WILKINS PATTERSON SMITH PUMPHREY & STEPHENSON, P.A. - Key Persons
Amy Felder Ketchings was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor and Honors in Philosophy from Millsaps College in 1993, where she graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Mississippi School of law, where she graduated cum laude, and was inducted into Phi Theta Phi. Mrs. Ketchings is AV-Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Mrs. Ketchings has extensive experience in all aspects of labor and employment litigation, and has successfully represented clients from a variety of private industries and the public sector. She has provided critical employment solutions across a broad spectrum of employment issues, including Title VII, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, ERISA, affirmative action and OFCCP compliance, state law wrongful discharge and employment tort claims, restrictive covenants, unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, and regulatory compliance and human resources.
Amy Felder Ketchings has been licensed since 1997 and joined the firm in 2015 after having practiced in the Jackson metro area for multiple years. Amy brought a wealth of expertise in the practice areas of employment law, worker's compensation defense, and in appellate practice to the firm.
DIANE PRADAT PUMPHREY (Diane) was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1955. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi in 1977 and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 1988. Prior to joining the firm, Mrs. Pumphrey held various administrative and staff positions in the health care field.
She is currently a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association and Defense Research Institute. Mrs. Pumphrey handles workers' compensation, general insurance defense and medical malpractice work in both state and federal courts.
Diane Pradat Pumphrey has been licensed since 1988 and joined her partners in 1991 following a career as a registered nurse. Ms. Pradat Pumphrey's background has strengthened the firm's representation of health care providers in medical malpractice litigation and is a valuable resource in any case involving complex medical issues.
JOSEPH T. WILKINS, III (Joe) was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1942. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1964 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1967 from the University of Mississippi. After serving as Captain in the U. S. Army, JAG, 1967-69, he was an Estate Tax Attorney, Internal Revenue Service, Birmingham, Alabama, 1969-71. Mr. Wilkins represented the city of New Albany as Alderman (1973-74), City Attorney (1975) and City Prosecuting Attorney (1975). Mr. Wilkins retired as of January 1, 2022.
Joseph T. Wilkins, III, is recognized as a leader in Mississippi in the areas of insurance defense and workers compensation, two areas of the law in which he has specialized since the 1970's. He co-founded the law firm of McCoy Wilkins which focused on these practice areas. Mr. Wilkins was joined by Leland Smith, deceased, and Bill Patterson in 1985. Mr. Patterson received his law degree from Emory University in 1980. They worked together representing insurance companies and corporations from around the country which were faced with litigation in Mississippi since the 1980's.
Matthew R. Anthony (Matt) was born in Flowood, Mississippi in 1991 and grew up in Brandon, Mississippi. He received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi in 2013 and his Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law in 2017. While in law school, Mr. Anthony was a member of the Moot Court Board and spent a semester as a research assistant in the legal writing department before accepting an internship with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office in the Policy and Research Division.
Mr. Anthony's primary areas of practice are in general liability insurance and workers' compensation defense. Prior to joining the firm in 2021, Mr. Anthony began his legal career at a local plaintiff's firm before transitioning his practice to insurance defense at two well-established firms in the Jackson-Metro area.
Matt Anthony is the most recent addition to the firm. Matt has been licensed since 2017 and joined the firm in 2021. Matt previously worked for multiple other defense firms in the Jackson metro area. Since joining the firm, Matt has quickly established himself as a great resource for client's in the practice areas of general liability defense and worker's compensation defense.
NICHOLAS D. GARRARD (Nick) was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. He graduated cum laude from Ole Miss in 2003 with a B.A. degree in journalism, and earned his Juris Doctor from Ole Miss in 2006.
Mr. Garrard advises companies on a variety of day-to-day legal issues, and assists them in efficient handling of accounts and business practices. He also represents business clients as creditors in bankruptcy cases, and assists in collections and replevin matters. Mr. Garrard has experience in locating and developing relationships with local counsel in other states, and has overseen cases to ensure client satisfaction.
Additionally, Mr. Garrard maintains an active litigation and appellate practice. As an appellate attorney, Mr. Garrard has drafted briefs and successfully represented clients on cases before the appellate courts in Mississippi and North Carolina.
Nicholas Garrard was licensed in 2007 and joined the firm in 2014 after having clerked for the Eleventh Circuit Court District in Cleveland, Mississippi. Since joining the firm, Nicholas has provided valuable resources to clients in many areas such as rental purchase law, worker's compensation defense, creditor's rights, and bankruptcy.
ROBERT R. STEPHENSON, JR. (Bobby) was born in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1973. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Accountancy degree in 1994, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1997. While in law school, Mr. Stephenson was a member of the Moot Court Board and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and is also licensed in Tennessee. Mr. Stephenson's primary area of practice is insurance defense litigation.
Bobby Stephenson has been licensed since 1997, and joined his partners' practice in 2004 after practicing with other defense firms in Mississippi. Bobby has been a staple at the firm and offers a wealth of knowledge in representing clients in general liability, insurance policy coverage opinions, appellate practice, and motor vehicle defense.
WILLIAM A. PATTERSON (Bill) was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1955. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors from Mississippi State University in 1977, and his Doctor of Law from Emory University in 1980. Mr. Patterson served as Special Assistant Attorney General, 1981-83, and was Chief Legal Counsel for the Mississippi Department of Health, 1983-84. Mr. Patterson was selected to serve as a statewide mediator in a program administered by the Administrative Law Section of the Mississippi State Bar and the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission. He is currently a member of the Hinds County, the Mississippi and American Bar Associations, and the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association. Mr. Patterson's practice is one of general insurance defense in both state and federal courts, including civil rights cases, along with all matters before the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission, such as self-insured hearings and standard defense work. He was selected for the 2015 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers.