News & Knowledge

On March 7, 2018, New Orleans attorneys Charles Abbott and Chelsea Gaudin guest lectured at LSU Law School.  Teaching both second year and third year law students in the Toxic Torts class, Mr. Abbott and Ms. Gaudin provided practical experiences and advice related to various topics and issues, including but not limited to causation, expert witnesses, and Daubert challenges of expert witnesses. This is Mr. Abbott’s sixth year guest lecturing in the Toxic Tort class at LSU Law School.

On March 5, 2018, Alison McMinn and Peyton Smith argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, defending the summary judgment granted to their client last year. The Appellant contended that summary judgment was improper because fact questions remained regarding the cause of a truck rollover because their expert witness testified that the only possible cause of the accident related to the packaging of the load. In response, Alison McMinn urged the court to affirm summary judgment by highlighting several deficiencies in the expert’s opinion to underscore its speculative nature.

The firm congratulates Charles Abbott, of our New Orleans office, for being selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as “One to Watch” in the February 2018 Legal issue.

Win Gault and Peyton Smith argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday on behalf of Mahindra USA Inc. Sharon Garner assisted in the briefing. This wrongful death products liability case presented the Texas Supreme Court with the first opportunity to address the 2015 amendments to the Texas Residency Exception in the Forum Non Conveniens statute.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce that Malissa Wilson was selected as one of the 2017’s Top Ten Leaders in Law by the Mississippi Business Journal. 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. A reception and awards celebration was held in December to recognize the 2017 honorees.

In the wake of recent sexual misconduct allegations against numerous public figures, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)—the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting workplace harassment—has reported a deluge of visits to its sexual harassment website. And the National Women’s Law Center—an organization that disseminates information about the legal definition of harassment and how to file charges with the EEOC—has seen a five-fold increase in the number of calls about sexual harassment. Many expect this increased awareness of improper sexual behavior will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of workplace sexual harassment claims.

New Orleans Partner Amy Maccherone recently prevailed in an arbitration of a significant environmental contamination case. Maccherone’s client, a regional abrasive blasting and painting subcontractor, was accused of contaminating a jobsite with lead based paint during the performance of its work. The general contractor on the job claimed that the alleged contamination resulted in over $1.5 million in clean-up costs. It also claimed the Client was in breach of its subcontract and was liable for over $4 million related to that breach. In total, the general contractor sought roughly $5.5 million from the Client.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP congratulates Jackson Partners, Nick Giallourakis and Alison O’Neal McMinn, for being honored by Portico Magazine as 2018 Portico 10 Attorneys. The PORTICO 10 is a group of up-and-coming attorneys in the Jackson area nominated by local firms, past honorees and members of the community before being chosen by a panel of local judges. Each member of the PORTICO 10 has a long list of accomplishments and rewards to compliment their extensive background in leadership.

As a follow up from our April 2017 post regarding a pro bono asylum case, Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine published a story in the January 2018 issue featuring Michelle Roy’s work on this case. April 2017: Tim Gray and Michelle Roy of our New Orleans office represented a client, a minor, who fled from Guatemala to the United States with her family in 2015 to escape gang violence and political persecution. The firm sought permanent status for this client as a “Special Juvenile Immigrant” and as a member of a persecuted class entitled to asylum. The firm accepted this pro bono representation through a program sponsored by the Catholic Charities which matches volunteer lawyers with undocumented juvenile children in Louisiana. The firm continues to represent other undocumented minors through this program. We are honored for the featured publication on Michelle’s dedication to this case, you can read the full issue by clicking here. Or read her article here:  

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce Jake Banks, Vernon McFarland, Mitch McGuffey, and Andrew Stubbs were promoted to Partners of the Firm in our Jackson, Mississippi office. Jake is licensed in Mississippi and received his law degree from the University of Mississippi.  Jake’s practices in the Firm’s general litigation group, handling diverse legal issues including catastrophic personal injury, contractual disputes, insurance coverage, and TCPA liability. Vernon is licensed in Mississippi and Montana and received his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law and is a member of the Mississippi Bar and the Magnolia Bar Association. He is a Mid-South Super Lawyer Rising Star and member of the Leadership Greater Jackson Class of 2016-2017. Vernon’s primary practice areas are Toxic Tort Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Professional Liability.  He is a member of the Firm’s Pro Bono and Recruiting Committees and serves the community through his church and other charitable organizations. Mitch is licensed in Mississippi and New York. His practice region also includes most of New England. Mitch received degrees in graphic design and business administration at Auburn University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute. Mitch’s practice focuses primarily on Toxic Tort Litigation, including Environmental and Products Liability cases, NCAA Compliance proceedings, and Appellate Litigation. Andrew is licensed in both Mississippi and Arkansas, although his practice region also includes Alabama. He received his law degree from Mississippi […]