Heather serves as counsel to Phelps Dunbar's gaming practice in the firm's Jackson office and has devoted her practice solely to gaming-related matters for more than nine years. She represents various industry members (both domestic and international), including casino developers, casino operators, gaming equipment manufacturers, and gaming device distributors as well as their equity holders, officers, directors, key employees, gaming employees, lenders and landlords, before the Mississippi Gaming Commission and other Mississippi governmental bodies. Heather provides a wide array of legal services to these clients, e.g., supporting client efforts to identify and acquire suitable gaming sites and facilitating regulatory approvals related to those sites; guiding clients through the licensing process; assisting related persons in obtaining regulatory registrations, findings of suitability, institutional investor waivers, key employee licenses and work permits; drafting transaction documents related to, and obtaining regulatory approvals / waivers required in connection with, mergers, corporate restructurings, corporate reorganizations, public offerings, private placements and extensions of credit; preparing opinion letters regarding gaming-related issues; representing clients in disciplinary matters and in patron disputes; counseling clients regarding compliance issues; and analyzing proposed changes to existing statutes and regulations.

• Washington & Lee University, J.D., 1992; Phi Delta Phi
• Millsaps College, B.B.A. in Accounting, magna cum laude, 1989

• The Mississippi Bar; Hinds County Bar Association; Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference; Nebraska Bar Association; American Bar Association

• Representation of indenture trustees and institutional bondholders in litigation in state, federal and bankruptcy courts arising out of the bankruptcy cases of two Mississippi casinos, litigating the validity and priority of the trustees' and bondholders' security interests and contractors' alleged construction and statutory liens.
• Representation of a large national bank in litigation arising out of the bankruptcy of a large Mississippi shopping center.
• Representation of a large investment bank financing the purchase of a Mississippi casino.
• Representation of the insured in a large title insurance claim involving the sale of casino property in Mississippi.
• Defense of a Mississippi casino operator against claims of trademark and copyright infringement.