News & Knowledge

Forman Watkins & Krutz’s Charitable Foundation is proud to support Make-A-Wish Mississippi in its mission to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Representatives from Make-A-Wish Mississippi visited the Firm last week to accept a donation that will directly fund a wish for a child in Mississippi. “We are honored to support Make-A-Wish Mississippi and help bring joy to a child who deserves a moment of hope,” said Nick Giallourakis, Partner at FormanWatkins. “The work Make-A-Wish does is truly transformative, and we are grateful for the opportunity to play a small part in making a difference.” Make-A-Wish Mississippi grants wishes to children facing serious medical conditions, providing them with moments of joy and hope during challenging times. Wishes range from dream vacations to meeting personal heroes, all designed to create lasting memories for the child and their family. “Generous donors like FormanWatkins are the heart of our mission at Make-A-Wish Mississippi,” said Allison Tyler, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Mississippi. “Their support brings hope, strength, and joy to children battling critical illness, turning dreams into reality when they need it most. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to making life-changing wishes come true.” FormanWatkins is committed to giving back to the communities it serves, supporting organizations that make a lasting impact. For more information about Make-A-Wish Mississippi and how to get involved, visit https://wish.org/ms.

FormanWatkins has been selected as a recipient of the Chevron 2024 Law Firm Diversity Award, an honor recognizing law firm partners that actively promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The Firm was recognized for its commitment to Chevron’s core values of Diversity and Inclusion, as demonstrated through its employment practices and Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, including the Firm’s Diversity Pathway Program. “At FormanWatkins, we believe that the most innovative legal solutions come from diverse perspectives and backgrounds working together,” said Malissa Wilson, Partner at FormanWatkins. “Our commitment is reflected in our hiring practices, our internal initiatives, and the partnerships we build within our communities. Being recognized by Chevron for these efforts is a true honor and reinforces our dedication to fostering a culture of inclusion in our offices and beyond.” As part of the award, Chevron provided a $5,000 contribution to a designee of the Firm’s choice. FormanWatkins recently presented the funds to a Diversity Pathway Program partner, Jackson State University, in support of its efforts to cultivate opportunities for diverse law students. “We work hand-in-hand with FormanWatkins to give our students an experience with a top-tier firm to learn about the practice of law,” said Charles Irvin, J.D., director of the Bob Owens Pre-Law Center. “For them to give back to us means the world to me because everything is for the students. The students need opportunities, preparation to hone their skills, mentorship, and professional development, and working with FormanWatkins provides that in a major way.” FormanWatkins […]

On February 19, 2025, New Orleans attorneys Charles Abbott and Etienne René guest lectured a Toxic Tort Class at LSU Paul M. Herbert Law Center. With both second year and third year law students in attendance, Abbott and René provided practical experiences and advice pertaining to various toxic tort related topics and issues, including, but not limited to, causation, expert witnesses, and Daubert challenges of expert witnesses, as well as overviews of epidemiology and toxicology. This is Abbott’s twelfth year guest lecturing in the Toxic Tort class at LSU and will be the first in a series of Toxic Tort classes that he, fellow FormanWatkins attorneys, and other practitioners will guest lecture this semester with Professor John Church.

FormanWatkins attorneys Nick Giallourakis, Mitch McGuffey, and Spencer Ritchie joined PraCon Global Investment Group and Topgolf representatives to celebrate the grand opening of Topgolf’s state-of-the-art sports entertainment facility at Prado Vista in Ridgeland. The grand opening marks a significant milestone for the 77-acre mixed-use development, where FormanWatkins represented PraCon and Topgolf and played a pivotal role by providing zoning counsel to secure an overlay district that made the project possible. The two-level Topgolf facility features 62 climate-controlled hitting bays equipped with Toptracer technology, which tracks ball flight paths and metrics, as well as a nine-hole mini-golf course. With $25 million in capital investment, the Ridgeland venue is the 108th Topgolf location worldwide and will employ more than 200 local workers, adding to the 300 jobs created during construction. As the anchor of the multimillion-dollar Prada Vista development, Topgolf is just the beginning of this transformative project led by Mississippi-based PraCon Global Investment group. The development plans to include a national grocery store, two luxury hotels, over 100,000 square feet of office space, retail, and dining space, an entertainment venue, 228 homes, and a river walk. FormanWatkins will continue to assist with the project as additional elements are completed, supporting the development’s contribution to the growth and vibrancy of the community.

Forman Watkins & Krutz has been named the recipient of the 2024 Curtis E. Coker Access to Justice Award by the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP). The award recognizes the Firm’s sustained efforts to provide pro bono legal services to underserved communities across the state. “Receiving the Coker Award is a tremendous honor,” said Alison McMinn, a partner at Forman Watkins & Krutz. “This award acknowledges the dedication of our attorneys and staff who have spent thousands of hours engaging in issues that matter to them and their communities. We are proud to partner with MVLP, which plays the absolutely essential role of connecting attorneys with people who need them.” The Firm has a long-standing tradition of contributing pro bono legal work. In 2017, the Firm formally launched the FormanWatkins Pro Bono Initiative. Over the past 8 years, the FormanWatkins team has committed over 9,000 hours to pro bono work, an effort valued at over $2 Million. On behalf of pro bono clients, the FormanWatkins team has conducted trials, drafted appeals, filed petitions, influenced policies, and launched legal clinics.  FormanWatkins attorneys have also presented oral argument before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Mississippi Court of Appeals and represented children at hearings in juvenile court. The Coker Award, MVLP’s highest honor, has been presented annually for the past 24 years. It is awarded to individuals, law firms, or organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing the legal needs of low-income Mississippians. Named after Curtis E. […]

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is pleased to announce that 41 FormanWatkins attorneys have been recognized in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.  Of those 41 attorneys, 13 were recognized as Ones to Watch, a list recognizing associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Our newest honorees include McCann LeFeve as a Best Lawyer and Patrick Fields as a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers has earned the respect of the profession, the media and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in more than 75 countries. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Attorneys selected to 2025 Best Lawyers in America: Charles H. Abbott – Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Mary Clift Abdalla – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Michael H. Abraham – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Pete F. […]

The FWK Pathway Program is a three-day program for Jackson State University Bob Owens Pre-Law Center and Tougaloo College Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Society students interested in pursuing careers as civil litigators. The Firm’s Jackson office welcomed Corrin Dixon, Tyshshia Frazier, Destiny Ivory, LaChassity Jackson, Markita Shell, Naya Singleton, Andreze Suggs-Ewing, Walter Townsend and Sha’Nyla Wilson as 2024 participants. This year’s program included a presentation by career consultant Candie Simmons on business etiquette in the modern workplace, as well as seminars with FormanWatkins attorneys on “firm life,” the firm’s practice areas, civil litigation 101, and research and writing. The students also met with members of the firm’s Pro Bono, Recruiting, and Diversity & Inclusion committees. In an effort to best prepare the students for what to expect at law school, Karen Peairs with the University of Mississippi School of Law Career Center presented on law school admissions and experiences while firm attorneys provided a workshop on resume writing and interview best practices. A special highlight and key component of the program was the opportunity for the students to engage with in-house counsel. These attorneys shared their personal accounts of pursuing careers in law, what life is like as in-house counsel of major corporations and how they work with FormanWatkins attorneys. The students were then invited to engage in Q&A. The collective goal of the program is to provide students an up-close experience as to what life might be like as a civil litigator and provide them with the knowledge and tools […]

FormanWatkins NCAA Compliance and Sports Litigation team members WG Watkins, Courtney Hunt and Mitch McGuffey secured dismissal of a lawsuit against their client, an SEC head football coach. The plaintiff was a student athlete seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages from FormanWatkins’ client personally and from the university that employed him. He brought numerous claims under federal and state law for alleged discrimination based on race and sex, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and gross negligence. FormanWatkins along with counsel for the university, filed a motion to dismiss, which was converted to a motion for summary judgment. The judge found there was no showing of discriminatory intent, that immunity defenses applied, and that the plaintiff could not meet the legal requirements to prevail on any of his claims. The decision has been appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where the FormanWatkins team will continue to defend its client.

On February 21, 2024, a Memphis, Tennessee, arbitrator returned an award in favor of a national retailer represented by FormanWatkins attorney Jake Banks. Claimant sought damages totaling $202,721.00, based on the retailer’s alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. After hearing testimony and reviewing the parties’ briefing, the arbitrator entered an award in the retailer’s favor, awarding nothing to the Claimant.

FormanWatkins Associate Sampada Kapoor and Partner Vernon McFarland, along with Valerie Phan of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. presented a CLE on Attorney-Client Privilege and Confidentiality in Pasadena, California. The one-hour lunch & learn course was designed to provide in-house attorneys with the latest developments in attorney-client privilege and covered key components of state laws in California, New York, and Texas. It specifically addressed attorney-client privilege in the context of insurance companies and third-party administrators as well as best practices, common pitfalls, and future trends associated with privilege.