Catherine H. McElveen

Katie McElveen is an experienced consumer class action attorney who works tirelessly to provide relief for those who have been seriously wronged. 

A native of Charleston, she was a three-sport athlete in high school and was awarded South Carolina’s volleyball player of the year, earning her a scholarship to college.  She was one of the first in her family to obtain a bachelor’s degree.  From a young age, McElveen knew she wanted to be an attorney.

With law school in mind, she joined Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole as a paralegal in 1997, where she gained invaluable experience working on complex and class action litigation.  In 2004, McElveen was accepted as a member of the inaugural class of the Charleston School of Law and served on the executive committee of the Federal Courts Law Review and the student bar association.  During law school, she worked at RPWB part-time and was hired as an associate attorney on the firm’s consumer class action team immediately after graduating law school, cum laude, in 2007.

With her extensive history practicing complex litigation, McElveen enjoys the variety and complexity of the practice.  She is committed to her clients, providing them with empathy and understanding while guiding them through the legal process.

McElveen is married with two children.  Her hobbies include tennis, CrossFit, kayaking, and making wheel-thrown pottery.    

Representative Cases                                                                          

Schreiner, et al. vs. Patriarch Partners LLC, et al.

In January 2014, workers at fire truck manufacturer American LaFrance learned the plant would be closing immediately, and they would not receive any further pay in violation of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.  RPWB negotiated a settlement that provided the workers with the equivalent of a six-week severance package.

Concord West of the Ashley Homeowners’ Association, et al. vs. Julian LeCraw & Company Holdings, Inc., et al

In 2010, the City of Charleston condemned the balconies of the Concord West of the Ashley condominiums due to shoddy construction.  Residents were unable to use their balconies and experienced a multitude of further serious construction defects.  RPWB reached a $22 million settlement for HOA members, enabling the repair of the condominiums to like-new conditions.

The Church of Christ at Azalea Drive, et al. vs. Forest River, Inc., et al.

For several years, a shuttle bus manufacturer failed to properly weigh and label its vehicles. This nationwide warranty class action led to a recall of more than 8,000 buses which improved the safety of the buses commonly used by senior centers, churches, and businesses.