News & Knowledge

Forman Watkins is proud to have Michael Abraham, Erin Latuso, Michelle Roy, and Etienne Rene join our firm in the New Orleans office.

Please join Partner, Erin Latuso, at Perrin Conferences’ Diversity and Inclusion Conference on November 3, 2016 at the Westin Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA. Erin will be a featured panelist on a panel discussion entitled Turning Words Into Action. This one day conference will host speakers and panel discussions covering topics such as Insights on Diversity in the Legal Community, Understanding the Value of Emotional Intelligence, The Powerful Legacy of Female Leadership, and The Insurance and In-House Perspectives. In addition to its educational program, the conference will also host multiple worthwhile and engaging networking events. Perrin Conferences sets the standard in the professional education industry as the place to learn, network and do business.  We hope to see you in Philadelphia! All in-house counsel and insurance professionals receive complimentary registration. To learn more about this Perrin Conferences signature event, visit www.perrinconferences.com.

On September 16, 2016, Trey Watkins, Nick Giallourakis, and their Illinois counsel obtained summary judgment for a premises defendant client in a secondary asbestos exposure case filed in Madison County, Illinois.  Our client was the sole remaining defendant at the time of the summary judgment hearing, which was held only three days prior to when the case was set for trial.  Forman Watkins and our Illinois counsel successfully persuaded Judge Stobbs that plaintiff’s exposure affidavits were not timely produced in discovery and should be stricken from the record.  They were then able to convince Judge Stobbs that, in the absence of the stricken affidavits, plaintiff could not establish the frequency, regularity, and proximity exposure elements necessary to satisfy the Illinois causation standard.  Judge Stobbs dismissed all of plaintiff’s secondary exposure claims against our client, who was facing a final trial setting if unsuccessful. Trey Watkins and Nick Giallourakis are partners in the Jackson, Mississippi office.  Both routinely represent clients involved in Illinois asbestos litigation, and Nick Giallourakis is licensed in Illinois. For more information, please contact Holland Familia, Marketing Director, at 601-960-8600 or Holland@formanwatkins.com.

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is pleased to announce that Alison O’Neal McMinn returns to the firm as a Partner in our Jackson, Mississippi office. Bringing more than a decade of litigation experience, Alison is a well-respected leader in our community both in her professional career at the Attorney General’s Office as well as her countless hours dedicated to community programs such as Post-Katrina work, the Junior League of Jackson, and Leadership Greater Jackson. Alison will further strengthen the Firm’s commitment to community outreach in addition to her mass tort litigation experience. Prior to joining Forman Watkins, Alison served as Special Assistant Attorney General in both the Civil Litigation and Consumer Protection Divisions. She was lead defense attorney in numerous suits against the State of Mississippi, its agencies, political subdivisions, and officials.  In her experience with the Consumer Protection Division, Alison prosecuted cases involving fraud, and investigated violations of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office, Alison worked as an Associate in our Jackson office where she managed a docket of 727 asbestos products liability cases with complex discovery and motion practice. She was also a member of the trial team for six asbestos product liability trials. Alison graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Arts and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi.   She has been recognized as a Mid-South Rising Star® in Personal Injury Defense and served as co-chair of both the Diversity and Membership Committees […]

On August 22, 2016, Win Gault won summary judgment based on the Mississippi statute of limitations in Desoto County Circuit Court

Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP is pleased to announce attorneys named to the 2017 Edition of Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

Please join our speakers, Tanya Ellis & Jennifer Studebaker, at the Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview & Outlook on September 12-14, 2016 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

In the firm’s 7th consecutive year, Forman Watkins was recognized as a Top Ranked Law Firm in General Commercial Litigation.

On May 24, 2016, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a decision by a federal Court in New Orleans excluding plaintiff’s experts and dismissing the case against a FormanWatkins’ client.

FW Sports Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP, recently welcomed former University of Mississippi basketball guard Stefan Moody as its newest client. Moody is a two time All-SEC guard who led the league this past season in scoring an average of 23.6 points per game.