Meet Our Team of Professionals
Donald N. Sorenson
Associate Attorney
Don graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in May 1995. He was sworn into the South Carolina Bar Association in November 1995.
Don then spent the next 25 years serving as an Assistant Solicitor, initially in the 5th Judicial Circuit (Richland and Kershaw Counties) and then for the last 15+ years in the 1st Judicial Circuit (Dorchester, Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties). During his career as a prosecutor he has handled several hundred violent crime cases including Homicides, Sexual Assaults, Burglaries, Armed Robberies and Drug Trafficking. He has tried to a jury verdict over 120 violent crime trials throughout the State including approximately 50 Murder trials.
Don has been called upon to conduct training classes with local law enforcement agencies and was frequently consulted with regarding pending criminal investigations. He has also been a faculty member at the Prosecution Commission’s Annual Boot Camp for new prosecutors, and participated in the South Carolina Bar’s 2018 CLE Presentation, A Criminal Trial Demonstration: Cold Blooded Custody. Don was further recognized in 2015 as the recipient of the Ernest F. Hollings Award for Excellence in State Prosecution.
In his free time Don enjoys playing tennis, rooting for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and spending time with his family.
Jonathan C. Harvey
Personal Injury Manager/Paralegal
Jonathan manages the firm’s personal injury cases under Attorney Brown. He has worked in the legal field for over 29 years. After working in different areas of the law for attorneys, he found his calling as a Personal Injury Manager and Paralegal. He strives to bring compassion and understanding when our client’s are at a time of physical and emotional hardship. He helps our clients in the areas of automobile accidents, nursing home negligence, work related injuries, slip and fall injuries, medical negligence, brain injuries and wrongful death. Jonathan’s many years of legal experience are an asset to the firm from the inception of a client’s case to helping prepare it through the litigation process and to trial.
Sarah Kate Crane Tesner
Criminal Paralegal
Sarah Kate was born and grew up locally in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She graduated from Wando High School and began her career in customer service before transitioning to the legal field. Her first exposure to the legal profession was Court Reporting in Anderson, South Carolina. After a few years in the Upstate, she returned to Charleston and began working for a local law firm starting as the receptionist. She then became a litigation assistant before finding her way into intake operations where she excelled at helping her clients. She ultimately became a Personal Injury Case Manager. She joined our team in 2023 to continue her experience working as our Criminal Paralegal. Her principles and work in the legal field for over 14 years make her a true advocate for our clients. She brings enthusiasm and integrity to our firm every day. She comes from a family of fishermen and law enforcement. She grew up on the waters of Shem Creek and the Intracoastal Waterway fishing for crabs with her father, a local commercial fisherman. When she’s not at work she can be found hanging out with her husband, Patrick, and their two dogs.
Cassidy Abell
Assistant Office Manager
Cassidy grew up locally, here in Charleston, South Carolina. After high school, she chose to attend the University of South Carolina, where she was a member of the Criminal Justice Honor Society. During her time as a student, she interned for the Department of Juvenile Justice. She was mentioned on the Dean’s List and President’s List during her college years and graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science. She graduated with a Master of Business Administration from The Citadel in 2023. She joined us in 2021 and has worked for both our Criminal and Personal Injury teams. She now works as an Assistant Office Manager dealing with various jobs around the office. Her versatility and passion make her a vital piece of our legal team. Outside of work, she enjoys watching sports and going on walks with her corgi, Wilson. As a local, she has grown up to love fishing and being on the water with her family every chance she gets.
Dr. Debora Brown, PT, DPT, FNAP
Medical Consultant
Debbie has been married to Pete for more than 30 years. They moved to Charleston in 1989 following completion of graduate school at Emory University. Dr. Debora Brown, PT, DPT, FNAP is a physical therapist with more than three decades of experience having worked at MUSC for almost 33 years. Initially Debbie was a fulltime clinician working with patients suffering from orthopedic and neurologic injuries. She moved into academia in 2001 where she continued to treat patients with orthopedic diagnosis as well as teach coursework in orthopedics, clinical reasoning, and clinical education. During her 20+ years as a professor with the MUSC Doctor of Physical Therapy education program, Debbie taught countless doctoral level classes, was a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and has 18 publications in physical therapy and related journals. Debbie has been qualified and testified as an expert witness in the field of physical therapy by the South Carolina Courts. Having worked with students and patients for decades, Debbie is comfortable with case reviews and recommendations for clients who have medical components (including surgery and rehabilitation) regarding their cases. She has served in this capacity unofficially for years with an official appointment in 2021. When not at the office, Debbie can be found caring for the firm mascots- Basset hounds Buster and Biscuit, as well as Molly, their golden retriever. She enjoys walks outside, pickleball and spending time with their adult children.
Ellison Jackson
Marketing Assistant
Ellison is a CPA with her master’s degree in accounting from Clemson University and serves as a firm resource for accounting needs. Ellison has over two years of experience providing a variety of tax related services to a wide range of customers with her primary focus is on manufacturing and distribution customers along with not-for-profit organizations. Ellison is currently serving as the director of finance for One80 Place, a local not-for-profit organization that helps end and prevent homelessness in the community. As Pete’s daughter, she helps with various jobs around the office including accounting, social media marketing, photography, and keeping her dad in line.
Greg Smith
CPA & Business Advisor
Born and raised in the Charleston area, Greg has been fishing, hunting, and shrimping the low country his entire life. Pete met Greg during their youth when they both lifeguarded for the City of North Charleston. Greg’s love of Charleston kept him here as he attended the College of Charleston and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting in 1989.
Greg moved on to Hilton Head, South Carolina where he worked with a large construction company and then a prestigious CPA firm after graduation. He eventually grew to miss Charleston and decided to return after earning his CPA license in 1993. Greg has been a licensed CPA for nearly 25 years. Greg has been our trusted CPA and business advisor since the founding day of The Law Office of Peter David Brown, PA.