News & Knowledge

The FormanWatkins employment law team secured another client victory by obtaining dismissal of a Title VII suit on behalf of a national retail chain and local franchise owners.  The District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss the suit after concluding the plaintiff failed to properly serve process on the defendants after the Court had already twice granted additional time for plaintiff to achieve proper service.

In a case with no substantial filings by the Plaintiff since September 2011, the FormanWatkins team of Jennifer Studebaker, Simine Reed, and Vernon McFarland successfully won their motion for dismissal due to lack of prosecution on June 4, 2021.

FormanWatkins released its 2020 Pro Bono & Civic Engagement Report today. The Firm’s pro bono efforts are led by our Pro Bono Committee, whose members include: Alison McMinn, Courtney Hunt, Erin Latuso, Julian Miller, Margaret McLaughlin, Mimi Arthur, Mitch McGuffey, Nicole Diesa, and Vernon McFarland.  Thank you to all team members involved with these cases, it truly makes a difference! We’re happy for you to share our mission, you may download a PDF by clicking here: FormanWatkins Pro Bono in Review_2020

Brian Hannula, Caroline Upchurch, and Daniel Mulholland successfully arbitrated a national forest products company’s multi-million dollar construction dispute with a contractor arising out of two huge plant reconstructions in Alabama and Arkansas. The disputes involved warranty, contract, and payment claims.  The first arbitration – concerning the Arkansas plant and lasting a week in Little Rock – resulted in an award of damages and attorney fees for the company, and a rejection of  the contractor’s claims for payment. This victory resulted in an also immediate resolution of the second arbitration

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce that 25 of its attorneys have been selected to the 2020 Mid-South Super Lawyers and/or Rising Stars lists!  Each year no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. 

This Fall, Forman Watkins & Krutz’s Jackson office supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) and the Blazer Bolt for Brain Cancer by raising support for and participating virtually in their annual run/walk.

Jackson Partner Vernon McFarland recently had an article published in DRI Voices (November 4, 2020).  Read it below, or click the image to open it in a new browser.

New Orleans attorneys Tim Gray, Michelle Roy, Margaret McLaughlin, and Jordan Nixon recently prevailed in an appeal of a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Order denying Special Juvenile Immigrant Status to a minor child, originally from Guatemala. The effect of the win is that the child is now entitled to apply for and receive permanent resident status. This win follows wins on behalf of her two sisters, also FormanWatkins Pro Bono clients, who prevailed in their asylum claims.

During the month of October, the FWK offices observed Breast Cancer Awareness in a few different ways—by having an “Honor Wall” that displayed stories shared by members of our team of how they or their loved ones have personally experienced breast cancer, by holding a pumpkin decorating contest, and by wearing pink—to honor those we have lost, those who are fighting, and those who have survived.  Below are the new stories shared by our team members, as well as a picture of the pumpkins submitted for the pumpkin decorating contest. 

  We invite you to review our 2020 Pro Bono Highlights below or click here for a PDF.   FormanWatkins encourages its attorneys to do meaningful pro bono work that serves the communities in which we live and work.  For more information on our commitment to pro bono service, please visit our page here.