Trip was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. He received his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston and law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in California.
Trip was selected into the honors program with the U.S. Department of Justice as a third year law student where he worked for the U.S. attorney’s office in San Francisco and prosecuted cases in the drugs, guns and explosives unit.
After graduation and upon passing The State Bar of California, Trip worked in the legal department of Siebel Systems, Inc. in Silicon Valley where he negotiated and managed multimillion-dollar software license contracts and handled intellectual property and litigation matters involving S&P 500 companies.
Upon returning to South Carolina 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 left Riesen Law Firm LLP to become a prosecutor. He was hired by the 9th 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 DUIs.
Trip was a tough but fair prosecutor who not only secured hundreds of guilty pleas but also spent considerable time in court trying cases. During his last year as a prosecutor, Trip had the most cases called for trial out of 31 prosecutors. 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.
After three (3) years as a prosecutor, Trip returned to the Riesen Law Firm LLP where he practiced criminal defense, plaintiff’s personal injury, workers’ compensation. In 2017, Trip, his father, Fred W. Riesen, Jr. and G. Rutledge DuRant relocated offices to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and renamed the firm Riesen DuRant, LLC. The firm’s practice focuses primarily on plaintiff’s personal injury, workers’ compensation and criminal defense.
In addition to practicing law, Trip has also taught criminal law and evidence at one of the local colleges and acted as a volunteer coach at Wando High School for students competing in the national “We the People” mock debate held in Washington, DC.
Trip previously served 6 years on the Board of Governors for the South Carolina Association of Justice (“SCAJ”), formerly South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. There, he represented the interests of over approximately 260 members of the legal community throughout Charleston and Berkeley County.
Outside of work, Trip’s interests include attending his son’s basketball, baseball and soccer games. The firm is very active in the community sponsoring youth sports. Trip also enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and just about anything outdoors. Trip played college tennis, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and competed in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon several times. In the summer, you will usually find him with his wife and son at the beach or out in the boat.