Richard G. Norris, II represents insurers and corporate clients in matters regarding commercial and business litigation, insurance coverage and disputes, product liability and manufacturing issues, employment matters, and commercial transportation issues.

Mr. Norris has substantial experience advising employers relating to employee policies, reductions in force, individual terminations, severance, protection of company trade secrets and confidential information and other employee and business related issues. He has prepared, interpreted and enforced company and employee contracts, handbooks, policy manuals, confidentiality and non-compete agreements. Mr. Norris has also defended numerous employers in administrative and judicial proceedings in matters involving claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Pay Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, various “Pay-Day” statutes and regulations, as well as claims for breach of contract, allegations of wrongful termination, unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets and company data, and breach of confidentiality and non-compete agreements.

Mr. Norris has substantial experience representing large commercial carriers, private fleets and insurers in matters involving a host of commercial transportation issues, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and other Department of Transportation regulations, Compliance Safety Accountability scores, the Mississippi Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulations statutes, and other related statutes and regulations.

Mr. Norris also regularly defends major manufacturers in product liability cases involving power tools, outdoor power equipment, industrial equipment, home electronics and medical devices, recreational and sporting equipment and automotive issues. Mr. Norris’ experience with product liability cases includes dealing with products which have been recalled and/or investigated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Mr. Norris has handled and defended claims and complaints relating to allegations of design and manufacturing defects, failure to warn and/or instruct, insufficient warnings and instructions, and breach of warranty, among others.

Mr. Norris is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in State of Mississippi, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. He has been admitted on a pro hac vice basis in numerous additional states and has handled and/or consulted on cases in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, California, Florida and South Carolina. Mr. Norris previously served as an Associate Professor of Business Law at Belhaven University (formerly Belhaven College) in Jackson.

Mr. Norris is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Defense Research Institute, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, and Mississippi Manufacturing Association.

Mr. Norris holds the highest peer review rating awarded by Martindale Hubbell, an AV Preeminent rating; he has been named one of The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2018 in the areas of Insurance Law and Product Liability Litigation Defense, which is also a peer reviewed honor; he was named a Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and a Mid-South Super Lawyer in 2018 and 2019; he was selected by the American Society of Legal Advocates as a “Top 40 Under 40” litigation lawyer in Mississippi from 2014-2018; he was recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2013 “Top Rated Lawyer”; and he was selected for inclusion in the Mississippi Business Journal’s “Leaders in Law” in 2012, an honor awarded to only 50 attorneys from the state of Mississippi.