News & Knowledge

Forman Watkins Partner, Alison O’Neal McMinn, was recently selected as one of Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Under 40 for 2017. This recognition is one of Mississippi’s most prestigious awards and 2017 brings about its 24th consecutive year. Top 50 Under 40 recognizes the state’s 50 up-and-coming business leaders under the age of 40. The key to the program’s success is that individuals are nominated by friends or business associates who best know their professional and civic involvement.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to celebrate three decades in Downtown Jackson, and we are even prouder to reaffirm our commitment to Mississippi’s capital city by revitalizing and transforming the top three floors of the Regions Building, the tallest building in Downtown Jackson. We are driven by the new energy and businesses that are coming here. Now it’s your turn to add to the creative energy, and we want you to bring your passion and submit your original works to the Forman Watkins & Krutz Photography Contest. Photograph entries from around Mississippi are welcome and will be eligible to win first, second, and third place prizes in both the Amateur and Professional categories.

Thank you to our lawyers for donating their knowledge and time to assist our local community through a law clinic created by our partnership with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project – see the full story by reading below or click here to view the news story & video. Our Pro Bono initiative for 2017 allows us to partner with various projects like MVLP throughout our local communities and keeps us committed to helping others with their legal needs. As quoted from The Clarion Ledger: You may be able to be your own attorney on some cases without someone referring to you as a fool for representing yourself. However, would you know the type cases you may be able to represent yourself on? On Thursday, a group of lawyers from the law firm of Forman Watkins & Kurtz, and some Mississippi College School of Law students, joined with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project to provide an answer during a free legal clinic at the Eudora Welty Library in downtown Jackson. These are the cases individuals might be able to represent themselves: Uncontested divorce Simple wills Uncontested adoption matters Guardianship Name change Conservatorship Child support contempt Guardianship Birth certificate correction Expungement of misdemeanor criminal record Stephanie Luckett of Canton came to the legal clinic to get instructions on the steps to file an uncontested divorce case. About 15 people signed up for the free legal clinic Thursday. Such clinics are conducted throughout the state during the year. “I’m trying to get help; […]

On April 11, 2017, Judge Elizabeth Erny Foote granted summary judgment for a Forman Watkins client in a personal injury action pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is pleased to announce Charles Abbott, Byron Kitchens and Amy Maccherone have joined the New Orleans office as Partners. Our three new partners and their legal team join the firm from Cotten Schmidt & Abbott also in New Orleans. The team brings with them over three decades of combined litigation expertise with national experience focus in Commercial Litigation, Premises Liability and Product Liability.

We are looking forward to Perrin Conferences’ Cutting-Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation Conference on March 6-7, 2017 at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel. This prestigious 7th annual conference draws in hundreds with a lineup of the nation’s top industry professionals providing balanced perspectives and updates on the most significant topics regarding asbestos and toxic tort litigation. CLE credits will be offered to conference attendees, including an hour-long ethics discussion. In addition to its educational benefits, the conference will provide valuable and engaging networking opportunities. Perrin Conferences sets the standard in the professional education industry as the place to learn, network and do business. I hope to see you there! To view the full agenda and learn more about this Perrin Conferences’ event, please visit  www.perrinconferences.com.  

On January 24, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a seven-page opinion affirming the trial court’s dismissal with prejudice of plaintiff’s wrongful death claims in Sonja Henderson v. West Jackson Student Housing, et al.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce the launch of its Pro Bono Initiative. The Firm believes that pro bono service is an important and essential element of every attorney’s professional responsibility; further, we believe that attorneys possess unique skills and abilities to serve the disadvantaged and promote the public interest.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is proud to announce Nicole Diesa was recently promoted to Partner of the Firm. Nicole practices in the Firm’s New Jersey office and is licensed in New Jersey and New York. Nicole received her law degree from Touro Law School and is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the New Jersey State Bar Association (Product Liability/Toxic Tort Section and Women in the Profession Section). Nicole focuses her practice primarily on Toxic Tort Litigation, Environmental, and Product Liability.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP congratulates Jackson Partner, Brian Hannula, for being honored by Portico Jackson Magazine as a 2017 Portico 10 Attorney. The PORTICO 10 is a group of up-and-coming attorneys in the Jackson area. These individuals were nominated by local firms, past honorees and members of the community before being chosen by a panel of local judges.