Representative Matters

• Obtained a ruling from the Supreme Court of Mississippi reversing and remanding the trial court’s denial of CSpire’s (f/k/a Cellular South) petition to revoke a protective order, which had prevented disclosure of AT&T’s (a/k/a BellSouth) contract with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology to provide telecommunications services for all state agencies and institutions. Cellular South, Inc. v. BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC, f/k/a BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., –So.3d–, 2017 WL 841132  (Miss. March 2, 2017).
• Obtained summary judgment in federal district court for silica defendants dismissing plaintiff’s personal injury claims on the grounds they were barred by the statute of limitations. Langston v. Pangborn, et al., 2014 WL 347718 (S.D. Miss. 2014).
• Obtained summary judgment in federal district court for a natural gas provider dismissing plaintiff’s wrongful death action, which sought damages for the death of his father allegedly caused by a residential natural gas explosion, on the grounds plaintiff failed to show defendant breached a duty. Spurlock v. CenterPoint Energy, Case No. 3:12-cv-00515-WHB-RHW (S.D. Miss. 2013).
• Obtained a ruling for the Mississippi Secretary of State before a three judge federal panel dismissing plaintiffs’ request to set aside the 2011 state legislative election results in Mississippi and order new state legislative elections in 2013. Mississippi State Conference of N.A.A.C.P. v. Bryant, et al., Case No. 3:11-cv-TSL-EGJ-LG-MTP (S.D. Miss. 2012).  Later obtained a ruling by the United States Supreme Court affirming the three judge panel’s decision. Case No. 12-1019 (June 21, 2013).
• Obtained a ruling for the Mississippi Secretary of State before a three judge federal panel in favor of the Secretary’s position regarding legislative redistricting in Mississippi in which he successfully sought to prevent the federal court from redrawing Mississippi’s legislative districts. Mississippi State Conference of N.A.A.C.P. v. Barbour, et al., 2011 WL 1870222 (S.D. Miss. 2011). Later obtained a ruling by the United States Supreme Court affirming the three judge panel’s decision.  See 132 S. Ct. 542 (2011).
• Obtained a ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirming the district court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s claims against nursing home owners on the grounds plaintiff’s purported breach of contract claims were in fact medical malpractice claims and therefore required a 60-day notice of intent to sue. Rutherford v. Beverly Enterprises, et al., 289 Fed.Appx. 33 (5^th Cir. 2008).
• Obtained summary judgment in federal district court for nursing home owners ruling that its insurer had a duty to defend it in an underlying state court lawsuit. Lexington Ins. Co. v. Hattiesburg Medical Park Management Corp., et al., 2007 WL 2011288 (S.D. Miss. 2007).
• Obtained a dismissal with prejudice before trial of the claims of an Alabama welder against welding rod manufacturers in a case that was to be the second bellweather trial in the national welding fume litigation in the MDL court in Cleveland, Ohio.  Morgan v. Lincoln Elec. Co., et al., Case No. 1:04-cv-17251-KMO, Doc. No. 86 (N.D. Ohio March 9, 2006).
• Successfully defended welding rod manufacturers in the first welding fume exposure lawsuits tried in Arkansas and West Virginia. Calloway v. Lincoln Elec. Co., Case No. CV04-0473-6 (Cir. Ct. Union County, Ark. Sep. 2006) (defense verdict); Belcher v. Airco, Inc., Case No. 06-C-103N (Cir. Ct. Mason County, W. Va. Aug. 5, 2009) (defense verdict).
• Obtained summary judgment for Honeywell in a large industrial plant explosion case on the grounds Plaintiff had failed to present any evidence to support his claims. Stewart v. Reliance Elec. Co., et al., Case No: 05-0267-CI (Warren County Circuit Court, Mississippi Feb. 15, 2006).