Jonathan (Jon) Raley is an associate in our Charleston office, where his practice focuses on professional malpractice defense, particularly representing architects and engineers. He is an integral member of our Architects & Engineers, Construction Litigation, and Commercial Litigation teams. 

Jon works closely with Kent Stair, Jordan Teich, and Skyler Wilson to defend clients against complex, high-stakes construction and design defect claims, including class actions, multi-family developments, site work and roadway engineering matters, and design-build projects. He is respected and known for his ability to navigate sophisticated, nuanced claims in active litigation, as well as for providing strategic commercial counsel to small and mid-cap businesses across the Southeastern United States. 

Jon graduated cum laude from the Charleston School of Law, where he received the CALI Award for earning the highest grade in Civil Procedure, Business Law, Products Liability, and Law Practice Economics. During law school, he served two terms as a Research Fellow to Professor William Janssen, focusing on civil procedure and ethics, and was a Contracts Teaching Fellow for first-year students. He was also a member of the Trial Advocacy Board, where he earned record-setting scores for his performance in external competitions.

Prior to joining CSVL, Jon spent two years clerking with Judge Wayne Creech at the South Carolina Family Court and also contributed to appellate efforts before the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn wrongful convictions, receiving recognition from the Charleston School of Law for the hundreds of hours of pro bono service devoted towards those efforts. Jon went on to clerk at a respected litigation boutique in Charleston, where he gained extensive experience in complex civil litigation, including cases involving commercial disputes, unfair trade practices, breaches of fiduciary duty, bank and wire fraud, and civil conspiracy under the guidance and mentorship of the late Drew Epting, Esq. Additionally, Jon brings valuable experience from his time as a law clerk at one of the state’s preeminent plaintiffs’ firms, handling all aspects of wrongful death claims, including a trial resulting in a nearly eight-figure verdict.

Outside of the office, Jon is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys climbing, hiking, canyoneering, and exploring Colorado’s backcountry with his siblings. He has previously earned both a private pilot’s license and rescue diver certification. Jon is also an Eagle Scout and board member of the American Packrafting Association. Jon also volunteers with Charleston County Fire Rescue and is actively involved in the counseling and mentorship of people suffering from alcoholism and addiction who are seeking recovery. He regularly speaks at CLEs, seminars, and law schools across South Carolina as part of his work with Lawyers Helping Lawyers.