Anybody who joined me for our Hurricane Ida webinar yesterday could tell that Steve Mullins is an aggressive and experienced property insurance advocate. Steve was born in New Orleans and is the eldest son of Louisiana parents. Steve grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Ocean Springs. He is a proud graduate of Ocean Springs High School, where he was active in football, student government, and all sorts of fun that is available when you live along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I know about those fun things because I lived in Waveland, Mississippi, for three of my best formative years.
Steve Mullins then had a diverse education because he attended the University of Mississippi for his undergraduate and graduate MBA degrees. He then left Mississippi and returned to his roots in Louisiana, going to the LSU law school.
Steve started his practice of law in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He returned to the Mississippi Coast, where he has continuously practiced law with an extensive involvement in Hurricane claim litigation. While his primary practice has been in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, he has been involved in litigation across the country from Wyoming, Montana, and Nevada to New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Steve is fully licensed to practice law in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
Steve moved to Mobile following Hurricane Katrina because his children’s school was destroyed. Wright and Anne Carter are lucky to have a father who is active in all aspects of their lives. He coached their various sporting teams, helped with Boy Scouts, and supported Anne’s cheerleading events. Never far from his passion for football, Steve has served as a member of the Senior Bowl Committee for over a decade.
Most people who spend any time in Lake Charles become active outdoorsmen. My parents lived in Lake Charles, and it truly is a sportsman’s paradise. Similarly, Steve is a very active outdoorsman, and like so many other sportsmen, he advocates for conservation and environmental issues, having served as Executive Director, Chairman of the Board, and President of CCA of Mississippi. Steve told me that he became involved with numerous conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy.
Steve Mullins has consistently been recognized as a legal leader. He was elected President of the Jackson County Bar Association and is currently President-elect of the Mississippi Association for Justice. In addition, he is routinely invited as a speaker at Professionalism programs sponsored by the Bar at both the University of Mississippi Law School, the Mississippi College Law School, and is invited as a lecturer for the Mississippi Bar’s Summer school. As Larry Bache says of Merlin Law Group attorneys, we have a bunch of “contenders rather than pretenders,” and Steve Mullins fits into that category.
Steve was instrumental in obtaining a favorable result for victims in the Chinese Drywall Litigation wars. He successfully represented over a thousand Gulf Coast victims and was quoted in the press, which noted:
‘It is a complicated issue because it involves builders, owners, supply companies, German companies, insurance companies, anything you can possibly imagine, and homeowners,’ Mullins said about the ongoing litigation. ‘It has taken an exceptionally long time to work it out.’
Mullins said hearing the news that a major settlement has been reached is just what his clients needed to hear.
‘Thank God,’ Mullins said. ‘About time, yes. It is like a feeling of relief.’
There are three funds set up under this new settlement agreement to reimburse homeowners for their losses. All together, those funds could exceed more than a billion dollars.
‘One is for economic loss, for people that have lost money as a result of this, and personal injuries. And that fund is at $30 million. There is also a fund that is important to clients that will pay attorney fees and expenses, so no one is out of pocket,’ Mullins said about the terms of the agreement. ‘Then there is an unlimited, uncapped fund that is estimated at $800 million to a billion. I think it’s going to be substantially north of a billion for people to fix their homes.’
I met Steve following Hurricane Katrina. He actively litigated against the insurance companies denying “slabbed” policyholders. We are fortunate to have Steve Mullins join our firm as Of Counsel and help our clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
