Walter W. Dukes, Attorney

Walter Dukes is President, founding member and Senior share-holder of Dukes, Dukes, Keating & Faneca, P.A., located in Gulfport, Mississippi.  He received a B.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi, and Juris Doctorate from The Jackson School of Law at Mississippi College.

Walter brings first-chair practice in all aspects of jury and bench trials, and mediation.  His more than forty years of experience in the courtroom has led to him handling the defenses of complex cases. He has tried cases throughout the state of Mississippi and tried cases to verdict in West Virginia and Texas.  Mr. Dukes also has an extensive practice in the areas of defense premises liability, premises security, trucking/transportation law, and construction litigation.

Active in various defense and insurance organizations, Walter holds membership in the DRI and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), which is composed of leaders in legal communities worldwide and in which he has served on the Board of Directors and spoken on many complex issues.  Membership in the FDCC is held exclusively for those who have been judged by their peers who have achieved professional distinction.  Mr. Dukes is honored to be a Fellow of The Mississippi Bar Foundation, and he is a member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys.

Walter’s practice areas include a broad general insurance defense practice, although he specializes  in the defense of catastrophic claims involving wrongful death, burns and paralysis.   Walter also defends police officers and municipalities. Community and civic involvement are very important in Walter’s life.

Walter is married to the former Carolyn Elaine Wiggs of Butler, Alabama; and they have two children, and six grandchildren. Walter and his family are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where Walter serves as an Elder.

School	Degree	Major	Graduation
Mississippi College School of Law	J.D.	Law School	N/A
University of Southern Mississippi	B.A.

State / Court	Date
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit	1981
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit	1981
U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi	1979
Mississippi	1978
U.S. District Court Southern District of Mississippi	1978

• Mississippi Bar Association
  Harrison County Bar Association
  Federal Bar Association
  Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
  CLM Alliance
  Litigation Counsel of America

• Martindale-Hubbell, “AV” Rated
  FDCC Joseph R. Olshan Award
  Best Lawyers in America
  Top Attorneys in Mississippi
  Former USM Foundation Board of Directors
  Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association