Michael D. Simmons

Blythe practices within Butler Snow’s Labor and Employment group. An experienced litigator, Blythe has successfully represented management’s interests in state and federal litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative agency proceedings on a wide variety of employment law matters. Blythe is also a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and is an experienced counselor in the data protection arena.

L. CARL HAGWOOD (Carl) was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1941. He received a B.A. from Millsaps College and his Juris Doctorate with distinction from the University of Mississippi in 1968. A member of Phi Alpha Delta and the Editorial Board of the Mississippi Law Journal, Mr. Hagwood served as a Law Clerk to Judge Claude F. Clayton, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and also as the Bond Attorney for the State of Mississippi. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in Ameri...

William F. Ray was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1986. His experience spans from commercial litigation, complex litigation and banking, securities and financial services to life, health and disability insurance and ERISA and employee benefit claims. His cases of note include Raines v. Bottrell Ins. Agency, Inc., 992 So.2d 642, 2008 WL 1869290, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 274; 27 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1350 (Miss. App. 2008); Estate of Bratton v. National Union Fire Ins. Co., 215 F.3d 516, 2000 U.S....

Neville Boschert is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on antitrust, business tort, trade secret, non-compete, insurance, and products liability disputes. Neville has more than 30 years of experience practicing law, including a two-year clerkship with US District Judge William C. Keady, Chief Judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. He has been active in the American Bar Association and the International Association of Defense Counsel, and h...

Gina Jacobs is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. She focuses on business planning and commercial transactions, commercial finance, and mergers and acquisitions. Over the course of a law career that spans more than 30 years, Gina has advised privately held businesses with their business planning, contracting, finance, and acquisition and divestiture needs. Her knowledge of contract and commercial law and finance makes her an asset to her clients as they grow and expand their businesse...

Michael Gwin was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1986. His experience ranges from commercial litigation, complex litigation and appellate advocacy to tort and general litigation, product liability and professional malpractice litigation. Michael is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed as one of The Best Lawyers in America since 2006.

Susan L. Steffey was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1987 and to the Mississippi Bar in 1991. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Before joining Watkins & Eager in 1991, Susan practiced in Tampa, Florida, with the law firm of Sessums & Mason (1987-1990), and served as law clerk to the Honorable Rhesa H. Barksdale, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1990-19...

Chris Pace is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He advises on project finance and economic development law, state and local government law, economic development incentives, and gaming law. Chris’ clients include county and municipal governmental bodies as well as new and expanding business concerns, examples of which include a large steel company investing more than $1 billion in a new facility, and a regional beverage supplier investing millions of dollars to expand its existi...

Jim Pettis is a member of the Firm’s Trust, Estates & Personal Planning Service Team. He concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, Elder Law, ERISA and employee benefits, state and federal taxation, business law including contracts, general corporate merger, reorganizations and acquisitions.

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...