Thomas P. "Toby" Welch Jr.

Mark D. Jicka was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1991. He is currently on the Steering Committee for DRI's Products Liability Committee and serves as the Expert Witness Chair for that Committee. His practice focuses on defending manufacturers at trial and on appeal. He has handled cases for clients in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kentucky. His cases of note include Bailey v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 261 Fed. Appx. 713, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 1006, January 17, 2008;...

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...

Ann Corso Taylor is a partner in the firm. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, she handles matters encompassing every aspect of real estate law. Ann advises clients on matters involving acquisitions, sales, leasing, and financing. In recent years, she has been heavily involved in negotiating leases with national and local tenants for the developer of a new shopping center development. She also has been involved in the purchasing and selling of numerous apartment complexes across the ...

Mary Clift Abdalla is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants and Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Mary Clift, who practices law in Jackson, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mary Clift is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

James M. Tyrone is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Qui Tam Law. James M., who practices law in Jackson, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Bailey R. Fair was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2012. His practice is focused on commercial lending and finance, government relations, public utilities, and real estate. While in law school, Bailey served as Vice-Chairman of the Moot Court Board and was selected to the Order of Barristers. He has earned the ANSI-accredited Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) credential through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Sarah Beth Wilson represents financial institutions and other corporate entities in business-bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings as well. Her practice also includes representing clients in litigation involving defense against lender liability claims, property rights and interests, title and contractual disputes, and in connection with loan modifications, commercial foreclosure and property and equipment sales, and other creditors’ rights enforcement and collection matters. Sarah ...

Chris defends pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in “bet the company” mass tort litigations. With extensive experience in managing large-scale litigation, Chris brings to the table an eye for streamlining workflows, improving efficiencies, and implementing cost-reduction measures. His work with discovery teams and vendors, in particular, has been recognized by clients and colleagues alike, making him a trusted advisor and leader in the legal community. The Legal 500 U...

Jet has served as investor counsel, counsel to community development entities, leverage lender counsel, and QALICB or Developer counsel in over $800 million in Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits and Renewable Energy Tax Credit transactions, including numerous twinned tax credit transactions combining a variety of leverage sources. In addition, Jet has recently focused a large amount of his practice on advising developer and investor clients on Opportunity Zone transactions both est...

Barber focuses his practice on commercial litigation issues including intellectual property, trade secrets, false advertising, breach of contract, and cybersecurity issues, as well as a variety of other types of commercial and environmental litigation. Barber has experience defending third party administrators in bad faith litigation. Barber’s practice includes matters with complex e-discovery issues, including handling issues relating to identification, preservation and collection of e...