News & Knowledge

In June, Forman Watkins & Krutz attorneys participated in a Lunch-and-Learn hosted by the Firm’s Women’s Initiative, with attorneys from several FormanWatkins offices sharing valuable takeaways from the 2021 DRI Women in the Law Seminar.  

FormanWatkins recently welcomed counsel from Baker Hughes to participate in FormanWatkins’ Diversity Pipeline Program.  Regina Jones, Chief Legal Officer, and Amy Blumrosen, Senior Litigation Counsel, spoke to current students and recent graduates from Tougaloo College and Jackson State University about pursuing a career in the legal field.

DRI recently held their annual Diversity for Success Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Vernon McFarland served on the Law Student Forum Panel designed to give open and straightforward answers to future attorneys on what to expect in the profession.  The discussion included creating a career path, best practices during job interviews and navigating obstacles unique to attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds. University of Mississippi Law FWK Summer Associate, Hope Thompson, attended the seminar and enjoyed the panel and connecting peers and panelists.

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.

The Capital Area Bar Association (CABA) recently held their annual Evening Honoring the Judiciary at the Country Club of Jackson. The dinner not only hosts a keynote speaker but also serves as an opportunity for CABA and Jackson Young Lawyers (JYL) to present their annual awards for outstanding service, pro bono and professionalism.  FormanWatkins is extremely proud to have one of its very own presented with the 2020 JYL Pro Bono Service Award, congratulations to Julian Miller for this well-deserved recognition!

In a significant victory for a national forest-products client, FormanWatkins attorneys Joshua Metcalf and Chelsea Lewis won summary judgment in federal court in Louisiana.  Plaintiffs had sued over the application of a commonly-used herbicide to the client’s timberland, seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing the use of any herbicide or pesticide on thousands of acres of the client’s property.

Mary Clift Abdalla, as Mississippi counsel, successfully obtained partial summary judgment for a global medical device company dismissing the Plaintiff’s trade secrets misappropriation claims, and preventing Plaintiff from seeking statutory damages or attorney’s fees on copyright infringement claims. The team also obtained a ruling striking Plaintiff’s expert witness reports, while denying Plaintiff’s request to strike Defendant’s expert report.

FormanWatkins is proud to announce our Diversity Pipeline Program, a three and a half day program for Tougaloo College students interested in pursuing a career as a civil litigator. Our Jackson team hosted Clifford Benton, Ayanna Hill, and Tia Patrick in April for the 2021 Program. The students attended seminars each of the three days to provide an overview of “firm life.”

Jackson-based attorneys Nick Giallourakis and Ruth Maron Huskey successfully represented a pro bono client in reacquiring ownership of his property after it was sold to a loan company at a state tax sale.  Giallourakis and Huskey negotiated with the loan company to allow their client to reacquire the property at a fraction of the amount initially demanded by the loan company and for an amount much less than the appraised value of the land.  The pro bono client and his family were able to stay on the subject property throughout the process, which began in August 2018 and ended in February 2021.  Huskey and Giallourakis initially worked with Mission First, one of Forman Watkins’ longstanding pro bono partners.  

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