News & Knowledge

Jackson Partner Peyton Smith recently had an article published in DRI’s For The Defense (June 2019).  Click the image below to read it.

FormanWatkins is a proud sponsor of the Bessie Young Council Summer Social! The event will take place on Thursday, June 20, at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.  Come mingle and have a beverage with fellow students, law clerks, alumni, and Jackson’s top lawyers!  More details on the event can be found on the attached flyer.  We hope to see you there!

In a recent decision, the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for employees to bypass filing a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before filing suit.  The Court unanimously decided, in Fort Bend County v. Davis, that Title VII’s charge-filing requirement is procedural and not jurisdictional. By making this finding, the Court for the first time made clear that federal courts have the authority to hear Title VII claims that are not the subject of a Charge of Discrimination, and that the charge-filing requirement could be waived by employers for failure to timely assert it as a defense.

Malissa Wilson and Spencer Ritchie will be speakers at the upcoming Mini Law School for HR Professionals seminar.  This is a basic level seminar that will examine the current issues in human resource law for attorneys, Human Resources and financial professionals, and other business executives.  Malissa and Spencer would love for you to join them!

New Jersey partners Tom Toman and Nicole Diesa recently won a summary judgment motion in New Jersey asbestos litigation.  Despite a tentative decision to deny the motion, the Court eventually granted summary judgment and found that based upon a failure to establish causation, plaintiff could not submit a legally sufficient case against the manufacturer of electrical products represented by FormanWatkins.  Ms. Diesa wrote the winning briefs, and Mr. Toman gave the oral argument.

Malissa Wilson and Spencer Ritchie were speakers at the Human Resource Law from A to Z seminar, held March 27-28, 2019, in Pearl, Mississippi. The basic-to-intermediate level seminar provided a comprehensive overview of current issues in human resource law for attorneys, Human Resource and financial professionals, and other business executives.  Wilson and Ritchie spoke about discrimination and harassment; workplace behavioral issues; workplace privacy and employee monitoring; and, disciplining and firing employees. Click here to learn more about FormanWatkins’ Labor & Employment practice.

Malissa Wilson and Courtney Hunt won summary judgment in a case involving an uninsured/underinsured coverage dispute. The plaintiffs were seeking $3 million in uninsured/underinsured coverage. The Court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint on the ground that the policies in dispute had been properly non-renewed and were not in effect at the time of the accident.

The Monmouth & Ocean County Veterans Information and Resources Clinic was held on Saturday, March 30, 2019, and New Jersey Partners Tom Toman and Nicole Diesa were among those who volunteered. The event was held at the James J. Howard Outpatient Clinic in Brick, New Jersey, and it was successful in reaching a number of younger Veterans that do not normally use the Clinic or any other traditional Veterans groups. Overall, there were 10+ legal consultations conducted, with participation from six additional Veterans aide groups. Based on the success of the event, the president of the Ocean County Bar has asked that another joint Veterans Information and Resources Clinic be organized for later this year. This was the second pro bono event orchestrated by the Monmouth Bar Association as part of a new Veterans’ program that was initiated by FormanWatkins in 2018.

FormanWatkins Partner Malissa Wilson participated in the mini-mentoring session at the 2019 Bessie Young Council Mentoring Conference on Friday, March 29, 2019, at the University of Mississippi School of Law.  The session involved attorneys meeting with students to discuss their respective area of legal practice, work/life balance, what they look for in an associate, and what impresses firms when they interview potential associates.  The mission of this annual conference is to provide learning and networking opportunities for non-traditional law students and young lawyers.  Through its annual conference, the Bessie Young Council shares the experiences of its member attorneys and others in the field to help foster successful careers for those law students and young lawyers who may encounter unique obstacles along the way. Pictured below are Mentors from the 2019 Bessie Young Council Conference.

Malissa Wilson and Taylor White obtained a favorable ruling on a motion for judgment on the pleadings in Smith County Circuit Court in a motor vehicle accident case.  The Court dismissed the plaintiff’s complaint on the ground that her claims were barred by a previous Release and Settlement Agreement, under which she accepted settlement proceeds in full satisfaction of any claims related to the accident.