User Profile

Member, Nexsen Pruet, LLC

Rick Reames III is a member of Nexsen Pruet, LLC. Previously, Rick served as director of the South Carolina Department of Revenue, a state cabinet agency with more than 800 employees and responsibility for collection and administration of US$10 billion each year. Appointed by Governor Nikki Haley on July 18, 2014, and unanimously confirmed by the State Senate on March 5, 2015, Reames has led efforts to reduce bureaucracy, streamline operations, and ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability of the state’s tax dollars. He instituted – for the first time in agency history -- a comprehensive measurement program to track key functions, cut waste and evaluate and improve performance. He revamped the organizational structure to maximize efficiency and productivity and has slashed processing times for key agency functions. His implementation of a more secure and fully integrated tax processing system will save an estimated US$30 - $40 billion over the next 10 years. As a member of the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development and chair of the Enterprise Zone Committee, Reames is actively involved in attracting new business, retaining existing business and creating the necessary jobs to advance South Carolina. These efforts have resulted in approximately 16,000 new jobs and capital investment in excess of US$5 billion over the past year. Rick is also at the forefront of comprehensive, national effort to combat the significant and rapidly growing problem of tax refund fraud. A member of the board of trustees for the Federation Tax Administrators, he is part of a team of tax administrators and industry leaders working to develop and implement strategies to prevent and protect against tax-related identity theft. Rick previously worked for 15 years as a private-sector attorney, managing a sophisticated tax and business practice. He served as delegate to the South Carolina Bar House of Governors and as chair of both the Joint NC-SC Tax Conference and South Carolina Bar Association Tax Section. Rick holds degrees holds degrees from Wofford College (BA), the University of South Carolina (JD), and NYU School of Law (LLM). He is a Fellow of the 11th class of the Liberty Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.