Hometown: Meridian, Mississippi
Undergraduate: Millsaps College, B.S. in Math. Graduated 1995 Cum Laude.
Law School: Mississippi College School of Law. Graduated 1998 Magna Cum Laude. Member of the Law Review and recipient of the Frank Ming Deramus scholarship.
Legal Experience: Admitted to Practice in all Mississippi State and Federal Courts and in the Supreme Court of Mississippi as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Has appeared before all 8 current Judges in the Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission. Successfully represented countless number of injured clients in settlements, trials, and on appeals to the Workers’ Compensation Full Commission and to the Court of Appeals of Mississippi. Served as Municipal Judge for Bentonia, MS since 2010.
Professional Activities/Awards: American Association for Justice (AAJ), Mississippi Association for Justice (MAJ, Lifetime Member), Recipient of the 2012 Stone Pony Award by the Mississippi Association for Justice, Mississippi Bar, Capital Area Bar Association. Served in many capacities for the Mississippi Association for Justice, the largest trial lawyer organization in Mississippi, including as President of the organization 2013-2014. Recipient of the 2015 Law Related Public Education Award by the Mississippi Bar Foundation. Inducted into the Mississippi College School of Law Chapter of The Order of Barristers. Selected as a finalist for Best Local Lawyer and Best Plaintiff’s Attorney by Jackson Free Press – Best of Jackson in 2017.
Community: Coached Clinton High School Mock Trial team 5 years and Madison Central High School Mock trial team from 2004-present and has led several teams to advance from the regional competition to the State Championship. Most recently in 2014 he led his team to be the champions of the 2014 Magnolia Bar Mock Trial Competition and to the State championship round for the Mississippi Bar High School Mock Trial Competition. He has also coached the Mississippi College School of Law – American Association for Justice trial competition team since 2008.
Articles/Lectures:
Guest Speaker for the National Business Institute on Medicare Set-Asides in Workers Compensation, Legalized Marijuana and Workers Compensation, Troubleshooting Employment Law and Workers Compensation Interactions, and Strategies for Successful Settlement Negotiations July 2017Lectured at MAJ: Tips and Tricks on the Client Intake Process June 2017Lectured at Mississippi Bar Convention on 2012 Legislative Changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act July 2012CLE for Mississippi Association for Justice on 2012 Legislative Changes to the Workers Compensation Act May 2012Guest Speaker for National Business Institute on Practical Approaches to Settlement in Workers Compensation Cases February 2012Lectured at NBI Seminar on Vocational Assessment July 2011Lectured at NBI on Avoiding Ethical Obstacles in a Workers Compensation Case July 2010Lectured at a CLE for the Mississippi Association of Justice on “Mississippi Workers’ Compensation: Start to Finish” February 2010Testified in front of the Mississippi House of Representatives: House Insurance Committee on legislative reforms needs in the Mississippi Workers Compensation Act August 2009Spoke at Mississippi Bar Convention “Mississippi Workers’ Compensation, 2008-2009 Case Law and Hot Topics Overview” July 2009Published in Voir Dire magazine (Summer 2009) – “Medical Malpractice: Crisis for Plaintiffs – Leveling the Playing Field” June 2009Appeared as a repeat Guest Speaker on live television Law Call to discuss “Injuries on the Job” May 2009Spoke at MAJ: Day in Trial “Effective Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses” January 2008
