Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Gravlee.
Hi Max, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Max Gravlee and I am currently an attorney with the law firm of Howard, Howard, Francis & Reid (d/b/a “Francis & Reid Trial Lawyers”). I specialize in criminal defense and personal injury litigation in courtrooms throughout the Upstate. I absolutely love what I do, those I work with everyday, and the clients that place their trust in me to achieve the best possible outcome.
My path to where I am now took a long and winding road. It’s a series of – what I consider to be very lucky – circumstances where I fell tailbone-backwards into the best mentoring hands humanly possible along the way.
I grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I attended public schools there and graduated from Spartanburg High School. My parents helped me develop a great sense of work ethic. While everyone needs a little bit of luck, that luck doesn’t come if you haven’t put in the work to make it happen.
I started doing some “entrepreneurial” work in the neighborhood before I was legally allowed to work at a real business. Starting with lemonade stands, mowing neighbors’ yards, and selling mistletoe around Christmas that my dad and I may have “harvested” with the help of a shotgun. I am also fortunate to be a 3rd generation Eagle Scout and I had a lot of help from my parents to reach the rank of Eagle, along with the encouragement of a slew of other friends who became Eagle Scouts. Several of those friends are still some of my closest friends in life and many of whom are fellow attorneys, doctors, and business professionals. You could still throw our group deep into the middle of the woods, and we’d “MacGyver” our way out every time. The skills and relationship I developed along the way still come in handy every single day.
After high school, I attended Presbyterian College (PC) and met my incredible wife there. PC was an absolute blast, the education I received was top notch, and the friends I met there are still some of my best friends to this day – several of whom are also attorneys.
After graduating PC, the world was in the thick of the housing recession. I applied to a few law schools, but every other college graduate seemed to be applying to graduate schools of some sort – and admissions to most grad schools were as competitive as ever. I didn’t get into my preferred law schools initially, and though my grades were more than sufficient, my first attempt at the LSAT wasn’t winning any awards.
I’m not sure that all post-grad applicants at that time, including me, had a genuine interest in a graduate degree – or whether it seemed like a good idea to defer the “real world” during the economic climate of the time. I didn’t know what my ultimate goal was – but I did know I wanted to be an attorney, and law school was the only way to make that happen.
Without a ticket to law school, I packed up all of my things into a U-Haul on the last day at PC, and drove straight to Charleston, South Carolina. I was lucky that a great friend of mine, and fellow PC alumnus, happened to be looking for a roommate in his downtown Charleston apartment. He was already attending Charleston School of Law and well on his path to becoming a great lawyer. I planned to retake the LSAT in Charleston, and Charleston Law became my first choice because I heard such great stories from other friends who were already enrolled at the school. I loved Charleston and thought I might even stay there after law school.
Leading up to the move to Charleston, I applied to dozens of firms to try to get my foot in the door in some “legal capacity”, whether as a law clerk or courier. I didn’t care. I wanted some experience to help bolster my law school credentials, and build relationships to assist in my intended career path. Once I was settled in that apartment, I continued applying and rode my bike around downtown Charleston and dropped off resume after resume. Even offering to work as an unpaid intern, and frequent follow-ups, I think 99% of my resumes were trashed. I only got one cordial response from all of that effort – only to hear the news that they unfortunately didn’t have the capacity to support an intern at the time. That was an eye-opening start to the “real world,” with a seemingly-useless college degree in-hand.
In Charleston without real legal prospects, and needing to pay rent, I ended up pivoting to “just find a job.” Any job. Among the applications I sent in, I answered a classified ad for a “commercial landscaping” job, and figured that would at least pay the rent bill and support trips to Folly Beach on the weekends. I was offered the job with an hourly wage of $9.25.
I started that job and I thought “commercial landscaping” sounded fancy, but I found it odd that the pay was <i>not </i>fancy… It turns out the pay was indicate of the reality of the job – mainly picking up trash in parking lots at large supermarkets across the lowcountry, with the occasional fun ride on zero-turn mower around a shopping center retention pond. While it wasn’t what I saw myself doing after college, I was – and still am — grateful to have learned a ton about fixing small engines, landscaping skills, and how to put your college-educated pride aside, and grind through it. There were some interesting experiences on the job – from mosquitos large enough to kidnap you to finding unmentionables in a parking lot that you wouldn’t dare pick up with a bare hand. I developed a great respect for all blue-collar workers from my experience as a “commercial landscaper.” During that time, I also worked a few other event-catering gigs, and other restaurant jobs. I’m also grateful for the thick-skin and the respect I gained for the grueling schedules and the not-so-pleasant customers you can come across while in the service industry. (Acknowledge and tip excellent service accordingly!)
After a “gap year” of odd jobs, studying and taking the LSAT a lot more seriously, my score rose significantly and I was admitted to Charleston School of Law. That was a huge morale-booster, and the not-so-easy road to law school turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave me the fire that I needed to excel in law school.
I worked my tail off in law school (and fortunately, I also passed the SC bar exam), which resulted in credentials to realistically seek highly-competitive judicial law clerk positions after graduating. One of the applications I sent in was for a clerking position with a judge on the South Carolina Court of Appeals. After interviewing and sending in a writing sample, I found myself grinning from ear to ear, staring at my offer to clerk for an appellate court judge: The Honorable John D. Geathers. I accepted.
Judge Geathers remains one of my most cherished relationships – he was (and still is) such a fantastic mentor, a brilliant legal mind, a seasoned jurist, and over-time, he became a trusted friend whose advice was always framed in a compassionately-challenging way. My requests for advice were always answered with thoughtfully-worded questions, and his responses would make me delve three layers deeper than I anticipated. His perspective or opinion was never thrust onto my plate, like a serving of bland broccoli to a kid. On the contrary, I felt free to to discuss my thoughts and opinions in our conversations’ journey. ; not the ultimate “destination. My time with Judge Geathers gave me the tools and wisdom I needed to truly know what kind of attorney I wanted to be: A Trial Lawyer.
Often the best way to obtain trial experience as a young attorney is by working as a lawyer at a public defender (PD) or prosecutor’s office. So, I set out on applying to several of these offices across the state. Of the job offers I received, the most enticing was at the 13th Circuit Public Defender Office in Greenville and Pickens Counties. However, I was also extended a job offer as a junior associate attorney with an excellent Spartanburg law firm, and with whom I had interned during summers and holiday breaks in college and law school. I have so much respect for that firm, and it was a tough (but good) problem to have weighing these prospects. Ultimately, I decided to join the public defender’s office – primarily based on the prospect of obtaining significant trial experience, which would have been harder to find as a junior associate at a small law firm. I toiled over my decision and I probably took the road less-traveled, but I’m so thankful I took that path. It led me to where I am today.
In 2015, I accepted the position to start as the junior attorney at the Pickens Public Defender Office under the tutelage of the late, legendary John W. DeJong. John was a hallmark staple of Pickens County and I came to find that he was an icon among criminal defense attorneys in South Carolina. John had a wicked sharp whit, a cackling and contagious laugh, but his courtroom demeanor was all business when it needed to be. John also treated clients like the epitome of the oft-quoted phrase by seasoned lawyers: “I’m no better than you, and you are no better than me.” I couldn’t have found a better mentor in John DeJong after my time with Judge Geathers. Without exception, any attorney who had the privilege of working alongside John DeJong in the Pickens “trenches” considers themselves extremely lucky to be raised by one the Greats. John truly loved all of “his” attorneys – and the feeling was mutual.
When I started in Pickens, John and I were the only two full-time public defenders for a caseload of 700+ clients between the two of us. That first year, I really questioned whether I made the right decision, and often times, I felt like I was drowning in cases and trials. But with John’s guidance and sense of humor, I learned a dark sense of humor and a tall cup of coffee was your life raft. I didn’t sink and started loving “deep end” of the pool.
For close to the next decade, I remained an attorney with the public defender’s office. I represented close to (if not more than) 2,000 indigent clients in both Pickens and Greenville counties during that time and tried dozens of cases during that time. John DeJong taught me how to compassionately represent every single client, regardless of the crime alleged, with respect and understanding. He was the living, breathing pillar of a man who believed that a public defender can make a difference in the life of someone facing the overwhelming power of a government accusation. And he emphasized that “we” were the sole humans standing up for our clients who, without a Public Defender, would not otherwise be able to afford legal representation.
After a time in Pickens under John DeJong, I moved to the Greenville PD’s office under John Mauldin (another living legend of the Greenville Public Defender office), and then with Chris Scalzo until 2022. I really couldn’t ask for a better time, gaining additional experience and relationships in Greenville courtrooms. In 2022, I was honored when Chris Scalzo selected me to take over the helm that John DeJong once manned as the head public defender in Pickens County. (Pictured below is one of my favorite pictures with John outside of our Friday lunch spot in Pickens).
From January of 2022 until April of 2025, I led the most wonderful group of attorneys and assistants in the Pickens PD office. Mindy Lipinski was and is currently the leader of the 13th Circuit PD office, and she was instrumental in helping me excel in my role in Pickens. I refer to Pickens affectionately as “The Rodeo” because it is a wild ride in the criminal defense world. (As a nod to Pickens, I make a grilling rub/seasoning to hand out at Christmas that I call “Rodeo Rub.” Ask me about it if you see me – I keep a couple of containers around for a enthusiastic grillers.) The Pickens Office is still “my crew” and I’d take each and everyone of them into battle with me in a courtroom; any time and any place. What a time that was, and I’m so grateful for all of my former co-workers on that Pickens team. It helps when your co-workers are also incredible friends who love working together.
In April 2025, I joined the firm of Howard, Howard, Francis & Reid in Greenville, South Carolina. I currently practice alongside Joseph G. “Skip” Francis, Jr. and Hunter Reid. Skip and Hunter are truly incredible attorneys, who can go toe-to-toe with any attorney in the State. Hunter’s late father, Preston Reid, was a legendary criminal defense and personal injury attorney in Greenville and a founder of the current firm, alongside Skip, Charlie Howard, and Ernest J. Howard – All legends in their own right. Hunter recruited me to add another seasoned trial attorney to our small firm, and I’m so thankful he hand-picked me to help grow our firm’s practice. He’s been instrumental in helping me develop experience in a relatively new area (for me) in civil litigation and personal injury. I remain a criminal defense attorney as well, and have the privilege of continuing to advocate for clients’ rights in courtrooms across the Upstate of South Carolina.
My journey has allowed me to continue utilizing my trial experience to represent a wide variety of clients in in my happy-place: The Courtroom. And with any luck and my ingrained work-ethic, I plan to keep blazing my personal trail to grow as a preeminent attorney in the Upstate who is the voice for those who would otherwise be facing a stacked deck against the power of lawyers for insurance companies or the government.
In my opinion, there is no higher calling than being the difference-maker to obtain the results that our firm’s clients need. These humans – who are no better than me, and I’m no better than them – need another compassionate human to zealously advocate for them in the courtroom. And I’m proud to be the human, who my clients, and courtrooms across the Upstate, know me well as: A Trial Attorney.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Graduating from college without any real job prospects was particularly eye-opening. A college degree, generally speaking, doesn’t open the same economic doors that it often did before the turn of the century. I think my law school path and initial career struggles right out of college taught me how to be flexible and pivot when necessary.
No one would ever mistake me as a former running back, but I think my path in life has taught me to think like a patient running back in football. Even if you put in the work, you can’t just run full-speed ahead on every play. Timing and patience are everything during your career: Sometimes you have to wait for the “holes” to appear before you can turn on the jets.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Francis & Reid Trial Lawyers?
Our firm is Howard, Howard, Francis & Reid, LLP. The firm was founded in 1965, and the firm’s namesake is from the founding partners: Ernest J. Howard, Charlie Howard (currently Of Counsel), Joseph G. “Skip” Francis, Jr., and T. Preston Reid. It’s not an opinion – it’s a fact: All four founding attorneys are legends in their own right in Greenville’s tight-knit legal community and why our firm has such a great reputation. We’ve recently transitioned to a rebranded “d/b/a” name of Francis & Reid Trial Lawyers – because at the heart of what we do, we’re Trial Lawyers. But, our firm’s mission to provide compassionate representation for our clients remains the same as it was when it was founded over 60 years ago. Currently, Skip Francis, Hunter Reid, and I make up the stable of full-time attorneys here.
You should know that when you decide to hire us to represent you, you’re always going to speak to a human and you are going to communicate with your attorney directly. There’s no AI-answering machine here. Many times, I will call my clients on my personal cell. We’re on a first name basis with every single client that comes through our firm.
We specialize in personal injury cases, workers’ compensation claims, and criminal defense matters. We also frequently handle a variety of probate and real-estate issues in a transactional and litigation sense. We often assist in advising clients on business-related matters, as well.
In my role at the firm, I specialize in criminal defense and personal injury litigation, though my practice areas include a variety of other litigation-driven matters. Between clerking for an appellate court judge, and a decade in the public defender’s office, I’m no stranger to the courtroom. Clients know I don’t sugar-coat and I don’t offer empty promises – I’m always candid that there’s too many variables to predict the outcome with absolute certainty in a courtroom. But, once my clients get to know me, they are certain that they have an attorney who can help guide them through their legal issues with battle-hardened confidence and professionalism.
In terms of our law firm, I think I’m most proud of the fact that you won’t find us advertised on TV or on the billboards – our business has always been fueled by the hundreds of former clients and their family members who routinely refer other friends and loved ones our way. Our current and former clients know that we’re going to take care of them like they are family.
Sometimes cases settle favorably for our clients, but when we have the opportunity, all of the attorneys here love arguing for our clients in court and the high-stakes environment of a trial. Without exception, we are all very proud to be confident trial lawyers that don’t shy away from the big moments. Trial is a rush unlike any other because so much is on the line. Although we love being in a courtroom, it is never something we take lightly. Whether it is advocating for our client’s right to recover from catastrophic personal injury or defending a client’s constitutional right to a fair trial on serious charges, we embrace the weight of the moment because our client’s well-being and liberty often hang in the balance.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
For anyone looking to be a lawyer, and particularly a trial lawyer, talk to as many attorneys as possible to see if the profession is right for you. The road to become a lawyer can be a massive financial burden with the cost of college and law school, and it is a significant commitment of years of your life in school. And once you become a practicing attorney, you begin to realize why they call it “practice.” It takes years to be an efficient attorney, and even attorneys with decades of experience will acknowledge that they’re still learning something new every day.
It’s also important to know that being an attorney is not always as lucrative as portrayed in movies and TV shows. Sure, it can be a lucrative profession in the right area of the law and with the right people around you, but don’t go to law school just because you think you’re going to be “rich.” Unless you are passionate about becoming a lawyer, I wouldn’t recommend “trying” out law school. It takes years, even after law school, to carve out a niche and make a reputation for yourself and/or your firm.
When I was starting out, I wish I knew how important it was to find and establish relationships with compassionate attorney-mentors along the way. Fortunately, for me, I hit the jackpot with every supervisor or boss in my career. Each mentor I’ve found along my career path just so happened to be my boss. And without exception, each of those bosses were and are a truly inspirational and incredible human being. I know that’s not the norm – and that shouldn’t be the expected outcome in a “normal” career. Sometimes, you have to find a supportive mentor outside of the confines of your immediate office. I know several colleagues who have not been as fortunate as I’ve been. I know that I could have taken any of my past positions, which looked good on paper, but behind the curtain, those in a supervisory role could have been micro-managers, or have negative personalities in general. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have worked under “enablers” and, fortunately, never for someone who didn’t coach me up along the way with the utmost respect and civility. I do not take that for granted for one second.
Pricing:
- For personal injury and workers’ compensation cases, there is no upfront fee. We work on a contingency basis, such that we only ask to share in a portion of the recovery if we are able to successfully obtain a settlement or a favorable jury award for our clients.
- Criminal defense fees vary based on the complexity of the case, the number of the charges, and the severity of the potential criminal penalties involved.
- The other legal services our firm can provide, are often structured for hourly-billing rates, which vary based on each legal matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.francisreid.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-gravlee-84565237/
