Jim Koutrakos receives J. Lee McDonald Award from PLTA

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Palmetto Land Title Association has recognized our own Jim Koutrakos, a member of our firm, with its 2021 J. Lee McDonald Award.

The annual award was established in 1980 to recognize outstanding service to the association.

Mr. Koutrakos focuses his practice on litigating and resolving all types of real property disputes. He has handled more than a thousand title insurance claims, including claims involving potential high exposure and major loss, bad faith claims, and litigation involving large title defects in commercial and resort properties.

He graduated in 1996 from the University of South Carolina School of Law, joined Callison Tighe the following year, and became a member in 2002.

Jim is a past director of the PLTA, has been a frequent speaker at its events – including at the 2022 convention on May 5 – and filed amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the association.

For more than 40 years, the PLTA has represented the title industry in South Carolina, providing a number of services and benefits to its members. It strives to maintain professional standards and ethics, provide educational programs and industry information for the benefit of members and those they serve, and play a vital role in the advancement of the industry. Membership consists of title insurance underwriters and agents, attorneys, and other real estate business professionals.

Jennifer Rubin, a past president of the PLTA, remarked “no one is more deserving of this honor than Jim Koutrakos. Jim has dedicated his career to advocating for the title insurance industry and his clients. His unparalleled knowledge of the interplay between real estate and contract law coupled with his witty and likeable demeanor has made him a favorite advocate for our industry and of the courts. I am honored to call Jim not only an industry friend, but a personal friend as well.”