Distinctions
· AV-rated, Martindale-Hubbell
· Elected Member, American Law Institute
· Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
· Mid-South Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation, Top 50 Attorneys
· Special Assistant Attorney General, 1988-99
· Municipal Prosecutor, Bolton, Miss., 1990-94
· Municipal Public Defender, 1998-2010
· Municipal Judge, Edwards, Miss., 1994-96
· City Attorney, Town of Edwards, Miss., 1996-2010
· Instructor, Jackson State University, 1988
· Co-Founder, Diversity Law Institute of LCA, 2009
· Distinguished Service Award, Tougaloo College Pre-Law Society, 2008
· R. Jess Brown Memorial Distinguished Community Service Award, 2006
· Board Member, Jackson Downtown Business Improvement District, 2002-04
· Co-Founder and Former Co-Chairman, Law Student Diversity Interaction Program, Mississippi Bar Association, 1990
Associations
· International Association of Defense Counsel
· American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
-- Minority Trial Lawyer Committee
-- Co-Chair, Pro-Bono Subcommittee of the Corporate Counsel Committee
-- Corporate Counsel Committee
· National Bar Association
- Commercial Law Section
-- Member
· Defense Research Institute
- Member, Trial Tactics Committee
- Member, Commercial Litigation Committee
- Member, Newsletter Committee
· Mississippi Bar Association
- Litigation Section
-- Member
- Gaming Law Section
-- Chairman, 1999
· Charles Clark American Inn of Court
· Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
· Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
· Magnolia Bar Association
· Capital Area Bar Association
· Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
· Community Foundation of Greater Jackson
- Legacy Society Member
Legal Experience
· In the matter of Conservatorship of Davis v. Longo, 954 So.2d 521 (Miss. App. 2007).
· Rankin v. American General Finance, 912 So.2d 725 (Miss. 2005).
· Queen v. American General Finance, 351 F.Supp.2d 576 (S.D. Miss. 2005).
· MS Life Insurance Company v. Baker, 905 So.2d 1179 (Miss. 2005).
· Owens v. First Family Financial Services, 379 F.Supp.2d 840 (S.D. Miss. 2005).
· Rainwater v. Lamar Life Insurance Company, 391 F.3d 636 (5th Cir. 2004).
· Union National Life Insurance Company v. Crosby, 870 So.2d 1175 (Miss. 2004).
· Bishop v. First Mississippi Financial Group, Inc., 221 F.R.D. 461 (2004).
· Hare v. City Finance Company, 269 F. Supp.2d 766 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
· Moore v. Mississippi Valley Gas, 863 So.2d 43 (Miss. 2003).
· Smith v. Union National, 286 F.Supp.2d 782 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
· White v. City Finance Company, 277 F.Supp.2d 646 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
· Beasley v. Personal Finance Corporation, 279 B.R.523, 48 Collier Bankr. Cas.2d. 1582 (S.D. Miss. 2002).
· American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida v. Wells, 819 So.2d 1196 (Miss. 2001).
· Ross v. CitiFinancial, 203 F.R.D.239 (2001).
· Daniette Jones v. Regency Toyota, Inc., 798 So.2d 474 (Miss. 2001).
· Lady v. Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company, 241 F.Supp.2d 655 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
· Ellis v. Anderson Tully Company, 727 So.2d 716 (Miss. 1998).
· In the matter of Treasure Bay Corporation, 212 B.R.520 (1997).
· Garrett v. Bohannon, 621 So.2d 935 (Miss. 1993).
Papers, Presentations & Publications
· "Ethics for Lawyers: Blogs and Tweets That Can Torpedo Your Career," 2012 CLE Expo, Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), Chicago, 2012.
· "Strategies for Using Social Media in the Fight Against Fraudulent Insurance Claims," Inside the Minds - Defending Against Insurance Fraud Claims, Thomson Reuters/Aspatore 2011.
· "Current Trends in Insurance Opt Out Litigation In Mississippi," Conference on Insurance and Financial Services, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), Chicago, 2010.
· "Defending Bad Faith Claims," Insurance Claims and Coverage Institute, Defense Research Institute (DRI), Chicago, 2010.
· "Minority Law Firms: State of Emergency," Diversity Summit, Litigation Counsel of America, Atlanta, 2009.
· "Effective Use of Focus Groups, Mock Trials and Internet Sampling," Fall Conference, Litigation Counsel of America, Charleston, 2009.
· "Can You Win Without That Special Closing Argument?" Spring Conference, Litigation Counsel of America, Santa Fe, 2009.
· "Vying For A Piece of the Pie-Minority Owned Law Firms Partnering With Majority-Owned Law Firms," Diversity for Success Seminar, Defense Research Institute (DRI), Chicago, 2009.
· "Best Practices For Retaining Healthcare Clients: A Corporate Counsel Perspective," Healthcare Law Symposium, Annual Convention, National Bar Association, Houston, 2008.
· "Voir Dire In State Court Criminal Cases," Fall CLE Conference, Magnolia Bar Association, Jackson, 2008.
· "Electronic Discovery: Legal Issues and Practical Challenges," Corporate Counsel Conference, National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section, Miami, 2007.
· Co-Author, "Privilege Under The New Rules: New Mines in The Litigation Minefield", Commercial Law Connection, National Bar Association, 2007.
· "Handling Insurance Claim Conflicts," National Business Institute, Insurance Law from A-Z, Jackson, 2007.
· "A Defense Perspective on Insurance Litigation Trends In Mississippi and Trial of An Individual Fraud and Contract Claim (Defense Witnesses)," Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), Washington, D.C., 2003.
· "Internet Gaming: Entertainment or a License To Steal?" American Trial Lawyers Association Convention, Atlanta, 2002.
· "Internet and Electronic Gaming," American Trial Lawyers Association Convention, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2001.
· "Trial of the Individual Insurance/Market Conduct Case," Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation II, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), San Francisco, 2000.
· "Trial of the Individual Insurance/Market Conduct Case," Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation I, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), New York, 2000.