators that alleged poultry waste polluted natural resources.

Fred has served as counsel in a number of class actions, including the two class action settlements arising out of the 2005 Graniteville train derailment chlorine spill. He was also closely involved in the litigation surrounding the statutory direct action settlement reached in the Manville bankruptcy court and a related West Virginia unfair trade practices insurance class action.

Fred began practicing with Motley Rice attorneys in 1994 and chairs the firm’s attorney hiring committee.

* Please remember that every case is different. Any result we achieve for one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.

Awards, Accolades & Recognitions

Best Lawyers

2020-2026 Charleston, S.C. Mass tort litigation / class actions - plaintiffs
2024-2026 Personal injury litigation-plaintiffs

Lawdragon

2019 Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Financial Lawyers

South Carolina Lawyers Weekly

2016 Leadership in Law Honoree

Blog Posts

July 6, 2023

Social media’s grip on teen mental health

by: Laura K. Stemkowski

January 8, 2021

Clicking with caution: Cybersecurity data breach risks are higher than ever Causes, Not Just Cases

by: Jodi Westbrook Flowers

August 12, 2020

Denied business interruption insurance payouts due to COVID-19 losses, some business owners may find justice in civil courts Causes, Not Just Cases

by: John A. Baden IV

News

April 27, 2026

How Civil Litigation Helped Build Safer Workplaces-and Why It Still Matters

by:
Jacob R. Stout

April 28, 2025

The history and legacy of Workers’ Memorial Day

by:
M. Nolan Webb