Griffin

"Charles Griffin … has a miraculous ability to talk to juries and is especially effective at defending businesses against punitive damage claims. Frankly, I think it is relatively easy for a plaintiffs lawyer to inflame a jury and ask for millions of dollars in punitive damages against a large multinational business or an unsympathetic out-of-state insurance company. But it takes great skill to defend these businesses and these types of claims before a jury. Mr. Griffin is one of the best.”

Comments from National Counsel in Consumer Financial Services Litigation

• Commercial Litigation
• Insurance

• Successfully obtained dismissal on 12(b)(6) grounds for major consumer products manufacturer in an antitrust and consumer protection action brought by the Mississippi Attorney General alleging an international price-fixing conspiracy in the manufacturing, production and distribution of wire harness parts used in automotive manufacturing. On appeal, a unanimous Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal. State ex rel. Fitch v. Yazaki North America, Inc., et al., ___ So. 3d ___, 2020 WL 2079092 (April 30, 2020).
• Featured in Litigation Commentary & Rev. 268 (September/October 2012) for representation of Former Governor Haley Barbour as Lead Counsel.
• In the Matter of Conservatorship of Davis v. Longo, 954 So.2d 521 (Miss. App. 2007).
• Rankin v. American General Finance, 912 So.2d 725 (Miss. 2005).
• Queen v. American General Finance, 351 F.Supp.2d 576 (S.D. Miss. 2005).
• MS Life Insurance Company v. Baker, 905 So.2d 1179 (Miss. 2005).
• Owens v. First Family Financial Services, 379 F.Supp.2d 840 (S.D. Miss. 2005).
• Rainwater v. Lamar Life Insurance Company, 391 F.3d 636 (5th Cir. 2004).
• Union National Life Insurance Company v. Crosby, 870 So.2d 1175 (Miss. 2004).
• Bishop v. First Mississippi Financial Group, Inc., 221 F.R.D. 461 (2004).
• Hare v. City Finance Company, 269 F. Supp.2d 766 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
• Moore v. Mississippi Valley Gas, 863 So.2d 43 (Miss. 2003).
• Smith v. Union National, 286 F.Supp.2d 782 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
• White v. City Finance Company, 277 F.Supp.2d 646 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
• Beasley v. Personal Finance Corporation, 279 B.R.523, 48 Collier Bankr. Cas.2d. 1582 (S.D. Miss. 2002).
• American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida v. Wells, 819 So.2d 1196 (Miss. 2001).
• Ross v. CitiFinancial, 203 F.R.D.239 (2001).
• Daniette Jones v. Regency Toyota, Inc., 798 So.2d 474 (Miss. 2001).
• Lady v. Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company, 241 F.Supp.2d 655 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
• Ellis v. Anderson Tully Company, 727 So.2d 716 (Miss. 1998).
• In the matter of Treasure Bay Corporation, 212 B.R.520 (1997).
• Garrett v. Bohannon, 621 So.2d 935 (Miss. 1993).
  

• America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, Lifetime Achievement Selection, 2016
• Martindale-Hubbell®
  • AV®– Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, 2009-2017
• Super Lawyers®
  • Top 50: Mississippi Super Lawyers, 2006, 2009-2017
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2006-2022
• Best Lawyers in America®
  • Commercial Litigation, 2013-2023
  • Litigation – Insurance, 2015-2023
• American Law Institute
  • Elected Member
  • Advisor, Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Concluding Provisions
• American Bar Association, Fellow
• Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
• Special Assistant Attorney General, 1988-1989
• City of Bolton, Mississippi, Municipal Prosecutor, 1990-1994
  • Municipal Public Defender, 1998-2010
• Town of Edwards, Mississippi, Municipal Judge, 1994-1996
• Town of Edwards, Mississippi, City Attorney, 1996-2010
• Jackson State University, Instructor, 1988
• Diversity Law Institute of LCA, Co-Founder, 2009
• Capital Area Bar Association, Professionalism Award, 2018
• Tougaloo College Pre-Law Society, Distinguished Service Award, 2008
• R. Jess Brown Memorial Distinguished Community Service Award, 2006
• Jackson Downtown Business Improvement District, Board Member, 2002-2004
• Mississippi Bar Association, Co-Founder and Former Co-Chairman,  Law Student Diversity Interaction Program, 1990

• Mississippi, 1988
• U.S. District Courts
• Mississippi: Northern, Southern
• U.S. Court of Appeals
• 5th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Court

• University of Mississippi, J.D., 1987
  • Congressional Internship, U.S. House of Representatives,  Summer 1986
• University of Mississippi, B.A., Philosophy, 1984

• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
  • Bylaws and Resolutions Committee
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
• American Bar Association
  • Litigation Section [ABA]
    • Minority Trial Lawyer Committee
    • Corporate Counsel Committee
• National Bar Association
  • Commercial Law Section
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Trial Tactics Committee
  • Commercial Litigation Committee
  • Newsletter Committee
• Mississippi Bar Association
  • Litigation Section
  • Gaming Law Section
    • Chairman, 1999
• Charles Clark American Inn of Court
• Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
• Magnolia Bar Association
• Capital Area Bar Association
• Commercial Litigation and Financial Institutions Section
  • Chairman, 2012-2013
• Community Foundation of Greater Jackson
  • Legacy Society Member
• "University of Mississippi Alumni Association, Law Alumni Chapter"
  • Lamar Order
• Butler Snow Pro-Bono Committee
  • Member
• Butler Snow Associates Review Committee
  • Former Member

• Presenter, "Presenting to the Judge and Jury," Mississippi Rules of Evidence: A Practical Toolkit, NBI Webinar, March 2023.
• Presenter, "Claim Handler or Underwriter Depositions in Coverage and Bad-Faith Cases: Dos and Do Nots," Northeast Regional Claims Conference, Hartford, Conn., September 27, 2018.
• Panelist, “Civil Rights & the Legal Profession,” CABA Diversity Committee CLE, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Tuesday, March 27, 2018.
• Presenter, “Recent changes to the CMS Regulations That May Encourage Civil Claims Against Long Term Care Facilities,” Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Meeting, Montreux, Switzerland, July, 2017.
• Presenter, “Confronting Bias and Ethical Considerations in the Legal Community,” Magnolia Bar Association, November 13, 2015.
• Co-Author, “Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection: Targeted Practices and Kinds of Claims: Proof Elements of Claims,” Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Statutes and Damages: How to Prevent and Defend Disruptive Challenges to Your Client’s Business Practices, August 2015.
• Panelist, “Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice Statues and Damages,” Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada, August, 2015.
• Presenter, "Getting What You Want - Developing Effective Negotiation Techniques When Negotiating Contracts or Negotiating Settlements," FDCC, April 24, 2014.
• Author, "Churches & Employment Law: Understanding the Ministerial Exception Rule", Litigation Commentary & Rev. 299, November/December 2012.
• Presenter, "Ethics for Lawyers: Blogs and Tweets That Can Torpedo Your Career," 2012 CLE Expo, Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), Chicago, 2012.
• Author, "Strategies for Using Social Media in the Fight Against Fraudulent Insurance Claims," Inside the Minds- Defending Against Insurance Fraud Claims, Thomson Reuters/Aspatore, 2011.
• Presenter, "Current Trends in Insurance Opt Out Litigation In Mississippi," Conference on Insurance and Financial Services, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), Chicago, 2010.
• Presenter, "Defending Bad Faith Claims," Insurance Claims and Coverage Institute, Defense Research Institute (DRI), Chicago, 2010.
• Presenter, "Minority Law Firms: State of Emergency," Diversity Summit, Litigation Counsel of America, Atlanta, 2009.
• Presenter, "Effective Use of Focus Groups, Mock Trials and Internet Sampling," Fall Conference, Litigation Counsel of America, Charleston, 2009.
• Presenter, "Can You Win Without That Special Closing Argument?," Spring Conference, Litigation Counsel of America, Santa Fe, 2009.
• Presenter, "Vying For A Piece of the Pie—Minority Owned Law Firms Partnering With Majority-Owned Law Firms," Diversity for Success Seminar, Defense Research Institute (DRI), Chicago, 2009.
• Moderator, "Best Practices For Retaining Healthcare Clients: A Corporate Counsel Perspective," Healthcare Law Symposium, Annual Convention, National Bar Association, Houston, 2008.
• Presenter, "Voir Dire In State Court Criminal Cases," Fall CLE Conference, Magnolia Bar Association, Jackson, 2008.
• Presenter, "Electronic Discovery: Legal Issues and Practical Challenges," Corporate Counsel Conference, National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section, Miami, 2007.
• Co-Author, "Privilege Under The New Rules: New Mines in The Litigation Minefield," Commercial Law Connection, National Bar Association, 2007.
• Presenter, "Handling Insurance Claim Conflicts," National Business Institute, Insurance Law from A-Z, Jackson, 2007.
• Presenter, "A Defense Perspective on Insurance Litigation Trends In Mississippi and Trial of An Individual Fraud and Contract Claim (Defense Witnesses)," Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), Washington, D.C., 2003.
• Presenter, "Internet Gaming: Entertainment or a License To Steal?," American Trial Lawyers Association Convention, Atlanta, 2002.
• Presenter, "Trial of the Individual Insurance/Market Conduct Case," Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation II, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), San Francisco, 2000.
• Presenter, "Internet and Electronic Gaming," American Trial Lawyers Association Convention, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2001.
• Presenter, "Trial of the Individual Insurance/Market Conduct Case," Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation I, American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), New York, 2000.

• American Heart Association, Metro Jackson Affiliate, Chairman of Board
• American Heart Association, Greater Southeast Affiliate