Edward W. Mullins receives Lou Potter Award from John H. Martin, past president of DRI Edward W. Mullins, Jr., senior partner of Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough LLP, has earned national recognition as the recipient of the Lou Potter Award for lifetime professional achievement from the Defense Research and Trial Lawyers Association (DRI) recently at the organization's Annual Meeting in New Orleans. This is the association's most prestigious award, and Mullins is the 13th individual to receive it. DRI is the national organization of more than 22,000 defense trial lawyers.

Mullins joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP 50 years ago. He is a Columbia native and received his legal education from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He has been a member of the South Carolina Bar since 1959. He is chair emeritus of the firm and its litigation department and was instrumental in the growth of the law firm from five attorneys to more than 400 attorneys with 10 offices in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, and Boston.

Mullins has made a tremendous contribution through advocacy and fundraising for several local non-profit organizations. He has served on the Board of Directors of Mental Health America of South Carolina and was chair of the board for the past two years. He has served on the Business Spon- sors Committee of NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) for their annual NAMIWALKS and in 2008 helped the organization raise over $100,000. Also, in the field of mental health, Mullins is currently on a South Carolina Bar Association task force entitled, HELP, which deals with mental health issues in the law profession.

Mullins led the campaign to raise $1,000,000 for the establishment of the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough Center for Professionalism at the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is the immediate past chair of the Tocqueville Society, the leading givers of the United Way of the Midlands. In 2007, he was named the Individual Fundraiser of the Year by the Not For Profit Association of the Midlands.

The receipt of the Lou Potter Award for lifetime professional achievement shows Mullins' accomplishments are recognized at the national level. It brings a great deal of recognition to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and to the state of South Carolina.

In the words of the Defense Research and Trial Lawyers Association, "Professionalism goes beyond observance of the legal profession's ethical rules and serves the best interests of the client and the public in general; professionalism requires that lawyers conduct themselves before the court and with opposing counsel in a manner which demonstrates respect for the law and preserves decorum and integrity of the judicial process; it preserves and enhances the image of the legal profession in the eyes of the public; it supports programs and activities to educate the public about the law and the American legal system; and it fosters respect and trust among lawyers"