Author Archives: Kimber Riley

Mallory Street Joins MDLA Board of Directors

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Wise Carter proudly recognizes Mallory Street for her selection and commitment to join the 2023 Board of Directors for the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association (MDLA).

Mallory Street, an Associate to Wise Carter’s Jackson Office, was inducted to the 2023 MDLA Board at the 2023 MDLA Annual Membership Meeting on January 27, 2023. Mallory’s litigation practice focuses on general insurance defense, including personal injury, premises liability, and medical malpractice defense.

Founded in 1965, the MDLA is comprised of over 400 members who practice primarily in the defense of civil litigation claims in Mississippi’s state and federal courts. The MDLA seeks to enhance the practice of its membership through Continuing Legal Education and skills training seminars, as well as through networking and service opportunities. Wise Carter is excited to see the impact Mallory will make as she serves on the MDLA Board of Directors.

Wise Carter Granted Summary Judgment in Challenging Medical Malpractice Case

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Wise Carter attorneys continue to deliver successful results for medical provider clients who find themselves in litigation.  The team of Ashley Gunn and Mark Hodges recently teamed up in the defense of a challenging medical malpractice case that arose from treatment at a Mississippi gulf coast hospital. 

In an opinion and order released by Judge Lisa Dodson on January 5th, the court granted summary judgment for the three firm clients who were sued for care provided in the hospital’s  emergency department. The case, which involved permanent neurological injuries and several hundred thousand dollars in medical expenses and future care costs, was set to be tried on January 23rd in Harrison County Circuit Court. Although the Plaintiffs designated multiple expert witnesses, Judge Dodson agreed with the defendants that the designations were inadequate to avoid summary judgment. Ashley argued the motions at a hearing on December 9. 

Wise Carter is pleased to recognize Ashley Gunn and Mark Hodges for this excellent outcome in favor of Wise Carter clients.

Amtrak Returns to Mississippi Gulf Coast

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As a Mississippi-proud firm, Wise Carter celebrates the economic wins for the state of Mississippi, including the 2022 announcement of Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, returning to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Amtrak stopped running along the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since Katrina, the Mississippi Gulf Coast region has worked hard to build back the local cities to create attractive tourist locations. The proposed route is two daily trains running with stops to Bay St. Louis, Pascagoula, Gulfport, and Biloxi. Service expects to begin in the early part of 2023.

Wise Carter’s second largest office is in Gulfport, overlooking the Port of Gulfport and Gulfport Station. Wise Carter has been providing top legal services to Amtrak for half a century, and they are excited to see the impact of how their clients can improve the state.

Wise Carter Supporting Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth, Inc.

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Wise Carter and their employees have always been committed to fulfilling the needs of the community and the state of Mississippi. Wise Carter has been a proud supporter of Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth, Inc through the years and continued their efforts through the 2022 holiday season.

Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth, Inc. is a local Mississippi non-profit organization focused on the needs of Mississippi’s youth through foster care, group homes, and adoption services. Wise Carter worked to fulfill some of the needs of their programs in an effort to give back to the state.

Wise Carter is proud of the positive impact made with P.A.L.S. (Preparing Adolescents to live Successfully) Transitional Living Program and the Therapeutic Foster Care program for Southern Christian Services. Wise Carter employees were able to fill the P.A.L.S. Food Pantry just in time for Thanksgiving and fill 15 Christmas Stockings for foster children across the state of Mississippi, as well as contributing monetary donations.

Wise Carter enjoyed being able to support such a wonderful organization. Working on the Southern Christian Services project was a true testament of when we all work together, we can always achieve more.

2022 AMERICA’S TOP 100 HIGH STAKES LITIGATORS®

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December 29, 2022 – Announcing the selection of Charles E. Ross among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® for 2022. Selection to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys in high value, high stakes legal matters. 

To be considered for selection, an attorney must have litigated (for either plaintiff or defendant) a matter (1) with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or (2) with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake. These minimum qualifications are required for initial consideration.  Thereafter, candidates are carefully screened through comprehensive Qualitative Comparative Analysis based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, litigation experience, significant case results, representative high stakes matters, peer reputation, and community impact in order to rank the candidates throughout the state. 

Only the top 100 qualifying attorneys in each state will receive this honor and be selected for membership among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®.  With these extremely high standards for selection to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor — truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community.

Wise Carter is a Mississippi leading law firm with a legacy of providing legal expertise for over a century.  Wise Carter has offices located in Jackson, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport, Mississippi. For more information on the firm, please visit www.wisecarter.com.

SUPER LAWYERS 2022

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Wise Carter is pleased to announce the Wise Carter attorneys selected for The Super Lawyer 2022. Only five percent of attorneys from each state are chosen in the selection of The Super Lawyers list. The Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. Wise Carter is honored to have two of our attorneys recognized on the Rising Stars list as well as five listed on the Super Lawyers list. We are proud of the reputation our attorneys uphold in our state. Congratulations to the attorneys listed below. 

Jackson, Mississippi

  • Charles Cowan
    • Mid-South Rising Star – Business Litigation
  • Gaye Nell Currie
    • Mid-South Super Lawyers – PI Med Mal: Defense
  • Eugene Naylor
    • Mid-South Super Lawyers – PI Med Mal: Defense
  • James Robertson
    • Mid-South Super Lawyers -Business Litigation
  • Michael Wallace
    • Mid-South Super Lawyers – Appellate

Gulfport, Mississippi

  • Ashley Gunn
    • Mid-South Rising Star – Civil Litigation: Defense
  • Henry Laird
    • Mid-South Super Lawyers – Business Litigation

Wise Carter Sponsors HBCU Law Preview Day

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Wise Carter proudly supports The University of Mississippi School of Law’s HBCU Law Preview Day. Suzette Turner represented Wise Carter on the discussion panel at this event and attended alongside our Diversity Committee Chair, Virginia Gautier. 

Being a recent University of Mississippi Law Student and having attend a HBCU, Suzette Turner was a well-suited representative on the panel discussion. The panel offered candid conversations about varied experiences in dealing with racism, classism, and sexism throughout their legal education and careers. They were able to share strategies and methods with students on how to overcome and navigate those occurrences to find pathways to success. As well as reaffirm many of the old stigmas in practicing law are fading. 

Unaware of the HBCU Law Preview Day during her time of education, Suzette shared of the volumes it spoke of the active steps Ole Miss Law continues to take towards increasing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Suzette felt the value of Wise Carter’s presence and stated, “Simply meeting lawyers that looks like them and it is equally as important meeting lawyers that don’t look like them that are willing to show up and support creates impact.”

Wise Carter’s Diversity Committee is committed to growing the firm with diversified talent to provide a more dynamic perspective. These events are crucial in gaining diversity on all fronts in the legal field and provides underrepresented students the simple tools that allow them to be successful in their endeavors.

Wise Carter Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2023

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Wise Carter Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2021

Wise Carter is pleased to announce the attorneys selected for The Best Lawyers in America® (2023 Edition).  Wise Carter celebrates the success of 27 of our attorneys have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®. We are Congratulations the attorneys listed below for their accomplishment. 

Two attorneys were recognized as “Ones to Watch” for 2023. Congratulations to Charles Cowan and Mallory Street.

  • Jackson, MS
    • Mark P. Caraway
      • Litigation – Health Care
      • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
      • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
    • Betty Toon Collins
      • Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
      • Corporate Compliance Law
      • Corporate Governance Law
      • Corporate Law
      • Health Care Law
    • Gaye Nell Currie
      • Litigation – Health Care
      • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
    • Virginia S. Gautier
      • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
    • Jennifer Scott
      • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
    • D. Collier Graham, Jr.
      • Corporate Law
      • Health Care Law
      • Litigation – Health Care
    • R. Mark Hodges
      • Health Care Law
      • Litigation – Health Care
      • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
    • Elizabeth G. Hooper
      • Commercial Transactions/ UCC Law
      • Health Care Law
    • Kimberly N. Howland
      • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
    • Crane D. Kipp
      • Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
      • Health Care Law
      • Land Use and Zoning Law
      • Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
      • Real Estate Law
    • William H. Leech, Sr.
      • Banking and Finance Law
      • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
      • Financial Services Regulation Law
      • Litigation – Bankruptcy
      • Litigation – Real Estate
    • Douglas E. Levanway
      • Energy Law
      • Energy Regulatory Law
      • Litigation – Labor and Employment
      • Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
    • Eugene R. Naylor
      • Health Care Law
      • Insurance Law
      • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
      • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
    • W. McDonald Nichols
      • Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
      • Litigation – Trusts and Estates
      • Real Estate Law
      • Trusts and Estates
    • George H. Ritter
      • Health Care Law
      • Litigation – Health Care
      • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
      • Railroad Law
    • James L. Robertson
      • Admiralty and Maritime Law
      • Appellate Practice
      • Civil Rights Law
      • Commercial Litigation
      • Environmental Law
      • Insurance Law
      • Litigation – Antitrust
      • Litigation – Environmental
      • Litigation – First Amendment
      • Litigation – Intellectual Property
    • Charles E. Ross
      • Insurance Law
      • Railroad Law
    • John P. Sneed
      • Appellate Practice
      • Commercial Litigation
      • Corporate Law
      • Litigation – First Amendment
      • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
    • Andrew D. Sweat
      • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
    • Barbara Childs Wallace
      • Employment Law – Management
      • Litigation – Labor and Employment
    • Michael B. Wallace
      • Appellate Practice
      • Bet-the-Company Litigation
      • Commercial Litigation
      • Government Relations Practice
  • Hattiesburg, MS
    • Joe D. Stevens
      • Banking and Finance Law
  • Gulfport, MS
    • Lynda C. Carter
      • Litigation – Health Care
      • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
      • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
    • David C. Goff
      • Litigation – Labor and Employment
      • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
    • Frederick T. Hoff, Jr.
      • Litigation and Controversy – Tax
      • Real Estate Law
      • Tax Law
    • Henry F. Laird, Jr.
      • Commercial Litigation
      • Litigation – First Amendment
    • James C. Simpson, Jr.
      • Commercial Litigation
      • Corporate Law
      • Government Relations Practice

“Ones to Watch”: Awards

  • Jackson, MS
    • Charles E. Cowan – Appellate Practice
    • Mallory M. Street – Insurance Law

“Ritter, Cowan, and Sneed Obtain Successful Supreme Court Ruling for Mississippi’s Community Mental Health Centers”

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Wise Carter’s George Ritter, Charles Cowan, and John Sneed found victory for Mississippi’s fourteen regional community mental health centers in an appeal before the Mississippi Supreme Court.  In the decision United Healthcare of Mississippi, Inc. v. Mississippi’s Community Mental Health Commissions, handed down on March 24, 2022, the Supreme Court considered whether one of Mississippi’s Medicaid managed care contractors could impose an across the board 5 percent rate cut on reimbursement of care the community mental health centers provide to Mississippi’s Medicaid beneficiaries.

United Healthcare, one of the managed care companies that contracts with the State of Mississippi to provide managed care Medicaid services, applied what it claimed was a mandatory 5 percent reduction in Medicaid payments for services provided by the community mental health centers. The centers successfully obtained an injunction in the Hinds County Circuit Court barring United’s 5 percent rate cut. United appealed the decision to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which affirmed the trial court’s decision in favor of Wise Carter’s clients.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court held found that United breached its provider agreements and violated state statutes by unlawfully imposing the 5% rate cut and ordered it to eliminate the reduction moving forward. This is a significant victory for Mississippi healthcare providers challenging insurance company and managed care payor decisions.

Wise Carter attorneys commit to doing what is right for their clients. We have a skilled healthcare legal team that understands your practice and how the laws affect your work. Our goal is to serve as an extension of your team while providing the highest quality legal advice regardless of your practice area.

For more information on the firm, please visit www.wisecarter.com.

Wise Carter Attorney Presents 2022 ABA Workers’ Compensation Rising Star Award

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March 4, 2022, Wise Carter attorney, Virginia “Gingi” Gautier presented the American Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Rising Star Award at New Orleans Conference. 

As a member of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee, Gingi Gautier served on the selection committee for the 2022 ABA Workers’ Compensation Rising Star Award.  The ABA’s Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee Mid-Winter Conference was held in New Orleans where Gingi had the pleasure of presenting the award to the 2022 ABA Workers’ Compensation Rising Star, Hunter Horne.

Following the conference, Gingi represented Wise Carter as a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at its annual meeting and induction dinner. Gingi has the honor of being one of only 13 Mississippi lawyers, along with colleague Andy Sweat, selected as a Fellow by the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. The College honors attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the field of workers’ compensation and exhibited the highest level of professional qualifications, character, integrity, professional expertise, and leadership.