Paul H. Stephenson III

Paul H. Stephenson III was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1977.  He is also admitted to practice before all state and federal district courts in Mississippi, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.  His practice has focused on business, commercial, and financial disputes at the trial and appellate levels.  Paul's experience includes complex class actions, oil and gas controversies, and business practices challenges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). 

His cases of note include The Piney Woods Country Life School v. Shell Oil Co., 539 F. Supp. 957 (S.D. Miss. 1982), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 726 F.2d 225 (5th Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1005 (1985); on remand, No. J74-0307(W) (S.D. Miss. April 24, 1989), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 905 F.2d 840 (5th Cir. 1990); on remand, 1995 WL 917482 (S.D. Miss. 1995), aff'd in part, 116 F.3d 478 (5th Cir. 1997); on remand, 170 F. Supp. 2d 675 (S.D. Miss. 1999), aff'd, 218 F.3d 744 (5th Cir. 2000); Ayers v. Allain, 674 F. Supp. 1523 (N.D. Miss. 1987), aff'd en banc, 898 F.2d 1014 (5th Cir. 1990), vacated and remanded, 505 U.S. 717 (1992); on remand, 879 F. Supp. 1419 (N.D. Miss. 1995), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 111 F.3d 1183 (5th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1084 (1998); on remand, 2002 WL 91895 (N.D. Miss. 2002), aff'd, 358 F.3d 356 (5th Cir. 2004), cert. denied,543 U.S. 951 (2004); and Smith v. Tower Loan of Mississippi, Inc., 216 F.R.D.338 (S.D. Miss. 2003), aff'd,  91 Fed. Appx. 952 (5th Cir. 2004), cert. denied., 534 U.S. 1089 (2005).

• AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• The American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
• Benchmark Litigation: Local Litigation Star, 2016–19 (Appellate; Energy and Natural Resources; General Commercial) 
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2025, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2024, Litigation - Banking & Finance)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2021, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2020, Bet-the-Company Litigation)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2018, Natural Resource Law)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2016, Oil and Gas Law)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Jackson, Mississippi Lawyer of the Year (2015, Litigation - Banking & Finance)
• Chambers USA-America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2004-24, Litigation: General Commercial)
• Mid-South Super Lawyers (2006-19, Business Litigation, Class Action/Mass Torts, Civil Litigation Defense)
• The Best Lawyers in America (2009-25, Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Energy Law; Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants; Litigation - Banking and Finance; Natural Resources Law; Oil and Gas Law)
• Business Today’s Top 10 Most Influential Commercial Litigation Lawyers in Mississippi, 2023

• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
• First Presbyterian Church (past deacon and chairman of Diaconate; present member of Session)
• Mississippi Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Board of Trustees of Jackson Preparatory School (past member and president)
• Rotary Club of Jackson (past member)
• Mississippi Joint Committee on Campus Work for Reformed University Ministries/Mississippi (past member)
• The Mississippi Bar