Jesse A. Kirchner

Jesse A. Kirchner was born in Aiken, South Carolina, the only child of Dr. Allen W. Kirchner, Jr. and Kim H. Kirchner. He grew up in Aiken and began college at the University of South Carolina when he was 16 years old. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Kirchner earned his 100 Ton Master Captain’s License from the United States Coast Guard and captained a charter fishing boat out of Hilton Head Island, S.C. Mr. Kirchner also traveled extensively during this time, visiting places such as Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Scandinavia. Mr. Kirchner later returned to the University of South Carolina to earn his Juris Doctorate with honors from the School of Law, graduating in the top five percent of his law school class.

During law school, Mr. Kirchner served as a summer law clerk to the Honorable Sol Blatt, Jr., Senior United States District Court Judge for South Carolina. He also served as a law clerk for the Senate Transportation Committee under the chairmanship of Senator W. Greg Ryberg. After law school, Mr. Kirchner began his legal career with the law firm of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA, practicing primarily construction law out of the firm’s Charleston office.

In August of 2005, Mr. Kirchner joined long-time friends Paul Thurmond and Michael Timbes in forming the South Carolina law firm of Thurmond Kirchner & Timbes, P.A., located in the historic district of downtown Charleston, SC. Mr. Kirchner serves as managing partner and is the lead civil litigation and construction attorney at the firm. His successful trial work—resulting in multi-million dollar settlements —has positioned Thurmond Kirchner & Timbes as a leading firm for civil and construction litigation cases. He was named Super Lawyer and Top Forty Lawyers Under Forty by the National Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Kirchner and his wife, Lenna Shirley Kirchner, of Honea Path, South Carolina, live on James Island and have a daughter and son.

Awards and Recognition

• Best Lawyers 2024
• 2014 AWR Litigator of the Year
• Member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Member of Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• AV Rated
• Super Lawyers
• Rising Stars
• Top Forty Lawyers Under Forty by the National Trial Lawyers Association
• 2L Inductee to the Order of the Wig & Robe
• Member of the Order of Coif

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Charleston County Bar Association
• South Carolina Bar Association
  • Construction Law Section
• American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry

News

• College of Charleston sues residence hall developer claiming construction deficiencies
• 40 Charleston area condo and apartment buildings involved in lawsuits over defects
• The Road Home
• Mixson might face the wrecking ball Engineers in March found apartments ‘structurally unsound, unsafe’
• North Charleston delays decision on Mixson’s fate
• Builder appeals North Charleston
• Flats at Mixson owner, North Charleston say builder
• Hotel tax lawsuit nears end
• Judge OKs $3.5M settlement in hotel tax suit
• Condo owners awarded $7.7 million 
• Homeowners file suit; mold tests planned

Results

• $26,500,000 Settlement for Daniel Island condominium association for construction defects in 2021.
• $25,000,000 settlement for a multi-family owner in Charleston County for construction defects in 2016.
• $18,249,000.00 settlement for a Charleston condominium association for alleged construction deficiencies in 2018
• $14,075,000 settlement for a Hilton Head Island condominium association for construction deficiencies in 2016.
• More than $13.5m settlement for a contractor against its subcontractors as a result of construction deficiencies in 2019.
• $12,140,000 settlement for Beaufort County condo association for construction deficiencies in 2014.
• $11,835,000 settlement for a Charleston County condominium association due to construction deficiencies in 2013.
• $9,800,000 in settlements for various community associations as a result of latent construction defects in 2013.
• $9,300,000 settlement for a Johns Island condominium association as a result of latent construction defects 2011.
• $7,800,000 settlement for a downtown Charleston condominium association for construction deficiencies in 2016.
• $7,115,000 settlement for James Island Condo Association for construction deficiencies in 2016.
• $7,784,550 settlement for a Charleston County neighborhood association for construction deficiencies in 2018.
• $6,342,500 settlement for a Mount Pleasant condominium association for construction deficiencies in 2017.
• More than $4.65m settlement for a single building condominium association in downtown Charleston for construction deficiencies in 2014.
• $3,700,000 settlement for a Seabrook Island condominium association for construction deficiencies in 2017.
• More than $3.0m in settlements for various single-family homeowners as a result of latent construction defects in 2015.
• $2,733,499 in settlements for various single-family homeowners as a result of latent construction defects in 2014.
• More than $2.7m in settlements for various single-family homeowners as a result of latent construction defects in 2013.
• More than $2.5m in settlements for various single-family homeowners as a result of latent construction defects in 2012.
• More than $2.4m in settlements for various single-family homeowners as a result of latent construction defects in 2017.
• More than $2.1m in settlements for various single-family homeowners as a result of latent construction defects in 2011.
• More than $2m settlement for a local municipality as a result of construction deficiencies in one of its buildings in 2018.
• $1,933,500 settlement for a downtown condominium association for construction deficiencies in 2018.
• $1,462,500.00 settlement for individual owners of a downtown neighborhood for construction deficiencies in 2017.
• $1,652,150 settlement for a Orangeburg County condominium association for construction deficiencies in 2016.
• More than $1.2m for a downtown Charleston condominium project for construction defects in 2014.
• More than $800,000 settlement for a Mount Pleasant townhome association for construction deficiencies in 2017.
• $16.4M settlement for a Daniel Island condominium association in 2023.
• $9.425M settlement for a single building Daniel Island condominium association in 2023.
• $5.45M settlement for a downtown Charleston dormitory facility in 2023.
• $4.5M settlement for a school within the University system for a dormitory in 2021.
• $3.4M settlement for a James Island retirement community in 2023.
• $2.6M settlement for a condominium association in Myrtle Beach in 2022.
• $1.93M settlement for a condominium association in downtown Greenville in 2022.
• $1.45M settlement for a commercial office building in downtown Charleston in 2022.
• $1.3M settlement for a hotel for in Aiken County in 2021.
• $950K settlement for a Johns Island condominium association against an engineer in 2023.

*DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and presents its own unique set of variables. Thus, no guarantee can me made that you will obtain the same or similar result as a previous client. Achievements by the attorneys at Thurmond Kirchner & Timbes, PA on behalf of one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.