News & Knowledge

Forman Watkins & Krutz attorneys Nick Giallourakis, Byron Kitchens and Margaret McLaughlin secured a second consecutive defense dismissal in an asbestos exposure case filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court on behalf of an energy company. Plaintiffs are Italian citizens, bringing maritime law claims for asbestos exposure they alleged occurred, in part, aboard vessels that docked in the Port of Orleans. The team argued that the case should be dismissed in Orleans Parish and properly brought in an Italian forum, where the vast majority of the relevant documents and witnesses would be located. Civil District Court Judge Kern A. Reese agreed, dismissed the case from Orleans Parish on forum non conveniens grounds, and ordered the matter to be transferred  to the appropriate forum in Italy.

On April 29, 2022, an Orleans Parish District Court judge dismissed a mesothelioma asbestos exposure case in favor of two energy companies, represented by Forman Watkins & Krutz attorneys Nick Giallourakis, Byron Kitchens and Margaret McLaughlin, and Michael Abraham and Peter Moir, respectively. Plaintiffs are Italian citizens who filed suit under maritime law nearly ten years after their decedent’s mesothelioma diagnosis. Plaintiffs argued their lawsuit was timely filed because they did not learn of the connection between their decedent’s mesothelioma and his alleged asbestos exposures until late 2020 or early 2021. The parties submitted extensive briefing concerning maritime law prescription statutes (statute of limitations) and state of knowledge in Italy regarding the connection between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. At the hearing, McLaughlin and Abraham were successful in excluding the plaintiffs’ evidence regarding what was known or knowable about the cause of decedent’s mesothelioma; and, ultimately, Civil District Court Judge Robin M. Giarrusso granted the clients’ Peremptory Exception of Prescription (motion to dismiss on statute of limitations grounds).

Savannah Tirey has joined Forman Watkins & Krutz as the firm’s director of marketing and recruiting. Tirey previously held marketing and public relations positions within the tourism, economic development and workforce development sectors. In her new role, Tirey will shape the vision and strategy to generate new business opportunities, influence public perceptions, maintain a positive brand and recruit top talent to the firm. “Savannah will be a great addition to the team,” said Robby Gathings, FormanWatkins chief operating officer. “Her professional background and skill set will not only complement the firm, but contribute to its growth.” She comes to the firm from the Ridgeland Tourism Commission, where she was director of marketing and public relations. Prior to that position, she served as a public relations specialist at the Mississippi Development Authority. Tirey received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Mississippi in 2011.

The Diversity Pipeline Program is a three-and-a-half-day program for Tougaloo College pre-law students interest­ed in pursuing a career as a civil litigator. The FormanWatkins Jackson office hosted Amber Magee, Kevana Funches, Precious Thompson, Pierrerasha Goodwin and Octavious Henderson for the 2022 Diversity Pipeline Program. In addition to attending seminars providing overviews of “firm life,” civil litigation and the firm’s practice areas, the students partook in discussions regarding the firm’s Pro Bono, Recruiting, and Diversity & Inclusion committees. The students also attended speaker sessions led by diverse in-house counsel who are major firm clients and were given a legal research assignment with an opportunity to prepare a written memorandum of their findings. Firm attorneys led a professional development and resume workshop for the students. The firm also assigned attorney mentors during the program to facilitate discussions and to help with the research assignment. The program concluded with the Tougaloo students attending in-person criminal hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer-Isaac of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. At the conclusion of the hearings, Judge Greer-Isaac spoke with the students and held a question-and-answer session. This year’s group of students were smart, enjoyable and demonstrated a true eagerness to learn more about the legal profession. Amber, Kevana, Precious, Pierrerasha and Octavious are part of the Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Program at Tougaloo College under the direction of Julian Miller, an attorney in the FormanWatkins Jackson office. With highest academic honors, these students recently graduated from Tougaloo College […]

On March 30, 2022, New Orleans attorneys Jordan Nixon and Charles Abbott guest lectured at LSU Law School. The lecture was the second one in a series of Toxic Tort classes guest lectured by attorneys from FormanWatkins at LSU Law School this semester. The lecture, presented to second and third year law students, focused on all aspects of asbestos, silica, and benzene litigation and discussed many of the scientific, as well as practical, issues and topics regularly encountered in their practices.

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.

On March 21, 2022, New Orleans attorneys Charles Abbott and Margaret McLaughlin guest lectured at LSU Law School. This is the second time that Mr. Abbott and Ms. McLaughlin have taught together a toxic tort class at LSU Law School, consisting of second and third year law students.

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.

Win Gault and Spencer Ritchie completed a successful administrative law trial before the United States Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges.  The plaintiff, a former pilot, claimed monetary damages under the FAA whistle blower provisions from his employer in the high six-figures.  After a three-day trial and substantial post-trial briefing, the administrative law judge awarded only $2,700 in damages.

This past semester, FormanWatkins has been proud to host a series of Mississippi College School of Law classes in our Jackson office.  Adjunct Professor and retired FormanWatkins attorney Craig Brasfield has been teaching a semester-long class focused best practices for taking depositions. The class included weekly mock depositions of key witnesses in a variety of real-world scenarios, including a Covid wrongful death case, a divorce case, and a toxic-tort case. In addition to hosting the students in a real-world law firm environment, team members of the Firm played the roles of the witnesses in the mock scenarios, and our attorneys shared practical advice based upon their own deposition-taking experience. We enjoyed hosting the students and playing a part in skill development for their future practice.