Brunini Law

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BRUNINI WELCOMES DREW C. BIGELOW

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Drew C. Bigelow joined Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes in August 2019. Prior to joining the Firm, Drew clerked for Judge Cory T. Wilson on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Drew was one of only two law clerks employed by Judge Wilson before President Trump nominated Wilson to serve as United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. Drew also clerked for Chief Justice William L. Waller, Jr. prior to Waller’s gubernatorial campaign.

Drew received his Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law in 2018, graduating magna cum laude. While in law school, Drew clerked for Judge Neil P. Olack on the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Drew served on MC Law’s Moot Court Board and as Treasurer of MC Law’s Business Law Society. Drew earned numerous honors while at MC Law, including Dean’s List, the Mississippi Bar Litigation & General Practice Section Award, and the 2018 Writing Circle Award, as well as a number of American Jurisprudence awards for achieving the highest grade in a particular subject. Drew focused his efforts on topics relating to business and commercial law, earning the Business and Commercial Law certificate.

In 2014, Drew graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a minor in Management from the Patterson School of Accountancy. As a member of the Sally McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College and a Mississippi Eminent Scholar, Drew was a regular on the Chancellor’s and Dean’s Honor Rolls. Drew was also an active member in the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Drew belongs to Brunini’s Commercial department and focuses his practice in Corporate; Estate Planning; Trusts, Estates and Probate; Mergers & Acquisitions and Real Estate.

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Brunini Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers

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33 attorneys with Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Brunini lawyers were recognized in the following categories:

  • Administrative / Regulatory Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • John M. Flynt
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • James A. McCullough II
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
    • Jackson, MS
      • R. David Kaufman
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
    • Jackson, MS
      • Walter S. Weems
  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Lynne K. Green
      • William C. Penick IV
  • Commercial Finance Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • John M. Flynt
  • Commercial Litigation
    • Columbus, MS
      • J. Gordon Flowers
    • Jackson, MS
      • Sheldon G. Alston
      • Cody C. Bailey
      • R. Richard Cirilli Jr
      • William D. Drinkwater
      • Lynne K. Green
      • Karen E. Howell
      • William Trey Jones III
      • R. David Kaufman
      • Samuel C. Kelly
      • James A. McCullough II
      • M. Patrick McDowell
      • John E. Wade
  • Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • P. David Andress
      • John M. Flynt
      • Warren Ken Rogers
      • Walter S. Weems
  • Communications Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • James L. Halford
  • Construction Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Cody C. Bailey
      • Samuel C. Kelly
      • Ron A. Yarbrough
  • Corporate Governance Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Warren Ken Rogers
  • Corporate Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • John M. Flynt
      • Karen E. Howell
      • William C. Penick IV
      • Warren Ken Rogers
      • Walter S. Weems
  • Elder Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Lynne K. Green
  • Employment Law – Management
    • Jackson, MS
      • Stephen J. Carmody
  • Energy Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • James L. Halford
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
  • Energy Regulatory Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
  • Environmental Law
    • Columbus, MS
      • J. Gordon Flowers
    • Jackson, MS
      • John E. Milner
      • Gene Wasson
  • Gaming Law
    • Biloxi, MS
      • Leonard A. Blackwell II
  • Health Care Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • R. Richard Cirilli Jr
      • William B. Grete
  • Labor Law – Management
    • Jackson, MS
      • Stephen J. Carmody
  • Land Use and Zoning Law
    • Biloxi, MS
      • Leonard A. Blackwell II
    • Jackson, MS
      • William D. Drinkwater
      • Karen E. Howell
  • Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
    • Jackson, MS
      • R. David Kaufman
  • Litigation – Antitrust
    • Jackson, MS
      • R. David Kaufman
  • Litigation – Bankruptcy
    • Jackson, MS
      • James A. McCullough II
  • Litigation – Construction
    • Jackson, MS
      • Samuel C. Kelly
      • Ron A. Yarbrough
  • Litigation – Environmental
    • Jackson, MS
      • William Trey Jones III
      • John E. Milner
      • Gene Wasson
  • Litigation – First Amendment
    • Jackson, MS
      • Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr.
  • Litigation – Intellectual Property
    • Jackson, MS
      • Stephen J. Carmody
  • Litigation – Labor and Employment
    • Jackson, MS
      • Stephen J. Carmody
      • Christopher R. Fontan
  • Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
    • Jackson, MS
      • Sheldon G. Alston
      • William D. Drinkwater
      • Karen E. Howell
  • Litigation – Real Estate
    • Jackson, MS
      • Sheldon G. Alston
      • William D. Drinkwater
  • Litigation – Securities
    • Jackson, MS
      • R. David Kaufman
      • M. Patrick McDowell
  • Litigation – Trusts and Estates
    • Jackson, MS
      • Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr.
  • Litigation and Controversy – Tax
    • Jackson, MS
      • Louis G. Fuller
      • Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr.
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
    • Columbus, MS
      • J. Gordon Flowers
    • Jackson, MS
      • Matthew W. Allen
      • Norman E. Bailey
      • Stephen J. Carmody
      • R. Richard Cirilli Jr
      • R. David Kaufman
      • M. Patrick McDowell
      • John E. Wade
  • Media Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr.
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
    • Jackson, MS
      • John E. Wade
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • John M. Flynt
      • William C. Penick IV
      • Warren Ken Rogers
      • Joseph E. Varner III
      • Walter S. Weems
  • Mining Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
  • Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • James A. McCullough II
  • Natural Resources Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
      • Gene Wasson
  • Nonprofit / Charities Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • William C. Penick IV
  • Oil and Gas Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Ken Harmon
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
    • Columbus, MS
      • J. Gordon Flowers
    • Jackson, MS
      • Sheldon G. Alston
      • Karen E. Howell
      • R. David Kaufman
      • M. Patrick McDowell
      • John E. Wade
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
    • Columbus, MS
      • J. Gordon Flowers
    • Jackson, MS
      • Matthew W. Allen
      • Sheldon G. Alston
      • Norman E. Bailey
      • R. Richard Cirilli Jr
      • R. David Kaufman
      • M. Patrick McDowell
  • Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
    • Jackson, MS
      • Stephen J. Carmody
      • R. Richard Cirilli Jr
      • R. David Kaufman
  • Real Estate Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • P. David Andress
      • John M. Flynt
      • Ken Harmon
      • Watts C. Ueltschey
      • Gene Wasson
  • Tax Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Louis G. Fuller
      • Lynne K. Green
      • William C. Penick IV
      • Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr.
      • Joseph E. Varner III
      • Walter S. Weems
  • Trademark Law
    • Jackson, MS
      • Norman E. Bailey
  • Trusts and Estates
    • Jackson, MS
      • Lynne K. Green
      • William C. Penick IV
      • Leonard D. Van Slyke, Jr.
      • Joseph E. Varner III
  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
    • Jackson, MS
      • Christopher R. Fontan

In addition to the above selections, the following 11 attorneys were chosen as Lawyer of the Year 2020:

      • Sheldon G. Alston – Litigation – Real Estate
      • Louis G. Fuller – Litigation and Controversy – Tax
      • Lynne K. Green – Trusts and Estates
      • Karen E. Howell – Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
      • R. David Kaufman – Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
      • James A. McCullough II – Litigation – Bankruptcy
      • Warren Ken Rogers – Corporate Governance Law
      • Watts C. Ueltschey – Administrative / Regulatory Law
      • Joseph E. Varner III – Tax Law
      • John E. Wade – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
      • Walter S. Weems – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law

The Best Lawyers lists, representing over 125 specialties in all 50 states and Washington D.C., are compiled through an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the U.S. confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as a reliable guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a true honor.

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Benchmark Litigation Recognizes 4 Brunini Attorneys on its 40 & Under Hot List

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Brunini is pleased to announce that Cody Bailey, Chris Fontan, Karen Howell and Taylor McNeel have been selected in Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List of 2019. This ambitious group is among the top young talent in their respective litigation communities in Mississippi and throughout the United States.

Benchmark Litigation’s goal is to find the best and brightest who stand out in their practices by focusing exclusively on litigation in the United States and Canada.  Benchmark Litigation selects nominees through extensive interviews of the nation’s leading private practice lawyers and in-house counsel to identify the leading litigators in each jurisdiction.

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Brunini Welcomes Alston F. Ludwig

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Alston has joined Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC as an associate in one of the firms litigation departments. He is a business litigator who focuses his practice on the construction industry. Alston is returning to Mississippi after living and practicing in North Carolina.

In 2009, Alston received his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi, graduating magna cum laude. Prior to attending law school, Alston graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Sam Kelly, Managing Partner of Brunini said “We are excited to welcome Alston to the Firm and are confident that he will be a great asset to our team.”

Employment and HR Law Brunch & Learn Presented by Chris Fontan and Lauren Lawhorn

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Chris Fontan and Lauren Lawhorn spoke at the Employment and HR Law Brunch & Learn Workshop given by Rankin County Chamber and TempStaff in Flowood on July 17, 2019.   Their presentations provided to attendees may be viewed in the links below.

Rankin County Chamber 2019 – Employment Verification Then and Now

Rankin County Chamber 2019 – Mississippi Employment Laws

Rankin County Chamber 2019 – FLSA New OT Rule

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Chambers List Brunini Attorneys

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The 2019 edition of Chambers USA, which lists leading law firms and individual lawyers in an extensive range of practice areas, jointly awarded high rankings to nine Brunini attorneys and six of the firm’s practice areas.

Chambers USA ranked six of Brunini’s practices, with the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources practice receiving the highest ranking possible in the state. The firm’s Commercial Litigation, Corporate/Commercial and Environmental practices were also highly ranked as well as Labor & Employment and Real Estate.

A collective list of the nine Brunini attorneys recognized as among the best in their fields in Mississippi by Chambers USA include:

Corporate/Commercial

Walter Weems

Energy & Natural Resources

James L. Halford

Watts C. Ueltschey

Gene Wasson

Environment

John E. Milner

Gene Wasson

Litigation: Construction

Samuel C. Kelly

Ron A. Yarbrough

Litigation: General Commercial

David Kaufman

Real Estate

David Andress

BREAKING: Take 2 – U.S. Department of Labor Unveils Updated Attempt to Expand Employee Overtime Eligibility

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On Thursday, March 7, 2019, the United States Department of Labor (the DOL) released its newest Proposed Rule that, if implemented, would broaden federal overtime pay regulations to cover millions of additional workers who are currently exempt from overtime eligibility.  Under the Proposed Rule, the DOL seeks to update the regulations governing which executive, administrative, and professional employees (the so-called “white collar” workers) are entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (the FLSA).

The FLSA requires employers to pay its “non-exempt employees” overtime (1 ½ the workers’ “regular rate of pay”) for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) per week.  See 29 U.S.C. § 207.  The DOL’s regulations implementing the FLSA sets forth a variety of employment classifications that are “exempt” from the FLSA’s overtime requirement—including employees performing executive, administrative, and/or professional job duties.  Since the 1940’s, in order for an employee to qualify as an exempt “white collar” employee, he/she had to meet three “tests”:  (1) the employee must be paid a predetermined and fixed salary that is not subject to reduction because of variations in the quality or quantity of work performed; (2) the amount of salary paid must meet a minimum specified amount; and (3) the employee’s job duties must primarily involve executive, administrative, or professional duties (as defined by the regulations).  The DOL last fully updated these regulations in 2004, setting the current minimum salary threshold at $455 per week (or $23,660 per year).

In May 2016, the Obama-era DOL attempted change to the overtime rule that would have doubled the minimum salary level for the so-called “white collar” exemption from $23,660 to nearly $48,000 per year.  This proposal would have also increased the total annual compensation requirement needed to exempt “highly compensated employees” to $134,004 annually (previously set at $100,000), established a mechanism for automatically updating the minimum salary level every three years and allowed employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments to satisfy up to 10% of the new standard salary level.

Ultimately, the May 2016 proposal was challenged in court. On November 22, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas enjoined the DOL from implementing and enforcing the proposal. On August 31, 2017, the court granted summary judgment against the DOL, invalidating the May 2016 proposal.  Currently, the Department is enforcing the regulations that have been in place since 2004, including the $455 per week standard salary level.

While an appeal of that decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is pending, the current DOL seeks to formally rescind the Obama-era DOL’s 2016 proposal with this Proposed Rule.  In its place, the new Proposed Rule would raise the minimum salary level for exempt employees to only $679 per week, or $35,308 annually.  The Proposed Rule does have many similarities to the 2016 proposal, including:

  • Allowing employers to count nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) to satisfy up to 10 percent of the standard salary level test (provided such bonuses are paid annually or more frequently);
  • Increasing the total annual compensation requirement needed to exempt “highly compensated employees” to $147,414 annually (currently set at $100,000 annually); and
  • Not proposing any changes to the standard duties test for the white collar exemptions.

If the Proposed Rule is adopted, the DOL estimates that over 1.3 million workers who are currently classified as “salaried exempt”—and thus, not eligible for overtime—will become eligible for overtime pay.  While an increase, this figure is lower than the estimated 5 million workers who would have become eligible for overtime under the 2016 proposal.  As with the prior proposal, observers feel the number could rise well above the projected increase.  If implemented, the Proposed Rules will undoubtedly result in greater expense or operational change for many employers as they struggle to deal with a shrinking pool of workers who are eligible for an exemption from the overtime pay.

The Proposed Rule is still subject to a lengthy comment period before implementation.  The DOL encourages any interested members of the public to submit comments about the proposed rule electronically at www.regulations.gov (Rulemaking docket RIN 1235-AA20).

Though the Proposed Rule has not yet been finalized, employers are encouraged to be proactive and engage their legal counsel to begin planning for the change now.  Preparations should include auditing current practices and projecting the cost of change and FLSA compliance under the anticipated new framework. This includes evaluating the possibility and effects of significantly higher operating costs.

MATT ALLEN RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF MISSISSIPPI’S LEADING ATTORNEYS BY THE MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Matt Allen was recently recognized as one of Mississippi’s leading attorneys by the Mississippi Business Journal at the Leadership in Law Awards Ceremony. The men and women who have been chosen for this honor are recognized by their outstanding contributions that have increased the well-being of the community. The ceremony took place at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson, Mississippi.

Matt is a litigator with Brunini and works on trials and appeals. He has received numerous recognitions for excellence in the practice of law in multiple practice areas from organizations such as Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Benchmark Litigation, The Mississippi Business Journal, the American Society of Legal Advocates, and Portico Magazine. He has successfully litigated civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts in Mississippi and other states around the nation. He has represented clients through trials and appeals in matters related to commercial litigation, product liability litigation, mass torts, alleged white collar crime, the redistricting of the Mississippi legislature and the Voting Rights Act, public records issues, First Amendment litigation, and commercial tax assessment contests.

In November of 2018, Matt advanced to a runoff as a candidate for Hinds County Circuit Court Judge, garnering 46.30% of the vote as a first-time political candidate against a long-time state legislator. He is passionate about criminal justice reform and is studying towards a PhD in Criminal Justice. He is also a Contributing Fellow at the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. He clerked for the Honorable William H. Barbour Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi from 2004 to 2005.

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BRUNINI’S LEONARD A. BLACKWELL, II INDUCTED INTO THE 2019 LAW ALUMNI HALL OF FAME

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Leonard A. Blackwell, II a partner at Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, will be inducted into The Law Alumni Chapter of the Alumni Association of the University of Mississippi 2019 Law Alumni Hall of Fame at an Alumni Banquet held on March 30, 2019.

Leonard A. Blackwell, II, a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, was nominated along with four others for the 2019 Law Alumni Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding alumni of the law school who have, through their professional achievements and/or service to the school, brought honor to the law school.

Brunini’s Blackwell has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® for Gaming Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and by Mid-South Super Lawyers® for Environmental Law. He was recognized as South Mississippi’s Top 10 Outstanding Community Leaders in 2012. Blackwell’s practice areas include construction, environmental law, gaming, governmental relations and real estate.