The Law Offices of Johnson, DuRant, and Nester have joined forces

William Johnson, Chris DuRant and Ron Nester have joined forces to create a law firm that will cover many aspects of the needs of the public. April 1 officially marked the first day that their offices combined to better serve their clients. William Johnson earned a degree in accounting from Clemson University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Johnson has been engaged in the practice of law since his admission to the South Carolina Bar in 1990. He initially practiced in Florence, South Carolina where he gained experience working with some of the most well-respected attorneys in the state. In 1992, Johnson returned home, to begin the career of helping the people of Clarendon, Sumter, and Orangeburg Counties and the surrounding areas through various types of legal problems and opportunities. He formerly served on the Board of Trustees for Clarendon School District 2, serving one term as Chairman. A proponent of the Rotary creed of “Service Above Self,” William has been an active Rotarian for over twenty years, serving in many capacities. William has served on the Board of the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce, and serves as a member of the Session of Sardinia Presbyterian Church. “Chris, is of course, a seasoned trial lawyer,” said Johnson. “While we all appreciate the good service he provided as the prosecutor in charge of Clarendon County, our community will be blessed by the fact that he is now able to devote his full time efforts to helping the families of our area through the private practice of law. Chris and I both are excited to be able to join with Ron Nester, who has been the pre-eminent real estate attorney in Santee for many years. We feel that the addition of a full service firm to Ron’s practice, which will maintain the highest of ethical standards will be of value to the Orangeburg County community as well.” Chris DuRant is a lifelong resident of Clarendon County. He graduated from Clemson University in 2005 with a B.S. in Management and an emphasis in Agricultural Business Management. After graduating from Clemson, he became a member of the second class of the Charleston School of Law, from which he received his Juris Doctorin 2008. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar the same year.

After law school, DuRant served as law clerk to the Honorable R. Ferrell Cothran, Jr., South Carolina Circuit Court Judge. Following his clerkship, he joined the Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office under the Honorable Jerry W. Peace, where he served from 2009 until 2011 as an Assistant Solicitor specializing in drug crimes for Laurens County and Newberry County. In 2011, DuRant returned to serve his home community of Clarendon County, joining the Third Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office under the Honorable Ernest A. Finney, III, where he served as the senior prosecutor and office manager for Clarendon County until 2019.

Along with his work in the Solicitor’s Office, DuRant has been engaged in the private practice of law since 2011, when he joined the Law Office of William H. Johnson.

DuRant has extensive knowledge and experience in criminal law, having worked as a prosecutor for 10 years, including 8 years as the senior prosecutor for Clarendon County. He has litigated thousands of cases, and has successfully taken countless numbers of those cases to trial by jury, including offenses such as murder, attempted murder, assault and battery, burglary, armed robbery, felony driving under the influence, reckless homicide, property offenses, drug trafficking and other drug offenses. “It has been an honor to serve the State and our community as a criminal prosecutor for ten years,” said DuRant. “I appreciate all those whom I’ve been fortunate to work alongside and I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished. I’m very excited about the opportunity to transition into private practice on a full-time basis and the privilege of working with two distinguished attorneys in William and Ron. I think what makes the practice of law in a small town unique is the opportunity it affords to develop and maintain relationships with people of all walks of life, in order to meet the various legal needs of those in the community. I look forward to furthering those relationships and using my experience to serve the families in our community for years to come.” Ron Nester graduated from Martinsville High School in Martinsville Virginia in 1965. He joined the Army that year, and attended basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia. Nester is a Vietnam veteran with the 1st Infantry Division and was awarded a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in 1966 and 1967. Upon his exit from the Army in 1968, he enrolled t Patrick Henry College where he earned an Associates Degree. In 1970, Nester transferred to the University of Virginia and majored in history. In 1972, Nester graduated with Distinction, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree. The same year, Nester was accepted into the University of Virginia School of Law where he studied constitutional, tort, civil procedure, criminal, property, commercial and family law, and graduated in 1974. From 1975 to 1984, Nester served as corporate counsel and Vice President for Holywell Corporation, a company that specialized in constructing major office buildings and hotels in Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, Charleston, SC, and Miami, Fl. He was also a partner in Curry & Nester, a commercial real estate firm involved in development, construction, management and brokerage in the greater Charleston area. Nester has practiced law in SC since 1996. His practice focuses primarily on helping people and businesses buy and sell real estate in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Clarendon Counties, drawing wills and probate work, and legal work that does not require going to court. “I am very proud to be in partnership with William Johnson and Christopher DuRant,” said Nester. “These are two men who know the law, and they bring strong backgrounds in court room experience. For the last 21 years, I have focused on real estate and wills in and around Lake Marion area. Now with William and Chris as partners, we can better serve the people of this area with all their legal needs.”