EDUCATION:
- Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1989-1992
- Awarded the James O. Eastland Scholarship (awarded annually to entering law students who are Mississippi residents and who have demonstrated superior academic ability, good moral character, and motivation for the study and practice of law); awarded the Mississippi Trial Lawyer Association’s Francis S. Bowling Scholarship (presented annually to the student who has demonstrated academic ability, leadership ability, and trial advocacy skills)
- University of Mississippi School of Law, Oxford, MS
- Bachelor of Business Administration; Minor in History, 1985-1989
- Cum Laude; Awarded National Merit Scholarship; member of varsity basketball team
- Millsaps College, Jackson, MS
PRACTICE AREAS:
- Litigation
- Personal Injury
- Labor and Employment Law
- Insurance Law
- Professional Licensure
- Personal Injury
- Criminal Law
- Administrative Law
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
- President/Owner, Hearn Law Firm, PLLC, Jackson, MS, New Albany, MS, Port Gibson, MS, Atlanta, GA and Blue Mountain, MS, January 1, 2008 - Present
- A personal injury/litigation law firm with the majority of my time spent in personal injury/wrongful death, labor and employment cases (representing both defendants and plaintiffs), criminal law, administrative law and insurance law. I am licensed in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and I have appeared before virtually every administrative body in the State of Mississippi, including the Employee Appeals Board, Civil Service Commissions from municipalities too numerous to count, the Board of Tax Appeals, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Family & Marriage Therapists and the Mississippi State Board of Nursing. I also have a substantial chancery court practice. I have appeared in the state and federal courts of Louisiana on a pro hac vice basis and serve as the Municipal Court Judge for the Town of Blue Mountain, Mississippi. Additionally, I am a member of the Choctaw Tribal Bar and serve as General Counsel to NAMI-Mississippi.
- President/Partner, Hearn & Thomas, PLLC, Jackson, MS, September 1, 2000-December, 2007
- A general practice/litigation law firm with the majority of my time spent in medical negligence/nursing home abuse cases, labor and employment law cases (representing both defendants and plaintiffs), administrative law (including teacher termination and non-renewal cases and public employment appeals), wrongful death and accident litigation on both the state and federal levels. In addition, the practice included appellate work on both the state and federal levels and substantial chancery experience.
- Senior Associate, Young, Williams, Henderson & Fuselier, Jackson, MS, 1997-2000,
- General practice law firm with the majority of my time spent in labor and employment matters, medical negligence, wrongful death and accident litigation on both the state and federal levels. I also had a substantial administrative law practice, regularly appearing before the Employee Appeals Board and Jackson Civil Service Commission. I also litigated on behalf of a local telecommunications company in the digital bandwidth auctions, litigating in state and federal court and deposing parties and witnesses from San Francisco, CA to Boston, MA. Extensive appellate work before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, LA.
- Associate, Maxey, Wann & Begley, Jackson, MS, 1994-1997
- Litigation attorney in labor and employment matters, personal injury, wrongful death, medical negligence, products liability and civil rights/sovereign immunity cases. Represented the Jackson Federation of Teachers and numerous teachers and coaches in non-renewals and/or terminations. Extensive EEOC and union work.
- Associate, Langston, Frazer & Sweet, Jackson, MS 1993-1994
- Litigation attorney in personal injury, premises liability, wrongful death, medical negligence, and products liability cases.
- Law Clerk to Presiding Justice Dan M. Lee, Supreme Court of Mississippi, Jackson, MS 1992-1993
- Responsibilities included legal research and drafting opinions.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (past and present):
- American Bar Association
- Capitol Area Bar Association (Committee on Diversity-2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2020-2021, 2021-2022; Committee on Solo/Small Firm Practice-2018-2019; Committee on Membership-2019-2020)
- The Mississippi Bar: Former Chairman, Legal Lines Committee (providing free legal advice to members of the community); member or former member of the Sections on Litigation, Labor and Employment, and Workers Compensation, and the Young Lawyers Division
- American Association for Justice (Mississippi Chairman-Business Interruption Legal Task Force, 2020)
- Mississippi Association for Justice (Board of Governors, 2017-2019, 2019-2021; Editor, 2019 Edition of Voir Dire Magazine; Chairman, Membership Committee 2019-2020; Parliamentarian, 2020-2021; Secretary, 2021-2022; Treasurer, 2022-2023; Vice-President, 2023-2024; President-Elect 2024-2025; Executive Committee, 2020-present)
- Millsaps College Alumni Association: Past President, Millsaps College Alumni Association, past member of the Millsaps College Alumni Council (serving on Executive Committee), Class Agent, and frequent speaker at alumni and recruiting events
- Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, Millsaps College, 1985-1989
- University of Mississippi Alumni Association
- The National Trial Lawyers (top 100-Criminal Defense; Top 100-Civil Plaintiff)
- Federal Bar Association
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- Choctaw Tribal Bar
- General Counsel to NAMI-Mississippi
HONORS & NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Martindale-Hubbell Rating AV (preeminent)
- AVVO Rating 10.0
- Speaker at Mississippi College School of Law on nursing home litigation
- Frequent speaker at Tougaloo College events on criminal law/expungements
- Frequent speaker at churches in the Jackson, MS area on employment discrimination, criminal law and civil rights
- Speaker at various CLEs
- Former city prosecutor and current Municipal Judge for the Town of Blue Mountain, MS
- Recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal as a Mississippi Leader in Law for 2019 and Top 10 Finalist for Lawyer of the Year
- Best Lawyers in America-2021-2023 (Employment Law)
- Best Law Firms in America-2021-2023 (Employment Law)
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
LICENSURE:
- All Mississippi state courts and federal district courts
- U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi
- U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Choctaw Tribal Court
