News

February 28, 2024

NCAA Compliance and Sports Litigation Team Wins Dismissal of Head Coach in Player Lawsuit

FormanWatkins NCAA Compliance and Sports Litigation team members WG Watkins, Courtney Hunt and Mitch McGuffey secured dismissal of a lawsuit against their client, an SEC head football coach. The plaintiff was a student athlete seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages from FormanWatkins’ client personally and from the university that employed him. He brought numerous claims under federal and state law for alleged discrimination based on race and sex, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and gross negligence. FormanWatkins along with counsel for the university, filed a motion to dismiss, which was converted to a motion for summary judgment. The judge found there was no showing of discriminatory intent, that immunity defenses applied, and that the plaintiff could not meet the legal requirements to prevail on any of his claims. The decision has been appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where the FormanWatkins team will continue to defend its client.

February 27, 2024

Fair Credit Reporting Act Claimant Singing the Blues After Failed Bid for Big Payday

On February 21, 2024, a Memphis, Tennessee, arbitrator returned an award in favor of a national retailer represented by FormanWatkins attorney Jake Banks. Claimant sought damages totaling $202,721.00, based on the retailer’s alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. After hearing testimony and reviewing the parties’ briefing, the arbitrator entered an award in the retailer’s favor, awarding nothing to the Claimant.

January 24, 2024

Attorneys Sampada Kapoor and Vernon McFarland present CLE on Attorney-Client Privilege and Confidentiality

FormanWatkins Associate Sampada Kapoor and Partner Vernon McFarland, along with Valerie Phan of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. presented a CLE on Attorney-Client Privilege and Confidentiality in Pasadena, California. The one-hour lunch & learn course was designed to provide in-house attorneys with the latest developments in attorney-client privilege and covered key components of state laws in California, New York, and Texas. It specifically addressed attorney-client privilege in the context of insurance companies and third-party administrators as well as best practices, common pitfalls, and future trends associated with privilege.

September 12, 2023

Wilson and Robinson Achieve Dismissal of Race Discrimination Lawsuit Against State’s Largest Public Employer

FormanWatkins attorneys Malissa Wilson and Mandie Robinson have obtained the court’s complete dismissal of all claims against the State’s largest public employer, and several of its individual employees, in a suit alleging that the Plaintiff had been discriminated against based on his race. Plaintiff sued FormanWatkins’ clients alleging that he was the subject of racially discriminatory actions in his workplace and that his employment was eventually terminated in retaliation for his complaints regarding such alleged discrimination. The FormanWatkins team filed a motion to dismiss all of Plaintiff’s claims, arguing the actions of its clients were not related to Plaintiff’s race in any way. The U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi agreed, dismissing all of Plaintiff’s claims against both the employer and the individual employees that had been named as defendants in Plaintiff’s lawsuit.

July 18, 2023

Abbott and Gray Selected as 2023 Leadership in Law Honorees

Congratulations to FormanWatkins Partners Charles Abbott and Tim Gray who were recently recognized by New Orleans CityBusiness as 2023 Leadership in Law honorees. For 19 years, the publication has recognized area professionals in the field of law for their career and community accomplishments. To see the full list of honorees, click here.  Charles joined the firm in 2017 as a partner and has served as lead counsel or co-counsel on cases in very diverse practice areas. He routinely serves as lead counsel/co-counsel on significant, high-dollar commercial, contractual, business interruption, tort, admiralty/maritime, products liability, construction, and toxic tort cases pending in both federal and state courts throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. He is Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Peer Rated, a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America® in Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions (Defendants), a Louisiana SuperLawyer since 2014, and as a Top Lawyer for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions by New Orleans Magazine. He is a CityBusiness “Leadership in Law” Hall of Fame Honoree. Tim has served as national trial counsel to several defendants in toxic tort litigation and has tried cases in several states in that capacity. He also represents parties in commercial disputes in Louisiana and Mississippi ranging from straightforward breach of contract actions to more complex matters involving multiple parties. Tim’s commercial practice has included representation of a real estate investment trust in acquisitions, dispositions and financings, as well as representation of local Louisiana individuals and companies […]

April 25, 2023

FormanWatkins Provides Zoning Counsel in Multi-Million Dollar Development Project

FormanWatkins attorneys Nick Giallourakis, Mitch McGuffey, and Spencer Ritchie guided their global investment group and sports entertainment company clients to a successful approval of zoning changes required for a major mixed use development project planned in the City of Ridgeland, Mississippi. The Mayor and Board of Alderman approved the ordinance implementing the zoning changes unanimously following a public hearing. The golf entertainment company facility will serve as anchor of the 77-acre mixed use development named Prado Vista at Ridgeland. The development will also include a national grocery store, two high-end hotels, more than 100,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space, an entertainment venue, 228 homes for sale, and a river walk. To see media coverage of the development, click below. The Clarion Ledger WAPT – ABC WJTV – CBS WLBT – NBC

February 20, 2023

Forman Watkins & Krutz Attorneys Attend DRI 2023 Women in the Law Seminar

In January, FormanWatkins attorneys McCann LeFeve and Ruth M. Huskey participated in the three-day 2023 DRI Women in the Law Seminar. The Seminar allows small group networking with women in the legal field from across the country as well continuing legal education opportunities that help foster attorneys’ professional development and personal health and wellness.

December 19, 2022

Krutz, Hannula and Stubbs’ 2021 Summary Judgment Win Upheld by the Fourth Circuit

Attorneys Fred Krutz, Brian Hannula and Andrew Stubbs won summary judgment in 2021 arguing the statute of limitations barred plaintiff’s product liability action claiming that defendant’s respirators were defective and caused him to develop coal workers pneumoconiosis. The lawsuit was pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, and Chief Judge Gina Groh delivered the District Court’s opinion. The plaintiff appealed the case to the United States Court of Appeals For The Fourth Circuit who recently released an opinion affirming the lower court’s judgment.

December 13, 2022

FormanWatkins Foundation Supports Area Causes

In the last quarter of 2022, via the FormanWatkins Foundation, the Forman Watkins & Krutz’s Jackson office participated in and helped support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) One Walk, the Blazer Bolt for Brain Cancer 5k and the American Heart Association’s Metro Jackson Heart Walk. The JDRF One Walk (October 22) raised funds for life-saving treatments for individuals living with type 1 diabetes. The Blazer Bolt for Brain Cancer run (October 15) had 600 registrants and 40 teams this year, all raising funds to support individuals and families battling brain cancer. The Metro Jackson Heart Walk (November 12) raised more than $150,000 for the American Heart Association. FormanWatkins’ CFO, Robby Gathings, was the second highest fundraiser in the corporate category for the Heart Walk. The Forman Watkins & Krutz Foundation is proud to join in supporting these events.