Parker serves as the Practice Group Leader of the Firm’s Regulatory and Government Relations Practice Group. Parker’s practice includes representing a variety of state and local governmental bodies or private parties needing regulatory approvals and/or economic development incentives before such bodies. As a result, Parker has a breadth of experience and knowledge in navigating regulatory, administrative economic development and litigation matters for both public and private clients.
Overview
Parker serves as the Practice Group Leader of the Firm’s Regulatory and Government Relations Practice Group. Parker’s practice includes representing a variety of state and local governmental bodies or private parties needing regulatory approvals and/or economic development incentives before such bodies. As a result, Parker has a breadth of experience and knowledge in navigating regulatory, administrative economic development and litigation matters for both public and private clients.
Practice Areas
About
Parker’s practice includes representing a variety of state and local governmental bodies or private parties needing regulatory approvals and/or economic development incentives before such bodies. As a result, Parker has a breadth of experience and knowledge in navigating regulatory, administrative, economic development and litigation matters for both public and private clients. His experience includes handling a variety of administrative matters, hearings and appeals before state agencies, public finance transactions, and representing various state agencies, counties and municipalities in Mississippi concerning regulatory, administrative, economic development and specialty litigation issues. He has significant expertise in the Voting Rights Act leading to a range of local, state and federal redistricting work. He has also served as counsel in numerous election contests including federal, state and local government elections.
Parker also represents private companies seeking local and state incentives and tax abatement work for economic development projects of all sizes. Such representation includes work for power generation entities and data centers, including representation of Amazon Web Services and xAI (now SpaceXAI) culminating in the two largest economic development projects by capital investment in Mississippi’s history. His economic development work also includes the representation of numerous renewable energy enterprises seeking tax abatements and regulatory approvals before the Mississippi Public Service Commission.
Parker currently serves as City Attorney to the City of Richland, MS. In this capacity he represents the city and manages all legal issues including zoning, municipal law, public works, financing, employment, procurement, public records, open meetings and litigation matters. He serves as co-counsel for the Mississippi Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment (2012-2013; 2021-Present), co-counsel for the Chair of Texas House of Representatives Redistricting Committee (2021-Present), and counsel to numerous local governments in redistricting efforts following the 2010 and 2020 Census. Additionally, Parker also serves as counsel to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, handling administrative hearings, rule promulgation and appeals.
Best Lawyers in America® recognized him in 2026 for his work Commercial Litigation and Economic Development Law. He is active in a number of professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Mississippi Bar Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers and the International Municipal Lawyers Association. Parker has presented numerous seminars on local government law, economic development incentives and tax abatements, public finance and redistricting and has co-authored articles published by the American Bar Association and The Mississippi Lawyer.
He obtained his J.D., magna cum laude, in 2012 from the University of Mississippi and his B.B.A., summa cum laude, in Business Management from Mississippi State University.
Experience
Data Center Projects
- Representation of Amazon Web Services regarding negotiating and drafting incentives contracts, legislation and tax abatements for one of the largest economic development projects in Mississippi.
- Represents SpaceXAI in developing a data center campus and 1+ GW behind-the-meter power generation with a projected investment over $40 billion.
- Provides Mississippi utility and regulatory advice to a number of data center developers seeking to construct bend-the-meter power generation.
Other Notable Economic Development Projects
- Represented Mayo Clinic in zoning/regulatory certification/local tax incentives for Mayo’s first investment in Mississippi with the location of a testing laboratory facility in Southaven.
- Represented Encompass Health in regulatory certification/local tax incentives for Encompass’s 50-bed in-patient rehabilitation hospital in Flowood .
- Serve as counsel for the development of a 3,000 MW HVDC transmission line in Mississippi and Louisiana, including representation before the Mississippi Public Service Commission for a siting certificate.
- Representation of over 25 solar and other renewable energy projects in Mississippi regarding land use matters, tax incentives and regulatory approvals before the Mississippi Public Service Commission.
- Representation of numerous other private entities around the state seeking economic development incentives and tax abatements.
Voting Rights/Redistricting
- Serves as co-counsel for the Mississippi Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment (2012-2013, 2021-Present).
- Serves as co-counsel for the Chair of Texas House of Representatives Redistricting Committee (2021-Present).
- Serves as Co-Counsel on behalf of the State of Mississippi in the statewide challenge to Mississippi’s legislative redistricting map before a three-judge panel, Miss. State Conf. of NAACP, et. al v. State board of Election Commissioners et. al, 3:22-cv-00734.
- Served as counsel to numerous Mississippi counties, cities and school districts regarding redistricting.
- Counsel on behalf of State of Mississippi in Thomas v. Reeves, 961. F3d 800 (5th Cir. 2020) and underlying litigation.
Administrative/Regulatory Work
- Substantial experience representing private parties in a variety of administrative regulatory approvals, hearings and appeals.
- Representation of various state agencies, counties and municipalities in Mississippi concerning regulatory, administrative and specialty litigation issues.
- Experience in a range of environmental regulatory issues, including involvement in navigating complex legacy site contamination matters.
- Parker currently serves as City Attorney to the City of Richland, MS. In this capacity he represents the city and manages all legal issues including: zoning, municipal law, public works, financing, employment, procurement and litigation matters.
- Served as counsel in numerous election contests including federal, state and local government elections.
- Served as counsel in bond validation objections and appeals before the Mississippi Supreme Court
- In re: Validation of Lauderdale County, Mississippi General Obligation Bonds, Series 2013, No. 2013-CA-01684-SCT (Miss. 2015) (successful)
- In re: Validation of City of Meridian, Mississippi General Obligation Bonds, Series 2013, No. 2013-CA-0659-SCT (Miss. 2014) (successful).
- Serves as counsel for the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, handling administrative hearings, rule promulgation and appeals.
- Served as co-counsel for Mississippi Department of Education in administrative licensure hearings.
Distinctions
- BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®
- Commercial Litigation, 2026-2027
- Economic Development Law, 2027
- Ones to Watch, Administrative / Regulatory Law, 2021-2025
- Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- Ones to Watch, Environmental Law, 2022-2025
Bar Admissions
- Mississippi, 2012
- U.S Districts Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
Education
- University of Mississippi, J.D., magna cum laude, 2012
- Associate Articles Editor, Mississippi Law Journal
- Member, Phi Delta Phi Honor Society
- Mississippi Bar Health Law Scholarship Recipient
- Mississippi State University, B.B.A., Management, summa cum laude, 2009
- President’s List
- IIAM Scholarship Recipient 2007 & 2008
- Order of Omega Honor’s Society
Associations
- American Bar Association
- State and Local Government Section
- Mississippi Bar Association
Papers, Presentations & Publications
- Presenter, Mississippi Association of County Board Attorneys’ Conference, Economic Development Incentives, Summer 2025
- Presenter, Mississippi Chancery Clerk and Administrator’s Conference, Economic Development Incentives, Spring 2025
- Presenter, Mississippi Association of County Board Attorneys’ Conference, Case Law Update, Summer 2024
- Co-Panelist, Mississippi Broadband Association Fall Conference, Why Partnerships Matter, October 6, 2023
- Co-Author, "Mississippi's Fee-in-Lieu Statute and Renewable Energy Exemptions", Environmental Update, November 11, 2022.
- Presenter, "Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act," Mississippi Municipal League, March 28, 2022.
- Presenter, "American Rescue Plan Act Funding Webinar," Mississippi Municipal League, July 15, 2021.
- Presenter, “MEMA’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program – Grant Funding Under the Stafford Act and Coronavirus Relief Fund,” Mississippi Municipal League, September 2020.
- Co-Author, “Section 2 Vote Dilution in 2018 and Beyond, With Emphasis on State Legislative Redistricting,” America Votes! Challenges to Modern Election Law and Voting Rights (4th ed., American Bar Association, 2019).
- Co-Author, “Fundamentals of Redistricting,” The Mississippi Lawyer, Spring 2019.
- Presenter, Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Continuing Education for Residential Builders and Remodelers, June 2016.
- Co-Author, “Finding Middle Ground for State Legislative Reapportionment,” America Votes! A Guide to Modern Election Law and Voting Rights, 3rd ed., American Bar Association, May 2016.
- Presenter, “Finding Middle Ground for State Legislative Reapportionment,” America Votes! A Guide to Modern Election Law and Voting Rights, American Bar Association, Feb. 2016.
- Presenter, Mississippi Association of County Board Attorneys’ Conference, Case Law Update, Summer 2014, Winter 2016.
- Presenter, Mississippi Association of School Administrators’ Conference, Case Law Update, Fall 2014.
- Presenter, Mississippi Municipal League Convention, “21-19-11 and Municipal Property Clean-up," Summer 2014.
- Author, "Shelby County v. Holder: A Dramatic Shift in Voting Procedure," Mississippi Municipal League’s Mississippi Municipalities, 2013 Fall Edition.
- Presenter, "Urban Renewal: Tools for Land Use Planning," 82nd Annual MML Conference, July 15, 2013.
- Presenter, "Local Government and Solid Waste," 2013 Local Government and Solid Waste Officer Training, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, March 2013.