‘I don’t like bullies’: Meet the Philly lawyer who helped take down Alex Murdaugh

When Alex Murdaugh was convicted this month of murdering his wife and son in a highly publicized trial that riveted the country, attorney Eric Bland was quick to tweet that he was “not gloating because it is extremely sad.” But he also wanted everyone to know that “Karma is you know what. Justice won.”

Forget Southern gentility. Despite spending more than 30 years in South Carolina, the Philly-born-and-bred lawyer remains a bit brash.

Murdaugh was a fourth-generation lawyer who hailed from a South Carolina legal dynasty in the small town of Hampton. Now sentenced to life in prison and disbarred, he is also implicated in a widening scandal that many see as an example of how the wealthy and powerful elude justice. In addition to the murder of his wife and son, Murdaugh has been accused of bilking indigent clients out of millions of dollars and of hiring someone to kill him so that his remaining son could benefit from his life insurance policy.

Bland, a malpractice lawyer, helped bring Murdaugh’s misdeeds into the national spotlight. He represented and won settlements for five families who accused Murdaugh of stealing settlement money they received while Murdaugh represented them. He is a cohost of the popular podcast Cup of Justice, along with journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell.

He’s also a talker (”pressure breaks pipes,” he explains) and held so many interviews about Murdaugh that Murdaugh’s lawyers sought a gag order against him in November. (The motion was dismissed, but an accompanying grievance is still pending, Bland said.)

During the murder trial, Bland proudly said he gave 178 interviews; he’s become something of a celebrity among true-crime fans.

Born in Norristown, Bland used to deliver The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Bulletin before school. After graduating from Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in 1981, he moved to South Carolina. A Villanova fan with a penchant for cheesesteaks from Dalessandro’s and Pudge’s, Bland continues to sport a thick Philly accent.

We sat down with him for interview 179. It has been edited for length and clarity.

What was your reaction when you realized this esteemed lawyer had stolen money from his clients?

Shock and disbelief. I’ve sued over 250 lawyers and law firms in my career. I never had anybody outright steal an entire settlement from a client, and certainly not $4.3 million. I really was shocked.

Did being an outsider help you take on powerful people in South Carolina?

It did, because I didn’t go to their country clubs. I wasn’t a part of the “in” crowd at the bar. I didn’t have the relationships, so there was less of a reticence on my part to sue lawyers for malpractice. It wasn’t a popular thing to do to sue lawyers. It was almost unheard of down here.

How did your Philly childhood impact how you act in the courtroom?

I just don’t back down. I was bullied as a kid. So I don’t like bullies. I don’t like people that wield their power on the powerless. And I don’t like people that let power go to their heads. My dad lost his job when I was 16 years old and it had a lasting effect on me.

I learned you gotta fight to get in the door. I’ll give you a little anecdote about how I got my first job. I graduated in the top of my law class here in South Carolina. And I wanted to come back up to Philadelphia.

So I wrote all the major law firms in Philadelphia and got nowhere. So then I started calling. Finally I spoke with a hiring partner at one of the major firms and he said, “Well, we don’t recruit from schools like that.”

So I immediately pivoted and said, “Well, the reason I’m calling you is because I have an interview next Thursday with [a rival law firm].” As soon as he heard that, he said, “Well, what time is your interview?” And I said, “Two o’clock.” He said, “Well, we’ll interview you at 10.” So then I call the rival law firm and I said, “I have an interview with your rival.” That’s how I started out after law school working for one of the premier law firms in Philadelphia.

I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t grow up in Philadelphia, that’s for sure. Philadelphia is ingrained in me and part of my DNA.

And you know, I love South Carolina, but they can’t make a hoagie.