Stephen Fritz

Associate

sfritz@bradley.com

Jackson P: 601.592.9961 F: 601.592.1415

Legal Assistant

Jermesha Spiller

P: 601.592.9940 jspiller@bradley.com

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Stephen Fritz has experience from the pleadings to the appeal. His work spans an array of subject matters, including products liability and other tort claims, commercial disputes, and federal statutory claims.

Stephen’s practice frequently involves briefing dispositive motions and appeals. His work on several mass-litigation teams also includes taking depositions, briefing Daubert motions, and weighing in on strategic litigation decisions.

Stephen maintains strong community involvement. A firm believer in lawyers’ obligation to work pro bono, he has experience with various Mississippi chancery court matters and federal habeas. He also serves as his church’s senior warden, was a member of the 2022-2023 Mississippi Bar Leadership class, and participates in several local bar organizations.

Before joining the firm, Stephen clerked for the Hon. Rhesa H. Barksdale on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also taught middle school social studies in Holmes County, Mississippi, through Teach For America.

Stephen received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was an articles editor for the Virginia Law Review and a member of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. (summa cum laude) in history and political science.

Area(s) of Focus

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2019, Articles Editor, Virginia Law Review; Supreme Court Litigation Clinic; Order of the Coif; Curriculum Director, Street Law; Law Christian Fellowship
University of Pennsylvania, 2013, summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa; Editor-in-Chief, Penn Political Review; Research Fellow, Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism; 2013 Gussie Wachs Prize

Mississippi

United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
United States District Court, Northern District of Mississippi
United States District Court, Southern District of Mississippi

United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Honorable Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale, 2019-2020

Mary’s Episcopal Church, Lexington, Miss.; Senior Warden

Capital Area Bar Association

Jackson Young Lawyers, Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, Co-Chair

Mississippi Legal Ambassador, Mississippi Lawyers Volunteer Project

Accolades

Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, "Rising Star", 2023-2024 Jackson Young Lawyers Association, Pro Bono Award, 2023 Adams v. 3M Company, 65 F.4th 802 (6th Cir. 2023) This appeal involved two mass tort cases, each permissively joining the claims of more than 100 plaintiffs and seeking a singular jury trial and judgment. Following removal under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA), the district court remanded to state court, and we then obtained leave to appeal. Rejecting the district court’s approach and adopting our position as circuit law, the Sixth Circuit held that a mass action permissively joining the claims of more than 100 plaintiffs is presumptively removable under CAFA. Further rejecting the plaintiffs’ local-controversy argument, the Sixth Circuit held the cases should proceed in federal court. Holliday Construction, LLC v. George County, 352 So. 3d 651 (Miss. Ct. App. 2022) A construction company disputed a county’s decision not to award it a hurricane clean-up contract, seeking compensatory damages for lost profits. The circuit court rejected the construction company’s claims, and the county engaged us to defend that judgment on appeal. Agreeing with our client, the Mississippi Court of Appeals affirmed and held that the construction company was not entitled to any recovery. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Mississippi Transportation Commission, 317 So. 3d 937 (Miss. 2021) In this dispute about a highway construction project’s fuel reimbursement formula, the trial court denied our motion for partial summary judgment on liability. Reversing on interlocutory appeal, the Mississippi Supreme Court concluded that the defendant state agency was liable to our client as a matter of law. Skyhawke Technologies, LLC v. GolfzonDeca, Inc., No. 19-1692-GW-PLA, 2021 WL 2644049 (C.D. Cal. May 17, 2021) Our client was brought into a long-running dispute involving significant antitrust, unfair competition, and false advertising claims. Agreeing the complaint failed to state plausible claims against our client, the court granted our motion to dismiss. Perkins v. Hall, No. 1:18-cv-00389-RHWR, (S.D. Miss. Jan. 22, 2022) In this action pursuant to section 1983, an incarcerated person brought constitutional claims against our clients, his medical providers. We obtained summary judgment on all claims. A primary brief drafter for a repeat products liability defendant. Briefing includes successful summary judgment, transfer, and discovery motions. Represented products liability defendant in multi-district litigation as a member of depositions and briefing teams. Obtained settlement for a general contractor in a contract dispute following briefing in the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.