For over 125 years, an African American community buried their loved ones in a manner rich in tradition, at a cemetery on three beautiful waterfront acres. In the 1990s, developers gained control over the cemetery and made plans to re-locate hundreds of fragile graves to clear the way for a single house.

Relatives of the deceased turned to Derfner & Altman to save the cemetery. After six-years and an intense trial attracting media attention, the courts ordered the cemetery preserved in perpetuity.

For its work, Derfner & Altman was honored with an award from the East Cooper Civic Club.