Kip is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Kip received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina (USC), with a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) in Biological Sciences. During his undergraduate career, Kip was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, was selected to serve as student representative to the University Retention & NCAA Athletic Advisory Committees and played on the USC Men’s Rugby Club. During undergrad. Kip was also selected as to be an intern for the Washington, D.C. Office of Congressman Joe E. Wilson (R-SC), and the 2002 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Intern for Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC) working in the Congressman’s D.C. Office in 2002.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and graduating from USC, Kip enrolled in the Founding Class of the Charleston School of Law (CSOL), in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, in 2004. During his tenure at CSOL, Kip served as a member of the Student Senate, the ABA-Student Accreditation Committee, Black Law Students’ Association, Chaired the Barrister’s Ball Committee, and was a Founding Member of the CSOL Moot Court Board, including representing CSOL as a Competitor at the first annual American Constitution Society (ACS) Constance Baker Motley National Moot Court Competition in Constitutional Law held at New York’s Columbia University School of Law in 2006. Kip also interned for Federal District Court Judge Henry Floyd, US Dist. Ct. for the Dist. Of South Carolina, having the opportunity to witness Judge Floyd presided over the case of José Padilla, a United States citizen detained by as an enemy combatant where Judge Floyd ruled there was no authority to hold Padilla as an enemy combatant. In the Summer of 2006, Kip travelled to Linz, Austria, Europe, where he participated in the Summer Academy in International Commercial Arbitration (SAICA), and completed that program receiving a Certificate from Georgia State University School of Law and Johanes Kephler Universität, in August 2006.
Upon graduating from the Charleston School of Law in 2007, Kip accepted an offer to join the Vienna, Austria, Europe, Office of Wolf Theiss, Rechanstanwälte, Attorneys-At-Law. Kip moved to Vienna, where he worked as an Associate Member of the Wolf Theiss Dispute Resolution Practice Group from 2007-2010. As an Associate member of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group, responsibilities focused on business development, International Commercial Arbitration and other forms of International Commercial Dispute Resolution in matters across the CEE/SEE. Most notably, Kip assisted Senior Partners in the representation of a Turkish based consulting group in ICC proceedings against a consortium of 14 other entities following multiple breaches in the consortium agreement for a dam construction project in Turkey. After initiating arbitral proceedings, the opposing parties entered into a settlement satisfying the full USD $137.5 million amount in dispute. Also, Kip was involved in representing a client in ICSID proceedings concerning an investment dispute under the UK-Romania Bilateral Investment Treaty. The dispute concerned the alleged expropriation of the investment and the violation of the fair and equitable treatment standards and political corruption, with more than $130 million USD in dispute.
Kip was also heavily involved in the American Bar Association Section of International Law (SIL), and in 2008 was appointed by the SIL’s Leadership to serve as the SIL’s Deputy Program Officer. As Deputy Program Officer, Kip was responsible for the SIL’s Standalone Programs, serving 3 consecutive terms from 2008-2011, during which time more than 30 programs were successfully executed in countries around the globe including Italy, Israel, India, Germany, Russia, England, Brazil, Mexico and the United States.
In late 2011, Kip returned to the United States accepting a position with Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover, PC, (HBSS) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where he focused in the areas of International Law, Commercial Transactions, International Arbitration and Trade, with a special focus and emphasis in finance and development in emerging markets, until 2014, making the decision to return home to South Carolina where he’s worked in Economic Development various capacities.
Most recently, Kip’s professional endeavors lead to the formation of a conservation and environmental mitigation focused real estate group, the South Carolina Land & Water Improvement Group, LLC. Kip and his business partners will work to establish a mitigation bank that will conserve South Carolina’s precious natural resources, which simultaneously providing the necessary mitigation services necessary for the continued and ongoing growth and economic expansion being experienced across South Carolina and much of the Neighboring Southeastern United States.
Kip is extremely active in the community serving on the Board for the Palmetto Health Cancer Center’s Foundation, Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR), the South Carolina Ducks Unlimited State Committee, Central Carolina Community Foundation and Chair’s the Scholarship Committee of the Zack & Rachel Clarkson Foundation, a community scholarship foundation started in memory of his Grandparents to continue on their legacy of ensuring future generations are able to attend institutions of higher learning.
Kip is also a 2016 graduate of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association’s “Institute”, and recently became a Leadership South Carolina Alum completing the almost year long program in the spring of 2017.