by Kim, Lahey & Killough Law FirmFive attorneys named 2027 Best Lawyers, Doug Kim Patent Lawyer of Year
Doug Kim named 2027 Patent Law “Lawyer of the Year”
Five Kim, Lahey & Killough attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers
Kim, Lahey & Killough Law Firm is pleased to announce that firm founder Douglas W. Kim has been named the 2027 Patent Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Greenville, SC, by Best Lawyers, his third time earning the “Lawyer of the Year” distinction. The honor headlines a strong showing for the firm, which has five attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 edition, along with firm-wide recognition for its intellectual property and trademark practices. 
In Greenville, Kim is recognized in the 33rd edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his work in patent law, trade secrets law, trademark law and litigation of IP and patent matters. This year’s Patent Lawyer of the Year title adds to two previous Lawyer of the Year honors: Trademark Lawyer of the Year in 2022 and Patent Lawyer of the Year in 2019 for the Greenville metro market.
Firm co-founder Seann Lahey joins the list again this year, recognized for his work in patent law and trademark law.
Hunter S. Freeman is commended for his work in litigation in commercial, intellectual property, and patent matters, copyright law, and trademark law.
Also in Greenville, Sara Kanos is recognized for her work in litigation – intellectual property and trademark law. Kanos was named the 2026 Trademark Lawyer of the Year for the Greenville metro.
In the firm’s Charleston office, B. C. Killough marks his 18th year on the Best Lawyers list, recognized for his work in business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), corporate law, intellectual property litigation, patent law, and trademark law. Killough was named Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year for the Charleston metro in 2015.
“Seeing Doug named Patent Lawyer of the Year is a proud moment for this entire firm,” said Seann Lahey, co-founder of Kim, Lahey & Killough. “We’re honored to be recognized by both our clients and our peers through Best Lawyers: that kind of recognition tells us our work is being noticed both in the courtroom and in the way we serve our clients every day. And the fact that all five of us recognized this year are registered patent attorneys actively practicing in the IP space speaks to the technical and legal bench we’ve built here, as well as to our ongoing commitment to excellent client service.”
Best Lawyers also recognized Kim, Lahey & Killough among South Carolina’s top-listed firms this year. The firm is top-listed in South Carolina for both intellectual property litigation and in trademark law.
Since 1983, The Best Lawyers in America has compiled and reviewed peer evaluations from across the United States to identify its annual list of honorees, recognizing only the top 5% of lawyers in the nation.
About Kim, Lahey & Killough
Kim, Lahey & Killough is a South Carolina-based law firm focused on intellectual property, technology, and business law, with offices in Greenville and Charleston. The firm’s attorneys counsel clients in the creation, protection, enforcement, commercialization, and strategic management of intellectual property assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, technology transactions, and intellectual property litigation and related business interests.
The firm serves entrepreneurs, startups, manufacturers, technology companies, healthcare innovators, and established businesses throughout the United States and internationally. Kim, Lahey & Killough is known for its client-centered approach, combining technical, business, and legal experience to help clients protect innovation, build competitive advantages, and achieve business objectives
by Kim, Lahey & Killough Law FirmAll firm attorneys named 2026 Legal Elite
All Kim, Lahey & Killough attorneys listed as
2026 Legal Elite by Charleston Business and Greenville Business Magazines
Kim, Lahey & Killough is proud to announce that for the second consecutive year, every attorney in the firm has been named to the 2026 Legal Elite lists published in Greenville Business Magazine and Charleston Business Magazine.
“To have our entire team recognized by their peers is a remarkable honor,” said firm founder Doug Kim. “Each member of our team brings decades of real-world experience and deep industry knowledge, former computer programmers, law professors, and business owners who understand not just the law, but the challenges business owners face every day. That combination of experience is something our clients and the colleagues we collaborate with have come to rely on.”
The attorneys and their accolades are as follows:
Doug Kim, IP and Innovation
Seann Lahey, IP and Innovation, featured on page 68
Bill Killough, IP and Innovation
Hunter Freeman, IP and Innovation, as well as both Corporate Law and Mediation
Sara Kanos, IP and Innovation
Robert Merting, IP and Innovation
Emily Bohan, Corporate Law – Business Organization
The 2026 Legal Elite were selected through peer nominations from attorneys throughout the state of South Carolina in 50 legal practice areas.
The firm is featured on pages 12 (B.C. Killough Chambers USA recognition), 52, 64, 65, 66 (B.C. Killough noted as top recipient in Coastal Region) and 68 (feature profile of Seann Lahey, top recipient in Upstate Region) of the publications. 
About Kim, Lahey & Killough
Kim, Lahey & Killough is a South Carolina-based law firm focused on intellectual property, technology, and business law, with offices in Greenville and Charleston. The firm’s attorneys counsel clients in the creation, protection, enforcement, commercialization, and strategic management of intellectual property assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, technology transactions, and intellectual property litigation and related business interests.
The firm serves entrepreneurs, startups, manufacturers, technology companies, healthcare innovators, and established businesses throughout the United States and internationally. Kim, Lahey & Killough is known for its client-centered approach, combining technical, business, and legal experience to help clients protect innovation, build competitive advantages, and achieve business objectives.
by Kim, Lahey & Killough Law FirmGreenville Top Lawyers TALK Magazine
Kim, Lahey & Killough is once again honored to be named Greenville Top Lawyers in this year’s Greenville TALK Magazine list. Doug Kim was named to the list for his work in Technology Virtual, Seann Lahey and Hunter Freeman for their work in intellectual property and Emily Bohan was recognized for her work as corporate counsel for her business clients. The firm’s profile, pictured below, may be found on page 87 of the August 2026 issue, found online here.
