JACKSON, Miss. - July 2026
Watkins & Eager is pleased to announce that Jimmy B. Wilkins has been elected to serve as a Trustee of the Mississippi Bar Foundation representing the Central District for the 2026-2027 term. The election took place during the Annual Meeting of The Mississippi Bar Foundation held this week in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Mississippi Bar Foundation is the charitable and educational arm of The Mississippi Bar. Since its establishment in 1963, the Foundation has supported legal education, access-to-justice initiatives, law-related public service programs, scholarships, and other projects that strengthen Mississippi's legal profession and promote public understanding of the law.
Jimmy is a member of Watkins & Eager's litigation practice and is widely recognized as one of Mississippi's leading civil defense trial lawyers. Admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1997, he focuses his practice on the defense of catastrophic personal injury, premises liability, product liability, and complex tort litigation matters. His clients include premises owners, product manufacturers, energy companies, contractors, and national retailers. Throughout his career, he has tried approximately twenty-five significant cases to verdict.
Before joining Watkins & Eager, Jimmy served as a law clerk to the Honorable William H. Barbour, Jr., United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. He has built a distinguished reputation in the legal profession through both his trial work and his leadership in numerous professional organizations.
Jimmy currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and is a past president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He also serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Mississippi Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules and is a frequent national speaker on the use of artificial intelligence and technology in litigation practice.
His professional accomplishments have earned numerous recognitions, including an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell and repeated selection to The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Insurance Law, Litigation–Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants.
"We congratulate Jimmy on this well-deserved honor," said C. Joyce Hall, Chair of the firm's Executive Committee. "His election to the Mississippi Bar Foundation Board of Trustees reflects the respect he has earned throughout the profession and his longstanding commitment to advancing the legal community in Mississippi."
As a Trustee, Wilkins will help guide the Foundation's efforts to support programs that enhance the administration of justice, promote legal education, and benefit communities throughout Mississippi.