Austin Stewart has been recognized for excellence in law in the 2019 Portico 15, the ninth annual selection of up-and-coming attorneys from around the state published by Portico magazine. Holmes Adams was also recognized as part of the Portico Legacy group.
The annual awards are based on nominations from the Mississippi College School of Law, the University of Mississippi School of Law, Mississippi Bar Association's Leadership Forum Class and the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. A panel of judges then selected this year's Portico 15.
Holmes Adams has practiced law for four decades, including many years as a successful litigator defending school districts and other public entities in §1983 actions and handling unitary status hearings in federal desegregation cases to remove school districts from court supervision. He has argued several cases before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and has taken cases to the United States Supreme Court. Today, Holmes continues to advise and consult with school districts throughout Mississippi on a full range of matters, including real estate, finance, contracts, employment, governance issues and election laws. He also advises families on business, estate, and trust matters.
Austin Stewart has a litigation-driven practice that focuses on complex matters involving products liability, commercial litigation, toxic torts and insurance. His breadth of litigation experience includes representing clients in industrial services, construction, product manufacturing, real estate and government. He serves on the national trial counsel team for an industry-leading product manufacturing company, and works closely with experts in industrial hygiene, workplace safety and government regulation.
For the last decade, Stewart has volunteered his time to the programs of the Mississippi Bar, including the High School Mock Trial Competition, where he has served as an attorney coach, judge and Chairman of the High School Mock Trial committee. He focused his efforts on legal education opportunities for young lawyers as Chairman of the Seminars and Lawyer in Every Classroom committees of the Young Lawyers Division. He is also a member of the Capital Area Bar Association and the Jackson Young Lawyers.