Eddie Benton joins Smith Robinson as chief operating officer

Smith Robinson is pleased to announce that Eddie Benton has joined the law firm as chief operating officer.

Benton is a South Carolina native with more than three decades of experience in professional services administration. He has helped run several large and medium-sized law firms in South Carolina, as well as several other kinds of businesses across the country.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Before receiving that, he earned bachelor’s degrees from both the University of South Carolina and Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. He holds a separate master’s degree from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., and has studied at Capernwray School in Carnforth, England.

Benton knows the job of handling administration for legal professionals: “It’s my job to take care of the business and administrative aspects of the practice so the attorneys can focus on practicing law.” That includes day-to-day administration as well as business strategy. Law firms have a lot of competition, and the challenge is to make sure potential clients know how Smith Robinson can assist them.

Benton grew up in Myrtle Beach, starting in a time when he and his fellow students could look out the window from their high school and see the waves on the beach that awaited them after the bell rang – before all the tall hotels went up. He has been married to his high-school sweetheart for 47 years, and they have three children and two grandchildren.