Cameran Gilliam and Avery Upchurch have joined Motley Rice in its headquarter office in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Both join the firm with significant legal experience in a variety of areas.
Gilliam relocated from Chicago to join the firm’s securities litigation team, where she represents clients in complex cases involving securities fraud, shareholder derivative actions, and corporate misconduct.
Gilliam contributed to major securities fraud settlements at her prior firm before joining Motley Rice. She has additional experience as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office for two years. She earned a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Florida.
Upchurch joins the firm’s growing mass tort litigation teams, where she focuses her practice on toxic exposure and environmental contamination, defective medical drugs and devices, and dangerous consumer products.
Avery previously served as a staff attorney and lobbyist for the South Carolina Association of Counties and worked with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. She also held roles with the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee, and U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. During law school, she clerked for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Missouri Court of Appeals. She is a 2025 graduate of the Local Government Leadership Institute. She earned a J.D. from the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Texas.
“The addition of Cameran and Avery underscores Motley Rice’s ongoing commitment to expanding its capabilities across significant areas of litigation. Their experience and backgrounds in government, regulatory matters, and large-scale litigation strengthen our firm’s ability to advocate for clients and take on cases that demand rigorous legal strategy and unwavering commitment,” shared Motley Rice Attorney Hiring Committee Chair, Fred Baker.
About Motley Rice
Motley Rice LLC is committed to protecting the rights of those harmed by corporate wrongdoing. The firm earned national recognition for groundbreaking asbestos litigation, its pivotal role in the historic fight against Big Tobacco alongside State Attorneys General, its ongoing representation of 9/11 families pursuing justice against terrorist financiers and its continued fight to change public health, as it relates to the current opioid crisis. With a legacy of taking on complex, high-stakes cases, Motley Rice continues to champion accountability and advocate for victims across diverse areas of litigation.