Born: Kingston, New York, November 3, 1947
Education: Fordham University (B.A. 1972)
University of South Carolina (J.D. 1975)
Family: Wife: Cheryl
Children: Kimberly, Meghan, Andrew and Heyward
Grandchildren: Ten
Attorney: State Prosecutor (1975-1981)
Chief of Criminal Division for SC Attorney General’s Office (1979-1981)
Private practice (1981-present)
Professional: Martindale-Hubbell “AV” Rating since 1990
Fellow - American College of Trial Lawyers since 2007
Fellow - American Board of Criminal Lawyers since 2017
Listed in Best Lawyers in America since 1991
Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by National Board of Trial Advocacy
Legal Advisor to National Child Abuse Defense Resource Center
Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, Permanent Member
Irish Legal 100
Member: Charleston County Bar Association
South Carolina Bar Association
American Bar Association
Charleston County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Life Member)
James L. Petigru Chapter Inn of Court (Charter Member)
Military: United States Air Force Reserve, JAG, Lt. Col. (Retired)
Community: Past Member - Charleston County Council
Past Member -South Carolina Association of Counties Board of Directors
Past Commissioner - Commission on Indigent Defense
Founding Member - Lowcountry Children’s Center
Founding Member - The Harbour Club
Past Member - Medical University of South Carolina Board of Visitors
Past Member and Past Chairman - Charleston County Aviation Authority
Past Member - Death Penalty Resource and Defense Center
Past Member - Board of Directors for MUSC’s Center for Drug and
Alcohol Programs (CDAP)
Advisory Board Member- National Child Abuse Defense and Resource Center
Other: Legal Analyst/Commentator for WCSC Television
Legal Analyst/Commentator for WTMA Radio
Host of the Emmy Award Winning “The Savage Report” on Comcast C2
Notable achievements:
Prior to entering private practice in 1981, Andy was a prosecutor for the State of South Carolina, serving as Chief Trial Counsel of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Criminal Division. He was elected to two four-year terms as a member of the Charleston County Council, from 1986 to 1994, and he is a retired Lt. Colonel, Judge Advocate General, with the United States Air Force Reserve.
Andy was the first South Carolina criminal defense attorney to be board Certified as a Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Andy has held an “AV” rating in Martindale-Hubbell since 1990, has been named yearly in the “Best Lawyers in America” since 1991 in the practice area of Criminal Defense - both white-collar and non-white collar areas. He has also been listed on the Best Lawyers in America’s “Bet the Company Litigation” since 2013.
Andy is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and received their highest advocacy award, the Griffin-Bell Award, in 2018. Andy is a Fellow in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and has been named yearly as a Super Lawyer since 2008. Andy was the recipient of the 2013 Leadership in Law Award presented by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. A former legal analyst for the Charleston CBS affiliate, he also was the host of the Emmy award winning The Savage Report, a weekly public affairs broadcast. He is a frequent lecturer at law schools and professional education programs.
Memberships:
Andy is a member of the Charleston County Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and he is a charter member of the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is also a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. Andy has been appointed to a number of Supreme Court committees during his career including appointments to the Chief Justice’s Commission on the Profession and a task force to revise the South Carolina Rules of Criminal Procedure. He is a former Commissioner on the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense and is the past Chairman of the Charleston County Aviation Authority.