James Bannister

Leading criminal defense lawyer, James W. Bannister is the Managing Partner of Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey in Greenville, South Carolina.

Mr. Bannister graduated from the University of South Carolina honors program in 1992 as a Phi Beta Kappa. He received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1995, after which he served for two years as clerk to US Federal Judge Henry M. Herlong. Since then, he has been with Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey.

Mr. Bannister is a member of the South Carolina Bar, Federal Bar Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, South Carolina Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Bannister has been honored among Greenville’s Legal Elite for criminal defense each year the award has been offered.

In 2007, Mr. Bannister earned his Criminal Trial Advocacy Certification from the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has tried numerous felony cases in both Federal and State Courts, and holds notable experience in cases involving Drugs and Narcotics, RICO, Internet Crimes, White Collar Crime, Security Fraud, Tax Evasion, Murder, Criminal Sexual Conduct, Criminal Domestic Violence, and DUI.

On a national level, Mr. Bannister has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2008 for Criminal Defense and DUI Defense. He has also been included in South Carolina’s Super Lawyers for criminal defense since 2011. In 2016, Mr. Bannister became one of only three members of the South Carolina Bar to be named as a fellow to the American Board of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

In addition to his private practice, Mr. Bannister serves on the Board of Governors for the South Carolina Bar and was recently elected as Commissioner for Greenville Water. Mr. Bannister formerly served on two criminal law task forces, as appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court, and as a Commissioner on the Commission on Indigent Defense, a commission appointed by Governor Haley.