News & Knowledge

New Orleans Partner Amy Maccherone recently prevailed in an arbitration of a significant environmental contamination case. Maccherone’s client, a regional abrasive blasting and painting subcontractor, was accused of contaminating a jobsite with lead based paint during the performance of its work. The general contractor on the job claimed that the alleged contamination resulted in over $1.5 million in clean-up costs. It also claimed the Client was in breach of its subcontract and was liable for over $4 million related to that breach. In total, the general contractor sought roughly $5.5 million from the Client.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP congratulates Jackson Partners, Nick Giallourakis and Alison O’Neal McMinn, for being honored by Portico Magazine as 2018 Portico 10 Attorneys. The PORTICO 10 is a group of up-and-coming attorneys in the Jackson area nominated by local firms, past honorees and members of the community before being chosen by a panel of local judges. Each member of the PORTICO 10 has a long list of accomplishments and rewards to compliment their extensive background in leadership.

As a follow up from our April 2017 post regarding a pro bono asylum case, Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine published a story in the January 2018 issue featuring Michelle Roy’s work on this case. April 2017: Tim Gray and Michelle Roy of our New Orleans office represented a client, a minor, who fled from Guatemala to the United States with her family in 2015 to escape gang violence and political persecution. The firm sought permanent status for this client as a “Special Juvenile Immigrant” and as a member of a persecuted class entitled to asylum. The firm accepted this pro bono representation through a program sponsored by the Catholic Charities which matches volunteer lawyers with undocumented juvenile children in Louisiana. The firm continues to represent other undocumented minors through this program. We are honored for the featured publication on Michelle’s dedication to this case, you can read the full issue by clicking here. Or read her article here:  

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce Jake Banks, Vernon McFarland, Mitch McGuffey, and Andrew Stubbs were promoted to Partners of the Firm in our Jackson, Mississippi office. Jake is licensed in Mississippi and received his law degree from the University of Mississippi.  Jake’s practices in the Firm’s general litigation group, handling diverse legal issues including catastrophic personal injury, contractual disputes, insurance coverage, and TCPA liability. Vernon is licensed in Mississippi and Montana and received his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law and is a member of the Mississippi Bar and the Magnolia Bar Association. He is a Mid-South Super Lawyer Rising Star and member of the Leadership Greater Jackson Class of 2016-2017. Vernon’s primary practice areas are Toxic Tort Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Professional Liability.  He is a member of the Firm’s Pro Bono and Recruiting Committees and serves the community through his church and other charitable organizations. Mitch is licensed in Mississippi and New York. His practice region also includes most of New England. Mitch received degrees in graphic design and business administration at Auburn University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute. Mitch’s practice focuses primarily on Toxic Tort Litigation, including Environmental and Products Liability cases, NCAA Compliance proceedings, and Appellate Litigation. Andrew is licensed in both Mississippi and Arkansas, although his practice region also includes Alabama. He received his law degree from Mississippi […]

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP congratulates firm attorneys for being named as 2018 Louisiana Super Lawyers. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.  Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The firm is proud to announce Super Lawyer Charles H. Abbott and Rising Stars: Melissa Fuller, Erin Wedge Latuso, Michelle Roy, and Peyton Smith.

A big thank you to our New Jersey office for collecting money and donations to buy warm clothing for those in need.  Our team worked in conjunction with local charity organization, Lunch Break, to gather items for donation during cold winter months.  We appreciate your generosity throughout the year but especially during the Holiday season! Pictured below: Donna Ross & Nicole Diesa   

On December 13, 2017, Forman Watkins attorneys Jake Banks obtained a favorable jury verdict in the County Court of Hinds County.  Plaintiff claimed she suffered serious personal injuries and sought to recover significant damages. Though the Defendant conceded liability for the accident, she maintained that the Plaintiff was only entitled to recover her past medical bills, and that is exactly what the jury awarded.

Forman Watkins welcomed Demi Brown to speak at a recent lunch-and-learn session hosted by the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.  Mr. Brown is the Associate Dean of Intercultural Affairs and Community Life at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and presented on Ten Core Concepts Toward Cultural Proficiency.  The session was a continuation of the Committee’s efforts to provide in-house programming focused on navigating a diverse workplace.  Our staff enjoyed lunch with their co-workers and the interesting perspectives offered by Mr. Brown on a number of topics currently in the headlines.                  

The firm recently participated in the Capital Area Bar Association’s annual Toys for Tots campaign. Our team donated a box of unwrapped toys for children in our community. Thank you to Elizabeth Penn and Sam Kapoor for representing the firm at CABA’s Christmas Social to present our donations!

On November 27, 2017 Judge New granted summary judgment for two Forman Watkins clients in an asbestos exposure case filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County.  Our clients were two of the three remaining defendants when summary judgment was granted one week prior to the start of trial. Despite a seven-figure demand against each of our clients in a jurisdiction where summary judgment is seldom granted, the court dismissed all claims against our clients, with prejudice.  The court denied the motion for summary judgment of the third remaining defendant. Alison McMinn, Ruth Maron, Sam Kapoor and our Pennsylvania counsel successfully argued that the plaintiff provided no evidence of asbestos exposure from our clients’ products, highlighting the speculative nature of plaintiff’s testimony.