News & Knowledge

It is with profound sadness that FormanWatkins announces the passing of Daniel “Danny” J. Mulholland, a distinguished partner whose grit and intelligence helped shape our Firm and left an indelible mark on the legal profession. “We are heartbroken. Danny brought intensity and mastery to our work.  He was a fierce and loyal partner and friend who will be deeply missed,” said Tanya Ellis, Partner at FormanWatkins. “For those of us privileged to work with him and learn from him, his intentionality, his unwavering work ethic, his integrity, and his genuine friendship shaped our careers and our lives.” Throughout his distinguished career, Danny represented companies in high-stakes matters across the country, including complex mass torts, MDLs, class actions, commercial disputes, professional liability cases, and insurance coverage matters. His exceptional work garnered national recognition – most notably, his work exposing fraud in In Re Silica Prods. Liab. Litig. (MDL No. 1553) earned him a prominent spot above the fold in the Sunday edition of The New York Times, a remarkable career achievement.  Danny’s cases and contributions were also covered in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, NPR, The National Law Journal, Corporate Counsel, and Reader’s Digest. “Very few lawyers have been featured on the front page of The New York Times for groundbreaking legal work,” said Win Gault, Partner at FormanWatkins. “Danny was one of them.” Danny graduated first in his class from Ole Miss Law School and joined the Firm as its first associate. His strategic approach, combined with a commitment to […]

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP  is once again represented in the latest edition of Super Lawyers, the prominent legal ranking published by Thomson Reuters, with 23 attorneys earning distinctions on the 2022 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Super Lawyers recognizes outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, with no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state receiving the honor. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations to select lawyers across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Congratulations to the following attorneys on their selection to this year’s lists: 2022 Mid-South Super Lawyers: Tanya Ellis, Win Gault,  Nick Giallourakis, Brian Hannula, Fred Krutz**, Mitch McGuffey, Alison McMinn, Joshua Metcalf, Jennifer Studebaker, Trey Watkins*, and WG Watkins** 2022 Mid-South Rising Stars: Mary Clift Abdalla, Patrick Fields, Joel Fyke, Courtney Hunt, Ruth Maron Huskey, Sampada Kapoor, Chelsea Lewis, Vernon McFarland, Daniel Roberts, Peyton Smith, Andrew Stubbs, and Caroline Upchurch **Also named to the Top 50 in Mississippi list *Selected as a Super Lawyer for 10 years

FWK attorneys Fred Krutz, Brian Hannula, and Andrew Stubbs win summary judgment in a wrongful death, product liability suit filed in Arkansas Federal Court. The case was filed in 2019 by the heirs at law of a deceased former plaintiff who had previously made the same allegations against the same respirator manufacturer in Mississippi state court in 2013. The 2013 suit ended in summary judgment in the manufacturer’s favor. The FWK team argued that the 2019 suit was barred by the doctrines of res judicata and collateral estoppel, and the Federal Judge agreed in an 11-page opinion and order.

Malissa Wilson and Spencer Ritchie were speakers at the Mississippi Employment Law 2022 seminar sponsored by the National Business Institute, which was held May 3, 2022. The basic level seminar examined current issues in Mississippi employment law for attorneys, human resources and financial professionals, and other business executives. Wilson and Ritchie spoke about issues related to hiring and firing employees and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims against employers. Click here to learn more about FormanWatkins’ Labor & Employment practice.

On April 9-10, 2022, Jackson Partners Mitch McGuffey, Spencer Ritchie, and Joel Fyke attended events in New Orleans, Louisiana honoring U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Senior Judge Rhesa H. Barksdale. The events were held in celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of Judge Barksdale’s appointment to the federal appellate bench by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.

FormanWatkins is excited to announce that Jean Folsom, Ruth Huskey, and McCann LeFeve have been promoted to Partner!

FormanWatkins is proud to share that  Sampada (Sam) Kapoor was selected to receive the Mississippi Bar Foundation’s 2022 Law-Related Public Education Award, in recognition of her dedication to enhancing the public’s understanding of the law and the legal system!

The Firm is excited to announce that Jordan Nixon and Trey Watkins, respectively, received the 2021 FormanWatkins Pro Bono Star and Civic Star awards!

Last year, FormanWatkins’ Pro Bono Committee unveiled the Pro Bono Star, a badge that will be awarded annually to attorneys in the Firm who dedicate 25+ hours to pro bono work in a calendar year. We are proud to announce that 16 attorneys will be receiving the Pro Bono Star badge for their service in 2021!

FormanWatkins attorneys visited with students from Mississippi College School of Law and The University of Mississippi School of Law on January 19, 2022 to share best practices for the students’ upcoming on-campus interviews.