Episode 6: Chad McGowan

In Season 2, Episode 6 of the Direct Examination podcast, hosts Amber Fulmer, Dayne Phillips, and Joseph Bias welcome Chad McGowan, trial attorney and partner at McGowan, Hood & Felder, as well as co-founder of Legal Remedy Brewing in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

McGowan shares the story of how an antitrust settlement helped fund the transition from homebrewing in a garage to establishing a full-scale brewery and restaurant. He discusses the legal-themed beers crafted by Legal Remedy, the challenges of balancing catastrophic personal injury litigation with small business ownership, and offers practical trial advice for young advocates.

Key Topics Covered

  • Legal Remedy Brewing Origins: How homebrewing among fathers of twins evolved into a commercial brewery operating out of a renovated car dealership in Rock Hill.

  • Law-Themed Craft Beers: The story behind legal-themed beers like Pro Bono Vanilla Porter, Sticky Situation Cinnamon Bun Stout, World Court Mocha Blonde Stout, Justice Juice, and Obstruction of Justice.

  • Balancing Trial Practice and Business: Managing high-stakes medical malpractice and personal injury cases while supporting employee management at a thriving brewery.

  • Trial Advice for Young Attorneys: Focusing on client care, taking calculated risks during cross-examination, and asking direct questions like “why?”

  • War Stories: Defense experts getting arrested mid-trial, a client celebrating a verdict by buying new teeth, and funny customer interactions at the brewpub.

Transcript

Amber Fulmer: Welcome, y’all, to the Direct Examination podcast! My name is Amber Fulmer.

Dayne Phillips: I’m Dayne Phillips.

Joseph Bias: And I’m Joseph Bias! Thank you all for listening. We are up to close to 6,000 total listens for the podcast! Our guest today wears multiple hats. He is a Clemson and Emory Law School graduate and partner at McGowan, Hood & Felder. In addition to his day job as a trial lawyer, he is one of the owners and founders of Legal Remedy Brewing in Rock Hill. We’re thrilled to have Chad McGowan on the podcast!

Chad McGowan: Well, thank you for inviting me!

Joseph Bias: Tell us about the beers we have with us today.

Chad McGowan: First, you’ve got Pro Bono Vanilla Porter. That was our first homebrew competition winner, aged on oak with vanilla. Next is Sticky Situation, a cinnamon bun stout brewed with vanilla and cinnamon. Then World Court, a mocha blonde stout that tastes and smells like a stout with white chocolate and coffee, but looks like a golden ale.

Joseph Bias: How do you go from practicing law to starting a brewery?

Chad McGowan: It starts with wanting to turn a bad habit into a tax deduction! A group of us fathers started drinking and rating beers from a book, realized production beers weren’t that great, and pulled out my old homebrew equipment. After winning some competitions, I represented the State of South Carolina in a major antitrust case where we recovered $32 million. I used my portion to go legal and buy an old abandoned car dealership in Rock Hill. We renovated it, put in a 15-barrel system, and turned it into Legal Remedy Brewing.

Dayne Phillips: How do you balance being a partner at a law firm and owning a small business?

Chad McGowan: You have to have great people in both places. The law firm is the primary obligation and client service is paramount. On the brewery side, we have phenomenal management, brewers, and front-of-house staff. We invest heavily in our employees and equipment.

Joseph Bias: What advice would you give young trial lawyers?

Chad McGowan: Two things: care about the client and don’t be afraid to take a risk. Don’t be afraid to ask a witness the question “why?” Either they say something great or they stumble around and look foolish. Trials are living things—you can’t always predict what happens, but caring for the client makes all the difference.

Joseph Bias: Do you have a favorite war story from practice or the brewery?

Chad McGowan: In practice, we had a medical malpractice trial where the defense’s key expert got arrested overnight during the trial! But my favorite was a client who had lost his wife and suffered terribly. After we secured a verdict for him, he came into the office with a huge grin to show off his new set of teeth he was finally able to afford.

At the brewery, during our first opening months, an elderly lady looked at the menu and complained, “I don’t see any French dressing!” We offered to whip some up, and she replied, “I’m not having salad anyway!”

Joseph Bias: Chad, thank you so much for joining us and bringing the beer! You can find Legal Remedy Brewing at @LegalRemedyBrew or visit them in Rock Hill. Follow McGowan, Hood & Felder at mcgowanhood.com. Follow us @SCLawPod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Joseph @JosephPBias, Dayne @SCCrimLawyer, and Amber @RedJudicata. See y’all next week!