
J. Thomas McElveen, III
email: tmcelveen@bryanlaw.com
Thomas McElveen was born in Sumter, South Carolina. He received his bachelor’s degree in History from Davidson College and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is admitted to the South Carolina Bar and is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Thomas completed mediator training through the South Carolina Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Division and is certified by the South Carolina Board of Arbitrator and Mediator Certification as a Civil Court Mediator. Thomas joined the Bryan Law Firm in 2003.
His practice focuses primarily on catastrophic injury cases involving car accidents and trucking wrecks, and other personal injury cases. He has litigated and tried countless civil and criminal cases to successful verdicts across multiple jurisdictions. He has secured multi-million dollar settlements for personal injury clients hurt in tractor trailer / trucking wreck cases, car wreck cases, dram shop (liquor / bar liability) cases, and in premises liability cases.
Thomas also regularly handles criminal defense cases, and general litigation. Early in his career, Thomas prosecuted cases for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department and also served as an assistant public defender in Sumter County. Thomas has represented local businesses and companies and has assisted with the navigation of complicated legal challenges.
Thomas regularly accepts referrals and is often associated by other attorneys as local counsel in a variety of cases.
Thomas is also regularly recommended and retained by lawyers on both the plaintiff / claimant and defense sides of the Bar to mediate all types of cases including nursing home neglect and medical malpractice cases, other personal injury cases, real estate / land dispute cases, and in construction cases.
In 2012, Thomas was elected to serve District 35 in the South Carolina Senate, which includes portions of Sumter, Kershaw, Richland, and Lee counties. At the time, he was the youngest South Carolina senator. While in the South Carolina Senate, Thomas served on multiple committees including Finance; Fish, Game and Forestry; Agriculture and Natural Resources; Transportation; and the Family and Veterans’ Services Committee, where he served as the chairman of the Veterans’ Services Subcommittee. He also served as chairman of the South Carolina Senate Sportsmen’s Caucus and as chairman of the Sumter County Legislative Delegation before choosing to retire from the South Carolina Senate in 2024 following three successful terms.
Thomas has been a member of the Sumter Sertoma Club, the Shaw-Sumter Community Council, the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Sumter Touchdown Club, and The LINK (Sumter-Lee economic development alliance) Board of Directors; he is a founding board member of the South Carolina Outdoors Hall of Fame. Thomas is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Sumter, where he served as a deacon. Thomas has served as an Honorary Wing Commander (civilian) of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base. He has also served as a Bitty Basketball Coach at the Sumter YMCA.
Thomas has received awards and recognition which include the Business Advocate Award from the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, The State newspaper’s “20 Under 40” award for young business leaders in the Midlands, the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Wilson Hall, the “Green Tie Award” from the Conservation Voters of SC for Conservation Leadership, the National Guard Association of SC’s “Senator of the Year,” the Sierra Club of SC’s “Legislator of the Year,” the “Outstanding Member of the Legislature Award” from the American Legion Department of South Carolina, the “Legislative Champion Award” from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the Bobby Jones Humanitarian Award from the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce, and the Distinguished Service Award from the South Carolina Sporting Dogs Association.
Thomas is a graduate of Leadership Sumter (Class XVII) and Leadership South Carolina (Class of 2014). He is a Liberty Fellow (Class of 2018 – “United”) and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Thomas loves spending time with his three children, watching South Carolina Gamecock athletics, and enjoying hunting, fishing, and everything the outdoors has to offer.
Bar Admissions:
- South Carolina Bar
- United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
Education:
- Davidson College
- University of South Carolina School of Law
Professional Associations:
- Sumter County Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
- South Carolina Association for Justice
Professional Experience:
- Assistant County Attorney, Sumter County
- Assistant Public Defender, Sumter County
Civic Involvement:
- South Carolina Senate
- Sumter Touchdown Club
- Sumter Sertoma Club
- Shaw-Sumter Community Council
- Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- The LINK Board of Directors
- South Carolina Outdoors Hall of Fame Board
Areas of Practice:
- Personal Injury / Tort
- Motor Vehicle Wrecks
- Trucking Wrecks
- Motorcycle Wrecks
- Criminal Defense
- General Litigation
- Mediation Services
- Referrals / Local Counsel



Call the Bryan Law Firm today, 803-775-1263 or toll free 1-866-589-8857
PERSONAL INJURY
Including automobile wrecks, motorcycle wrecks, bicycle wrecks, tractor-trailer wrecks, slip and fall, and wrongful death
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
If you are injured at work, please give us a call
CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Including DUI cases
MEDIATION SERVICES
Including Circuit Court Mediation and Probate Court Mediation