Belen Lawyers

Richard B. Lewis, Jr. was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on June 8, 1978. Richard attended Mississippi State University and received a B.B.A. in 2000 and a M.B.A. in 2001. Richard attended Mississippi College School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2006. Richard is a member of the following states bar: Mississippi, 2006. Richard joined Chapman, Lewis & Swan as an associate in 2006. His primary areas of practice are General Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Family Law and Criminal Law. Richard is admitted to practice before all State Courts in Mississippi, the U.S. Court of Appeals...

After graduating from the University of Virginia Law School in 1975, Mr. Cocke moved to Clarksdale, MS to begin practicing in a general litigation firm. In 1982, Mr. Cocke and Mr. Merkel left that firm and established Merkel & Cocke, P.A., and since that time the emphasis of Mr. Cocke’s practice has progressed more and more toward medical malpractice.

Mr. Lewis was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on June 15, 1953. He was admitted to the bar in 1980. Mr. Lewis received a B.A. from Delta State University in 1976 and a J.D. in 1980 from the University of Mississippi. Mr. Lewis joined Chapman Lewis & Swan and became a partner of the firm in 1990. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Coahoma County Bar Association, the Mississippi State Bar, the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association, National Association of Defense Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, Mississippi Association of Justice Lawyers. Mr. Lewis has been selected by The Best...

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.

Charles M. Merkel, III was born and raised in Clarksdale, MS. He attended the University of Mississippi for his undergraduate and law degrees, graduating with honors both times. While at Ole’ Miss as an undergraduate, he was awarded the Taylor Medal for English; this is the University’s highest academic honor, awarded to less than 1% of the student body. Upon graduation, he received the coveted position as a judicial law clerk for US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson Division.

Edward (Ted) P. Connell, Jr., is a partner with the law firm of Merkel & Cocke, P.A. Mr. Connell received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi in 1994, graduating cum laude. This was followed by receipt of his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1997. While attending the University of Mississippi School of Law, Mr. Connell authored “Mississippi Casinos and the Detention of a Patron: What are the Parameters of a Casino’s Powers in Detaining a Patron and the Subsequent Liability Which Can Follow?” which was published in the National Gaming Law...

I was born in Crosby, North Dakota. Prior to the study of law, I served in the United States Coast Guard from 1990-1995. I was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 2002 following my graduation from the University of Mississippi School of Law. I am a member of the Coahoma County Bar Association, the Mississippi Bar and the Mississippi Association for Justice.

A nationally recognized trial attorney with offices in Cleveland and Madison, Mississippi, Attorney Arthur Calderón proudly serves clients throughout all of Mississippi. With years of experience serving both companies and individuals, he is dedicated to using his knowledge and skill to fight for the rights and best interests of all of his clients. As the founder of Calderón Law, Attorney Calderón focuses his practice on representing people who have suffered catastrophic injuries (including victims of the Camp Lejeune water contamination), employees injured on the job, and persons charged with felony crimes. Using his broad legal knowledge to develop comprehensive legal...

R. Kelly Kyle, a partner of Kyle Wynn & Associates, PLLC graduated from Louisiana Tech University, earning his degree from the University’s College of Administration and Business. He attended Mississippi College School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1992. His law school honors include the Dean’s List and the American Jurisprudence Award for Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Mr. Kyle is admitted to practice in the State of Mississippi, the State of Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the Capital Area Bar Association...

LOUIS H. WATSON, JR. Louis’ firm, Watson & Norris, PLLC, maintains a statewide federal court practice. Louis is a member of NELA and serves as a mediator. Louis was Editor-In-Chief of the Mississippi Law Journal and authored “Enforceability of Covenants Not to Compete in Mississippi,” 64 Miss. L.J. 703 (1995).

A resident of Oxford, Mississippi for the past 25 years, Jay has vigorously fought for individuals facing both misdemeanor and felony charges in the State of Mississippi.

In 2017, Jay was named Oxford's Best Lawyer by The Oxford Eagle and Tannehill, Carmean & McKenzie has been voted Best Law Firm the past 11 straight years by residents of Oxford.

Jay holds an AV Peer Review Rating which is an outstanding achievement and demonstrates that a lawyer has earned the highest rating available for their legal ability and professional ethics.

Since graduating from The University of Mississippi School of...

Michael "Mike" Carr focuses his practice on state and federal criminal defense, personal injury, and civil rights.

Mike is a very experienced trial attorney, having litigated more than 50 jury trials in state and federal court as lead counsel, ranging from complex six figure civil personal injury cases to triple homicide capital murder defense. He is often hired as specialized counsel assisting lawyers in other states and has been admitted pro hac vice in Georgia and Tennessee on multiple occasions.

In addition to this practice, Michael is heavily involved in several professional organizations. He is an on-call attorney for the Police...

Christopher E. Kittell practices law at the Kittell Law Firm in Hernando, Mississippi. He received his BBA in Computer Information Systems from Delta State University in 1996 and his JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1999. Chris received the prestigious James O. Eastland Scholarship to attend law school and was a member of the International Legal Fraternity of Phi Delta Phi while attending law school at Ole Miss. Chris is happily married to his wife Jennifer and is the proud father of three children. Chris practices primarily in the area of civil...

Ben Murphy, a DeSoto County native, has practiced law since 2007 and is licensed in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas. He earned his law degree from Ole Miss, with additional study in Hawaii. Ben currently serves as Desoto County Justice Court Judge for District 2, Public Defender for Southaven (since 2011), and Municipal Court Judge in Horn Lake (since 2017). He is also Vice-President of the DeSoto County Bar Association and a certified Guardian ad Litem. A graduate of Leadership DeSoto and a member of Getwell Church, Ben and his wife, Misty, lead the church’s multi-generation Sunday school class. They live in...

Taylor's practice covers most every area of law; however, a large portion of his work involves advising business across a range of industries on all manner of transactions and representing them in complex commercial litigation, often involving multi-million dollar disputes. In addition to his commercial practice, Taylor also routinely represents clients with respect to all manner of personal injuries and defends clients from felony and misdemeanor charges in federal and state courts.

I have practiced law in Mississippi since January, 1977. My math background has helped me assist my client's with their financial problems in ways that those without a math background are unable to do. My bachelors degree was in mathematics and I received both my bachelors degree and my Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi. My primary focus is in the areas of Chapter 13, Chapter 7, Chapter 12 and Chapter 11 Bankruptcy along with Social Security Disability Claims. I am one of only three attorneys in Mississippi selected as a super lawyer by...

Jefferson Gilder received his license to practice in Mississippi and Tennessee in 1990. Mr. Gilder is admitted to practice in all courts in Mississippi and Tennessee including U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Tennessee and the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, the Fifth and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court. His practice areas include automobile accidents, premises liability, criminal, medical malpractice, civil rights, product liability and other areas of personal injury. Mr. Gilder sat for and passed both the Bar Examinations for Mississippi and Tennessee in the same week in 1990. Mr....

Jamie W. Howell, Jr. is a shareholder at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman PLLC. He was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1988 and the Tennessee Bar in 1993 and currently practices in all state courts throughout Mississippi and Tennessee. Mr. Howell practices in personal injury law, criminal defense matters, Social Security Disability, and general civil law. He was an associate attorney with Gilder Law Firm for his first five years of practice before spending the next six years as a sole practitioner. Mr. Howell joined forces with Jefferson D. Gilder to form Gilder & Howell, P.A. in 2000. He is...

Lucius Edwards Attorney at Law has been providing quality law services since 1974. When you choose us, you have over 45 years of experience by your side. Our lawyer has been practicing law since he graduated from the George Washington University and is a results-oriented attorney who will aggressively fight for your rights. Visit us, and get a FREE initial consultation.

From the young age of six, I was determined to become an attorney to positively impact my community. I graduated with honors from Grenada High School in 2002 and was inducted into the National Honor Society. As a talented musician and enthusiastic learner, I pursued further education at the University of Memphis. My academic achievements there included making the Dean's List and the National Dean's List, and I was also recognized in Who’s Who Among American College Students. I was nominated as a Candidate for the Truman Scholar distinction. My involvement extended to participating in the Gospel Choir, being a member...

Sam McHard has practiced law for 45 years. He is admitted to practice in the following jurisdictions: 1976, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois; 1983, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; 1985, U.S. Supreme Court; 1999, Iowa; 2001, Mississippi, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Sam received his B.A. at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL and his Juris Doctor at Northwestern University. Sam is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and maintains membership with the following professional associations: Mississippi Bar Association; Iowa Bar Association; Illinois Bar Association; Mississippi Association for Justice; American Association for Justice; Texas Bar Association; and...

Mr. Davis is admitted to practice before all Mississippi State and Federal Courts, as well as the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Davis is a member of The Mississippi Bar Association, American MENSA, Defense Research Institute, American Inns of Court, William C. Keady Chapter, and the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association. While in college, Mr. Davis was a member of Phi Delta Phi, and while in Law School served on the Editorial Board of the Mississippi Law Journal, as well as working with the public interest Housing Law Clinic; and served on...

After graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2006, Matt joined the law firm of Tannehill & Carmean, PLLC in Oxford. Matt's area of practice includes all matters relating to real estate, wills and estates, debt collection, and family law.

In November of 2013, Matt was voted one of Super Lawyer's Rising Stars of the Mid South.

While in law school, Matt clerked for two years with Hughes & Hitt, P.A., assisting with real estate loan closings. Matt also clerked with The Scruggs Law Firm, assisting with case research and drafting memorandums for mass tort litigation. In his last...

I currently serve as the Chair of Mississippi’s Special Education Advisory Panel, where I provide advice and guidance to the Office of Special Education. I am also the Legal Director of the SynGAP Research Fund, a global organization that supports families of SynGAP1 patients, including my youngest son who has been diagnosed with this rare genetic disorder affecting fewer than 1,500 known patients worldwide. Additionally, I am a member of Mississippi’s Rare Disease Advisory Panel. I have been recognized as “Oxford’s Favorite Attorney” by readers of The Local Voice newspaper for fourteen consecutive years, starting in 2009. In April 2019, I...

Over the past 15 years, Attorney Robert Schultze has built a reputation for fairness, hard work and effective advocacy.
Based in downtown Oxford, Robert Schultze has practiced locally in real estate law, litigation and other fields. His primary focus today is criminal defense. He frequently serves as a court-appointed criminal defense attorney in the 3rd and 17th Judicial Districts in North Mississippi.
Robert Schultze earned a juris doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2004. He has since served the law school as a volunteer coach and judge for students...

Nick Smith is admitted to practice in state courts in Mississippi and Tennessee. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi. Mr. Smith’s areas of practice include personal injury, criminal defense, and civil litigation including contract disputes and actions under the Fair Debt Collections Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act. Mr. Smith was hired in 2010 at the Chatham Pittman Law Firm and is now a partner at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman. While in law school Mr. Smith interned at the District Attorney’s office serving Tate, Panola, DeSoto, Yalobusha, and Tallahatchie Counties of the 17th...

Flip Phillips is a founding partner of Smith, Phillips, Mitchell, Scott & Nowak, LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law where he served as President of the Law School Student Body and Member of the Mississippi Law Journal. For over 40 years, Flip has represented plaintiffs and insurance policyholders nationwide. Flip’s landmark cases have helped abolish sovereign immunity and define the rules of automobile insurance in Mississippi. They have expanded the role of punitive and extra-contractual damages in insurance regulation and contract enforcement throughout the United States. Flip has served...

Todd Jeffreys was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1974. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Mississippi where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration, cum laude, degree in 1997. While at Ole Miss, Todd was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and the Golden Key National Honor Society.Upon obtaining his undergraduate degree, Todd attended law school at the University of Mississippi where he obtained is Juris Doctor, cum laude, degree in 2000. While at Ole Miss law school, Todd was a member of the Mississippi Law Journal, the Moot Court Board and was awarded...

Jessica is from Destin, Florida. She graduated from Niceville High School and graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies. After college, she returned to Florida and graduated Cum Laude receiving her Juris Doctor Degree from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. Jessica is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. She recently passed the bar in July 2022 and has been practicing with The Murphy Law Firm since January 2023. Jessica is an approved guardian ad litem whose duty is to represent the best interests of a child in a legal proceeding.

Extensive experience in personal injury and criminal cases. Served 15 years as a judge. Served as State Senator representing Desoto County, MS and as Special Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Mississippi on two cases.

Steve Cox Law Firm is ready to assist you if you need assistance with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), insurance disputes, wills and estates, or personal injury.

Jacob Jordan, an Oxford native, is the newest addition to Tannehill, Carmean, & McKenzie. Prior to joining the firm, Jacob had the honor of serving as law clerk to Chief United States District Judge Michael P. Mills. While in law school, Jacob was a student attorney and staff researcher with the Mississippi Innocence Project, in which he partnered with attorneys and other students to represent inmates throughout Mississippi with viable claims of innocence. Jacob drafted petitions for post conviction relief that resulted in the exoneration in Hinds County, Mississippi, of Matthew Norwood, who had previously served fourteen years...

Southaven attorney Benjamin Taylor is a lifelong resident of DeSoto County in Mississippi. Ben is an accomplished lawyer in the areas of personal injury and product liability law.

David G. Hill is one of Mississippi's most experienced litigation lawyers. He has handled hundreds of cases before a judge and jury and has over 100 cases reported for record in official law books. David G. Hill believes that each and every person deserves a vigorous representation and has founded his practice on that principle.