News & Knowledge

FormanWatkins is proud to announce that Charles Abbott has been selected by New Orleans CityBusiness to its 2019 Leadership in Law class.  Each year New Orleans CityBusiness recognizes 50 area professionals in the field of law for their career and community accomplishments.  To celebrate this year’s honorees, an event will be held in May at the New Orleans Museum of Art.  This isn’t Charles’ first time to be recognized as part of the Leadership in Law class—he also received the honor in 2014.

The FormanWatkins Women’s Initiative recently held a financial health luncheon with representatives from Merrill Lynch.  Female attorneys from all FWK offices were in attendance to discuss financial health issues affecting women in the profession.  This is the second year that the Women’s Initiative has hosted this informal event, providing a space for our female attorneys to start a conversation with women in finance about personal financial management.

FormanWatkins recently had the pleasure of welcoming Dima Ghawi to the Jackson office to speak to our attorneys as part of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion initiative.  Attorneys from all FWK offices attended, and Dima presented “Diversity & Inclusion: Worth More than Gold,” which focused on the many different types of diversity, the proven benefits of diversity, and how to be intentional in creating diversity in the workplace. 

FormanWatkins released its 2018 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, Margaret McLaughlin, Mimi Arthur, Mitch McGuffey, and Vernon McFarland.

Malissa Wilson and Joshua Metcalf recently achieved a rare jury trial defense verdict in Claiborne County (MS) Circuit Court on behalf of the manufacturer of an electric scooter.  The products liability case involved allegations that the battery in an unplugged electric scooter combusted and caused the complete destruction of the plaintiffs’ home.  At trial, the plaintiffs sought to recover damages for the loss of their home and its contents.  Malissa and Joshua presented testimony from a certified fire and explosion investigator, as well as the client’s director of research and development, to demonstrate not only that the scooter and its battery were safe and could not have caused the fire, but also that the most likely cause of the fire was a propane gas heater in the same room as the scooter.  Convinced by the evidence and the arguments presented, the jury returned a defense verdict in less than an hour-and-a-half.  Assisting Malissa and Joshua in trial preparation were Courtney Hunt and Taylor White.

Win Gault and Spencer Ritchie obtained a bench trial verdict in favor of an oil and gas company in a contractual indemnity action pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Court awarded our client contractual damages, attorney fees, prejudgment interest, and post-judgment interest totaling more than $800,000.

FormanWatkins is proud to announce that Nick Giallourakis and Alison McMinn have been selected by the Mississippi Business Journal as part of the 2018 Leadership in Law class. Each year the Mississippi Business Journal recognizes a select group of 40 attorneys who exhibit both the legal success and the qualities of character that exemplify this honor. A reception and awards celebration was held in December to recognize the 2018 honorees.

On January 11, 2019, Win Gault and Jake Banks won summary judgment in an arbitration regarding claims under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.  Claimant sought statutory treble damages and penalties, claiming Respondent made unauthorized telephone calls to her cellular phone number to collect a delinquent debt.

Forman Watkins & Krutz is proud to announce Mandi Murphy has joined the Firm as Director of Human Resources.  

FormanWatkins is proud to announce that Mitch McGuffey has been named a member of the JPS School Board’s Bond Oversight Committee!