W. Baxter Harwell
"I believe that pleading guilty is not always an option. Experience and a willingness to fight for the best possible outcome is what's ultimately important."
Baxter Harwell brings more than 17 years of legal experience to the firm in the areas of criminal defense work with special emphasis on DUI related criminal charges and has gained extensive experience in successfully participating and handling a variety of plaintiff's civil litigation matters. His history with local government officials, community leaders, legislators, prosecuting attorneys and law enforcement agencies is the winning combination that makes him a real asset to clients within the region as well as those from out-of-state in need of effective representation.
Mr. Harwell has been the managing attorney at Harwell Law Firm, a successful traffic law practice in the Myrtle Beach-Grand Strand region, for more than a decade. He has practiced with Lester, Lester and Harwell, handling legal transactions involving real estate; he also served as Assistant Solicitor in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit under Solicitor J. Gregory Hembree; as a statewide Special Prosecutor for the South Carolina State Highway Patrol, and has been a substitute instructor at the Criminal Justice Academy.
In 1992, Mr. Harwell graduated from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law where he also received his undergraduate degree in Humanities and Social Sciences.
He is an active member of the South Carolina Bar Association, the Horry County Bar Association and the Georgetown County Bar Association.
Mr. Harwell serves as a member of the Waccamaw Community Foundation/Trust Fund Advisory Board, and the Murrells Inlet Rotary Club, and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach. He is well equipped to handle the demanding challenges of the practice of law and to faithfully serve the community.
Mr. Harwell lives in the Myrtle Beach area with his wife Teresa, and his two boys Walker and Mason.
Areas of Practice
- Criminal Law
- DUI/DWI
- Traffic Violations
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- South Carolina
- U.S. District Court District of South Carolina
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
Education
- University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina
- J.D. - 1992
- University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
- B.A. - 1983
- Major: Political Science
Published Works
- Handling Traffic Cases in South Carolina, Third Edition (Contributing Author), South Carolina Bar, 2nd Edition, 1998
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Waccamaw Community Foundation, Advisory Board Member, 2006 - Present
- Murrells Inlet Rotary, Member, 2006 - Present
Past Employment Positions
- Harwell Law Firm, Managing Partner, 2002 - 2009
- Lester, Lester & Harwell, PA, Attorney, 2004 - 2009
- U.S. District Court Judge William B. Traxler, Jr., Greenville, SC, Law Clerk
- Hon. L. Henry McKellar, Former Judge, South Carolina Circuit Court Judge, Columbia, South Carolina, Law Clerk
- South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Special DUI Prosecutor
- Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office, Assistant Solicitor
Fraternities/Sororities
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon


