OverviewLeah is a commercial litigator who enjoys aggressively pursuing early resolution of her clients’ disputes and proactively preparing cases for trial. She is a member of the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Litigation group and has over twenty years of experience in state and federal courts and arbitration proceedings throughout Mississippi. In addition to general litigation disputes her practice areas include complex commercial litigation, product liability, transportation litigation, construction litigation, and mass tort litigation. Leah’s recent matters include the defense of officers and directors of a publicly traded company in a fraud action brought by a state attorney general, the representation of a private company pursuing trade secret claims against a former employee, and a coordinating role with nationwide trial preparation teams in mass tort actions against pharmaceutical companies and product manufacturers. She has also served as panel counsel for a nationwide retail drug company.
Leah’s experience also includes the representation of public boards and commissions who she has advised on issues including municipal ordinances and regulations, internal investigations, sensitive employment disputes and community relations. She frequently speaks at continuing legal education seminars on topics related to the litigation process. Leah currently serves as Chair of the Law Practice Management and Technology Committee for the Mississippi Bar, and she is a certified instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA). Experience
- Inn by the Sea Homeowners’Ass’n. v. Sea Inn, LLC 170 So.3d 496(Miss. 2015)
- Hughes v. Boston Scientific Corp. 631 F.3d 762 (5th Cir. 2011)
- Miss. Crime Lab v. Douglas 70 So.3d 196 (Miss. 2011)
- Sanders v. Advanced Neuromodulation Sys. 44 So.3d 960 (Miss.2010)
- Eason v. Walgreen Co., 3:11-190, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (obtained defense verdict on behalf of Walgreen Co.)
- TLS Management & Marketing Services, LLC v. Mardis Financial Services, Inc. et al., 3:14-CV-881, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (obtained default judgment and multi-million dollar verdict for TLS)
- Mabry v. University of Mississippi Medical Center, 25CI1:21-cv-00148-AHW, Hinds County Circuit Court (obtained dismissal for UMMC)
- Smith v. University of Mississippi Medical Center, 25CI1:19-cv-00843-EFP, Hinds County Circuit Court (obtained summary judgment for UMMC)
Distinctions
- Martindale-Hubbell®
- AV® – Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
- Super Lawyers®
- Mid-South Rising Star, 2015-2019
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Certified Instructor
Bar Admissions
- Mississippi, 2004
- U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- U.S. Court of Appeals
Education
- University of Mississippi, J.D., 2004
- Moot Court Board: Chair Judicial Relations, 2003-2004
- Mississippi State University, B.S., Business Administration, magna cum laude, 2000
Associations
- Mississippi Bar Association
- Law Practice Management and Technology Committee, 2023-2025
- Professionalism Committee, 2022-2023
- Women in the Profession Committee, 2020-2021
- Diversity Committee, 2019-2020
- Capital Area Bar Association
- Women's Initiative, Chair, 2024-2025
- Evening Honoring the Judiciary, Co-Chair, 2022-2024
- Bench and Bar Committee, 2021-2022
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Federal Bar Association
- Secretary, Mississippi Chapter
Papers, Presentations & Publications
- Faculty Member, “Deposition Skills,” National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Nashville Seminar, September 5-6, 2024.
- Presenter, "Deposition Academy," Mississippi Bar Litigation Section, February 23, 2024.
- Panelist, "Who Says You Can’t Have It All? Finding the Balance," 31st Annual Evelyn Gandy Lecture Series, January 19, 2024.
- Co-Author, "The Power of A.I. in Law - Starting Small, Achieving Big," The Mississippi Lawyer, Vol. LXX, No. 1, Fall 2023.
- Co-Author, "Oh, Do I Have a Story for You…," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 16, No. 1, March 2023.
- Speaker, “Thriving in an Alternative Work Arrangement,” Capital Area Bar Association, February 25, 2021.
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