Below are the Practice Areas of Waide & Associates
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Employment discrimination and civil rights
mployment Discrimination and Civil Righs
A large part of the firm’s practice is employment discrimination and civil rights. Waide successfully litigated in the United States Supreme Court the landmark age discrimination case Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc., 530 U.S. 133 (2000). This case restricted the action of federal judges to overturn jury verdicts.
Waide handled the United States Supreme Court case Wyatt v. Cole, 504 U.S. 108 (1992) which abolished immunity for private parties in 42 U.S.C. § 1983 actions. Waide and Kristy Bennett, one of the firm’s associates, represented plaintiffs in a reverse race discrimination case styled Bowling, et al v. Memphis Hardwood Flooring Co. which resulted in a 1.2 million dollar jury verdict in May 2002. In February, 2003, Waide represented Mississippi Highway Patrolman, Dennis Erby, in the civil rights case styled Erby v. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, which resulted in a $150,000.00 jury verdict in a failure to promote case.
The United States Supreme Court accepted certiorari and remanded the case styled Garner v. Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. The Garner case is the fourth case on which the Waide firm has successfully petitioned for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.
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Criminal Law
Waide handles criminal litigation, but only when there is a plausible defense. Because the firm frequently sues governmental officials, the firm rarely handles cases where plea bargains are anticipated.
On January 4, 2007, the Mississippi Supreme Court reversed the criminal conviction of Tyler Edmonds, a thirteen-year-old child, charged with murder. The case has drawn national attention because it presents the issue of false confessions by juveniles. Edmonds v. State, 2007 WL 14808 (Miss. 2007). |
Anti-Trust Law
The firm is currently representing several farmers who have been sued by Monsanto Company for saving and replanting their seed. The firm contends that Monsanto Company’s action violates anti-trust laws.
The firm has been involved in extensive litigation over Monsanto Co.’s policies prohibiting seed saving. In ________ cite 2d monsanto appeal, the firm obtained a ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that Monsanto Co.’s formula for calculating damages for seed saving violations is an excessive penalty. The McFarling case is now before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for a third time.
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State Law Litigation
The firm is engaged in a wide variety of State law litigation. Waide handled the landmark case of McArn v. Allied-Bruce Terminix, Inc., 626 So.2d 603 (Miss. 1993) which established a public policy exception to Mississippi’s employment-at-will doctrine. Waide also handled McGory v. Allstate Insurance Co., 527 So.2d 632 (Miss. 1998) which adopted a clear and convincing evidence standard for civil arson cases. Waide and associate, Luke Fisher, and Houston attorney, John Fox, have represented the plaintiff in the case Griggs v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in which a Chickasaw County jury in September 2002 returned a 8.5 million dollar verdict to plaintiff for defamation. |
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