Mike Tighe, cofounder of Callison Tighe & Robinson law firm, retires after more than half a century of distinguished service
In 1971, Michael W. Tighe and the late Preston Callison started the law firm that still bears their names. It started as a real estate firm and grew into a team of distinguished attorneys who today proudly provide the people and businesses of Columbia with a wide range of legal representation and counseling.
After 54 years of successful service, Mike Tighe is stepping aside at the age of 84 to leave the work of Callison Tighe & Robinson to his professional colleagues and their staff, who will always be deeply grateful for what he helped start.
He leaves behind a rich heritage, which will long benefit the clients he has served so faithfully. In 2016, Callison Tighe created the perpetual Michael W. Tighe Law Scholarship at the University of South Carolina School of Law in honor of Mike’s contributions to the legal profession and to the law firm.
“Mike is a brilliant lawyer who led our firm for over fifty years,” said Callison Tighe’s managing partner, Rick Detwiler. “He was a leader who was generous in every way. He was a mentor to our lawyers and staff. And he remains a great friend to us all. We miss him tremendously.”
Mr. Tighe, a Columbia native, commenced his undergraduate studies at the University of South Carolina in the fall of 1962. After two years, he was allowed to enroll in the School of Law, and after his first year, he graduated from the undergraduate school magna cum laude; two years later he graduated magna cum laude from the law school, first in his class. While in law school, he was Editor in Chief of the South Carolina Law Review and Chief Justice of Wig and Robe.
After law school, Mr. Tighe was appointed law clerk to The Honorable Clement H. Haynsworth Jr., Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Following his one-year clerkship, Mr. Tighe, who had an ROTC commission, was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years’ service, including a tour in Korea. Upon release from active duty, he served as assistant South Carolina Attorney General for two years, before he and Mr. Callison formed the law firm which still bears their names.
In private practice, Mr. Tighe has represented real estate developers, brokers, lenders, and title insurance companies. He has also served as a certified mediator and arbitrator, as well as a speaker at continuing legal education seminars.
Clients have appreciated the work of Mr. Tighe and his colleagues for more than half a century. So have his peers outside the firm, and organizations that rate the quality of legal professionals. Among his awards are many years of recognition by Best Lawyers in America, which has named him Lawyer of the Year multiple times. He has also been honored repeatedly by South Carolina Super Lawyers and Legal Elite of the Midlands.
He has also distinguished himself in the community. He and his wife, Judy, are active members of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Forest Acres. He is also a timber farmer and manager of a stream mitigation credit bank. In 2022, on the steps of the South Carolina State House, the National FFA Organization awarded him its Honorary American FFA Degree – the highest award bestowed upon an individual by the organization for future farmers. Mr. Tighe has been on a local bank board, is Chairman of the Board for American Heritage Foundation, and is a member and former chairman of the Board of Directors of Welvista, Inc., a charitable organization that provides pharmaceutical drugs to South Carolina residents who cannot afford them.
Mr. Tighe treasures the friends he served with in the Air Force, many of whom were veterans of World War 2, and all but two of whom have passed away. He enjoyed hosting annual events with them and other friends, cooking, and hunting on his farm in Fairfield County. He collects coins, historical and modern firearms and historical military vehicles. In retirement he hopes to continue sharing his hunting venue with others.
He also plans to spend time with his wife Judy, his dog, and other relatives and friends at their vacation home on Hilton Head Island.