Spencer Craig Gill, Employment Attorney in Charleston, South Carolina

Spencer was born and raised on a working cattle farm in South Carolina where her work began long before sunrise and did not end until the job was done right. She shouldered responsibility for everything from grading cattle to the day-to-day business operations of running a farm and learned that there is no substitute for hard work and a keen eye for detail. This background gives Spencer a unique understanding of the local landscape and the people who call it home.

In her law practice, Spencer draws from her farm values. She brings the same work ethic and meticulous attention to detail to every case because she knows how the smallest, overlooked details can sometimes be the most critical elements in building the strongest defense for her clients. Her deep-seated sense of personal accountability and responsibility has prepared her to accept the role of protector of her clients’ interests as well as their reputation and peace of mind.

Spencer is a tenacious advocate for her clients, but she also understands the value and necessity of teamwork. It took many hands to work a herd of cattle and get hay fields planted and cut for the winter season. Using a team approach, Spencer works closely and effectively with her partners, associates, paralegals, and clients to build the most effective defenses in all her cases.

While known for her down-to-earth nature, Spencer has also earned a reputation for her ability to master complex legal and medical information and translate it effectively. She is also a skilled negotiator who has resolved many cases through mediation. While Spencer and her team are always prepared to take a case to trial, she recognizes that many clients prefer to avoid the unpredictable, costly, public, and time-consuming nature of a trial.

Spencer is a partner in the South Carolina office. As a native South Carolinian, she graduated from Clemson University, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Legal Studies, along with additional practicum studies in Animal Science, and she received her Juris Doctor from the Charleston School of Law in 2012.

During law school, Spencer served as Judges Chair for the Moot Court Board, and Research Assistant for the Legal Research and Writing Department, and was a member of the Business Law Society. Spencer also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Robert S. Carr, Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Spencer joined Hall Booth Smith, P.C., after serving as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Mikell R. Scarborough, Master-in-Equity for Charleston County, South Carolina, a judge who has been on the bench for over 20 years.

Experience

Aging Services

Early in her career, Spencer spent several months shadowing local senior living administrators and directors to learn how various communities and agencies operate and comply with state and federal regulations. Spencer uses her “boots on the ground” training, thorough knowledge of the regulatory requirements, and extensive experience to provide her senior living clients with the guidance necessary to navigate all phases of litigation. Spencer regularly defends clients in cases involving claims of falls, transfer injuries, pressure injuries and wounds, elopements, admission/retention/discharge of residents, abuse and neglect, understaffing, and inadequate training and supervision. Her strategy is always crafted early in the process, many times in a pre-suit setting, and she then executes that strategy in litigation to maneuver the case to resolution, or if necessary, a trial on the merits. Spencer has also successfully arbitrated these cases on behalf of both individuals and entities as well as in the context of class action litigation.

Premises Liability

With a background rooted in the pragmatic realities of farm life, Spencer brings a unique perspective to her premises liability practice. She learned early property ownership comes with certain responsibilities, and that some incidents/accidents are unavoidable despite reasonable precautions. Additionally, while in law school, Spencer worked in the highly competitive and fast paced food and beverage industry in Charleston, South Carolina. Combining her rural upbringing with first-hand experience in restaurant operations, Spencer develops practical and rigorous defense strategies for her clients while also preserving their reputation and success because she understands the unique challenges business owners face in litigation. She has represented clients ranging from small, family-owned eateries to national franchises in cases involving alleged slip-and-falls, inadequate maintenance, property defects, and adulterated food products.

Medical Malpractice

Since the beginning of her law practice, Spencer has defended health care professionals in medical malpractice actions. With a meticulous approach to investigating medical records and collaborating with her team, clients, and top-tier medical experts, Spencer constructs a robust, clinically based defense for her clients. Her strategic preparation provides reassurance for medical professionals who are often experiencing the litigation process for the first time. Over her career, Spencer has represented a wide range of medical practitioners, including physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors, licensed professional counselor associates, advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physical and occupational therapists, physical and occupational therapy assistants, and medical aides and technicians. She also has represented institutional clients, including hospitals, specialized hospitals, urgent care centers, and physician groups. Spencer regularly defends professional negligence claims, including alleged negligent care and treatment, misdiagnoses, medication and surgical errors, lack of informed consent, personal injuries, and wrongful death.

Of course, honoring her roots, Spencer has also represented veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, and medical equine providers in defense of alleged negligent care and treatment, misdiagnoses, and medication and surgical errors. In a recent case, Spencer successfully obtained summary dismissal for a veterinarian and veterinarian practice group that allegedly failed to properly diagnose and surgically treat a young canine.

Recognition

•Legal Elite, Charleston Business Magazine, 2020-2024
•Awarded in: Healthcare, Medical Malpractice - Defendant, Personal Injury - Defendant
•Long Term Care Power Lawyers, Class of 2018

Presentations

•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCACRP Fall Conference; October 14, 2025
•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
South Carolina Assisted Living Association, Seize The Day: Live Webinar, June 25, 2025
•Navigating the Legal Trail: Current Topics & Best Practices
South Carolina Assisted Living Association, Spring Conferrence; April 30, 2025
•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCACRP Fall Conference; October 8, 2024
•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCACRP Spring Workshop; May 22, 2024
•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCACRP Fall Conference; October 11, 2023
•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCACRP Fall Conference; September 27, 2022
•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCACRP Spring Workshop; May 11, 2022

•Hot Topics & Best Practices in Litigation
SCALA Spring Conference & Trade Expo; May 13, 2021
•Not If, But When: What to Expect in Litigation & Best Practices
SCACRP; October 16, 2019
•Not If, But When: What to Expect in Litigation & Best Practices
SCACRP; April 3, 2019
•Community Residential Care Facilities: Hot Topics in Litigation
SCACRP Fall Conference; October 17, 2018
•Admission v. Discharge: A Primer on Elder Law
SCACRP Spring Workshop; May 16, 2018
•Resident Rights v. Resident Safety: A New Frontier of Legal Claims
Argentum South Carolina Annual Convention; October 3, 2016

In the Press

HBS Charleston Attorneys Recognized as 2024 Legal Elite by Charleston Business Magazine

August 2, 2024

HBS is proud to announce five Charleston office attorneys were recognized among Charleston Business Magazine’s 2024 Legal Elite.