Phelps Welcomes Latest Fall Associate Class

NEW ORLEANS – Nov. 12, 2026 – Phelps’ 2026 fall associate class joined the firm’s offices across the Southeast. More than half bring experience working closely with the courts, and two served as law clerks for federal judges before joining Phelps. The group hails from both government and industry backgrounds, including aerospace, education, environmental and media.

The firm welcomes:

Austin, Texas

• Bailey Bates (business)

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Taylor Cherry (litigation)
• Joseph Mengis (business)
• Melisse Speligene (business)

Gulfport, Alabama

• Drayton Purvis (insurance)

Houston, Texas

• Erica Gillespie (insurance)
• William Honderich (insurance)
• Wyley Sharp (litigation)

Jackson, Alabama

• Abby Church (business)
• Emily Smith (employment)

Mobile, Alabama

• Chance Kruk (litigation)

New Orleans, Louisiana

• Tyler Brewster (litigation)
• Daniel Paisant (insurance)
• Taylor Toups (litigation)

Raleigh, North Carolina

• Owen Breen (insurance)
• Brandon Brillant (litigation)

Southlake, Texas

• Lauren Berry (litigation)
• Brooke Collishaw (litigation)

Tampa, Florida

• Robert Gough IV (business)
• Lillian Wiggins (employment)

 

Bailey Bates works with business and corporate clients to help them maximize new opportunities and to support the success of their organizations and enterprises. While at Tulane University Law School, she served as the online editor and managing editor of the Tulane Law Review. She gained valuable experience during law school as a law clerk with the Texas Workforce Commission and as a pro bono volunteer working with pro se litigants.

Lauren Berry helps clients resolve commercial disputes. During law school, she was active in national appellate advocacy competitions and was recognized by the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators. She also served as business manager of the Texas Tech Law Review. Her background includes working with livestock shows and advocacy for the agricultural industry.

Owen Breen assists insurers with first-party and third-party coverage matters and related disputes. While in law school, his published note in the First Amendment Law Review earned the Cleary Prize for Student Media Law and Policy Research. He also completed trial advocacy training and an externship with the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Tyler Brewster represents clients in state and federal court and guides them through every stage of litigation, including appeals. Before joining Phelps, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Jane Triche Milazzo of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. While in law school, he held several positions on the Louisiana Law Review. He also served as judicial extern for a federal court judge.

Brandon Brillant supports clients through business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial agreements and workplace issues. He helps businesses and employers navigate challenges related to growth, day-to-day operations and workforce management. While in law school, he served as notes editor of the First Amendment Law Review.

Taylor Cherry works with clients facing commercial litigation, administrative proceedings and other business disputes. During law school, she competed in LSU’s Flory Mock Trial Competition, served as an academic tutor, and developed a strong interest in trial advocacy through her work with LSU's Board of Advocates.

Abby Church helps clients and deal teams work through complex issues, negotiate agreements and keep transactions moving forward. While in law school, she closed the winning deal and was named a national champion at the 2026 Chicago Bar Association Transactional Negotiation Competition. She also served as an associate articles editor of the Mississippi Law Journal and was published in the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law.

Brooke Collishaw works across the litigation cycle to support conflict resolution strategies and outcomes. She served as a staff member on the Texas A&M Law Review, which published her article on interstate groundwater law. She completed several legal internships and externships while earning her J.D., including with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Erica Gillespie focuses on insurers’ coverage questions and assists with evaluating liability, analyzing policy language and managing disputed claims. While in law school, she was an articles editor on the South Texas Law Review and served several judicial internships in Harris County District Courts. She earned a general property and casualty insurance license and has experience as a law firm claims specialist focused on asbestos and silicosis claims in Texas.

Bobby Gough works with commercial clients on well-drafted contracts, funding instruments and practical governance tools. While studying at Wake Forest University School of Law, he served as a teaching assistant for a contracts class and was a project coordinator for the school’s pro bono Teen Court project. He also served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Darren D. Farfante in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

William Honderich works with clients on first- and third-party insurance coverage matters involving health care, products liability and property claims. During law school, he was a member of the Oil & Gas Law Society and led his peers as editor-in-chief of the South Texas Law Review. He was also awarded a scholarship by the Insurance Council of Texas for his participation in the Houston Energy and Marine Insurance Conference.

Chance Kruk works across the litigation and dispute resolution process. While a law student, he clerked for the Honorable Corey L. Maze in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Prior to his legal career, he was an active duty United States Coast Guardsman, where he served as a boatswain mate and a boarding officer and upheld and enforced the laws on American waterways.

Joseph Mengis helps businesses, developers and property owners navigate corporate transactions and real estate matters. While in law school, he served as an issue editor for the Louisiana Law Review and authored publications on Louisiana real estate and construction law. He also graduated summa cum laude, earning induction into LSU Law’s Order of the Coif.

Daniel Paisant helps insurers handle coverage questions, evaluate liability, interpret policy language and address disputed claims. While at LSU Law, he served on the Louisiana Law Review, which published his article examining an unsettled area of Louisiana law and how consistent rules on liability and damages can help businesses resolve commercial disputes.

Drayton Purvis addresses issues for insurers involving coverage questions, liability, policy language and disputed claims. As a student at Ole Miss Law, he earned recognition for his work as executive articles editor of the Mississippi Law Journal. He also served several legal internships in private practice and with the court.

Wyley Sharp works across the litigation cycle to support client strategies with in-depth research and case law analysis of issues in Texas state trial and appellate courts. While studying at University of Houston Law Center, Wyley served as an articles editor on the Houston Law Review.

Emily H. Smith defends public and private employers and individuals in employment claims and advises on compliance, workplace policies and risk mitigation. Before joining Phelps, she clerked for the Honorable Kristi H. Johnson of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. In law school, she served as production editor of the Mississippi College Law Review and was active in the Student Federal Bar Association, Dean's Ambassadors and the Women's Student Bar Association.

Melisse Speligene works with businesses to draft and negotiate contracts, handle formation and corporate governance issues, and support transactions that advance their goals. While in law school, she served as senior associate and development editor for the Louisiana Law Review and published an article proposing legal changes to clarify how production costs are shared between drilling operators and mineral owners.

Taylor Toups helps clients assess litigation risks and resolve disputes. During law school, Taylor completed a judicial externship with Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, served as production editor of the Louisiana Law Review, earned a Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy, and mediated disputes through LSU's Civil Mediation Clinic.

Lillian Wiggins advises employers on regulatory compliance with state and federal laws, preventive measures that reduce the risk of claims and conflicts, and litigation involving workplace practices. While earning her law degree, she served as a managing editor of the Florida Law Review. She also completed several internships in Florida state and federal courts.