News & Knowledge

Fred Krutz and Daniel Mulholland successfully argued that the judge who preceded Judge Simpson and entered the sanctions award erred in doing so because a reasonable person could have perceived that the judge had developed a bias against defendants.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce that its recently overhauled website (www.formanwatkins.com) won its first national award, the W³. Out of over 5,000 entries for 2016, the firm was chosen for the General Website – Legal Services Silver Award along with a Silver Award for Website Photography.

The firm is proud to announce our Super Lawyers, Fred Krutz, Trey Watkins, and WG Watkins and Rising Stars: Mary Clift Abdalla, Mimi Arthur, Tanya Ellis, Nick Giallourakis, Brian Hannula, Ruth Maron, Vernon McFarland, Joshua Metcalf, Mandie Robinson, and Caroline Upchurch.

Forman Watkins received a National Tier ranking for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions along with Metropolitan Tier rankings for practice groups in its Jackson and New Orleans offices.

Bankruptcy trust transparency, or lack thereof, is one of the most hotly contested issues in asbestos litigation today. Repeated attempts at federal legislation have not been successful. However, legislatures in Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah have enacted laws that entitle defendants to information regarding plaintiffs’ bankruptcy trust submissions.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP obtained a 10-2 defense verdict for sand supplier Precision Packaging in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County Arkansas.

Forman Watkins is proud to have Michael Abraham, Erin Latuso, Michelle Roy, and Etienne Rene join our firm in the New Orleans office.

Please join Partner, Erin Latuso, at Perrin Conferences’ Diversity and Inclusion Conference on November 3, 2016 at the Westin Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA. Erin will be a featured panelist on a panel discussion entitled Turning Words Into Action. This one day conference will host speakers and panel discussions covering topics such as Insights on Diversity in the Legal Community, Understanding the Value of Emotional Intelligence, The Powerful Legacy of Female Leadership, and The Insurance and In-House Perspectives. In addition to its educational program, the conference will also host multiple worthwhile and engaging networking events. Perrin Conferences sets the standard in the professional education industry as the place to learn, network and do business.  We hope to see you in Philadelphia! All in-house counsel and insurance professionals receive complimentary registration. To learn more about this Perrin Conferences signature event, visit www.perrinconferences.com.

On September 16, 2016, Trey Watkins, Nick Giallourakis, and their Illinois counsel obtained summary judgment for a premises defendant client in a secondary asbestos exposure case filed in Madison County, Illinois.  Our client was the sole remaining defendant at the time of the summary judgment hearing, which was held only three days prior to when the case was set for trial.  Forman Watkins and our Illinois counsel successfully persuaded Judge Stobbs that plaintiff’s exposure affidavits were not timely produced in discovery and should be stricken from the record.  They were then able to convince Judge Stobbs that, in the absence of the stricken affidavits, plaintiff could not establish the frequency, regularity, and proximity exposure elements necessary to satisfy the Illinois causation standard.  Judge Stobbs dismissed all of plaintiff’s secondary exposure claims against our client, who was facing a final trial setting if unsuccessful. Trey Watkins and Nick Giallourakis are partners in the Jackson, Mississippi office.  Both routinely represent clients involved in Illinois asbestos litigation, and Nick Giallourakis is licensed in Illinois. For more information, please contact Holland Familia, Marketing Director, at 601-960-8600 or Holland@formanwatkins.com.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is pleased to announce that Alison O’Neal McMinn returns to the firm as a Partner in our Jackson, Mississippi office. Bringing more than a decade of litigation experience, Alison is a well-respected leader in our community both in her professional career at the Attorney General’s Office as well as her countless hours dedicated to community programs such as Post-Katrina work, the Junior League of Jackson, and Leadership Greater Jackson. Alison will further strengthen the Firm’s commitment to community outreach in addition to her mass tort litigation experience. Prior to joining Forman Watkins, Alison served as Special Assistant Attorney General in both the Civil Litigation and Consumer Protection Divisions. She was lead defense attorney in numerous suits against the State of Mississippi, its agencies, political subdivisions, and officials.  In her experience with the Consumer Protection Division, Alison prosecuted cases involving fraud, and investigated violations of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office, Alison worked as an Associate in our Jackson office where she managed a docket of 727 asbestos products liability cases with complex discovery and motion practice. She was also a member of the trial team for six asbestos product liability trials. Alison graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Arts and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi.   She has been recognized as a Mid-South Rising Star® in Personal Injury Defense and served as co-chair of both the Diversity and Membership Committees […]