Robert F. Goings
Robert F. Goings grew up on his family’s farm in Union County, South Carolina, and says his practice is grounded in the rural values he learned there—fairness, honesty, hard work, and service to others. For him, practicing law means standing up for injured people and families and working to see that large corporations and insurers live up to their obligations. Goings is described as a trial lawyer with a knack for “big verdicts”; he built his reputation by trying cases to verdict rather than accepting quick settlements, a trait that fellow attorneys cite as evidence of his diligence and courtroom skill. He remains trial‑ready in every case and believes honest, no‑nonsense advocacy is the most direct path to justice. Outside the office, he’s known for cooking authentic Carolina barbecue and singing at church events. He credits his farm upbringing and close family—his wife Rebecca (also an attorney) and their three children—for keeping him grounded.
Educational Background
- Graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2003
- Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Blue Key honor societies
- Student Body President in 2002
- Outstanding Citizen Award
- Justice of Wofford’s Judicial Commission
- Juris Doctorate in 2006 from the University of South Carolina School of Law
- Involved in Moot Court
- Editor for the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), National Trial College, Harvard Law School, 2012
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association (House of Delegates)
- Richland County Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Practice and Procedure Committee
- Young Lawyers Division Committee
- South Carolina Association for Justice
- American Board of Trial Advocates – 2020 President (South Carolina Chapter)
- American Board of Trial Advocates – National Board Representative and Committee Chair
- International Society of Barristers – South Carolina member
Courts Admitted
- South Carolina State Court
- District Court of South Carolina
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
- Fifth Judicial Circuit
- Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
Awards
- Super Lawyers – Top 25 Attorneys In South Carolina
- Legal Elite of South Carolina – Midlands
- Martindale‑Hubbell – AV‑Preeminent (highest) peer‑review rating
- South Carolina Lawyers Weekly – “Leader in the Law”
- U.S. News and World Reports “Best Lawyers” – 1st Tier (top) in Litigation/Personal Injury
- Compleat Lawyer Award (Silver) – University of South Carolina School of Law 2016
- South Carolina Business Monthly – Voted Top Attorney (Personal Injury)
- Selected as an “Emerging Legal Leader” by the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Magazine in 2011
Case Victories
- $12,500,000 Jury Verdict (2021): In Columbia, Goings won a $12.5 million verdict (including $9 million in punitive damages) for a client injured by a drunk driver. This is one of the largest non-fatality auto accident verdicts in Richland County history
- $5 Million wrongful‑death medical‑malpractice verdict (2024)
- $2 Million trip‑and‑fall verdict (2023)
- $600,000 rear‑end collision verdict (2023)
