Trip W Riesen

Biographical Information

 Trip was born and raised in Charleston, SC. He graduated from the College of Charleston (B.A., 1992) and from Golden Gate University School of Law in California (J.D., 1999). 

In 1998, Trip was selected into the Honors Program with the Department of Justice as a third year law student where he worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Francisco and had the unique opportunity to prosecute cases in the drugs, guns and explosives unit.

After graduation and upon passing the California Bar, Trip worked in the legal department of Siebel Systems, Inc. in Silicon Valley where he negotiated and managed multi-million dollar software license contracts and handled intellectual property and litigation matters involving S&P 500 companies.

Upon returning to South Carolina in 2003 and passing the South Carolina Bar, Trip joined the Riesen Law Firm, LLP where he spent the next five (5) years handling Auto Accident cases, Workers’ Compensation and Family Law. 

Trip also gained valuable firsthand experience in eminent domain law after a personal experience when the Town of Mount Pleasant decided to fill in a portion of his neighborhood's lake to build a road. Trip successfully negotiated a compromise with the Town and developers, and the road was re-routed away from his neighborhood's lake.  If a government agency is either physically taking your property or re-zoning or regulating your property which adversely affects the value of your property please contact Trip Riesen for a free consultation to discuss your situation and recommend a course of action. 

In 2008, Trip took action to substantially expand his legal skills. For the next three years, he focused his energy on criminal law and went to work for the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Charleston. As a Managing Assistant Solicitor, he prosecuted a wide assortment of cases, from serious felonies such as murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking etc…to less severe cases such as fraud, simple assaults, simple possession of drugs and DUI’s.

 Trip was a tough but fair prosecutor who not only secured hundreds of guilty pleas but also spent considerable time in court trying cases. In 2010, out of 31 Assistant Solicitors, Trip had the most cases called for trial. Trip's experience as a prosecutor has given him a unique insight into how the system works through the "prosecutor's eyes." This experience is a tremendous asset to his clients in representing defendants in all types of criminal prosecutions.

Trip is now back at the Riesen Law Firm LLP practicing in all areas of criminal defense, plaintiff's personal injury, workers' compensation, family law and eminent domain/condemnation land use law.