News & Knowledge

Many have called Madison Timber Properties, LLC the largest Ponzi scheme in Mississippi history. The scheme involved more than one hundred million dollars in investments and hundreds of investors spanning many years. The scheme has attracted the attention of national media outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Forbes.

Tim Gray recently obtained a defense verdict for a Forman Watkins client in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Plaintiff alleged that her deceased husband’s aplastic anemia was caused by exposure to benzene and that the aplastic anemia caused his death. The claim against Forman Watkins’ client was that it supplied a chemical that contained benzene to a manufacturer who incorporated that chemical into its product that the plaintiff’s husband allegedly used.

The Firm is thankful for Malissa Wilson’s commitment to the Firm’s Pro Bono mission. Malissa is pictured below at the Magnolia Bar Association’s April 2018 Expungement Clinic in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Employers Beware: Collecting Genetic Information on Employees Could Lead to Litigation – In 2003, Congress designated April 25th as National DNA Day. The day marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953 and celebrates the latest advances in genetics. However, these genetic advances have adversely impacted the workplace prompting Congress to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prohibiting genetic information discrimination.

On April 23, 2018, New Orleans partner Charles Abbott and Larry Centola with Martzell, Bickford & Centola guest lectured for LSU Law School’s Toxic Torts class. Abbott and Centola focused their lecture on class actions and multi-district litigation generally and specifically related to the toxic tort arena.  This is the second year in a row that Abbott and Centola have guest lectured together, providing second and third year law students perspectives from both the plaintiff and defense side, in connection with various aspects of toxic tort litigation.  

Spencer Ritchie served as moderator for the Capital Area Bar Association’s New Appellate Judges Roundtable at their April 17, 2018 meeting. The panel featured five of the newest judges on the State Court of Appeals and Mississippi Supreme Court: Justices Dawn Beam and Robert Chamberlin of the Supreme Court and Judges Jack Wilson, Latrice Westbrooks, and Sean Tindell of the Court of Appeals. Spencer led the panelists in a discussion centered around their backgrounds and early experiences on the court.  There were over one hundred in attendance along with many other judges, including the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Bill Waller and Court of Appeals Judge Kenny Griffis. Spencer Ritchie (pictured far left)

In Mississippi, every year is an election year. This election year, however, is shaping up to be one of the most memorable in the state in decades. Many Mississippians will seek to play an active part in these elections by contributing to campaigns and political parties. Such contributions are subject to federal and state campaign finance laws. Below is a summary of major restrictions….

Forman Watkins Partner Malissa Wilson was one of four panelists with diverse law practices from across the state who talked to law students and attorneys about the realities of law practice at the inaugural Bessie Young Council Mentoring Conference in March of 2018. Malissa shared pointers from a defense attorney’s perspective on a variety of topics, including making the most of support staff; billing time and deciding what it’s worth; and, daily dealings with opposite counsel and clients.

On April 2, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the Western District of Louisiana’s grant of summary judgment, finding persuasive the argument presented by Forman Watkins that the testimony of Appellant’s expert failed to create a genuine issue of material fact. The case was argued before a three-judge panel on March 5, 2018 by Alison McMinn and Peyton Smith.

On March 26, 2018, New Orleans attorneys Charles Abbott and Melissa Fuller were guest lecturers for LSU Law School’s Toxic Torts class.  In addition to addressing emerging mass torts, Mr. Abbott and Ms. Fuller provided the second and third year law students with a historical overview of asbestos, benzene and silica litigation, and taught practical aspects and current trends in the litigation of these cases in Louisiana and across the country.