Hagood Tighe Receives Richland County Bar Association's Civic Star Award

The Richland County Bar Association has recognized J. Hagood Tighe, a partner at Fisher Phillips, with its Civic Star Award. The award was presented at the association’s annual meeting at the Columbia Museum on Art on December 12.

The Civic Star Award is based upon exceptional and meritorious service to the Richland County community by a member of the Richland County Bar Association for activities outside of the legal profession. Commitment to community service is important to the members of RCBA. Most members volunteer in the community and some give many hours of their time and talents. Sometimes only their friends and co-workers know the depth of their giving.

Tighe was recently awarded the Carolyn Holderman Vision Award by the Central Carolina Community Foundation for his leadership and service to the Foundation and the community.  Tighe is the immediate past Chair and remains a board member of this $100 million dollar foundation. 

Tighe is a Deacon and Sunday school teacher at Eastminster Presbyterian Church and a board member for Jubilee Academy, a faith based Christian Montessori school for underprivileged inner-city children (K-8th grade).

He is Chairman Emeritus of the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, a past officer and board member of Hammond School, a former board member for the Advocates for the Historic Columbia Foundation and a former member of the University of South Carolina Partnership Board of the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. He has been involved in numerous other charitable organizations.

“I have been very fortunate throughout my career to have had great mentors who have shown me the value of involvement,” said Tighe. “Mentors like Charlie Dickerson, former President of The RL Bryan Company; Charles Cole, a former Columbia banker who has retired to Charleston; and Mike Kelly of The Mike Kelly Law Group all instilled in me the importance of giving back to our community.”

In addition to his community service, Tighe is regularly recognized for his excellence in the legal profession. He was a 2004 recipient of the Silver Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association, which recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of professional competence, ethics, and integrity. He is very active with the South Carolina Bar Association where he serves on the Nominations Committee, member and past Chair of the Conventions Committee, and on the SC Bar Task Force on Law Schools. He also serves on the board of the Columbia Chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management.

Tighe has been listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers since 2007; in The Best Lawyers in America since 2008; and in South Carolina Super Lawyers since 2009. He has been selected by his peers to be one of Greater Columbia Business Monthly's Legal Elite every year since 2010. The same publication named him one of the "50 Most Influential People for 2011."