JACKSON, Miss. - Watkins & Eager PLLC is pleased to announce that 41 attorneys from its Jackson, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama, offices have been recognized in 68 practice areas in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027. In addition, four Watkins & Eager attorneys have been named “Lawyer of the Year,” a distinction awarded to a single lawyer in a specific practice area and geographic region based on outstanding peer-review evaluations.
2027 “Lawyer of the Year” Honorees
The firm extends special congratulations to the following attorneys:
- Walter J. Brand – Labor Law – Management
- Spencer J. Flatgard – Administrative/Regulatory Law
- Michael O. Gwin – Litigation – Insurance
- William F. Ray – Litigation – ERISA
Jackson, Mississippi Attorneys Recognized
The following Jackson attorneys were recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®:
- Clifford B. Ammons – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Litigation–Health Care; Professional Malpractice Law–Defendants; Workers’ Compensation Law–Employers
- Clifford B. Ammons, Jr. – Workers’ Compensation Law–Employers
- David L. Ayers – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Joseph G. Baladi – Litigation–Construction; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Medical Malpractice Law–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Lewis W. Bell – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Walter J. Brand – Employment Law–Management; Labor Law–Management; Litigation–Labor and Employment
- James J. Crongeyer, Jr. – Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation–Construction; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Brad C. Davis – Public Finance Law
- George R. Fair – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Business Organizations; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Financial Services Regulation Law; Litigation–Banking and Finance; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Municipal Law; Utilities Law
- Spencer J. Flatgard – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Government Relations Practice
- Adam H. Gates – Employment Law–Management; Litigation–Labor and Employment
- J. Scott Gilbert – Criminal Defense: General Practice; Litigation–Health Care; Qui Tam Law
- Paul L. Gunn – Commercial Finance Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; Real Estate Law
- Michael O. Gwin – Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation–Environmental; Litigation–Insurance; Litigation–Real Estate; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law–Defendants
- C. Joyce Hall – Commercial Finance Law; Health Care Law; Public Finance Law
- Corey D. Hinshaw – Commercial Litigation; Family Law; Litigation–Insurance; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Jamie G. Houston III – Corporate Law; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates; Elder Law; Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Nonprofit and Charities Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Corporate Governance Law; Litigation–Trusts and Estates; Litigation and Controversy–Tax
- Robert B. Ireland III – Commercial Litigation; Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation–Construction; Litigation–Labor and Employment; Litigation–Land Use and Zoning; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Caroline K. Ivanov – Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Mark D. Jicka – Criminal Defense: General Practice; Litigation–Health Care; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants; Qui Tam Law
- Walter T. Johnson – Appellate Practice; Arbitration; Insurance Law; Mediation; Medical Malpractice Law–Defendants; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Mildred M. Morris – Litigation–Health Care; Medical Malpractice Law–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Jason L. Poulson – Commercial Finance Law; Economic Development Law; Project Finance Law; Real Estate Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Peyton Prospere – Public Finance Law
- William F. Ray – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation–Banking and Finance; Litigation–ERISA; Litigation–Regulatory Enforcement; Litigation–Securities; Litigation–Trusts and Estates
- Stephanie M. Rippee – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation–Trusts and Estates; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Privacy and Data Security Law; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Jennifer A. Rogers – Employment Law–Management; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Brian C. Smith – Commercial Litigation; Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law
- Kathy K. Smith – Commercial Litigation; Litigation–Environmental; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Plaintiffs; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Jim F. Spencer, Jr. – Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Commercial Transactions/UCC Law; Equipment Finance Law; Litigation–Bankruptcy; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
- Susan L. Steffey – Family Law; Family Law Mediation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Paul H. Stephenson III – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Energy Law; Legal Malpractice Law–Defendants; Litigation–Banking and Finance; Natural Resources Law; Oil and Gas Law
- James M. Tyrone – Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Qui Tam Law
- Jimmy B. Wilkins – Insurance Law; Litigation–Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- J. Collins Wohner, Jr. – Appellate Practice
Birmingham, Alabama Attorneys Recognized
- H. Lanier Brown II – Commercial Litigation; Employment Law–Management; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions–Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law–Defendants
- Aaron B. Thomas – Real Estate Law
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® 2027
The firm also congratulates the attorneys recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®, which honors lawyers who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence.
Jackson, Mississippi
- Katie B. Lyons – Health Care Law; Medical Malpractice Law–Defendants
- Briana A. O'Neil – Criminal Defense: General Practice; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
- Emily Barr Tate – Labor and Employment Law–Management
Birmingham, Alabama
- Emily Walters – Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants; Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
"We are proud of our attorneys whose dedication to clients and commitment to excellence have earned this recognition from their peers," said Managing Member Corey D. Hinshaw. "These honors reflect the depth of experience, talent, and professionalism that clients have come to expect from Watkins & Eager."
About Best Lawyers®
The Best Lawyers in America® is regarded as one of the legal profession’s most respected peer-review publications. Recognition is based entirely on evaluations from fellow attorneys and is designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers regarding the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographic and practice areas.