• Chad graduated from NHS in 1994.  While a student he played varsity baseball (for a much younger Coach Walters – lol) and served each year as either president or vp of my class (flipping each year with Jay Thompson).

    Chad graduated in 1998 from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management. He received his law degree in 2002 from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was a member of the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal. Following law school, Chad was a law clerk for the Honorable John C. Hayes III in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina.

    Before forming The Echols Firm, LLC, Chad served as Vice President and General Counsel for Williams & Fudge, Inc., a national student loan collection agency located in Rock Hill, and was an attorney with the law firm Hamilton, Martens & Ballou, LLC. He continues to serve as outside general counsel to Williams & Fudge, Inc.

    The firm’s practice focuses on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, compliance for collection agencies and debt purchasers, business law, litigation, and commercial collections. He is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association.

    Chad serves on the Board of Directors for the Good Folks of York County, Upper Palmetto YMCA Camp Cherokee, York County Clemson Club, and is a Vice Chairman for the 2018 Come-See-Me Festival.

    Chad has considerable experience in all areas associated with defense and compliance regarding pre-default and post-default debt collection and practices primarily in the area of business law and litigation, including:

    • Federal and State Trial and Appellate Representation
      • Construction Litigation
      • Commercial Litigation
      • Arbitration and Mediation
      • Banking and Financial Services Litigation

      Chad is an active member of ACA International, the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. His contributions include:

      • Professional Collections Specialist Certificate since 2005
      • 2006-2008 Members’ Attorney Program (MAP) Committee
      • 2008-2009 MAP Committee Chairperson
      • 2009-2011 ACA Board of Directors
      • 2011-present South Carolina State Legislative Chair
      • 2011-present South Carolina MAP State Chair
      • 2012-2013 ACA Industry Defense Task Force Committee
      • 2013 ACA Scholar Designation
      • Collection Notice Review (CNR) Panel
      • 2014-present ACA Judicial Committee
      • Unit Secretary/Treasurer for the South Carolina Collectors Association

      Bar and Court Admissions

      • South Carolina
      • United States District Court For the District of South Carolina
      • The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

      Chad Echols and David Stocker, New Focus on Student Loans: Recent lawsuits question the practice of adding collection costs to nonfederal student debts, 74, n.7 Collector Magazine (mag. of ACA International) (30 February 2009)