McClatchy Washington Bureau

Print This Article

The Provost-Umphrey law firm based in Beaumont, Texas, is now representing about 200 policyholders whose disputes with State Farm were being handled by Richard Scruggs and associated law firms.

Scruggs had to relinquish the cases after he was charged in December with conspiring to bribe a North Mississippi judge. He subsequently pleaded guilty in the case. Once Scruggs was charged, State Farm asked a federal judge to dismiss other attorneys who had worked with him. A federal judge agreed to dismiss those lawyers, known as the Katrina Litigation Group.

Provost-Umphrey attorneys met with Scruggs' former clients Thursday in Gulfport, said senior partner Bryan O. Blevins Jr. "Hopefully, we can get this litigation back on track to benefit the clients and, ultimately, the courts," Blevins said Friday.

Attorney Don Barrett, who headed the Katrina Litigation Group, on April 18 wrote to the firm's 400 clients suggesting they hire Provost-Umphrey and also saying the new firm would be sending them contracts at Barrett's request.

Read the full story at sunherald.com.