Walter Willson practices in the areas of commercial litigation, lender liability, insurance defense and complex litigation. He has extensive experience representing consumer credit institutions, banks, finance companies, and other lenders in cases involving consumer and commercial loans, and the purchase of debt protection instruments and/or credit insurance, and advises clients on regulatory issues related to the development and marketing of debt protection products, and has drafted contracts (and implemented programs) for use by the lending/credit industry. Walter also handles transactions and trial work involving corporate and contract matters, securities regulation involving broker-dealer disputes, intellectual property, and trade secret disputes for several institutional clients on a national basis, having defended litigation matters in 44 states.

A member of the Mississippi and Texas Bars and the Defense Research Institute, Walter was named a 2006 Super Lawyer in the inaugural group of Mid-South Super Lawyers, as well as being selected again each year since that time. He was also selected as a Leader in General Commercial Litigation in Chambers USA in 2010 and 2011. In addition, Walter holds an AV Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, as well as being selected as a "Best Lawyer" by Best Lawyers in America.

A native of Lakeland, Florida, Walter received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University and the Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College School of Law.

Current Employment Position:

 

Member

Areas of Practice:

 

Commercial Litigation

Complex and Multi-District Litigation

Debt Protection/Deferment Litigation

Lender Liability Defense

Insurance Defense
Securities Arbitration and Litigation
Corporate Transactions

Trade Secret and Intellectual Property Litigation

Labor & Employment Litigation

Litigation Percentage:

 

90% of practice devoted to litigation and arbitration

10% of practice devoted to corporate transactions and product development designed to avoid/minimize litigation

Bar Admissions:

Reported Cases:

Time Ins. Co. v. White, 2011 WL 1045453 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 17, 2011)

Molfetta v. Time Ins. Co., 2010 WL 2041703 (D. Nev. May 17, 2010)

Pendergrass v .Time Ins. Co, 2010 WL 989154 (W.D. Ky. Mar. 12, 2010)

Atifah v. Union Sec. Ins. Co., 694 F. Supp. 2d 668 (E.D. Mich. 2010)

Jadczak v. Assurant, Inc., 2010 WL 445607 (Del. Super. Jan. 21, 2010)

Sawyers v. Herrin-Gear Chevrolet Co. Inc., 26 So. 3d 1026 (Miss. 2010)

Turner v. Gen. Ins. Co. of Am., 2009 WL 3247302 (S.D. Miss. Oct. 7, 2009)

Holland v. Safeco Fin. Inst. Solutions, 2009 WL 2225494 (S.D. Miss. July 23, 2009)

Solano v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 601 F. Supp. 2d 1249 (D. Colo. 2009)

Hawkins v. Am. Sec. Ins. Co., 602 F. Supp. 2d 774 (S.D. Miss. 2009)

Pannell v. Green Tree Servicing, LLC, 2009 WL 277627 (S.D. W.Va. Feb. 5, 2009)

Curry v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 599 F. Supp. 2d 734 (S.D. Miss. 2009)

Xenakis v. Time Ins. Co., 2008 WL 5397156 (C.D. Cal. Oct. 30, 2008)

Graham v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co., 2008 WL 4330332 (S.D. Miss. Sept. 17, 2008)

Mirras v. Time Ins. Co., 578 F. Supp. 2d 1351 (M.D. Fla. 2008)

Ehlen Floor Covering, Inc. v. Pac. Life Ins. Co., et al., 2008 WL 4097712 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 3, 2008)

Long v. Time Ins. Co., 572 F. Supp. 2d 907 (S.D. Ohio 2008)

Atifah v. Union Sec. Ins. Co., 2008 WL 2714459 (E.D. Mich. July 8, 2008)

Skinner v. Assurant Health, 559 F. Supp. 2d 718 (S.D. Miss. 2008)

Salvaggio v. Time Ins. Co., 553 F. Supp. 2d 577 (D.S.C. 2008)

Hill v. John Alden Life Ins. Co., 556 F. Supp. 2d 571 (S.D.  W.Va. 2008)

In re KatrinaCanal Litig. Breaches, 524 F. 3d 700 (5th Cir. 2008)

Herd v. Am. Sec. Ins. Co., 556 F. Supp. 2d 992 (W.D. Mo. 2008)

Cummings v. Union Sec. Ins. Co., 2008 WL 410644 (S.D. Miss. Feb. 11, 2008)

Graham v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co., 2007 WL 4333833 (S.D. Miss. Dec. 7, 2007)

Warren v. Am. Bankers Ins. of Fla., 507 F.3d 1239 (10th Cir. 2007)

Khoury v. United Serv. Prot. Corp, 2007 WL 3149174 (Ohio Ct. App. Oct. 30, 2007)

Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. v. Stewart, 969 So. 2d 17 (Miss. 2007)

Coleman v. Assurant, Inc., 508 F. Supp. 2d 862 (D. Nev. 2007)

Tenet Healthsystem Desert, Inc. v. Fortis Ins. Co., 520 F. Supp. 2d 1184 (C.D. Cal. 2007)

Indian Gold, LLC v. Amstar Mortgage Co., 504 F. Supp. 2d 147 (S.D. Miss. 2007)

Chastain v. Union Sec. Life Ins. Co., 502 F. Supp. 2d 1072 (C.D. Cal. 2007)

Hagan v. GreenPoint Credit Corp., 2007 WL 2258866 (E.D. Ky. Aug. 3, 2007)

Stringer v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 969 So. 2d 113 (Miss. Ct. App. 2007)

Solano v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 365 B.R. 196 (D. Colo. 2007)

Figueroa v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 2007 WL 678621 (D. Colo. Feb. 28, 2007)

Billings v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 2007 WL 603080 (S.D. Miss. Feb. 21, 2007)

Coleman v. Assurant, Inc., 463 F. Supp. 2d 1164 (D. Nev. 2006)

Scott v. Fortis Ins. Co., 2006 WL 3247275 (S.D. Miss. Nov. 8, 2006)

MS Life Ins. Co. v. Barfield, 203 F. App'x 306 (11th Cir. 2006)

Miss. Ins. Guar. Ass'n v. MS Cas. Ins. Co., 947 So. 2d 865 (Miss. 2006)

Landry v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 2006 WL 2990494 (S.D. Miss. Oct. 19, 2006)

Union Sec. Life Ins. Co. v. Starr, 2006 WL 2727991 (S.D. Miss. Sept. 22, 2006)

Selmon v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 2006 WL 2662168 (N.D. Miss. Sept. 15, 2006)

Smith v. Am. Gen. Fin. Services, Inc., 2006 WL 2571346 (N.D. Miss. Sept. 1, 2006)

Cross v. MS Loan Ctr., 2006 WL 2506190 (N.D. Miss. Aug. 29, 2006)

Bostain v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 2006 WL 2455942 (N.D. Miss. Aug. 22, 2006)

Figueroa v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 517 F. Supp. 2d 1266 (D. Colo. 2006)

Holmes v. CitiFinancial Mortgage Co., 436 F. Supp. 2d 829 (N.D. Miss. 2006)
 

Smith v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 436 F. Supp. 2d 836 (S.D. Miss. 2006)

American Bankers Life Assurance Co. of Fla. v. Moore, 2006 WL 1666710 (N.D. Miss. June 12, 2006)

Shelton v. S. Energy Homes, Inc., 420 F. Supp. 2d 836 (S.D. Miss. 2006)

Dubose v. Merchants and Farmers Bank, 2006 WL 568714 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 6, 2006)

MS Credit Ctr., Inc. v. Horton, 926 So. 2d 167 (Miss. 2006)

Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla. v. Inman, 436 F.3d 490 (5th Cir. 2006)

Moore v. Direct Gen. Ins. Co. of Miss., 2006 WL 82505 (S.D. Miss. Jan. 10, 2006)

MS Life Ins. Co. v. Barfield, 2005 WL 3445535 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 15, 2005)

Gen. Reinsurance Corp. v. MS Cas. Ins. Corp., 2005 WL 2039156 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 23, 2005)

Everett v. Friedman's, Inc., 329 B.R. 40 (S.D. Miss. 2005)

Union Sec. Life Ins. Co. v. Brown, 2005 WL 1899355 (N.D. Miss. Aug. 9, 2005)

Dean v. MS Life Ins. Co., 2005 WL 1711618 (N.D. Miss. July 21, 2005)

Union Sec. Life Ins. Co. v. Brown, 2005 WL 1683602 (N.D. Miss. July 19, 2005)

Owens v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 379 F. Supp. 2d 840 (S.D. Miss. 2005)

Union Sec. Life Ins. v. Martin, 2005 WL 1669029 (N.D. Miss. July 18, 2005)

Donald v. Pioneer Credit Co., 374 F. Supp. 2d 495 (S.D. Miss. 2005)

Walton v. Tower Loan of Miss., 2005 WL 1367402 (N.D. Miss. June 8, 2005)

Pac. Life Ins. Co. v. Heath, 370 F. Supp. 2d 539 (S.D. Miss. 2005)

Am. Bankers Life Assurance Co. of Fla. v. Overton, 128 F. App'x 399 (5th Cir. 2005)

Clark v. Commercial Credit Corp., 357 F. Supp. 2d 962 (S.D. Miss. 2005)

MS Life Ins. Co. v. Baker, 905 So. 2d 1179 (Miss. 2005)

United Serv. Prot. Corp. v. Lowe, 354 F. Supp. 2d 651 (S.D. W.Va. 2005)

Voyager Life Ins. Co. v. Caldwell, 353 F. Supp. 2d 748 (S.D. Miss. 2005)

Rainwater v. Lamar Life Ins. Co., 391 F.3d 636 (5th Cir. 2004)

Am. Bankers Life Assurance Co. of Fla. v. Mister, 344 F. Supp. 2d 966 (N.D. Miss. 2004)

CitiFinancial, Inc. v. Murray, 340 F. Supp. 2d 743 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Walton v. Tower Loan of Miss., 338 F. Supp. 2d 691 (N.D. Miss. 2004)

Smallwood v. Ill. Cent. R.R. Co., 385 F.3d 568 (5th Cir. 2004)

Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla. v. Milsap, 350 F. Supp. 2d 730 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Jones v. Belhaven Coll., 334 F. Supp. 2d 916 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Porter v. Commercial Credit Corp., 334 F. Supp. 2d 914 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

O'Bannon v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 331 F. Supp. 2d 476 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Bland v. Fleet Fin., Inc., 318 F. Supp. 2d 392 (N.D. Miss. 2004)

Alexander v. City Fin. Co., 2004 WL 1638251 (N.D. Miss. 2004)

Bishop v. First Miss. Fin. Group, Inc., 221 F.R.D. 461 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Jones v. Belhaven Coll., 98 F. App'x 283 (5th Cir. 2004)

Walker v. City Fin. Co., 316 F. Supp. 2d 402 (N.D. Miss. 2004)

Bolden v. Ky. Fin. Co., Inc., 316 F. Supp. 2d 406 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Wash. Mut. Fin. Group, LLC v. Bailey, 364 F. 3d 260 (5th Cir. 2004)

Barnes v. First Franklin Fin. Corp., 313 F. Supp. 2d 634 (S.D. Miss. 2004)

Brumfield v. Pioneer Credit Co., 2004 WL 443883 (S.D. Miss. Feb. 19, 2004)

Smallwood v. Ill. Cent. R.R. Co., 352 F.3d 220 (5th Cir. 2003)

Dozier v. Ky. Fin. Co., Inc., 319 F. Supp. 2d 716 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Brumfield v. Pioneer Credit Corp., 291 F. Supp 2d 462 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Littleton v. Am. Bankers Life Ins. Co. of Fla., 289 F. Supp. 2d 776 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Bland v. Fleet Fin., Inc., 2003 WL 22244407 (N.D. Miss. Sept. 11, 2003)

Ross v. CitiFinancial, Inc., 344 F. 3d 458 (5th Cir. 2003)

Brooks v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 2003 WL 22037730 (N.D. Miss. Aug. 20, 2003)

Dora v. CitiFinancial, Inc., WL 22243996 (N.D. Miss. July 30, 2003)

Dixon v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 2003 WL 21788959 (S.D. Miss. July 15, 2003)

Rawls v. Friedman's Inc., 2003 WL 21728838 (S.D. Miss. June 27, 2003)

Williams v. Great Am. Life Ins. Co.,282 F. Supp. 2d 496 (N.D. Miss. 2003)

White v. City Fin. Co., 277 F. Supp. 2d 646 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Hare v. City Fin. Co., 269 F. Supp. 2d 766 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Am. Reliable Ins. Co. v. Arrington, 269 F. Supp. 2d 758 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Dubose v. Merchants and Farmers Bank, 318 F. Supp. 2d 419 (S.D. Miss. 2003)

Bolden v. Ky. Fin. Co. Inc., 2003 WL 1048737 (S.D. Miss. Feb. 27, 2003)

Guice v. MS Life Ins. Co., 836 So. 2d 756 (Miss. 2003)

Gipson v. Fleet Mortgage Group, Inc., 232 F. Supp. 2d 691 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Banks v. City Fin. Co., 825 So. 2d 642 (Miss. 2002)

Conner v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 2002 WL 31056778 (N.D. Miss. Aug. 28, 2002)

Montgomery v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 239 F. Supp. 2d 600 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Agnew v. Commercial Credit Corp., 2002 WL 1628537 (S.D. Miss. July 11, 2002)

Beasley v. Personal Fin. Corp., 279 B.R. 523 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Ellis v. Wash. Mut. Fin. Group, LLC, 2002 WL 32163527 (S.D. Miss. May 8, 2002)

Strong v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 202 F. Supp. 2d 536 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Palmer v. Conseco Fin. Servicing Corp., 198 F. Supp. 2d 822 (N.D. Miss. 2002)

Dixon v. First Family Fin. Services, 276 B.R. 173 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Berry v. Am. Sec. Life Ins. Co., 2002 WL 32397265 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 14, 2002)

Howard v. CitiFinancial, Inc., 195 F. Supp. 2d 811 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Stringer v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 822 So. 2d 1011 (Miss. Ct. App. 2002)

Johnson v. CitiFinancial, Inc., 2002 WL 32163528 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 8, 2002)

Crockett v. CitiFinancial, Inc., 192 F. Supp. 2d 648 (N.D. Miss. 2002)

Willow Creek Exploration Ltd. v. Tadlock Pipe & Equip. Inc., 186 F. Supp. 2d 675 (S.D. Miss. 2002)

Jordan v. United Serv. Prot. Corp., 192 F. Supp. 2d 658 (S.D. Miss. 2001)

First Family Fin. Services, Inc. v. Fairley, 173 F. Supp. 2d 565 (S.D. Miss. 2001)

Ross v. CitiFinancial, Inc., 203 F.R.D. 239 (S.D. Miss. 2001)

Jennings v. First Family Fin. Services, 2001 WL 34403089 (S.D. Miss. Sept. 27, 2001)

Miller v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 2001 WL 34403076 (S.D. Miss. Sept. 20, 2001)

Carter v. Union Sec. Life Ins. Co., 148 F. Supp. 2d 734 (S.D. Miss. 2001)

Anderson v. First Family Fin. Services, Inc., 2001 WL 34403087 (S.D. Miss. May 25, 2001)

CitiFinancial, Inc. v. Lipkin, 143 F. Supp. 2d 657 (N.D. Miss. 2000)

Kirksey v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., 114 F. Supp. 2d 526 (S.D. Miss. 2000)

Braidfoot v. William Carey Coll., 793 So. 2d 642 (Miss. Ct. App. 2000)

Miss. Ins. Managers, Inc. v. Providence Wash. Ins. Co., 72 F. Supp. 2d 689 (S.D. Miss. 1999)

Carroll v. Metro. Ins. & Annuity Co., 969 F. Supp. 19 (S.D. Miss. 1997)

Brooks v. GeorgeCounty, 84 F.3d 157 (5th Cir. 1996)

Gann v. Fruehauf Corp., 52 F.3d 1320 (5th Cir. 1995)

Benefit Mgmt. of Maine, Inc. v. Allstate Life Ins. Co., 993 F.2d 1530 (1st Cir. 1993)

In re Chateaugay Corp., 146 B.R. 339 (S.D.N.Y. 1992) (Jeep Rollover Litigation)

Finkelberg v. Merrill Lynch, 608 So. 2d 1214 (Miss. 1992)

Geisenberger v. John Hancock Distribs., Inc., 774 F. Supp. 1045 (S.D. Miss. 1991)

Todd v. Johnson, 718 F. Supp. 1305 (S.D. Miss. 1989)

             Top 50 Mid-South Super Lawyer 2012

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Defense Research Institute

Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association

The Mississippi Bar

State Bar of Texas

American Bar Association