Jimmy Heidelberg is a lifelong resident of Pascagoula, Mississippi. He graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1971, and the University of Southern Mississippi in 1975 receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Finance. He received a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Mississippi in December 1977, and has practiced law in Pascagoula since his admission to the Bar in January 1978. After an internship in the Jackson County Public Defender’s Office he practiced as a sole practitioner until he joined the firm in 1982.
Mr. Heidelberg is a member of the Mississippi Bar, the Mississippi Bar Foundation, the Jackson County Bar Association, the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, Mississippi Claims Association, The Defense Research Institute, American Inns of Court, and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He has served on numerous committees of the state and local bar associations, including service as a Trustee-at-Large of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, and three years as the Insurance Committee Chairman of the Mississippi Bar.
His practice primarily involves trial and appellate litigation in the fields of personal injury, governmental law and professional liability. Mr. Heidelberg has briefed or argued over eighty cases to the Mississippi Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Heidelberg holds the distinction of being the first legal intern to conduct oral argument before the Mississippi Supreme Court in 1977, which resulted in the reversal of a capital murder conviction.
Mr. Heidelberg represents several Mississippi governmental agencies and political subdivisions, and is an approved attorney for the Mississippi Tort Claims Board. He is an approved arbitrator for the National Association of Security Dealers (NASD), a founding member of the University of Southern Mississippi Law Society. He is a member of the Permanent Rules Committee for the United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi. In 2008, Lt. Gov. Bryant appointed him to serve as a member of the Mississippi State Oil & Gas Board. For that body he currently serves as Vice-Chairman.
Mr. Heidelberg served as Special Counsel to the Mississippi Senate in 2002 and 2003. During those two legislative sessions, Mississippi enacted significant tort reform legislation and changes to Mississippi laws regarding sovereign immunity. Mr. Heidelberg regularly makes presentations to the Bar and other continuing education forums on topics of tort reform, the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, and appellate advocacy. A copy of his written materials on appellate advocacy can be viewed by clicking here.
Mr. Heidelberg has argued and briefed many cases to both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Mississippi Supreme Court. A few of the significant decision are:
-Figueroa v. Orleans,
2010 Miss. App. LEXIS 377 (Miss.Ct.App. 2010)
-Grandquest v. Estate of McFarland,
18 So.3d 324 (Miss.Ct.App. 2009)
-Lee v. Miss. Dept. of Transportation,
2009 Miss.App. LEXIS 604 (Miss.Ct.App. 2009)
-Hood ex rel State Tobacco Litigation v. Gov. Haley Barbour et al.,
958 So.2d 790 (Miss. 2007)
-Smith v. Noble Drilling, Inc.,
784 So.2d 1003 (Miss.Ct.App. 2001)
-Lady v. Outboard Marine Corp.,
228 F.3d 598 (5th Cir. 2000)
-Pavone v. Mississippi Riverboat Amusement Corp.,
52 F.3d 560 (5th Cir. 1995)
-Jerry Lee's Grocery v. Thompson,
528 So.2d 293 (Miss. 1988)
Mr. Heidelberg has held an “AV” rating in Martindale-Hubbell since 1994, and has been listed in “The Best Lawyers in America”, since 1999. In 2003, he received the Mississippi State Bar Distinguished Service Award. Jimmy is listed annually in the publication “SuperLawyers - Mid-South Edition.”
