Robertson H. Wendt, Jr.

Charleston Disability Attorney

Robertson Wendt leads the firm’s disability division representing clients in claims for Social Security Disability, long-term disability, and other disability benefit programs.

He has practiced law in Charleston, S.C., since 1981 after earning his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and has successfully handled thousands of disability claims in hearings before federal administrative law judges and in administrative and federal court appeals.

He is a board-certified specialist in Social Security Disability law, certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA).

He’s also a sustaining member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR). And in 2020, Rob was elected to the NOSSCR Board of Directors for the Fourth Circuit, where he can continue making a large impact on the lives of the people he represents.

CONTACT ROB TODAY!

Disability Lawyer Robertson Wendt’s Background

Throughout his career, Rob has worked to improve the practice of disability law and to promote justice for people with disabilities. He has served as a leader in several state and national bar organizations; has worked with members of Congress, the White House, and the Social Security Administration on disability law and policy; has served as speaker, trainer, and panelist on Social Security law and practice; and has addressed the public on disability issues in personal appearances and through the news media.

In the late 1990s, Rob conceived and promoted the creation of a national board certification for Social Security Disability legal specialists to serve disability claimants looking for the most qualified lawyers to represent them. In 2005, the American Bar Association accredited the first national legal specialization program for Social Security Disability attorneys through the NBTA, the country’s largest national certifying organization of legal specialists.

Rob has served on the NBTA board of directors since 2012 and is active on several committees. In 2020 he was elected to the board of directors for the Fourth Circuit for another leading organization of disability lawyers, NOSSCR.

Because of his commitment to public and professional service, Rob was honored with a South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s 2011 Leadership in Law award.

Rob became of counsel to the Finkel Law Firm LLC in 2016 with the goal of building a statewide disability law practice for the firm. He is committed to using his many years of experience to train a new generation of lawyers and professional legal staff to represent disabled clients with the highest degree of professionalism and service.

AREAS OF PRACTICE:

BAR ADMISSIONS:

South Carolina, 1981
United States District Court, District of South Carolina, 1982
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1983
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, 2015

EDUCATION:

University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, S.C., 1981
Juris Doctor
Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, 1978
Bachelor of Arts
St. Andrew’s School, Middletown, Delaware, graduated 1974

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS:

The Honorable Klyde Robinson, South Carolina Circuit Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit, 1981-1982
The Honorable Lawrence E. Richter, Jr., South Carolina Circuit Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit, 1982

GOVERNMENT SERVICE – CRIMINAL PROSECUTOR:

Assistant Solicitor (state criminal prosecutor), Ninth Judicial Circuit 1990-1994, Appointed by – Ninth Circuit Solicitor Charles Condon as South Carolina’s first state environmental crimes prosecutor, focusing on white collar pollution/hazardous waste crimes.
Special Assistant United States Attorney, 1992. Appointed by United States Attorney Bart Daniel to assist in prosecution of complex international case involving illegal manufacture, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste. United States v. Stoller Chemical Company Inc., et al.

PUBLIC OFFICES:

Chair, Charleston County Business License/User Fee Appeals Board, 1989-1991, Appointed by Charleston County Council.
Chair, Charleston Area Mental Health Center Board, 1986-1988. Appointed 1983 by Governor Richard Riley, reappointed 1987 by Governor Carroll Campbell.

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS:

NOSSCR, member of the Board of Directors for the Fourth Circuit
National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA)
NBTA Board of Directors member
Certified specialist, Social Security Disability Advocacy, certified 2008, recertified 2013
Board of Directors 2012 to present
Examination Committee
Communications & Membership Committee
Appeals Panel Committee
Federal Bar Association (FBA)
American Association for Justice (AAJ)
American Bar Association (ABA)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA-accredited attorney
South Carolina Bar
South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ)
Charleston County Bar Association

PAST PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS:

American Association for Justice
Founding member of Social Security Disability Law Section
Chair, Social Security Disability Law Section, 2000-2001
South Carolina Association for Justice
Elected to Board of Directors representing Ninth Judicial Circuit, 1999-2002
Chair, Social Security Section, 1997-2000, 2003-2007
Federal Bar Association, South Carolina Chapter
Board of Directors, 2003-2005

REPRESENTATIVE CASES:

Meyer v. Astrue, 662 F.3d 700 (4th Cir. 2011)
Hazel v. Comm’r of S.S.A, 820 F.Supp.2d 721 (D.S.C. 2011)
Sherby v. Astrue, 767 F.Supp.2d 592 (D.S.C. 2010)
Mitchum v. Astrue, 586 F.Supp.2d 424 (D.S.C. 2007)
Jepson v. U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Servs., 977 F.2d 911 (4th Cir. 1992)
Rhodes v. Palmetto Pathway Homes, Inc., 303 S.C. 308, 400 S.E.2d 484 (1991)