Patrick Henry Nelson II (October 3, 1856 - June 20, 1914) was born in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...

to General Patrick Henry Nelson, of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, and Emma Sarah Cantey. After attending

The University of the South The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church, and its School of Theology is an official seminary of ...

, Nelson went to study law with Judge Joseph B. Kershaw in Camden, S.C. in 1875. In 1877 he was admitted to the bar and went to practice with General John D. Kennedy of Camden. He then moved his practice to

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

, and in 1885 he was elected to the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

and served until 1887. Nelson became the Fifth Circuit Solicitor and the President of the

South Carolina Bar The South Carolina Bar (SC Bar) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Organization The South Carolina Bar began in 1884 as the South Carolina Bar Association, a professional organization of approximat ...

Association (1911-1912). After the growth of his own firm, Nelson's son, William Shannon Nelson (1881-1939) joined the firm with his father. Ultimately William's son, Patrick Henry Nelson III (1910-1964), would come to run the law firm and continue its tremendous growth. The Nelson Law Firm is now known as

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP (commonly referred to simply as Nelson Mullins) is a U.S. law firm and lobby group based in Columbia, South Carolina. Nelson Mullins has over 1000 attorneys, policy advisors, and professionals across 31 offi ...

(commonly referred to as Nelson Mullins) which is a pseudo-national

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to r ...

and

lobby group In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

based in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Patrick Henry II 1856 births 1914 deaths People from Camden, South Carolina Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives South Carolina lawyers Sewanee: The University of the South alumni 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers