Austin Watts

Austin believes in outworking the other side. He describes his motivation this way: If the case is strong, hard work helps ensure optimal results. If a case seems to be marginal, unmatched tenacity gives a client the best shot. Every client deserves that shot.

Austin is licensed to practice law in South Carolina courts, federal District Court for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Greenville Bar Association, and the South Carolina Association for Justice. Austin is a member of the Greenville-based Haynsworth-Perry Chapter of the American Inns of Court, and he was a member of the Charleston-based James Pettigru Inn of Court.

Clemson University; Charleston School of Law

Work ethic has been a constant for Austin. Born and raised in Greenville County, SC, he attended Clemson University, majoring in Textile Management and graduating with honors (cum laude) in 2000. At Charleston School of Law, he also graduated with honors (magna cum laude) and held exclusive memberships (including Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board and memberships in the Forensic Club and Federal Courts Law Review) and received multiple honors (including CALI Awards for the highest grades in Professional Responsibility, Workers Compensation, Civil Procedure, and Commercial Law courses).

As with all PLW partners, Austin is immersed in family and community. He’s a 35-year member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Greenville, where he’s been a Sunday School teacher, youth basketball coach, and currently services on the Staff Parish Relations Committee. He has been a volunteer YMCA coach in several sports for almost 10 years. Over the years, he has volunteered at the Triune Mercy Center and the Salvation Army. A big family guy, Austin shares a love of lakes with his wife, daughter, and son. They all get after it on wakeboards, and they jet ski, kayak, swim, and go boating.

BBQ Pitmaster

An avid golfer and fan of just about all sports, Austin loves tailgating — and he’ll do it almost anywhere. Related to that, he loves smoking barbecue. He started out smoking chickens with his father when he was about 14.

“I was cooking barbecue before it was cool to cook barbecue,” Austin says. He currently cooks with a Gravity-Fed Cabinet Smoker, painted orange of course.