Ann E. Rice Ervin represents victims faced with unexpected health complications caused by harmful pharmaceutical drugs and defective medical devices. Through the pursuit of complex medical mass tort litigation, Ann works to hold accountable those responsible for corporate wrongdoing and inadequate product warning, research and testing.
Ann is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for people who allege serious side effects from Elmiron, the only FDA-approved treatment for interstitial cystitis.
Her advocacy for the vulnerable includes representing children who developed defects in utero after their mothers took Zofran to treat pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. She also represents patients who were diagnosed with melanoma after taking Viagra, Cialis or other PDE5 Inhibitors to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension, a type of blood pressure condition.
In addition, Ann has played an instrumental role in the firm’s handling of pharmaceutical litigation regarding medical drugs Zoloft, Lipitor and Actos as well as dialysis products GranuFlo Powder and NaturaLyte Liquid acid concentrates.
Ann joined Motley Rice as an associate after first serving for two years as a law clerk for a New York plaintiffs’ law firm while simultaneously earning a Master of Arts degree in Bioethics from New York University. As a law clerk, she gained experience conducting legal research and analysis for complex environmental litigation involving landfills, toxic spills, vapor intrusion and water contamination. The combination of her legal skills and knowledge of the bioethics field, specifically as it relates to the world of medicine, is an asset in litigation on behalf of medical clients.
While earning her bioethics degree, Ann interned with the Ethics Committee and Ethics Consultation Service at the Medical University of South Carolina, which she joined in 2012 as a Community Representative to help facilitate discussions among patients, families and hospital staff in an effort to resolve ethical conflicts. She continues to be involved with the Committee as a complement to her work in the legal field. In 2011 and 2012, Ann worked as a research assistant on an experimental philosophy study determining the role of bioethics in clinicians’ moral reasoning, specifically examining clinicians at three Charleston hospitals. This project was ultimately chosen to be part of Yale University’s Experiment Month contest.
During law school, Ann worked as an intern for Washington Governor Christine O. Gregoire. She also served as a summer special project research assistant with Duke University School of Law and focused her research on exploring whether the law imposes barriers or obligations to medical providers who wish to treat illegal immigrants for ethical reasons.
As part of her ongoing commitment to supporting children’s rights and well-being, Ann helped establish the Lisa S. Rice and Ann E. Rice Ervin Child Advocacy Award Endowment. The endowment assists law students concentrating in various aspects of the law directly benefiting children and families by completing the Children’s Law Concentration at the University of South Carolina, Joseph F. Rice School of Law. Additionally, Ann serves on the advisory board for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital Fund (CHF), the Alumni Council for the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law, the Board of Trustees for the Charleston Day School and actively supports the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center.
Ann currently serves as a faculty member at the Medical University of South Carolina as part of the distinguished Clinical and Translational Research Ethics Fellowship program, where she regularly speaks. Ann has also presented on a variety of topics at numerous legal conferences including HarrisMartin, Mass Torts Made Perfect and AAJ conferences.
Outside of her academic and professional commitments, Ann has supported several organizations in a variety of ways including the Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital, Relay-for-Life, Meals on Wheels, The Angel Tree, Project Clean Carolina, South Carolina Junior Golf, First Tee of Charleston, SC Bar Young Lawyers Division Cinderella Project, and the Charleston Jr. League’s Bridal Boutique initiative. She is also an equestrian since 1988 and national level competitor in the hunters/jumpers division since 1994.
Awards, Accolades & Recognitions
Best Lawyers
Charleston, SC
2022-2026 Ones to Watch list: Mass tort litigation / class actions - plaintiffs; Personal injury litigation-plaintiffs; Product liability litigation-plaintiffs
Charleston Regional Business Journal
2022 Forty Under 40
Law360
2020 Rising Stars list Product liability
Super Lawyers
2019 South Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Stars list
Personal injury-products: plaintiffs
The National Trial Lawyers
2022 Civil Plaintiff-Top 40 under 40 Trial Lawyer list, South Carolina
Blog Posts
January 28, 2021
Navigating prescription drug recalls Causes, Not Just Cases
by: Ann E. Rice Ervin
News
April 28, 2025
The history and legacy of Workers’ Memorial Day
by:
M. Nolan Webb
August 26, 2024
51 Motley Rice attorneys listed in 2025 Best Lawyers in America guide
by: Motley Rice
