Mississippi

Paul Byrd

Little Rock, AR

Paul Byrd is the founding attorney of Paul Byrd Law Firm, PLLC, with 30 years of experience representing injured victims. He graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1985 and began private practice in 1988, focusing on civil litigation and product liability actions, including tire failures and vehicle safety. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Dateline NBC. He has also handled agricultural litigation. Paul is a past President of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and a Board of Governor member of the American Association for Justice. He has served as a Special Justice to the Arkansas Supreme Court and Special Judge in Circuit Court Trials. He holds an 'AV' rating from Martindale-Hubble Legal Directory, was recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers in 2011 and 2012, and is a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Throughout his career, managing partner Merrida Coxwell has developed a reputation as a fierce critic of social and legal injustice. He has accepted many criminal cases that others shunned and believes in providing aggressive legal representation. He has distinguished himself in personal injury law with significant verdicts, including a $144 million product liability case and a $2.1 million civil rights case. His criminal defense work has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for over ten consecutive years and Super Lawyers of the Deep South. He is also an AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for skill and ethical conduct. He represented 18 death penalty clients and successfully defended two major alleged drug conspiracies in Federal Court.

Charles M. Merkel, Jr.

Clarksdale, MS

For more than 40 years, Mr. Merkel has personally delivered more than 400 jury presentations in the representation of personal injury victims whose cases involved complex medical and technical injury mechanisms and causation problems. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law in June 1966, Mr. Merkel accepted an appointment under the U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program and served for 4 years in the tax division of the Department of Justice in a refund trial section, trying tax refund cases in the U.S. District Courts over a five-state area. In October 1970, Mr. Merkel returned to his native Mississippi, accepting a position with the firm of Sullivan, Dunbar & Smith. In 1973, he was involved in the formation of the firm of Holcomb, Dunbar, Connell & Merkel, where he was involved primarily in litigation until the spring of 1982, when Mr. Merkel and Mr. Cocke formed Merkel & Cocke, P.A. for the purpose of handling complex plaintiff's litigation with emphasis in medical malpractice, product liability, toxic torts, drug reactions, brain damage cases, and in general, all catastrophic personal injury cases. Mr. Merkel has received multiple jury awards ranging from $1 million to $20 million, and many more million-dollar settlements. He is active in trial lawyer activities and is a frequent lecturer on trial technique and advocacy, appearing at seminars sponsored by the Mississippi State Bar, Mississippi Association for Justice, American Board of Trial Advocates, and others. Mr. Merkel, a former college baseball player at Ole Miss, is a sports enthusiast and lifelong Ole Miss and NY Yankees fan. He enjoys playing golf and traveling with his wife and children, and is an avid duck hunter and outdoorsman.

Richard Schwartz is a life-long resident of Jackson, MS. He founded Richard Schwartz & Associates Injury Lawyers, P.A. over 40 years ago. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Millsap’s College and Juris Doctor Degree from the University Of Mississippi School of Law in 1978. He served as Assistant City Prosecutor in Jackson, MS for 10 years and as the City Prosecutor for Ridgeland, MS for 2 years. His practice focuses on personal injury. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, the Mississippi Prosecutors Association, and the Mississippi Association for Justice. He is also involved in many charities.

Don Barrett

Lexington, MS

Don Barrett is a managing partner at Barrett Law Group, P.A., focusing on product liability, consumer fraud, antitrust, and class actions. He was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1969 and has received honors such as an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell and being named a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. He was also recognized as a National Trial Lawyer of the Year by Public Justice in 2019.

John F. Hawkins

Jackson, MS

John is the principal of Hawkins Law, P.C. in Jackson and has been fighting for the rights of injured people, victims of abuse and neglect, and small businesses since graduating from law school in 1993. John works hard and cares deeply for his clients.