(1950 - 2012)
Mike Parham graduated Clemson University in 1972 and South Carolina School of Law in 1975. He was a member of the society of Whig and Robe, and the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Criminal Law. He began practicing law as a plaintiff's attorney for Abrams, Bowen, Robertson & Tapp Law Firm in 1975, later becoming a founding partner of Parham & Smith Law Firm.
In 1995, Mike received a $1.55 million verdict on behalf of the family of a 11-year-old "great kid and little Leaguer," who died due to the delayed diagnosis of appendicitis by his family practitioner. In 1996, Mike represented the family of a young mother who died following failure to diagnose cervical cancer. He received a verdict of $4.6 million. In 1999 he received a $2.5 million verdict on behalf of the family of a young engineer who died due to failure to diagnose pulmonary emboli. These were the three verdicts which qualified him for membership in the Inner Circle.
Mike died on September 13, 2012 when the 2006 Mercedes he was driving crashed into two vehicles stopped for road construction. The occupants of the other vehicles were not injured.
Generous, kind, and loving, Mike left his mark on many lives, helping give a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. He was a self-proclaimed "Yellow Dog Democrat" and a fiercely loyal Clemson Tiger.
