BEST OF JACKSON // Legal Services
Best of Jackson: Legal Services 2021
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by Taylor McKay Hathorn s this last year and a half has shown, life can be unpredictable. When circumstances lead you to require legal assistance, though, the Jackson Free Press does its part to make the road to your goals a little easier to navigate through our Best of Jackson: Legal pop-up ballot. Below, we have listed the winners and finalists of this year’s awards, as voted by you.
Best Personal Injury Attorney; Best Local Law Firm: Richard Schwartz, Richard Schwartz & Associates
Best Bankruptcy Attorney: Kimberly S. Sweeney-Oviasogie
(162 E. Amite St., 601-859-0696, 1call.ms
(The Law Office of Kimberly S. Sweeney, 360 Comet Drive, Suite F2, 769-823-3733, sweeneylawoffice.net)
Best Personal Injury Attorney Finalists: Adam D. Woods (Woods Law Firm, 202 E. Government St., Brandon, 601-706-9757, adamwoodslaw.com) / Darryl M. Gibbs (Chhabra & Gibbs, 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200, 601-948-8005, cglawms.com) / Matt Burch (Burch Law Firm, 405 Tombigbee St., 601-7900175, burchlawfirmpllc.com) / Ray L. Gustavis (Chhabra & Gibbs, 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200, 601-948-8005, cglawms.com) / Rocky Wilkins (Morgan & Morgan, 4450 Old Canton Road, Suite 200, 601-949-3388, forthepeople.com) / Rogen K. Chhabra (Chhabra & Gibbs, 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200, 601-948-8005, cglawms.com) Best Local Law Firm Finalists: Chhabra & Gibbs (120 N. Congress St., Suite 200, 601-948-8005, cglawms. com) / Donahoo Law Firm (732 Magnolia St., Madison, 601-213-0883, donahoolawfirm.com) / Kyle Wynn & Associates (7720 Old Canton Road, Suite B, Madison; 800-839-7857 or 601-978-1700; kylewynn.com) / The Rollins Law Firm (multiple locations, 601-533-1672, therollinsfirm.com)
Between her pair of law practices in Gulfport and Jackson, Kimberly Sweeney-Oviasogie is well-acquainted with the world of bankruptcy law, which she says is rife with those taking a focus on “immediate relief.” Her firm, however, tries a different approach. “We care about the aftermath of what happens to our clients,” she says. “We focus on how not to end up back in the same situation, and we provide education on how to make better decisions.” To accomplish this goal of preventing her bankruptcy clients from returning to her practice to file a second time, Sweeney-Oviasogie prioritizes making efforts to get to know her clients more personally. “A lot of bankruptcy law is about the numbers, but I’m interested in the personality of the client and how the numbers got to where they are,” she states. “Most people think they were either irresponsible or took on unnecessary debt, but they may have gotten (to this point) because of health struggles or life changes. Some people need to start completely over, and they need to talk to someone to put them at ease.”
courtesy Kimberly S. Sweeney-Oviasogie
courtesy Richard Schwartz & Associates
Richard Schwartz’ “one call, that’s all” slogan has become a household jingle in Mississippi, but Schwartz insists that his firm’s relationship with clients reaches far deeper than a memorable catchphrase. “I want every client to know that they’re now part of a bigger family, the Schwartz family,” he says. That “Schwartz family” now comprises more than 130 staff members, who Schwartz says prioritize their communities through their work with local charities, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi and the Mississippi Food Network. “I encourage people to participate in charitable events, and I pay them to participate in charitable events during working hours,” Schwartz remarks. “My firm is set up to help people, and they know we make a difference.” For the last three decades, Richard Schwartz and Associates has expanded its flagship practice in Jackson to assist those in need across the state. “I was raised in Jackson, and I’ve been a supporter of the whole state for as long as I can remember,” Schwartz says. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to do the right thing as a Mississippian to help move the state forward. … I’m very proud that we are one of the law firms that give back to the community.”
Finalists: Eileen Shaffer (401 E. Capitol St., Suite 316, 601-969-3006) / Frank Coxwell (Coxwell Attorneys, 1675 Lakeland Drive, 601-948-4450, mississippibankruptcyhelp.com) / Joe Tatum (Tatum and Wade, 124 E. Amite St., 601-948-7770, tatumandwadepllc.com) / T.C. Rollins (The Rollins Law Firm, multiple locations, 601-533-1672, therollinsfirm.com) / Wes Stover (The Law Offices of Wes Stover, 403 State St., 601-949-5000, wesstover.com)
Best Tax Attorney: Ashley N. Wicks
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During Ashley Wicks’s tenure as president of the Magnolia Bar Association, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was murdered in Florida, defining Wicks’ leadership of the group of Black attorneys, who began serving their communities with renewed energy. “We did expungement clinics, and we held different types of town halls to make sure that people understood what their rights were,” Wicks recalls. “It was a really good experience.” Wicks’ journey to the top of her field was a long one, as she first earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Jackson State University before later passing the exam to become a certified public accountant. “I always had an interest in law, though,” Wicks says of her eventual pathway to her present profession, which she discovered through her work with
community development projects in law school. Now an attorney at Butler Snow, Wicks calls her work “community-centric,” as she and her firm work to create jobs, provide safe learning environments for students, and partner with food banks to improve life for citizens across the Jackson metropolitan area. Finalists: Alexis Farmer (Farmer Law Office, 601-706-9346) / Charles Goldberg (Baker Donelson, 100 Vision Drive, Suite 400, 601-351-2400) / Dustin Jeffords (Capital Preservation Services; 213 Katherine Drive, Suite A, Flowood; cpsllcms.com) / R. David Marchetti (Wells Marble & Hurst; 300 Concourse Blvd., Suite 200, Ridgeland; 601-605-6900; wellsmarble.com)
courtesy Ashley N. Wicks
September 1 - 28, 2021 • jfp.ms
((Butler Snow; 1020 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1400, Ridgeland; 601-948-5711; butlersnow.com)
