News & Knowledge

In a case with no substantial filings by the Plaintiff since September 2011, the FormanWatkins team of Jennifer Studebaker, Simine Reed, and Vernon McFarland successfully won their motion for dismissal due to lack of prosecution on June 4, 2021.

The Capital Area Bar Association (CABA) recently held their annual Evening Honoring the Judiciary at the Country Club of Jackson. The dinner not only hosts a keynote speaker but also serves as an opportunity for CABA and Jackson Young Lawyers (JYL) to present their annual awards for outstanding service, pro bono and professionalism.  FormanWatkins is extremely proud to have one of its very own presented with the 2020 JYL Pro Bono Service Award, congratulations to Julian Miller for this well-deserved recognition!

In a significant victory for a national forest-products client, FormanWatkins attorneys Joshua Metcalf and Chelsea Lewis won summary judgment in federal court in Louisiana.  Plaintiffs had sued over the application of a commonly-used herbicide to the client’s timberland, seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing the use of any herbicide or pesticide on thousands of acres of the client’s property.

Mary Clift Abdalla, as Mississippi counsel, successfully obtained partial summary judgment for a global medical device company dismissing the Plaintiff’s trade secrets misappropriation claims, and preventing Plaintiff from seeking statutory damages or attorney’s fees on copyright infringement claims. The team also obtained a ruling striking Plaintiff’s expert witness reports, while denying Plaintiff’s request to strike Defendant’s expert report.

Jackson-based attorneys Nick Giallourakis and Ruth Maron Huskey successfully represented a pro bono client in reacquiring ownership of his property after it was sold to a loan company at a state tax sale.  Giallourakis and Huskey negotiated with the loan company to allow their client to reacquire the property at a fraction of the amount initially demanded by the loan company and for an amount much less than the appraised value of the land.  The pro bono client and his family were able to stay on the subject property throughout the process, which began in August 2018 and ended in February 2021.  Huskey and Giallourakis initially worked with Mission First, one of Forman Watkins’ longstanding pro bono partners.  

FormanWatkins released its 2020 Pro Bono & Civic Engagement Report today. The Firm’s pro bono efforts are led by our Pro Bono Committee, whose members include: Alison McMinn, Courtney Hunt, Erin Latuso, Julian Miller, Margaret McLaughlin, Mimi Arthur, Mitch McGuffey, Nicole Diesa, and Vernon McFarland.  Thank you to all team members involved with these cases, it truly makes a difference! We’re happy for you to share our mission, you may download a PDF by clicking here: FormanWatkins Pro Bono in Review_2020

FormanWatkins’ Pro Bono Committee recently unveiled the new Pro Bono Star, a badge which honors our attorneys who dedicated 25 or more pro bono hours in 2020. Congratulations to the 17 attorneys receiving this inaugural recognition! The Pro Bono Star will be awarded annually to attorneys meeting or exceeding the Firm’s pro bono goals for the year.

Brian Hannula, Caroline Upchurch, and Daniel Mulholland successfully arbitrated a national forest products company’s multi-million dollar construction dispute with a contractor arising out of two huge plant reconstructions in Alabama and Arkansas. The disputes involved warranty, contract, and payment claims.  The first arbitration – concerning the Arkansas plant and lasting a week in Little Rock – resulted in an award of damages and attorney fees for the company, and a rejection of  the contractor’s claims for payment. This victory resulted in an also immediate resolution of the second arbitration

The firm recently awarded the 2020 recipients with our inaugural Pro Bono Star and Civic Star awards. We proudly congratulate our dedicated team members, Julian Miller and Jennifer Parks!

Congratulations to Sam Kapoor for her recent election to the Mississippi Bar’s Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors for the Hinds Post IV! The Mississippi Bar Young Lawyers Division is governed by its Board of Directors and is active in many public service endeavors. The Young Lawyers Division is composed of all lawyers 37 years and younger and any lawyer over the age of 37 during their first three years of practice following their admission. Officers and Directors Elected for the Bar’s Young Lawyers Division The ballots for the 2021 Young Lawyers Division elections were tabulated on January 28, by Direct Vote Plus. Jess Waltman of Gulfport was elected President-Elect of the Young Lawyers Division. Waltman’s term will begin at the 2021 Annual Meeting in July. Also elected were La’Toyia J. Slay of Ridgeland, Secretary, and Lindsey E. Lazinsky of Oxford, Director At-Large. Elected to the Board of Directors were: J. Aaron Spearman of Tupelo, Northeast District; Brandon H. Riches of Gulfport, Coastal II District; Sampada “Sam” Kapoor of Jackson, Hinds Post IV; Kevin “KB” Bass of Jackson, Hinds Post V; Andreanna “Ann” Jones of Jackson, Hinds Post VI; Alex Parker Shoemaker of Purvis, Southwest District; and Chase Wynn of Ridgeland, Central I District.