Fred L. Banks Jr.

Fred L. Banks Jr.


Phelps Dunbar LLP

Recognized since 2005

Jackson, Mississippi

Practice Areas

Appellate Practice

Arbitration

Commercial Litigation

Mediation

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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Arbitration Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2020 - Arbitration Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Arbitration Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2016 - Mediation
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Fred Banks, a former Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, trial judge and legislator, practices in the areas of appellate litigation, commercial litigation, and alternate dispute resolution in the state and federal courts of Mississippi. He has represented corporate clients in a wide variety of matters including consumer lending, trade secret infringement, property taxation, first amendment issues and contract disputes.

After serving on the state supreme court for eleven years and before that, six years as a circuit court judge, Mr. Banks joined Phelps as a partner in November 2001. Prior to his judicial career, beginning in 1968, Mr. Banks was in private practice. He concentrated on civil rights litigation, criminal capital defense, and representing a variety of non-profit agencies providing services to the poor. In 1975, he was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives where he served until he assumed the bench in 1984. In the Mississippi House, Mr. Banks served as chair of the House Ethics Committee, chair of a House Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus. He was also appointed by the governor to serve on the Mississippi Board of Bar Admissions and by numerous appointing authorities to serve on a variety of commissions at the state and federal level.

Location
  • 4270 I-55 North
    Jackson, MS 39211-6391
Education
  • Howard University, J.D., graduated 1968
  • Howard University, BA, graduated 1965
Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia, District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Mississippi, Mississippi Bar Association
Affiliations
  • American Bar Association - Member
  • American Law Institute - Member
  • Charles Clark Inn of Court - Member
  • District of Columbia Bar Association - Member
  • Magnolia Bar Association - Member
  • Mississippi Bar Association - Member
  • National Bar Association - Member

Phelps Dunbar LLP
Headquarters: New Orleans, Louisiana

162 The Best Lawyers in America® awards

41 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards

Best Law Firms Badge Visit Website View Firm Profile

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Arbitration Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2020 - Arbitration Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Arbitration Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2016 - Mediation
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Arbitration, Jackson, MS (2023)
  • Arbitration, Jackson, MS (2020)
  • Arbitration, Jackson, MS (2017)
  • Mediation, Jackson, MS (2016)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for work in:
  • Appellate Practice
  • Arbitration
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Mediation
Special Focus:
  • Appellate
  • Arbitration
  • Mediation
Awards:
  • 2013 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award from the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Mississippi Business Journal - Lawyer of the Year, 2010
  • Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
  • The Best Lawyers in America
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation

Publications

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