Morris

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 US recognized him as a key lawyer for Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices in 2024 and stated that he “is excellent at managing large-scale cases, where he has developed a particularly strong reputation for realizing efficiencies, including at the discovery phase.”

• Drug & Device Litigation
• Products, Catastrophic & Industrial Litigation

Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

Chris served in leadership roles over written discovery teams in two of the largest mass torts in U.S. history. In that role, he was responsible for all defensive written discovery on behalf of manufacturers, as well as all affirmative discovery directed at plaintiffs. He exercised tactful leadership meeting and conferring with plaintiff’s counsel to navigate discovery disputes and handling reporting to the Court/Special Master.

He also served as the coordinating attorney for international mass tort litigations including actions pending in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands. As the coordinating attorney, he liaised with local counsel to facilitate the vigorous defense of lawsuits. He has also served as local counsel in consumer protections lawsuits brought by the Mississippi Attorney General involving the sale, marketing and promotion of medical devices and pharmaceutical products. As local counsel, Chris coordinated with national counsel on strategy and case management, and he has prepared and defended multiple depositions of company witnesses. Chris is also Co-National Counsel on the ParaGard MDL which includes management of the 2000+ pending cases.

Chris has first and second chair jury trial experience in federal and state courts, and he has served on trial preparation and trial support teams in mass tort trials. In that role, he has supported trials in courts throughout the country including the trial of the California Attorney General’s consumer protection lawsuit involving nine medical devices. He also supported the trial team in Cavness v. Kowalczyk et al., Case No. DC-14-04220, District Court for the 95th Judicial District, Dallas County Texas, a pelvic mesh product liability action that resulted in a defense verdict and was one of Law360’s 2015 Product Liability Trials to Watch. The verdict was named as one of CVN’s Top 10 Defense Verdicts of 2015.

In addition to being recognized by The Legal 500 US, Chris is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and has been recognized as a "Mid-South Rising Star" by Super Lawyers. He is active in a number of professional organizations, including Defense Research Institute (2021 Programming Chair and 2020 Publications Chair for the Complex Medicine/Experts Specialized Litigation Group (SLG) of the DRI Drug and Medical Device Committee), International Association of Defense Counsel (2021-present Vice-Chair of Communications, Drug, Device, & Biotechnology Committee), among others. He frequently speaks and writes on product liability litigation topics. As an example, he spoke on privilege and liability associated with E-Discovery at the 2021 American Bar Association Current Issues in Pharmaceutical Medical Device, and Biotech Litigation Virtual Regional CLE. He also co-authored a chapter on Louisiana local class action requirements for the second and third editions of the American Bar Association’s A Practitioner’s Guide to Class Actions.

• Flechas v. Pitts, 138 So. 3d 907 (Miss. 2014) (granting appeal for extraordinary relief and reversing trial court order to produce privileged attorney work product).
• Allstate Property & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Pickett, 2014 WL 202758 (S.D. Miss. January 17, 2014) (granting summary judgment and holding that homeowner's insurance policy excluded intentional acts).
• Great S. Realty Co., Inc. v. Allstate Indem. Co., 2013 WL 3006412 (S.D. Miss. June 14, 2013) (granting summary judgment in declaratory judgment lawsuit concerning destruction of house due to arson).
• In re Gatlin, 2013 WL 2250304 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. May 22, 2013) (granting summary judgment in a bankruptcy adversary proceeding and holding that a sanction award entered against an attorney for forum manipulation was a non-dischargeable debt).
• Allstate Property & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Pickett, 2013 WL 887347 (S.D. Miss. March 8, 2013) (denying defendant’s motion to dismiss in a declaratory judgment action brought by insurer).
• Wansley v. Brent, 80 So. 3d 125 (Miss. Ct. App. 2011) (reversing trial court for failing to properly instruct jury on comparative fault).
• Stamps v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 2011 WL 1743107 (S.D. Miss. May 5, 2011) (granting summary judgment in lawsuit for breach of contract and punitive damages).
• Stallings, et al. v. Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, et al. – Medical malpractice action. Tried in Gulfport, Mississippi; resulted in defense verdict (2011).
• Jackson-Miller v. State Farm Ins. Co., 39 So. 3d 991 (Miss. Ct. App. 2010) (affirming trial court’s denial of auditur and the propriety of jury instructions; plaintiff recovered zero damages after application of offset).
• Hill v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2010 WL 1328884 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 30, 2010) (denying plaintiff's motion for reconsideration of order granting summary judgment on plaintiff's "bad faith" punitive damages lawsuit).

Assisted Trial Team

• The People of the State of California v. Johnson & Johnson – First-of-its-kind eight-week bench trial in an attorney general action in California involving pelvic mesh (2019). 
• Cavness v. Ethicon, Inc. et al. - Product liability action involving pelvic mesh. Tried in Dallas County, Texas; resulted in defense verdict. (2015). 

• The Legal 500 US
  • Recognized as a key lawyer in the editorial for Nationwide Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense, 2024
• Martindale-Hubbell®
  • AV®- Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
• Super Lawyers®
  • Mid-South Rising Star, Personal Injury – Products: Defense, 2011-2023
• U.S. Attorney's Office, Memphis, TN, Intern, 2008
• U.S. Army JAG Corps, Fort. Drum, NY, Summer Clerk, 2007

• Mississippi, 2008
• Tennessee, 2008
• Louisiana, 2011
• U.S. District Courts
• Tennessee: Western
• Mississippi: Northern, Southern

• University of Mississippi, J.D., cum laude, 2008
  • Outstanding Student Award, Legal Profession (Ethics)
  • National Appellate Advocacy Team
  • American Inns of Court
• University of Memphis, B.A., Philosophy and Political Science, magna cum laude, 2004
  • Captain, Mock Trial Team

• Mississippi Bar Association
  • Professionalism Committee, 2021-2023
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
  • Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee
    • Vice Chair of Communications, 2021-2022
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Programming Chair, 2021
  • DRI Drug and Medical Device Committee Complex Medicine/Experts SLG, Publications Chair, 2020

• Co-Author, "Jurisdictional Survey of Local Requirements Governing Class Actions: Louisiana," A Practitioner's Guide to Class Actions, Published by the American Bar Association's Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, 3rd Edition, 2021.
• Panelist, “Privilege and Liabilities Associated with E-Discovery,” American Bar Association Current Issues in Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Biotech Litigation Virtual Regional CLE, February 25, 2021.
• Panelist, “E-Discovery and Data at Trial,” American Bar Association’s Regional CLE Program, North Wales, Pa., November 9, 2018.
• Co-Author, "Jurisdictional Survey of Local Requirements Governing Class Actions: Louisiana," A Practitioner's Guide to Class Actions, Published by the American Bar Association's Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, 2nd Edition, 2017.
• Author, “Lone Pine Orders," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 9, No. 2, Summer 2016.
• Author, "Creepy Cases and Spooky Statutes," The Quarterly, Fall 2015.
• Co-Author, “Medical Devices: The Modern Age (Part 2)," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 7, No. 3, October 2014.
• Co-Author, "Effective Strategies for Neutralizing the Adverse Prescribing or Treating Physician at Deposition and Trial," DRI's 30th Annual Drug and Device Seminar, May 2014.
• Co-Author, "FDA Considers Changes to its OTC Drug Review, Potentially Affecting Over 300,000 Drug Products," ABA Section of Litigation Mass Torts Newsletter, April 30, 2014.
• 2012 Desktop Legal Primer for Mississippi Claims
• 2012 Mississippi Premises Liability Primer
• 2012 Louisiana Claims Primer