Wade S. Kolb III

South Carolina

Wyche, P.A.
200 East Broad Street
Suite 400
Greenville, SC 29601

Tel: 864-242-8306

Email: wkolb@wyche.com
Web: www.wyche.com

Professional Biography

Wade’s practice centers on advising educational institutions and employers of all types in navigating complex legal problems. His career handling litigation and appellate work informs the analysis he provides and facilitates his role as trusted outside general counsel.

A former teacher, Wade leads Wyche’s education law practice, providing guidance to secondary schools and institutions of higher education on policy and handbook reviews, student discipline and honor code matters, and regulatory compliance, including Title IX. Wade also leads Wyche’s internal investigations group, helping clients promptly and efficiently collect facts and find solutions to a range of issues.

Prior to joining Wyche, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ed Carnes on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Active in the community, Wade is a member of numerous boards and non-profit organizations, including the Palmetto Project, the Carolina Youth Symphony, and the Rotary Club of Greenville, of which he served as president from 2022-2023.

Representative Experience
  • Obtained dismissal of a lawsuit filed against a college by a donor seeking return of monetary gifts after the college made a strategic decision with which the donor disagreed
  • Successfully defended a private college in an action seeking an injunction to block demolition of a college building
  • Filed amicus curiae with S.C. Court of Appeals and successfully argued that courts should not interfere in core academic decisions by schools, resulting in reversal of a lower court decision
  • Assisted a public school district in an investigation by the South Carolina Inspector General

Wyche’s education practice has given us great experience in the wide range of unique issues faced by institutions of higher learning. We have handled matters as varied as student discipline and honor code issues; disclosure of educational records under FERPA; bond issues for private colleges; faculty handbooks and tenure disputes; establishing policies on intellectual property ownership as between faculty, students, and the institutions; review of corporate charters and compliance with IRS nonprofit regulations; executive compensation plans; endowment-related matters; faculty and staff employment contracts, disputes, and litigation; Title IX compliance; and contracting with college vendors.

The academic world is not the quiet, simple place that it once was. The wider world has impinged on the ivory tower in numerous ways. The range and complexity of issues facing a college administrator has grown dramatically. Today, a college must deal with campus security, web-based challenges to privacy, growing plagiarism, mental health issues, budgetary pressures, and a host of other increasingly complex issues.

Wyche, P.A. is a full-service law firm providing strategic legal counsel to businesses, financial institutions, governmental entities, and individuals throughout the Southeastern United States. Founded in 1923, the firm has built a longstanding reputation for delivering practical, business-oriented legal solutions grounded in deep regional experience. Wyche is known for its client-focused approach and its ability to guide organizations through complex legal, regulatory, and commercial matters with efficiency and strategic insight.

The firm maintains offices in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina, positioning it to serve clients across the Upstate region and throughout the state. Wyche represents a diverse client base that includes middle-market companies, manufacturers, real estate developers, healthcare providers, financial institutions, and public sector entities, offering counsel tailored to both local market dynamics and broader business objectives.

Wyche provides a broad range of legal services encompassing corporate and business law, commercial litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, healthcare law, environmental law, and estate planning. The firm is particularly recognized for its strengths in business transactions and complex litigation, assisting clients with dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning designed to support long-term operational and financial success.

“Peers regard Wade as a thoughtful and strategic advisor to schools and universities, particularly in matters involving Title IX and institutional governance. Clients value his litigation-informed counsel and steady leadership in sensitive internal investigations.”
The Education Lawyers, 2025