Robert M. Frey

Appellate and Written Advocacy Group

Greater Jackson Office
Tel: (601) 985-4524
Email: bob.frey@butlersnow.com

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Areas of Emphasis

Appellate
Business and Commercial Litigation
Civil Appeals
Commercial Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Federal Civil Tax Litigation
Insurance Sales Practices, Claims-Handling, and Coverage
Insurance Bad Faith and Fraud Litigation

Education & Honors

Vanderbilt University, J.D., Order of the Coif, 1984

Furman University, B.A., cum laude, 1981
Blue Key, Omicron Delta Kappa

Associations

Mississippi Bar Association
Texas Bar Association

Bar Admissions

Texas, 1984
Mississippi, 1988
U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern and Southern Districts
- Texas: Northern, Southern and Western Districts
U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit

Legal Experience

Over twenty-five years experience in commercial litigation in State and Federal trial and appellate courts.
Took lead in representing Receiver of a Federal Land Bank seeking to rescind sale of 1.8 million acres of mineral rights to sister bank. Seven-figure settlement reached after one week of State Court bench trial.
Took lead in representing Estate in Tax Court trial re: valuation of controlling interest in closely-held corporation. Settlement reached after trial and before ruling from Court reduced multi-million dollar tax deficiency by over 98%.
Examined all environmental experts in Tax Court case involving the value of a Mississippi site used for underground atomic bomb tests. Settlement reached after trial and before ruling from Court transformed multi-million dollar tax deficiency into multi-million dollar tax refund.
Extensive experience counseling insurance companies and insureds on duty to defend, duty to indemnify, duty to settle, and related coverage questions.
Extensive experience assisting heavy equipment, truck, automobile dealers and other retailers in resolving customer disputes prior to litigation.
In re Oxford Expositions, LLC, 2011 WL 3510907 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Miss.) (motion to dismiss defamation and related claims).
U.S. v. 73.92 Acres of Land, 2011 WL 3471096 (S.D.Miss.) (motion to compel)
Double Quick, Inc. v. Lymas, 50 So.3d 292 (Miss. 2010) (reversing and rendering $4 million premises liability verdict).
Reunion, Inc. v. F.A.A., 2010 WL 1759562 (S.D.Miss.) (FOIA).
Reunion, Inc. v. F.A.A., 719 F.Supp.2d 700, 702 (S.D.Miss. 2010) (APA, Bivens).
Reunion, Inc. v. United States of America, 90 Fed. Cl. 576 (Fed. Cl. 2009) (striking government insufficient defenses, and granting summary judgment on liability for just compensation under the Fifth Amendment).
Mississippi Phosphates Corp. v. Furnace and Tube Serv., Inc., 2010 WL 384735, 3 (S.D.Miss.) (lost profits).
Mississippi Phosphates Corp. v. Furnace and Tube Service, Inc., 2009 WL 1448967 (S.D. Miss.) (coverage, under CGL, for lost profits due to construction mishap).
Frankin Corp. v. Tedford, 18 So.3d 215 (Miss. 2009) (rejecting substantial certainty test for intentional tort exception to worker s comp exclusivity rule).
U-Save Auto Rental of America, Inc. v. Furlo, 608 F.Supp. 3d 718 (S.D. Miss. 2009) (enforcement of arbitration agreement, and resulting arbitration award; federal jurisdiction amount in controversy).
Jordan v. Burlington Northern Santa Fe R. Co., 2009 WL 112561 (TN App.) (affirming $4 million FELA verdict).
Barbour v. State ex rel. Hood, 974 So.2d 232 (dispute between Governor and Attorney General over special election to fill U.S. Senate vacancy).
Watts v. Radiator Specialty, 990 So.2d 143 (Miss. 2008) (affirming j.n.o.v. on benzene lymphoma claim) (amicus brief re: Daubert).
Paint Plus Pro Center v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc., 2008 WL 241595 (S.D. Miss.) (good faith and fair dealing; franchise agreement).
Canadian National/Illinois Central R. Co. v. Hall, 953 So.2d 1084 (Miss. 2007) (affirming $1.5 million FELA verdict).
Lexington Ins. Co. v. Hattiesburg Medical Park Management Corp., 2007 WL 2011288 (S.D. Miss.) (duty to defend, bad faith).
H&E Equipment Services, LLC v. Floyd, 959 So.2d 578 (Miss. App. 2007) (heavy equipment lease-purchase dispute).
Paz v. Brush Engineered Materials, Inc. 2007 WL 14891 (Miss.) (rejecting independent claim for medical monitoring) (amicus brief).
Ferrara v. Walters, 919 So.2d 876 (Miss. 2006) (amicus, on motion for rehearing) (marketable title).
Sanderson Farms Inc. v. Ballard, 917 So.2d 783 (Miss. 2005) (arbitration, chancery jurisdiction, and venue in poultry growers contract dispute).
Home Ins. Co. v. Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association, 904 So.2d 95 (Miss. 2004) (declaratory judgment).
U-Save v. Moses, 80 Fed. Appx. 929 (5th Cir. 2003) (trade secrets and non-compete).
Booker v. American General Life and Accident Ins. Co., 257 F.Supp.2d 850 (S.D.Miss. 2003) (insurance sales practices).
Toxco, Inc. v. Transchem, LLC, 42 Fed. Appx. 712 (6th Cir. 2002) (breach of contract).
American Bankers Ins. Co. v. Booth, 830 So.2d 1205 (Miss 2002) ("equitable class action" and lender-placed property insurance).
Gipson v. Fleet Mortg. Group, Inc. 232 F. Supp. 2d 691 (S.D. Miss. 2002) (lender-placed insurance).
Reed v. American General Life & Acc. Ins. Co., 192 F.Supp.2d 641 (N.D.Miss. 2002) (insurance sales practices).
American Bankers Ins. Co. v. Wells, 819 So.2d 1196 (Miss. 2001) (lender-placed property insurance).
American Bankers Ins. Co. v. Alexander, 818 So.2d 1073 (Miss. 2001) (lender-placed property insurance).
Byrd v. Pioneer Life, 214 F.3d 1350 (5th Cir. 2000) (fraudulent joinder of insurance agent).
Olexy v. Interstate Assurance Co., 113 F. Supp. 2d 1045 (S.D. Miss. 2000) (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Fulgham v. Woodmen of the World, 212 F.3d 594 (5th Cir. 2000) (fraternal benefit society life insurance).
Gulf Guaranty Insurance Co. v. Connecticut General Life Ins. Co., 957 F. Supp. 839 (S.D. Miss. 1997) (arbitration under reinsurance treaty).
Baptiste v. Archway Cookies, Inc., 675 So.2d 316 (Miss. 1996) (worker's compensation; statute of limitations).
Loe v. Howard, 617 So. 2d 999 (Miss. 1992) (business broker fee dispute).
LTV Energy Products Co. v. Chaparral Inspection Co., 827 S.W. 2d 593 (Tex. App.-Hous. [1 Dist.] 1992) (down-hole failure of oil well casing).
Mercantile Nat. Bank at Dallas v. Bradford Trust Co., 850 F.2d 215 (5th Cir. 1988) (declaratory judgment re: lost stock certificate).
Equitable Mortgage Corp. v. Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Co., 791 F. Supp. 620 (S.D. Miss 1990) (recission of mortgage insurance policy for material misrepresentation).
James Myers & Associates, Inc. v. National Development Co., Inc. 722 S. W. 2d 491 (Tex.App-Dallas 1986) (business broker fee dispute).

Papers, Presentations & Publications

“Dating our Briefs and Opinions ‘1999’ – Bench and Bar Overlook Two Big Changes to the Scope of Discovery,” The MDLA Quarterly (Winter 2010).
"Improper Closing Argument in Civil Trials" The Mississippi Lawyer (July/September 2009).
"Profile of Hon. Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale", Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Lawyer (January 2008).
"You Watch Your Phraseology," For the Defense (January 2007).
"Tell Me a Story!" Certworthy (Winter 2006).
"The 'First-to-File' Rule and Parallel Litigation," Contract Litigation from A to Z (March 2006 seminar).