Theodore D. Riley

November 30, 2017 by

Theodore D. Riley of Riley Pope & Laney is an attorney in Columbia, SC. He provides government relations consulting services and practices in the areas of regulatory and administrative law. He is a native of Greenville, South Carolina and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1988 from the University of South Carolina. Upon graduation, Mr. Riley served in Washington, D.C. as an International Affairs Analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency before returning to South Carolina to earn his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Riley became an Associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP. Mr. Riley was a member of that firm’s government law team practicing in administrative, commercial and regulatory law and legislative affairs. He also served as a special prosecutor for the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s office. Mr. Riley was an Associate with Haynsworth Marion McKay & Guérard, LLP and its successor, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA from 1997 until 2001. At the Haynsworth firm, Mr. Riley provided government relations services to clients on both the state and federal level and practiced in the areas of administrative and regulatory law.

In July 2001, Mr. Riley, along with life-long friends and business partners Lowndes Pope and Roy Laney, formed Riley Pope & Laney, LLC with a vision of building a law firm their own way while providing exceptional client service. For more than twenty years, Mr. Riley has represented clients ranging from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies and encourages prospective clients to contact any chairman of any legislative committee regarding RPL’s reputation, abilities and work ethic. An avid runner who shares a love of sports, travel and adventure with his family, Mr. Riley’s community involvement includes serving on the Boards of the National Dropout Prevention Network, Palmetto Project, and Winston’s Wish, and he additionally volunteers with Youth Corps and numerous local community, church and school groups. He is a 2014 member of the South Carolina Diversity Leaders Initiative, recognized as a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow.

Mr. Riley is a member of the South Carolina Bar and the Richland County Bar Association and is admitted to practice before all South Carolina state courts, the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina and the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Riley, his wife Nancy and their four children reside in Columbia, South Carolina.


Best Lawyers Award Badge

Tara P. Boone

December 4, 2017 by

Tara P. Boone provides services with an emphasis on research, advocacy, legislative tracking and monitoring, ethics compliance and administration. She is a native of Camden, South Carolina and graduated with honors from Limestone College with a B.S. in Business Administration. With more than twenty years of experience in state government relations, Ms. Boone has a clear understanding and knowledge of the legislative process and proudly produces the firm’s session-weekly legislative update, Under the Dome. An avid proponent of the connection between nature and human wellbeing, Ms. Boone is a statewide South Carolina Master Naturalist and currently serves as co-South Carolina State Lead Ambassador with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Ms. Boone, her husband and two daughters reside in Lugoff, South Carolina.

Hobart O. Trotter, Jr.

December 4, 2017 by

Hobart O. Trotter, Jr. of Riley Pope & Laney provides government relations consulting services with an emphasis in information technology and procurement issues. He is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and is a 1980 graduate of the University of South Carolina. Mr. Trotter has worked with various technology vendors providing solutions to the State of South Carolina for more than twenty years. During that time, Mr. Trotter has worked closely with state agencies and their management teams, including the Department of Administration, the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (formerly the Budget and Control Board), and the State Fiscal Accountability Authority. Through his experience, Mr. Trotter has acquired a working knowledge of the organizational structures of state agencies, their technology infrastructure, their purchasing policies and procedures and the business drivers affecting how their budgets are allocated. Mr. Trotter has an in-depth understanding of the state procurement process, from budgeting through contract award and contract settlement, along with proven experience managing large procurement initiatives for several national and worldwide organizations currently doing business with the state of South Carolina.

Mr. Trotter has been involved with numerous community service organizations, including the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina and formerly serving as Chairman of the Board of the American Diabetes Association for South Carolina. Mr. Trotter is also a musician who enjoys playing his original music at local venues and at the State House when requested. Mr. Trotter and his family reside in Columbia, South Carolina.