News & Knowledge

Forman Watkins & Krutz is proud to announce Mandi Murphy has joined the Firm as Director of Human Resources.  

Win Gault and Jake Banks recently finished an arbitration of a claim brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”).  The arbitrator is expected to rule in February.  Win and Jake have multiple TCPA arbitrations scheduled next year throughout four states…

Malissa Wilson and Ahmad Smith recently achieved a unanimous defense verdict in Hinds County (MS) Circuit Court involving allegations that the defendant backed into the plaintiff, who was driving a golf cart, in a restaurant parking lot.

November 2018: FormanWatkins successfully argued the appeal on behalf of an indigent prisoner seeking medical care. 

New Orleans partners, Charles Abbott and Amy Maccherone, recently won a significant motion for summary judgment on behalf of a Fortune 500 company whose business involves the manufacturing of, among other things, marine diesel engines.

Click the image below to read about the experience and accomplishments of our Labor & Employment Practice Group, or download a PDF:

Forman Watkins & Krutz represented a Mississippi law firm in a legal malpractice case filed by one of its former clients.

On August 1, 2018, Judge Joseph Sclafani entered an Order granting Precision Packaging’s motion for summary in the Robert Tucker case pending in Hinds County, Mississippi. Plaintiff had two claims against Precision: (1) a failure to warn claim; and (2) a “sand is defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous” claim. Plaintiff conceded Precision’s summary judgment motion on plaintiff’s failure to warn claim because plaintiff admitted in his deposition that the did not read Precision’s warning. However, plaintiff vigorously pursued his defective design claim.

On June 22, the silica team of Forman Watkins and Krutz won summary judgment in Crittenden County, Arkansas. The plaintiff claimed he contracted silicosis as a result of his exposure to silica sand supplied by FormanWatkins’ client. The judge ruled that plaintiff did not prove he was ever exposed to defendant’s sand as a matter of law and dismissed plaintiff’s claims against our client with prejudice. The client was defended in this case by Fred Krutz, Brian Hannula, and Andrew Stubbs.

Summertime brings summer vacations and holidays.  However, for employers, it can also bring a pattern of Friday and Monday absenteeism by employees on intermittent leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or, perhaps in these instances, better referred to as the “Friday Monday Leave Act.”  Understandably, this pattern may raise the suspicion of an employer who questions the validity of the absence, but feels there is no recourse for fear of violating the FMLA.  However, employers, have no fear, there are ways to address the matter without running afoul of the FMLA.