News & Knowledge

Forman Watkins & Krutz attorneys Fred Krutz, Brian Hannula, and Andrew Stubbs obtained their second consecutive summary judgment win in 2021 in West Virginia on behalf of a respirator manufacturer. The lawsuit was pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. Plaintiff alleged that the respirator defendants’ products were defective, causing him to develop coal workers pneumoconiosis.

FormanWatkins is pleased to announce that Malissa Wilson has re-joined the firm as a partner in its Jackson, Mississippi office.  Malissa brings to the firm nearly 20 years of litigation and trial experience, much of which has involved handling employment matters.

Chelsea Lewis and Joshua Metcalf secured an early dismissal in Mississippi state court for a large timberland owner. Lewis and Metcalf were able to secure a dismissal before incurring the expense of discovery. The victory illustrates how a thorough understanding of the law, combined with an aggressive initial defense, can ultimately result in significant savings to the client.

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.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP announced today that it is donating $50,000 to Hurricane Ida Relief. The Firm is making the donation through the Greater New Orleans Foundation Hurricane Ida Relief Fund, which will distribute those funds to relief efforts across the area. New Orleans partner, Tim Gray, commented, “FormanWatkins believes in the resiliency of our New Orleans community and we hope this donation will accelerate the recovery from this devastating storm.” The Firm made this donation through its charitable foundation, which is supported by the over 140 attorneys and staff across 5 states, most of whom are in offices in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

We are pleased to announce that 37 FormanWatkins attorneys have been recognized in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. 

On Friday, July 30, 2021, attorneys and summer associates from our Jackson office were among those who volunteered at the Hinds County Family Law Clinic, a pro se legal clinic held at the Hinds County Chancery Courthouse. The clinic assisted individuals with a variety of legal matters, including irreconcilable differences divorces, uncontested guardianships, birth certificate corrections, and name changes.

On July 14, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a significant opinion defining state of the art evidence for product liability cases. The opinion affirmed a summary judgment award won by FormanWatkins in the Eastern District of North Carolina on behalf of a dimensional lumber manufacturer. The case involved a plaintiff’s alleged childhood exposure to softwood dust in his father’s hobby woodshop and his later diagnosed sinonasal cancer.

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.