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Bill Reed

Adjunct Professor and Partner at Baker Donelson

William N. Reed, shareholder in the Jackson office, concentrates his practice in complex commercial and tort litigation, including toxic torts, contract, license, banking, intellectual property, insurance coverage and class action disputes. Mr. Reed has tried more than 125 cases in federal and state courts in 10 states and has handled appeals in Mississippi and four federal circuits.  He served as President and COO of the Firm from 1998 to 2005.

Professional Honors & Activities

  • Law Clerk – Judge Elbert P. Tuttle, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (1977 – 1978)
  • Listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business since 2002; Commercial Litigation
  • Who’s Who Legal USA; Commercial Litigation (2006)
  • AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 1983
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2001; Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation
  • Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2006; named among top 50 attorneys in Mississippi by Mid-South Super Lawyers, 2008 and 2009
  • Selected by American Lawyer Media as a “2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation”
  • Listed in Benchmark: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 2014
  • Listed in Benchmark: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 2008
  • Fellow – Litigation Counsel of America
  • Fellow – American Bar Foundation
  • Member – American, Mississippi and Capital Area Bar Associations
  • Member – Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
  • Member – Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
  • Member – Defense Research Institute
  • Member – Lamar Order
  • Member – International Association of Defense Counsel
  • Fellow – Mississippi Bar Foundation
  • Vice-President & Board of Directors – Mississippi World Trade Center (2004 – 2007)
  • Co-Chair – TerraLex U.S. Litigation Practice Group
  • Board of Directors – Terralex (2010 – present)
  • Faculty – IADC Trial Academy (2010)

Select Reported Cases

  • WMS Industries, Inc. v. Federal Ins. Co., 2010 WL 2711084 (5th Circuit) (insurance bad faith/business income loss)
  • Marmillion v. American International Ins. Co., 2008 WL 4514375 (S.D. Miss.) (insurance bad faith)
  • Tuepker v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 507 F.3d 346 (5th Cir. 2007) (property insurance coverage/anti-concurrent cause provision)
  • Guice v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2007 WL 912120 (S.D. Miss.) (property insurance coverage class action denial)
  • McFarland v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2006 WL 2577852 (S.D. Miss.) (severance of insurance bad faith claims)
  • Guice v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2006 WL 2359474 (S.D. Miss.) (property insurance coverage class action denial)
  • Employers Mut. Cas. Co. v. Lennox Int’l, Inc., 375 F. Supp. 2d 500 (S. D. Miss. 2005) (insurance coverage choice of law)
  • Jowett v. Scruggs, 729 So. 2d 825 (Miss. App. 2004) (minority shareholder rights)
  • Buchman v. BASF Corp., 2004 WL 1562733 (5th Cir.) (breach of lease agreement)
  • ConAgra, Inc. v. Country Skillet Catfish Co., 2004 WL 190205 (5th Cir.) (ERISA benefits)
  • Sweeney v. Sherwin Williams Co., 304 F. Supp. 2d 868 (S. D. Miss. 2004) (lead paint personal injury)
  • Jefferson Cty. Sch. Dist. v. Lead Industries Ass’n, Inc., 223 F. Supp. 2d 771 (S. D. Miss. 2002) (lead paint personal injury)
  • Hospitality Corp. of Miss., Inc. v. Choice Hotels Int’l, Inc., 96 F. Supp. 2d 556 (S. D. Miss. 1999) (breach of franchise agreement and liquidated damages)
  • Evans v. Oberon Holding Corp., 729 So. 2d 825 (Miss. App. 1998) (default judgment vacated)
  • In re Terra Int’l, Inc., 234 F. 3d 302 (5th Cir. 1998) (choice of law/forum non conveniens)
  • HTI Health Serv., Inc. v. Quorum Health Group, Inc., 960 F. Supp. 1104 (S. D. Miss. 1997) (hospital and physician group merger/anti-trust)
  • Terex Corp. v. Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc., 671 So. 2d 1316 (Miss. 1996) (breach of contract/equipment specifications)
  • Mississippi Chemical Corp. v. Terra Int’l, Inc., 1996 WL 293764 (S. D. Miss.) (choice of law)
  • Shelton v. Brooks, 666 So. 2d 514 (Miss. 1995) (medical negligence/orthopaedic surgeon)
  • MBF v. Century Business Communications, Inc., 663 So. 2d 595 (Miss. 1995) (interference with contract/non-compete clause)
  • Schmoll v. ACandS, Inc., 977 F. 2d 499 (9th Cir. 1992) (post-merger successor liability)
  • Bailiff v. Manville Forest Prods. Corp., 772 F. Supp. 1578 (S. D. Miss. 1991) (product liability/drilling mud)
  • Hesdorffer v. Pearl River Valley Water Supply Dist., 572 So. 2d 1209 (Miss. 1990) (real estate)
  • Schmoll v. ACandS, Inc., 703 F. Supp. 868 (D. Or. 1988) (post-merger successor liability)
  • Marx v. Truck Renting & Leasing Ass’n, Inc., 520 So. 2d 1333 (Miss. 1987) (tax)
  • Jackson v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp., 781 F. 2d 394 (5th Cir. 1986) (en banc) (asbestos personal injury)
  • Pearl River Valley Water Supply Dist. v. Hinds County, 445 So. 2d 1330 (Miss. 1984) (authority to tax)
  • French v. Pearl River Valley Water Supply Dist., 394 So. 2d 1385 (Miss. 1981) (sovereign immunity for flood damage)

Admissions

  • Mississippi, 1977

Military

  • Served in the United States Army (1972 – 1974)

Education

B.A., University of Mississippi
J.D., University of Mississippi School of Law

Bill Reed
601.351.2410