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by JENN WOOD
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What began as a bizarre — and deeply troubling — account of alleged misconduct during a South Carolina mediation hearing has now escalated into full-blown litigation.
Nearly a year after claiming his attorney appeared intoxicated, exposed himself on camera and fell asleep during a virtual mediation, Horry County plaintiff Brian M. Burton has filed a sweeping civil lawsuit against his former law firm — Poulin Willey Anastopoulo — along with attorney Chase Coble and managing member Lane Jefferies.
Filed on Monday (March 23, 2026) in Charleston County, the complaint alleged not just a single incident of misconduct — but rather a broader pattern of negligence, mismanagement and deception that Burton claimed ultimately destroyed his case.
While the now-infamous May 2, 2025 mediation remained the centerpiece of Burton’s claims, the lawsuit (.pdf) asserted that problems began long before that day.
According to the filing, Burton’s personal injury case — stemming from a 2023 crash — was initially believed to be worth the full value of a $250,000 policy. But the complaint claimed the firm’s handling of the case quickly deteriorated. Burton insisted he was never informed of key discovery requests, that deadlines were missed without explanation, and that opposing counsel was ultimately forced to file a motion to compel. At the same time, he described a lack of communication so severe that months would pass without updates — despite repeated attempts to reach his legal team.
Compounding those issues, Burton claimed he was shuffled between multiple attorneys without notice — never speaking to the same lawyer twice and receiving no continuity in representation.
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A BREAKDOWN IN REAL TIME
Those underlying failures came to a head during the May 2, 2025 mediation.
As FITSNews previously reported, Burton arrived to find no attorney present on his behalf. Eventually, a lawyer appeared via Zoom — Coble — who, according to the complaint, had no prior involvement in the case.
What followed – previously documented in an Horry County court filing (.pdf) – was detailed extensively in the lawsuit.
Burton alleged Coble made an opening demand that far exceeded policy limits, appeared on camera drinking alcohol and vaping, exposed himself after standing up without pants, and later fell asleep mid-proceeding.
Eventually, Burton and the mediator – Bob Calamari – placed a call to Coble at which point, according to the filing, he began to say in “slurred speech something about going to his car to take the call.”
“You’re going to take a zoom call from your car?” Burton asked, per the filing.
“You’re right, that’s probably not a good idea,” Coble allegedly responded.
At this point, Burton said he informed Calamari he believed his attorney had “been drinking” and expressed a desire not to proceed with the mediation. Later in his filing, he referred to Coble as being “completely inebriated.”
The mediation was ultimately suspended after Coble allegedly acknowledged that he had consumed alcohol prior to the hearing.
“You’re right, Brian, I have been drinking a little this morning,” Coble allegedly acknowledged, per Burton’s initial filing.
But the complaint goes further — framing the incident not as an anomaly, but as the predictable result of deeper systemic failures within the firm.
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SUPERVISION FAILURES — AND A DISPUTED AFTERMATH
According to the lawsuit, oversight failures extended to firm leadership.
Burton alleged that managing attorney Lane Jefferies acknowledged after the incident that the firm was aware of Coble’s drinking problem — yet still allowed him to handle the mediation. The complaint characterized that decision as a reckless breakdown in oversight and part of a broader, high-volume business model that prioritized growth over competent representation.
The fallout from the mediation quickly escalated.
As previously reported, the firm moved to withdraw as Burton’s counsel — claiming he had improperly demanded money in exchange for not filing a disciplinary complaint. But Burton’s lawsuit directly challenged that characterization.
He alleged the firm misrepresented South Carolina’s professional conduct rules — falsely suggesting he was bound by ethical restrictions that apply only to attorneys — and repeated those claims in court filings to justify their withdrawal.
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RELATED | SOUTH CAROLINA MEDIATION MELTDOWN
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FROM $25,000 TO $500 — AND A LAWSUIT
The consequences, according to Burton, were devastating.
After the firm withdrew — and with no attorney willing to take over the case — he was left to navigate the litigation alone. Despite earlier expectations of a significantly larger recovery, Burton ultimately settled his claim for just $500 out of an available $25,000 policy — a collapse in value that now sits at the center of his lawsuit.
In his complaint, Burton asserted multiple causes of action against the firm and its attorneys, including violations of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act, breach of fiduciary duty, legal professional negligence and breach of contract. He is seeking actual, consequential and punitive damages — along with treble damages and attorneys’ fees under state law.
Notably, the lawsuit alleged the firm’s conduct was “capable of repetition,” raising broader public-interest concerns about oversight and accountability within high-volume personal injury practices.
The defendants have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Count on FITSNews to update our audience when they do…
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THE COMPLAINT
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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1 comment
I think Pendarvis was drunk when he drafted and filed this complaint. Uses the wrong names of parties several times. He keeps switching how he refers to the law firm. References ann affidavit of an expert being filed when it was not, but then filed the résumé of a different potential expert. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.