Butler Snow attorneys H. Barber Boone, Deborah J. Challener, Laura D. Heusel, Blythe K. Lollar, and Amanda J. Tollison recently served as speakers at the Mississippi Bar Annual Meeting & Summer School, held on July 7–9, 2026, at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Mississippi Bar Annual Meeting & Summer School brings together attorneys and judges from across the state for continuing legal education, professional development, and networking. Butler Snow’s widespread participation reflected the firm’s continued commitment to leadership, professionalism, and service within the legal profession.
- “What if a Data Breach Happened to Me? Things I Can Do Now to Reduce Damage in the Event of a Data Breach”
- Presented by: H. Barber Boone and Blythe K. Lollar
- Date: Wednesday, July 8
- Overview: Focused on practical strategies attorneys and organizations can implement to prevent data breaches and mitigate damage in the event of a cybersecurity incident.
- “A Peek Into the Playbook: Discovery” (Concurrent Workshop)
- Presented by: Deborah J. Challener
- Date: Wednesday, July 8
- Overview: Addressed discovery challenges and practical approaches for litigators handling complex civil matters.
- “At the Crossroads of Transparency and Trust: Economic Development in the Age of Online Activism”
- Presented by: Amanda J. Tollison
- Date: Wednesday, July 8 (Government Law CLE Session)
- Overview: Explored legal and strategic considerations for public entities navigating open meetings, public records, and economic development in a digital-first environment.
- “Avoiding Personal Fouls: Civility Tips for All Lawyers, Even the Nice Ones”
- Panel led by: Amanda J. Tollison
- Date: Thursday, July 9
- Overview: Focused on professionalism and civility in legal practice, offering guidance applicable across practice areas.
- “The Current and Future State of McDonnell Douglas”
- Presented by: Blythe K. Lollar
- Date: Thursday, July 9
- Overview: Examined the evolving legal framework and implications of the McDonnell Douglas standard.
- “The Ground Beneath the Cloud: Real Estate, Permitting, and Environmental Issues in Data Center Development”
- Presented by: Laura D. Heusel
- Date: Thursday, July 9
- Overview: Covered environmental, regulatory, and real estate considerations impacting data center development.
Barber Boone
As a member of Butler Snow’s Commercial Litigation group, Boone focuses his practice on a variety of commercial litigation issues, including trade secrets, false advertising, breach of contract, cybersecurity, data privacy, and other commercial and environmental matters. Boone’s practice includes matters with complex e-discovery issues, including identification, preservation and collection of electronically stored information; managing the review and production of large volumes of documents; and analyzing large productions by opposing parties and third parties. More recently, he has worked with clients advising them on uses of artificial intelligence, as well as risks associated with its use. His most recent recognition by BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®, includes his expertise in Privacy and Data Security Law, Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law, and Litigation – Intellectual Property.
Deborah Challener
Challener is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Litigation group, with a practice focused on appellate advocacy, civil procedure, and complex litigation. Prior to joining Butler Snow, she spent more than two decades in legal education, most recently serving as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Owen Cooper Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law. She currently serves as vice chair of the American Bar Association Appellate Practice Committee and is the author of the venue chapter in Mississippi Civil Procedure.
Laura Heusel
As a member of Butler Snow’s Regulatory and Government Relations team, Heusel focuses her practice on environmental diligence, environmental permitting and regulatory issues, and environmental litigation. Laura brings to her legal practice years of experience as a professional engineer in both the public and private sectors. With this, Laura applies a practical mindset to help clients navigate the technical rigors of environmental regulations and find cost-effective solutions to today’s regulatory challenges.
Blythe Lollar
Lollar practices within Butler Snow’s Labor and Employment group. An experienced litigator, Blythe has successfully represented management’s interests in state and federal litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative agency proceedings on a wide variety of employment law matters. Blythe is also a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and is an experienced counselor in the data protection arena. In 2026, she was recognized by BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®,across several categories, including Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment.
Amanda Tollison
As a member of Butler Snow’s Regulatory and Government Relations group, Tollison focuses her practice on administrative and regulatory law, governmental litigation, and election and campaign finance law. Her work includes advising public and private clients on regulatory compliance, representing governing authorities in trial and appellate courts, and serving as compliance counsel for tax‑exempt organizations. Prior to joining Butler Snow, she served as counsel to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, where she advised on litigation matters, judicial appointments, state disasters, and election‑ and budget‑related issues.
A former president of The Mississippi Bar, Tollison is AV®‑rated by Martindale‑Hubbell and has been most recently recognized by BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America® for her work in Administrative/Regulatory Law, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, and Municipal Law.
