Melody Eagan Discusses State of Legal Industry, Diversity & Inclusion in BBJ Feature

October 14, 2020

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC managing partner Melody Eagan was interviewed for a recent feature in the Birmingham Business Journal. In the publication’s October 9 issue, she discussed what’s ahead for the legal industry next year.

“Many businesses expect their litigation spend is going to go up in 2021 because they recognize there is going to be a likely increase in case filings,” Eagan told the Business Journal. “I expect we’re going to see an increase — and already are — in complex commercial litigation such as real estate disputes related to COVID; business interruption claims; the financial services industry, such as dealing with SBA loan processing; we’ve seen some class actions arise out of that.”

In addition, Eagan commented on the firm’s diversity efforts and the importance of inclusion across the legal industry. She was recently named to the 2020 “Top Birmingham Women” list by the BBJ and quoted in its “State of women in Birmingham” profile.

Eagan became Lightfoot’s first female managing partner in 2018. She has decades of experience defending high stakes product liability and catastrophic injury cases and has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict throughout the Southeast. She also represents medical providers in malpractice cases, as well as serves as appellate counsel for a number of clients. Benchmark Litigation selected Eagan as one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” in the country for the past two years. She is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America© and Mid-South Super Lawyers, and the National Law Journal has recognized her as an Elite Boutique Trailblazer.