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FormanWatkins is proud to announce that Caroline Upchurch, Mitch McGuffey, and Sam Kapoor have been selected by the Mississippi Business Journal as part of the 2019 Leadership in Law class. Each year the Mississippi Business Journal recognizes a select group of 40 attorneys who exhibit both the legal success and the qualities of character that exemplify this honor. In December, a reception and awards celebration was held to recognize the 2019 honorees. Here is a little bit of information about the FormanWatkins honorees:

Two things inspire Caroline Upchurch every day: the client and the puzzle. Each case is uniquely important to Caroline, because it's a chance to form a personal relationship with a client and also to use her naturally analytical brain to solve problems. Caroline always works three steps ahead, avoiding surprises and creating well thought out solutions for her client. With an eye for efficiency, Caroline is able to quickly assess situations to decide the best approach and enjoys crafting innovative strategies for her clients. She enjoys the daily puzzles and challenges that walk through her door. Caroline is admitted to practice in Mississippi and Alabama, and she is a member of The Mississippi Bar and the Capital Area Bar Association. Caroline has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, and has been selected to the Mid-South Rising Stars list since 2014. Caroline graduated magna cum laude from The University of Mississippi School of Law, where she was on the Mississippi Law Journal, a recipient of the James O. Eastland Scholarship, and a member of Phi Kappa Phi. Caroline was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi and was happy to return to Jackson after law school to join FormanWatkins, where she chairs the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Caroline and her husband Hunter have two sons, Ethan and Leo. They are members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, where Caroline serves as chair of the Executive Committee.

Mitch McGuffey took a winding path to find his place back in Mississippi and is deeply honored to be recognized as a Leader in Law in his home state. Mitch was raised in Starkville, Mississippi. He left the state to study at Auburn University, receiving degrees in graphic design and business administration. Continuing his effort to stretch himself and his abilities, he shifted to studying law at the University of Virginia, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Journal, President of the Virginia Employment and Labor Law Association, and became a Pro Bono Challenge Recipient. While at UVA, Mitch married his wife and best friend, Amanda. Mitch began his career in Big Law in New York, working primarily in financial services litigation. From there, he returned to Mississippi to serve as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Rhesa H. Barksdale in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. With a gentle nudge from Judge Barksdale, Mitch and Amanda decided to stay in Jackson, and he joined FormanWatkins. Here, Mitch takes pride in applying the same rigorous creativity, intellectual curiosity, and work ethic to each new case as he has throughout his career. Whatever the matter, Mitch strives to offer his clients innovative and stable solutions with broader impacts than the immediate problem. That approach has led to Mitch being recognized by Super Lawyers as a Mid-South Rising Star. Here in Jackson, Mitch and Amanda are proud to be parents to two beautiful daughters, who attend McWillie Elementary School. Mitch also serves as the Ward 7 representative on Jackson Public Schools’ Bond Oversight Committee and as a member of FormanWatkins’ Pro Bono Committee.

FormanWatkins is dedicated to creating solutions to each case that are "out of the box” and Sam Kapoor is an associate who embodies that very principle. Having grown up in Japan and being the daughter of Indian immigrants, Sam has overcome many challenges that have empowered her to be a hard working attorney with passion and drive to look for solutions in deep, complicated issues. She speaks Hindi, English, and Japanese, and offers rare perspective and creativity to her clients for whom she cares deeply. Sam grew up believing that unwavering commitment and service can truly inspire change. She became a lawyer because she wanted to join a profession that has a collective ability to positively inspire change in their community locally and nationally, and she works toward this goal every day. Clients can expect to be fully taken care of with Sam as their advocate, because not only is she knowledgeable and ready to work, but she truly wants to find innovative solutions that help and inspire her clients and their businesses. Sam graduated cum laude from The University of Mississippi School of Law, where she was an American Bar Association Business Law Judicial Clerkship winner, a recipient of the James Oliver Eastland Scholarship, and Editor-in-Chief of the Business Law Newsletter. Sam was a Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Christine Ward in the Commerce and Complex Commercial Litigation court of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, an Intern at Mississippi Access to Justice, and a student attorney for The University of Mississippi Innocence Project.