Best Lawyers Near You in Madison, Mississippi for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Consistently recognized by Best Lawyers in America® and Mid-South Super Lawyers® in the areas of Product Liability and Commercial Litigation, Mike is also among an elite group of lawyers recognized by Who’s Who Legal: Product Liability Defense as the best in the United States. Mike is AV®-Preeminent™ Peer Review rated by Martindale-Hubbell® , is a member of the Product Liability Advisory Council and International Association of Defense Counsel and serves on the Ste...
Jimmy B. Wilkins is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Jimmy B., who practices law in Jackson, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2011. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jimmy B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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....
Nicholas C. Giallourakis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Nicholas C., who practices law in Jackson, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicholas C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal p...
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...
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...
Thomas M. Louis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Thomas M., who practices law in Ridgeland, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Caroline K. Ivanov is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Caroline K., who practices law in Jackson, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Caroline K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Meade concentrates his practice on product liability, pharmaceutical, toxic tort, and transportation litigation. He is AV®-Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® , and recognized in Best Lawyers in America® and Who’s Who Legal in Product Liability and Super Lawyers® in Class Action/Mass Tort. Meade represents clients in litigation throughout the United States. He is the Immediate Past President of the Mississippi Bar Association, the Chair-Elect of th...
Jennifer is a partner in Balch’s Jackson office and holds licenses in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. She is an experienced litigation attorney who practices primary in the areas of product liability, toxic and environmental torts, wrongful death, and negligence cases. For more than 18 years Jennifer has defended a myriad of product manufacturers and possesses specialized knowledge in silica litigation defense. Jennifer has defended thousands of silica claims across the Southeast for l...
David Ayers was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1983 and is admitted to all state and federal courts in Mississippi and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also has handled cases in a number of other states under pro hac vice privileges. David's experience includes commercial litigation, premises litigation and general personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on automotive, heavy equipment, industrial equipment and recreational product litigation. His cases of ...
"He is an effective negotiator and effectively uses relationships to obtain optimal results for clients. He has early recognition of cases for trial settings and/or settlement, sees the big picture and creates strategies for the future to protect the client." -Patricia Bligh, Chubb & Son, Inc.
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;...
Benjamin Bryant is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Benjamin, 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 Benjamin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joseph G. Baladi was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2000 and the Mississippi Bar in 2001. Since joining Watkins & Eager, Joe's experience has included numerous pharmaceutical litigations, medical malpractice bench and jury trials, and product liability trials. Joe's involved in several professional organizations and serves as co-chair of Watkins & Eager's Mass Tort and Repetitive Exposure practice group. Joe regularly speaks and presents on the subjects of science at trial, Daubert i...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.