William F. "Bill" Blair

Philip Gunn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Government Relations Practice. Philip, who practices law in Jackson, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Philip is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew I. Hetzel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Matthew I., who practices law in Ridgeland, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew I. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sue Hicks Fairbank is a member of our Public Finance, Tax Incentives & Credit Markets Practice Group. She focuses her practice on Public Finance and Government Relations.

Sai has extensive experience counseling businesses dealing with a wide variety of antitrust issues, from pricing and distribution issues to issues relating to collaborations, joint ventures and acquisitions. He also represents buyers and sellers in business transfers, management buy-out transactions, and business reorganizations. Sai has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Mid-South Super Lawyers for his corporate law work.

Alyson serves as Practice Group Leader for our Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Group. Frequently called upon to assemble teams and manage both coordinated proceedings and individual plaintiff cases, she represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in product liability litigation across the country. “Alyson is a phenomenal case manager and a strong litigator.” Chambers USA, which ranked Alyson for nationwide Product Liability & Mass Torts (2025). The Leg...

Over 43 years’ experience representing banks and financial institutions in a wide variety of business and regulatory matters including compliance, regulatory enforcement actions, bank products and services, bank formation, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial and real estate finance transactions.

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 ...

Walter J. Brand heads the Employment and Labor Practice Group at Watkins & Eager PLLC, where he has defended employment litigation for more than twenty years. Walter approaches his practice with the view that successful defense of employment claims begins long before a lawsuit is filed and requires three essential components: (1) fair, accurate and documented handling of personnel actions based on updated employer policies; (2) cogent explanation of employer action before administrative a...

Eddy Edwards has practiced in the area of business law for more than 30 years, with concentrations in taxation, finance and real estate. His practice in the field of taxation includes wills, trusts and estate planning as well as tax controversies and tax-exempt organizations, while his business practice includes commercial financing and real estate transactions. Mr. Edwards advises individuals and families in estate planning, including wills, trusts, family businesses and gifts, focusing on t...

Mark focuses his practice on complex and mass tort litigation, with an emphasis on defending pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in federal and state courts across the country. He also has experience in a range of chemical exposure, product liability and commercial cases, and he is experienced in defending consumer protection cases brought by the Mississippi Attorney General against product manufacturers. He has been recognized by BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America® and ...