Phone: (228) 762-6631
PRACTICE AREAS & QUALIFICATIONS
Practice Areas
Admissions
Mississippi (1981)
United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts
of MississippiUnited States Supreme Court
Education
Mississippi State University, B.A., 1978
University of Mississippi, J.D., 1981
ABOUT JOHN
John Banahan graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1980 before moving to Pascagoula with his wife Deborah. He joined the firm in 1981. Since beginning his trial practice in the early eighties John has tried over 190 jury trials to verdict. He has tried cases throughout Mississippi in state and federal court for over forty years. In addition, he has tried cases in federal court in Louisiana and Alabama. In addition to an active trial practice, he has briefed and argued numerous cases before the Mississippi Court of Appeals, the Mississippi Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Over the last ten years John has primarily focused his practice on defense of medical negligence claims and defense of insurance carriers in claims for extra contractual damages. Following Hurricane Katrina he served as lead counsel for several insurance carriers and handled many of the cases tried in Mississippi during that litigation.
John has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 1994 and for twelve years has been named to Mid-South Super Lawyers. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Mississippi, United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association having served as the past chairman of the medical malpractice section and served as the president in 1999. He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute and has served as Mississippi’s representative to that organization. He is a member of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has served as the past president of the Mississippi Chapter and Southeastern Region (SEABOTA). He is currently serving as a member of the National Board of ABOTA. John and Deborah are members of St. John’s Episcopal Church where he has served as a vestry member and senior warden. He has been active in community activities serving as the campaign chairman for the Jackson County United Way as well as a past president of the Pascagoula Rotary Club and the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce. John and Deborah have three children: Jessica, an attorney with the firm, Johnny, a physician, and Abigail, a physical therapist, and eight grandchildren.
REPRESENTATIVE DECISIONS
Smith v. Mississippi Coast OB/GYN, et al., 2019-CA-01058-COA (Miss. Ct. App. June 29, 2021)
Span v. Nichols, 2018-CA-01332-COA (Miss. Ct. App. May 12, 2020)
McGlothin v. State Farm Mutual Ins. Co., 925 F.3d 741 (5th Cir. 2019)
Mears v. Jones, 2018 WL 6444011 (5th Cir. Dec. 6, 2018)
Singing River Hospital v. Vermilyea, 242 So. 3d 74 (Miss. 2018)
Forrest General Hospital v. Upton, 240 So. 3d 410 (Miss. 2018)
Isom v. Valley Forge Ins. Co., 716 Fed. Appx. 280 (5th Cir. 2017)
Continental Cas. Co. v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 235 So. 3d 40 (Miss. 2017)
Piggott v. Taylor, 2016-CA-00187-COA (Miss. Ct. App. 2012)
Briggs v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., No. 16-60098 (5th Cir. 2016)
Forrest General Hospital v. Upton, No. 2016-IA-00452-SCT (Miss. Sp. Ct. 2016)
Chapman v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 180 So.3d 676 (Ct. App. Miss. 2015)
Dey v. State Farm Mutual Ins. Co., No. 14-60300 (5th Cir. 2015)
King v. Singing River Health System, et al, 157 So.3d 835 (Miss. Ct. of App. 2015)
Minnesota Life Ins. Co. v. Columbia Cas. Co., 164 So.3d 954 (Miss. 2014)
Crear v. Horn, 13-60352 (5th Cir. Aug. 19, 2014)
Barrow v. May, 2010-CA-01504-COA
Chevis v. Mississippi Farm Bureau Mutual Ins. Co., 76 So. 3d 187 (Miss. 2011)
Burnett v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., 30 So. 3d 1260 (Miss. 2011)
Broussard v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., 523 F. 3d 618 (5th Cir. 2008)
Scafide v. Bazzone, 962 So. 2d 585 (Miss. 2007)
Wilner v. White, 929 So. 2d 315 (Miss. 2006)
Hedgepeth v. Johnson, 975 So. 2d 235 (Miss. 2008)
Poole v. Avara, 908 So. 2d 716 (Miss. 2005)
Craig v. State Farm Fire and Cas. Co., 2005 US App. Lexis 15222 (5th Cir. 2005)
Crane Co. v. Kitzinger, 860 So. 2d 1196 (Miss. 2003)
Mitchell v. Glimm, 819 So. 2d 548 (Miss. Ct. of App. 2002)
Glennon v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., 812 So. 2d 927 (Miss. 2002)
Clark v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., 725 So. 2d 779 (Miss. 1998)
Wade v. Hamm, 96-CA-00265 COA (MS CA 1996)
Dewey v. Pabon, 662 So. 2d 188 (Miss. 1995)
Brake v. Speed, 605 So. 2d 28 (Miss. 1992)
Johnson v. Fargo, 604 So. 2d 306 (Miss. 1992)
Ingram v. Williamson, 519 So. 2d 1241 (Miss. 1988)
Bankers Life & Cas. Co. v. Crenshaw, 483 So. 2d 254 (Miss. 1985)
Adams v. Green and BTR Trucking, 474 So. 2d 577 (Miss. 1985)
Edwards v. Patrick, 469 So. 2d 92 (Miss. 1985)
In Re: Bufkin Brothers, Inc. 757 F 2d 1573 (5th Cir. 1985)
Fishboats Inc. v. Welzbacher, 413 So. 2d 710 (Miss. 1982)
Universal Underwriters v. Bob Burnham Pontiac-Toyota, 408 So.2d 1010 (Miss. 1982)
Pasco Enterprises v. Southland Insurance Agency, 408 So. 2d 63 (Miss. 1982)
MEMBERSHIPS & ACTIVITIES
Jackson County Bar Association; President, Young Lawyers Section,
1982–1983The Mississippi Bar Foundation Fellow
Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association; Director,
1994–1996; President, 1999Defense Research Institute, State Representative
Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
International Association of Defense Counsel
American Inns of Court
American Board of Trial Advocates; Past President Mississippi Chapter and Southeastern Region