Find Lawyers in Jackson, Mississippi

JoJo Adams is a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group. He focuses his practice on discrimination, harassment, and other employment-related litigation. JoJo has extensive experience in employee and supervisor training related to workplace conduct issues and litigating wage-and-hour collective actions. He also has experience in unfair labor practice litigation against unions and in collective bargaining negotiations. JoJo also provides daily employment advice to clients in public...

Clifford B. Ammons, Jr. was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2008. His practice is dedicated to the areas of workers' compensation, tort and general litigation and appellate advocacy. During law school, Clifford was a member of the Law Review and Moot Court Board and served as an intern for the Honorable T. Kenneth Griffis, Mississippi Court of Appeals. He received Am Jur awards for Workers' Compensation, Wills and Estates, and Law Office Management.

Clifford B. Ammons, named one of The Best Lawyers in America ® in Workers' Compensation Law, was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1978. His experience spans from workers' compensation, medical malpractice defense and nursing home defense to education. His cases of note include Fresenius Medical Care and Continental Cas. Co. v. Woolfolk ex rel. Woolfolk , 920 So. 2d 1024 (Miss. App. 2005); Davis v. Pioneer, Inc. , 834 So. 2d 739 (Miss. App. 2003); and Bates v. Countrybrook Living ...

David Ayers was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1983 and is admitted to all state and federal courts in Mississippi and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also has handled cases in a number of other states under pro hac vice privileges. David's experience includes commercial litigation, premises litigation and general personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on automotive, heavy equipment, industrial equipment and recreational product litigation. His cases of ...

Simon Bailey has represented clients in a variety of matters, including consumer protection cases, product liability cases, and commercial cases involving insurers, lenders, accountants, and other professionals. He has participated in litigation across the country at the trial and appellate stages. Simon also has an active pro bono practice and is a past recipient of the Jackson Young Lawyers Association’s Pro Bono Award. In addition to his law practice, Simon is involved in community a...

Suzie Baker practices in the area of business, with a focus on commercial finance, commercial real estate, mergers and acquisitions, general business, and corporate and securities matters. She represents real estate developers in purchases, sales, financing, and development transactions. Ms. Baker's commercial finance practice includes complex loans for businesses, including fixed asset loans, bond issues, securitized loans, revolving credit facilities and equipment lease financing. She handl...

Joseph G. Baladi was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2000 and the Mississippi Bar in 2001. Since joining Watkins & Eager, Joe's experience has included numerous pharmaceutical litigations, medical malpractice bench and jury trials, and product liability trials. Joe's involved in several professional organizations and serves as co-chair of Watkins & Eager's Mass Tort and Repetitive Exposure practice group. Joe regularly speaks and presents on the subjects of science at trial, Daubert i...

Fred Banks, a former Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, trial judge and legislator, practices in the areas of appellate litigation, commercial litigation, and alternate dispute resolution in the state and federal courts of Mississippi. He has represented corporate clients in a wide variety of matters including consumer lending, trade secret infringement, property taxation, first amendment issues and contract disputes. After serving on the state supreme court for eleven years and before...

Jeff Barber is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Jeff regularly represents clients in bankruptcy proceedings and assists them in restructurings. He has served as an adjunct professor of Debtor-Creditor Law at the Mississippi College School of Law and has completed the American Bankruptcy Institute and St. John’s University School of Law Bankruptcy Mediation Training. He also lectures frequently on bankruptcy and creditors' ...

Rick Bass practices in the area of complex commercial and product liability litigation. He has substantial experience in the representation of financial institutions and the litigation and settlement of class actions, mass tort and other complex matters. Mr. Bass is a frequent lecturer on litigation issues, and for several years has served as Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Mississippi College School of Law. He also served on the faculty for the NITA Gulf Coast Deposition Program.

Lewis W. Bell was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1987. His experience spans from general product liability, general personal injury litigation, and premises litigation to commercial and franchise litigation. His cases of note include Rials v. Philip Morris, USA Inc., et al. 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12420, February 21, 2007; Rawls v. Friedman's Inc., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21333, June 27, 2003; Everett v. Friedman's Inc., 2005 U.S. Dist LEXIS 23345, August 12, 2005; Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc.,...

Michael Bentley is a partner in the Jackson, Mississippi office, where he concentrates his practice on appellate and commercial litigation. In addition to his responsibilities at the firm, Michael was elected Chair of the Mississippi Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section (2013-2014) and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit. Prior to joining the firm, Michael clerked for Judge Leslie H. Southwick at the Fifth Circuit Court...

In his nearly 20 years of practice, Jeffrey Blackwood has handled a variety of commercial litigation matters. He is actively representing broker-dealers and registered investment advisors in matters before FINRA, as well as the Mississippi Secretary of State Securities Division. Jeffrey recently obtained a victory on behalf of a trust in litigation involving investment LLCs in Delaware. In addition, he routinely speaks and writes on topics related to securities regulatory and enforcement matt...

Elizabeth Boone advises clients on business transactions and compliance matters domestically and internationally, including contract negotiation, establishment and maintenance of legal entities, establishment of terms and conditions for the sale of goods, privacy compliance matters, employment matters and real estate transactions. She also has assisted with private entity mergers, acquisitions and divestitures in various industries with purchase prices in varying ranges, including a deal valu...

Walter represents a variety of individual and corporate clients in large, complex commercial litigation, arbitration, and personal injury litigation. Walter's primary area of expertise lies in the litigation of disputes in the federal and state courts of Mississippi, where he regularly tries cases to verdict. Specialties: Commercial litigation; catastrophic personal injury litigation; insurance coverage and defense.

Neville Boschert is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on antitrust, business tort, trade secret, non-compete, insurance, and products liability disputes. Neville has more than 30 years of experience practicing law, including a two-year clerkship with US District Judge William C. Keady, Chief Judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. He has been active in the American Bar Association and the International Association of Defense Counsel, and h...

Walter J. Brand heads the Employment and Labor Practice Group at Watkins & Eager PLLC, where he has defended employment litigation for more than twenty years. Walter approaches his practice with the view that successful defense of employment claims begins long before a lawsuit is filed and requires three essential components: (1) fair, accurate and documented handling of personnel actions based on updated employer policies; (2) cogent explanation of employer action before administrative a...

C. Phillip Buffington, Jr. advises financial institutions throughout the United States on federal and state banking laws and regulations. For more than 30 years, he has served as a trusted advisor to community, regional and national financial institutions, helping them to assess and analyze regulatory and litigation risks. Phil advises on a full range of issues, including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, expansion and divestitures, de novo formations and charter conversions, ba...

Todd Butler represents clients in matters involving employment, civil rights and appellate issues. He is general counsel to the Mississippi Municipal Liability Plan, the Mississippi Municipal Workers’ Compensation Group, and the Mississippi Municipal Service Company. Todd has successfully represented municipalities, law enforcement officers and companies, serving as counsel in nearly 100 reported decisions and having presented oral arguments in both federal and state courts throughout t...

Roy is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers who has been lead counsel in over 100 jury trials. His listings for many years in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business reflect the high regard in which he is held by peers and clients alike. With more than 38 years experience he has litigated a variety of civil suits at both the trial and appellate levels, including antitrust claims, commercial lease disputes, contract breaches, busi...

Rod Clement’s practice is concentrated in commercial real estate and secured transactions. He regularly represents developers of shopping centers industrial facilities and office developments and borrowers, lenders and title insurers in secured financings. He also has extensive experience with retail, health care, industrial office leases and commercial properties. Projects he has worked on recently include financing renovation of historic facilities, purchasing of telecommunications sy...

Bill Creel was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and has been licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi since 1990. Bill has litigated matters in state and federal courts. Bill has a varied litigation practice involving, among other things, personal injury defense, premises liability and insurance coverage matters. Bill and his wife are proud parents of three boys. The Creels attend Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church.

Jim Crongeyer is a Managing Member of Watkins & Eager and has served in this capacity since 2008. He began the practice of law in Florida in 1995 after graduating cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Mississippi (1997), Alabama (1996) and Florida (1995), and has actively practiced in all three states. Jim has significant litigation and trial experience in the general product liability litigation, mass tort, complex litigation and constr...

R. Pepper Crutcher, Jr., General Counsel to the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, has served employers and allied trade and professional groups for over thirty years. The leader of his firm's Affordable Care Act practice - see www.acareview.com - Mr. Crutcher has helped develop ACA compliance software, has negotiated ACA compliance terms of union contracts, and regularly speaks and writes about employer, broker, provider and insurer ACA compliance. His litigation docket normally includes...

Margaret Oertling Cupples writes briefs and motions, and manages other lawyers who write them, in civil appeals and commercial litigation. As litigators and their clients know, a vanishingly small percentage of cases actually get to trial; for the rest, a great brief is the way to win. As national legal writing counsel in major litigation for 3M Company, Margaret’s individual contributions and her strong collaboration with colleagues have brought significant value to 3M for two decades....

Known as Ned to his friends and clients, Mr. Currie has been practicing law in the State of Mississippi since graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1976. In addition to eight years of teaching as an adjunct professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, Mr. Currie’s practice has run the gamut of insurance defense matters. He has tried numerous significant cases in the fields of personal injury, large loss claims, insurance coverage matters and bad faith. Mr...

Mark Davis is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on real estate. Mark draws on his more than 35 years of experience to help clients coordinate real estate developments and orchestrate transactions, including acquisition, leasing, and financing matters, as well as zoning issues. His practice spans the development of shopping centers, office buildings, hotels, mixed-use facilities, hospital facilities, medical office buildings, and manufacturing facilities. He also represents...

Eddy Edwards has practiced in the area of business law for more than 30 years, with concentrations in taxation, finance and real estate. His practice in the field of taxation includes wills, trusts and estate planning as well as tax controversies and tax-exempt organizations, while his business practice includes commercial financing and real estate transactions. Mr. Edwards advises individuals and families in estate planning, including wills, trusts, family businesses and gifts, focusing on t...

Mike Ellingburg has been engaged in the active practice of law since May 1976. He practiced at Daniel Coker Horton & Bell, P.A. from that date until December 31, 2019, when he left and started his own firm. While at Daniel Coker he led the firm's Appellate Law and Commercial/Business Litigation practices and was active in advancing the firm’s technological capabilities and usage. He has litigated complex matters in nearly every industry, with extensive experience in banking, closely...

Bailey R. Fair was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2012. His practice is focused on commercial lending and finance, government relations, public utilities, and real estate. While in law school, Bailey served as Vice-Chairman of the Moot Court Board and was selected to the Order of Barristers. He has earned the ANSI-accredited Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) credential through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

George R. Fair was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1973. He has a general civil practice of both business and litigated matters, primarily in the banking, commercial lending and finance, corporate, public utilities, construction, fidelity and surety areas. George is a former President of the Mississippi Bar and an active member in several professional organizations.

John Fletcher is a partner in the Tax Practice Group. John focuses his practice primarily on state tax matters, encompassing Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as multi-state income, franchise, sales and use, and local ad valorem taxes. John has more than twenty-five years' experience in the legal, corporate, and accounting arenas. He is a contributor for Cooking with SALT, a legal blog committed to providing timely insights on recent legal and practical developments of concern to clients in ...

Jason Fortenberry regularly represents and advises businesses in a variety of matters ranging from consumer finance litigation and products liability actions to personal and commercial real estate litigation, tax sale disputes, receiverships, foreclosures and other debt collection matters, as well as limited employment concerns. Jason practices extensively in both state and federal court, as well as various arbitration forums, and has obtained favorable results for a broad range of clients in...

Betty Ruth Fox is Counsel with Watkins & Eager focusing in the areas of environmental law and bankruptcy. From 1993 to 2002, Betty Ruth was a Senior Attorney with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and worked in regulation and enforcement in every MDEQ Program Area, coordinating with appropriate federal, state and local agencies and/or governing authorities. Beginning in 2002, Betty Ruth worked as a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice/U. S. Trustee Program in ci...

Blake Fulton is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He concentrates in the areas of incentivized public and private project finance, state and local government law, and economic development incentives. Blake develops and negotiates incentivized project finance transactions throughout the Gulf South and nationally. His experience includes a variety of tax credit finance matters, having handled numerous deals in connection with new markets and historic tax credits, as well as certified c...

Adam counsels and defends employers, including manufacturers, health care facilities, food processing plants, energy utilities, and trucking companies. He helps his clients work through challenging management issues and provides options that allow them to accomplish their goals while minimizing exposure. He also defends them against charges filed with the EEOC and Department of Labor, regularly conducts internal investigations, drafts employment agreements, enforces restrictive covenants, and...

Ralph Germany has broad experience with construction issues and disputes. Ralph has successfully handled matters involving the construction of condominiums, highways, commercial buildings and chemical plants. Ralph’s work has included contract negotiations, claim negotiations, litigation and arbitration. Ralph works with clients on a daily basis to develop strategies for solving problems that have arisen on on-going construction projects.Ralph has worked with clients on a broad range of...

John Giddens is the founding member of Giddens Law Firm, a personal injury law firm in Jackson, Mississippi. He established the firm in 1999, dedicated to those who cannot help themselves. Mr. Giddens is a victim’s rights advocate who chooses to represent the interests of individuals over corporations. His practice is devoted to helping Mississippians seek justice after an accident caused by negligence. Mr. Giddens has extensive experience in several areas of legal practice, including l...

Scott practices primarily in the areas of white-collar criminal defense, asset forfeiture litigation, criminal appellate litigation, criminal and civil healthcare litigation, False Claims Act litigation, and governmental and corporate investigations. He has represented clients who were under state or federal criminal investigation, successfully guiding them through the process and avoiding charges. Scott has trial experience defending criminal cases and represents clients in the federal and s...

Paul L. Gunn was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1983. His experience spans from real estate and commercial finance to corporate and securities, including representation of developers, lenders and title companies on commercial, multifamily and tax credit projects. Paul's legal work has earned him many honors, including The Best Lawyers in America , Chambers USA -America's Leading Lawyers for Business (Real Estate) and Mid-South Super Lawyers . Paul was also elected to fellowship in the Ame...

Michael Gwin was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1986. His experience ranges from commercial litigation, complex litigation and appellate advocacy to tort and general litigation, product liability and professional malpractice litigation. Michael is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed as one of The Best Lawyers in America since 2006.

C. Joyce Hall was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1987 and the Louisiana bar in 1995. Her experience includes commercial transactions, public finance, corporate and health care law. In 1994, Joyce was named Mississippi's Outstanding Young Lawyer and one of Mississippi's 50 Leading Business Women in 2009. She is involved in several professional and civic organizations, and following Hurricane Katrina, provided pro bono work to victims through the Mississippi Bar.

Chad Hammons is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on creditors’ rights and bankruptcy law, shopping center litigation, agribusiness litigation, and general commercial litigation. Board certified in creditors’ rights law, Chad regularly represents lenders, landlords, and suppliers in state and federal courts in Mississippi in litigation arising out of the debtor/creditor relationship, including commercial and consumer collections, possessory actions, commercial...