Family Law

• Divorce
  More specifically, legal malpractice might occur if a legal claim or lawsuit is mishandled. Malpractice might involve poor advice or document drafting related to a business deal, real estate transaction, separation or divorce agreement, or estate planning. Damages resulting from a claim of malpractice are sometimes tricky to prove, often taking on a series of “what ifs” and examining the viability of the original transaction or decision that initiated the claim of malpractice.
• Guardianship
  At Rushing & Guice, we understand the importance of estate planning in Mississippi. Estate planning involves the process of arranging for the management and distribution of your assets upon your death or incapacitation. It allows you to dictate how your property, finances, and personal belongings will be handled, ensuring that your wishes are carried out effectively. In Mississippi, estate planning typically involves the creation of a will, which outlines your preferences regarding beneficiaries, guardianship of minor children, and the appointment of an executor.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Defenses to white collar criminal charges need to be carefully curated based on actual and circumstantial evidence, public relations, and reputation. We urge you to consider hiring lawyers as soon as the threat of an investigation is pending so that our skilled white collar criminal defense lawyers can protect your rights and develop your defenses according to the facts of your case.
• DUI/DWI
  Drunk driving accidents in Mississippi often result in severe injuries and fatalities, as intoxicated drivers recklessly endanger others by violating state laws. Victims of a drunk driving accident can claim potential compensation for current & future medical expenses, damages to property, loss of income and potential pain & suffering.
• Wrongful Death
  Death on the High Seas Act: This law provides a cause of action in wrongful death for passengers on vessels operating outside the three-mile coastal limit. Fault must be proven. The Jones Act covers the workers and this statute covers the non-employees who might be killed due to unsafe conditions on vessels. However, this statute does not compensate for a full range of loss. There is no recovery for loss of companionship, pain and suffering, lost earning potential, or future medical expenses.
• Fraud
  “White collar crime” usually refers to a non-violent crime committed through deceit, concealment, or exploitation of trust, and motivated by financial gain. The crimes can be charged against a corporation or commercial entity, or against an individual. There are numerous types of white collar crimes. The most common are business offenses such as mail or wire fraud, bribery, insider trading, public corruption, environmental crime, pension fund crime, securities fraud, and forgery. Charges can also include RICO offenses, money laundering and other financial offenses, and complex theft. These crimes often leave paper and digital evidence trails requiring investigation and document production that can last for months or even years.
• White Collar Crimes
  The complexities of the transactions and laws that are often at issue in white collar criminal prosecutions or public corruption cases require defense lawyers who have the knowledge and resources at their disposal to mount a powerful defense. Rushing & Guice’s criminal defense practice provides vigorous defense representation for those charged with white collar crimes, public officials facing corruption charges, and those under investigation or who have been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury.
• Theft
• Misdemeanors
  Embezzlement is a criminal offense in Mississippi but whether it is prosecuted as a felony or misdemeanor depends on the value of the property embezzled. When the property embezzled is valued at over $1,000, felony charges can be filed, and the immediate and longer-term penalties become even harsher than with a misdemeanor. Anyone charged with embezzlement in Mississippi should seek representation from an experienced criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights and mitigate the potentially severe consequences. What is embezzlement? Embezzlement is a white-collar crime that involves someone fraudulently concealing, secreting, or converting to their own use...
• Embezzlement
• Assault
• Forgery
• Money Laundering

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
• Business Formation
  Rushing & Guice provides guidance to business owners on business viability and business formation and structure, evaluating their unique needs and objectives, and discussing with them the many structural options available. At all phases of business development—preliminary evaluations, formation, and succession—we are there to provide guidance and legal opinions. When you deal with an integrated law firm like Rushing & Guice, we can accompany you through all the steps of business formation with an eye towards the future and success.
• Business Disputes
  Efficient Business Operations: Well-established companies trust us to represent their unsettled disputes. Our legal support in business law is geared towards efficient business operations, considering the company’s reputation while resolving disputes.
• Business Transactions
  Our banking practice works in concert with our other practice areas to provide a broad perspective and range of capabilities not often found in firms of our size. We have robust bankruptcy, business transactions and litigation, and real estate practices, and our commercial collections attorneys have earned Rushing & Guice the distinction of being the only Mississippi member of the International Association of Commercial Collectors. Our small size also allows us to provide tailored solutions and unmatched accessibility for our clients while ensuring that they get the best possible advice and are positioned for growth and success.
• Limited Liability Companies
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property
• Unfair Competition

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act: This law offers protection to maritime workers who don’t spend their time on vessels. Harbor workers, longshoremen, shipbuilders, repair workers, and other members of the offshore industry can sue for injuries caused by maintaining an unsafe work environment. Like the Jones Act, a successful plaintiff must prove employer fault to collect damages.
• Employment Contract
  Because Rushing & Guice is an integrated law firm, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast area since 1908, we have the legal talent to help you at each step of business formation, expansion, and succession. Entrepreneur gurus use terms like sales funnels, branding, tracking customers, and reducing risk when coaching business CEOs. Our team will make sure that your business decisions conform to legal standards, have the most advantageous tax consequences, and can be implemented effectively. Whether it is a new hire with a specific employment contract, securing intellectual property protection, meeting and beating the competition, or expanding into new markets, we are here ready to serve you.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Whether it is a conflict during sale negotiations or a disagreement between neighboring homeowners over access, easements, or encroachments, real estate disputes can develop in a wide variety of circumstances. We work hard to help our clients resolve these issues in a timely, cost-effective manner so they can move forward with their lives and begin enjoying their property. We provide effective representation in all manner of real estate disputes, including...
• Premises Liability
  Premises liability laws in Mississippi make it essential for property owners to meet their duty of care to tenants and visitors by identifying and removing hazards on their premises as soon as possible. If a property owner neglects this duty of care and their actions result in losses or injuries to another party, that party can sue the property owner to seek compensation. But what happens if the visitor to the property is a trespasser without permission to be there? What rules apply then? Here is what you need to know about premises liability and trespasser injuries. What is...
• Construction Litigation
• Real Estate Transactions
  Sometimes real estate transactions do not progress smoothly requiring strategies, such as litigation, to resolve zoning, land use, and environmental issues, as well as disputes arising between parties to a real estate transaction. Rushing & Guice is here to help you resolve these disputes quickly and cost-effectively.
• Eminent Domain
  The government has the authority to purchase private land for the public good. This is called eminent domain. When exercising its power of eminent domain, the government must pay adequate compensation. The condemnation process and the requisite negotiations on compensation also rely upon a combination of legal expertise and experienced relationships with the government officials involved. Rushing & Guice can serve its clients in these negotiations, and if necessary, file suit to increase the amount of compensation.
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
  Since 1908, Rushing & Guice has provided counsel and legal services to the Gulf Coast business community and throughout Mississippi. The depth of our understanding of this community, and all of its changing players, provides added value to our clients, especially those who are interested in land development. Our skilled lawyers are experienced in commercial, residential, mixed use, urban and historic redevelopment, and industrial projects that encompass all facets of land use and zoning as well as environmental law. We have established relationships with Mississippi and other Gulf State agencies and local administrators – the governmental branches that approve development requests. Although sometimes opaque and admittedly complex, these procedures are necessary for land development that conforms to zoning and environmental regulations.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  At Rushing & Guice, LLC we are dedicated to serving personal injury victims and their families in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We understand the profound impact an injury can have, and we approach each case with compassion and commitment. Our experienced personal injury lawyers have a proven record of securing substantial compensation for our clients, relentlessly pursuing justice against those responsible.
• Medical Malpractice
  Medical Malpractice: Injuries resulting from medical negligence, such as misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, birth injuries, or failure to provide proper treatment or care.
• Auto Accidents
• Dog Bites
  Dog Bites: Injuries resulting from dog attacks or animal bites, where the owner may be held liable for damages.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Too many Americans die without a will. That is called dying intestate and almost 70% of Americans die intestate. That leaves the family confused and burdened. It also requires that all of the remaining property go through probate, an expensive and time-consuming process that drains resources from the family. When you work with an estate planning attorney, estate planning can be accomplished in a timely fashion and can relieve the surviving spouse and family from the strain of focusing on tasks and decisions that could be assigned through thoughtful and comprehensive estate planning.
• Wills
  In Mississippi, an estate plan typically includes a last will and testament, which specifies how the individual’s property will be distributed and names an executor to carry out their wishes. It may also involve establishing trusts to protect assets and minimize estate taxes. Other elements of an estate plan may include powers of attorney for healthcare and finances, living wills, and designations of guardians for minor children.
• Trusts
  Special needs’ planning encompasses many areas of the law, such as trusts and estates, public benefits law, and health care law. We can develop special needs trusts, wills, letters of intent, powers of attorney, health care directives, and other means of ensuring that disabled individuals will enjoy a lifetime of care, assistance, and financial security. Our attorneys also help parents determine, maximize and preserve their child’s eligibility for government benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Special needs estate planning requires a careful balancing of resources and each family’s unique needs.
• Power of Attorney
  A full spectrum estate plan involves appointing a health care proxy and drafting a durable power of attorney. Some clients prefer to detail the considerations for end-of-life decisions so that family members are fully aware of their desires. Others use this opportunity to have frank discussions with the designated health care proxy and family members.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  Our lawyers can represent your banking and financial institution in government enforcement actions and hearings, civil and criminal court matters, and internal investigations. Our team brings years of courtroom and litigation experience to our clients in a variety of settings, starting with negotiations, administrative hearings, and of course, litigation. Whether a regulatory enforcement action or a foreclosure, Rushing & Guice brings over one hundred years of reputation and skill to your representation.
• Tax Law
  Addressing outstanding property tax issues and liens is another critical area where legal experts shine, preventing potential complications during the sale or purchase of commercial real estate.
• Debt Collection
  While always cognizant of strict federal and state laws regarding debt collection procedures, our collection attorneys take every available step to obtain payment from delinquent parties quickly.