Ira Rushing

As a member of the firm’s Products, Catastrophic and Industrial Litigation Group, Lem focuses on product liability law, energy law and energy litigation, personal injury defense, toxic torts, and governmental and municipal liability.

Mark Davis is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on real estate. Mark draws on his more than 35 years of experience to help clients coordinate real estate developments and orchestrate transactions, including acquisition, leasing, and financing matters, as well as zoning issues. His practice spans the development of shopping centers, office buildings, hotels, mixed-use facilities, hospital facilities, medical office buildings, and manufacturing facilities. He also represents...

Kathryn Hester is special counsel in the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses her practice on commercial disputes in state and federal courts and before Mississippi state agencies. Kathryn advises and represents clients in litigation, healthcare administrative proceedings, estate challenges, zoning, and gaming law. She has served as adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law, where she taught a course in pre-trial practice. She is also a regular lecturer and writer on gaming and...

Mike Hurst is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Mike, who practices law in Flowood, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mike is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Erin Saltaformaggio represents clients in a broad range of matters, including contract disputes, commercial litigation, insurance, and financial services litigation. She has handled a variety of matters in federal and state courts on behalf of her clients. Erin graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi College School of Law, where she served as editor-in-chief for the Mississippi College Law Review and was a member of the moot court board. Before law school, Erin graduated cum laude from Kan...

Michael Bentley is a partner in the Jackson, Mississippi office, where he concentrates his practice on appellate and commercial litigation. In addition to his responsibilities at the firm, Michael was elected Chair of the Mississippi Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section (2013-2014) and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit. Prior to joining the firm, Michael clerked for Judge Leslie H. Southwick at the Fifth Circuit Court...

Margaret Oertling Cupples writes briefs and motions, and manages other lawyers who write them, in civil appeals and commercial litigation. As litigators and their clients know, a vanishingly small percentage of cases actually get to trial; for the rest, a great brief is the way to win. As national legal writing counsel in major litigation for 3M Company, Margaret’s individual contributions and her strong collaboration with colleagues have brought significant value to 3M for two decades....

For over 30 years, Tim has represented businesses and management in employment litigation, restrictive covenant litigation and strategic counseling throughout the country. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys, and has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America and Mid-South Super Lawyers for many years.

“Orlando Richmond is highly recognized for his skills as a trial attorney.” (Chambers USA Editorial, 2025, where Rod is ranked for Nationwide Product Liability & Mass Torts and Litigation: General Commercial – Mississippi) “He’s just phenomenal in the courtroom.” “He connects well with juries.” (Chambers USA Editorial, 2023) “Richmond was described by one industry competitor as having ‘one of the best courtroom presences in the i...

Barry Cannada focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, complex business transactions and finance and restructuring. He has extensive experience in various transactional advisory services, capital formation, joint ventures, private placements, financings (including distressed financings). He formerly served as the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel overseeing all the administrative functions for a client earning approximately $3 billion in revenues and employing approxim...