Symmes & Estes PLLC

David B. Estes

A Lifelong Gulfport local. David attended Millsaps College where he received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in 2001. He later attended Mississippi College School of Law where he graduated in 2003. David was admitted to practice law in Mississippi in 2004. David is a former President of the Harrison County Young Lawyers Association, a member of the Harrison County Bar Association and the Mississippi Bar Association. David, along with partner Will Symmes, founded Symmes & Estes, PLLC in 2020 along with their prior firm of Tindell, Symmes, Estes & Cusick in 2016. David was also a partner in his family firm, Estes & Estes, P.A., from 2011-2016.

Since 2011, David’s practice is primarily focused on Real Estate Closings through the firm’s title company, Integrity Land Title. David handles both commercial and residential closings primarily in Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, Stone, Pearl River and George Counties. David also handles Wills and Estates, Landlord/Tenant disputes, Tax Title Confirmations, Quiet Title Litigation and also helps families in need of Guardianship/Conservatorship services. David serves as a closing agent for The Security Title Guarantee Corporation of Baltimore, First American Title Insurance and Chicago Title Insurance Company.

David has two Children, and attends Church in Gulfport, MS

Areas of Practice and Litigation:
Real Estate Law

William Symmes

Since 2000, Will has handled general civil litigation, insurance defense litigation, medical malpractice defense litigation, product liability and mass tort litigation, including defense of claims involving asbestos, silica, benzene and pharmaceuticals, as well as antitrust litigation. Will is also experienced in handling matters involving practice areas such as corporate law, representation of governmental entities such as the State of Mississippi, utility authorities, and hospitals, as well as various Chancery Court matters, including divorces, support and custody matters, estates and land disputes.

Will received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1996 from the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was an honored recipient of the Dr. C.A. Walker, Jr. Scholarship for his academic endeavors and was a four year letterman as a center on the Golden Eagle football team. Will later attended Mississippi College School of Law, and he earned his law degree in 2000.

Will, along with partner David Estes, founded Symmes & Estes, PLLC in 2020 along with their prior firm of Tindell, Symmes, Estes, & Cusick, PLLC in July 2016. He has been a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Gulfport since 1985 and has served as Elder for the 2009 – 2011 and 2015-2017 Sessions. Will has been a member of the Gulfport Chapter of Kiwanis International since 2014 and is past President. Will is married and has two daughters.

Will was honored to have earned an “AV Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest level of professional excellence based on ethical standards and legal capabilities, and has been selected as a Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyers on several occasions beginning in 2010 and Super Lawyer in 2025.

Areas of Practice and Litigation:
Medical Malpractice Defense Litigation
Mass Tort Litigation (Asbestos, Silica, Benzene and Pharmaceuticals)
Premises Liability Defense
Corporate Law, Contract and Commercial Litigation
Governmental Entity Representation
Chancery Practice (Estates, Divorce, Property Litigation)

Stephanie Beaver

Stephanie received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1998 from the University of Southern Mississippi and her law degree from the University of Mississippi in 2000.  After graduating from law school, Stephanie served as a law clerk at the Mississippi Supreme Court for Justice Michael P. Mills and Justice George C. Carlson.

Stephanie has practiced in civil litigation since 2002, which includes jury and bench trials in state and federal courts.  She has represented large and small legal entities, insurance companies and individuals throughout her career.
Commercial and business litigation practice has included nursing home defense, medical malpractice defense, dental malpractice defense, defending clients subject to the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, legal malpractice defense, premises liability defense, mass tort litigation (asbestos and GMOs), automobile negligence defense, and general third-party insurance defense. 

Domestic Relations and Family Law practice includes divorce, child custody, modification, contempt, adoption, grandparent’s rights, heirship proceedings and minor’s claims.  She has been a certified Guardian Ad Litem for years, having been selected and appointed by Chancery Court judges to serve as an arm of the Court. 

Extensive motion and appellate experience, which includes successfully pursuing and defending a vast array of proceedings ranging from procedural motions to summary judgment, as well as successfully pursuing and opposing appeals to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Mississippi Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Stephanie was honored to have earned an “AV Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest level of professional excellence based on ethical standards and legal capabilities. 

Areas of Practice and Litigation:
Medical Malpractice Defense Litigation
Mass Tort Litigation (Asbestos, Silica, Benzene and Pharmaceuticals)
Premises Liability Defense
Corporate Law, Contract and Commercial Litigation
Governmental Entity Representation
Chancery Practice (Estates, Divorce, Property Litigation)

Matt Quinlivan

Matt joined Symmes & Estes in November of 2023, and regularly practices in both Alabama and Mississippi. His primary areas of practice include first party insurance coverage opinions and disputes including bad faith claims and fraud investigations, defense of third-party insurance claims, and defense of professionals.  Matt’s professional liability experience includes defense of attorneys, accountants, real estate agents and brokers, banks and financial institutions, and directors and officers.  Matt also litigates commercial and personal general liability claims, catastrophic personal injury, and mass tort litigation (silica).  In addition to his litigation practice, Matt also has experience with commercial and residential transactions, estate planning, and forming business entities.

Matt has obtained dismissals and verdicts of many claims brought against insurers, banks, and professionals.  In addition to successful dismissals and verdicts, Matt has given numerous presentations to attorneys and insurance companies that adjust their own claims, insurance claim adjusting firms, and insurance producers, training them to avoid procurement or adjusting errors, and instructing them on the proper course of action once an error claim arises.

Mr. Quinlivan served as an Infantry Assaultman in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for six years, progressing from the rank of Private to Sergeant. “In March of 2003 prior to the invasion of Iraq, General James N. Mattis reiterated the 1st Marine Division’s motto of ‘No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy’ to us in the closing of a letter he wrote to all Marines serving under his command prior to stepping off.  I have applied the motto throughout my life, and it has served me well.  Incorporating our motto into my practice, I cordially investigate each case and then present an intense and aggressive defense to obtain the best results for my clients.”

Matt is married with three sons. Both Matt and his family enjoy shooting, hunting, fishing, cooking, and anything involving a boat.  Prior to joining Symmes & Estes, PLLC, Matt practiced at Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, where he was an equity partner in the firm’s Professional Liability Department, and served on the Finance and 401k committees.

Areas of Practice and Litigation:
Insurance Coverage and Litigation (first and third-party claims)
Professional Liability Litigation involving Attorneys, Accountants, Agents and Brokers
Commercial Litigation
Directors and Officers Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation
Trusts and Estates Litigation
Mass Tort Litigation (asbestos and silica)
Commercial and Residential Real Estate Transactions

Zachary S. Wessler, Sr.

Zachary is an experienced attorney licensed to practice law in Mississippi and Louisiana. His practice primarily focuses on defending professionals, including accountants, attorneys, architects, engineers, realtors, insurance agents and brokers, healthcare providers, and real estate agents and brokers, in liability claims filed in state and federal courts. Zachary skillfully guides professionals through the challenges of defending against claims of professional negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, errors and omissions, and malpractice. He takes pride in his ability to effectively discern and communicate legal issues, develop case-specific litigation plans, and tailor solutions that fit each of his individualized clients’ unique legal needs.

In addition to defending professional liability claims, Zachary handles complex commercial litigation, representing plaintiffs and defendants in matters involving premises liability, trucking/auto negligence, catastrophic personal injury, property damages, and insurance coverage litigation. Prior to joining S&E, Zachary worked for a large insurance defense law firm for five years and, prior to that, he worked for a boutique bankruptcy law firm in Louisiana, where he represented creditors, debtors, and bankruptcy trustees in Chapters 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy proceedings and contested matters.

Zachary is actively involved in the legal community. He serves as a volunteer on the board of directors for the local Boys and Girls Club, he is a member of the board of directors for the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, and he is the Young Lawyers Division Liaison to the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Lawyer’s Professional Liability claims.

Zachary received his juris doctorate from Tulane University Law School. While in law school, he served as a law clerk for the United States Coast Guard District 8 legal office, a legal intern/extern for three federal judges, and as a summer associate for a plaintiffs’ law firm specializing in mesothelioma/asbestos, environmental litigation, class action/mass torts, occupational diseases, personal injury suits, and maritime claims.

Areas of Practice and Litigation:
Bankruptcy law matters
Insurance law matters
Professional liability matters
Wills, estates, and trusts
Corporate and business law matters
Commercial disputes
Personal injury matters
Probate matters
Mass tort litigation, (asbestos, Roundup and 3M cases)
Real estate transactions
Family law matters, and more

Cowles Symmes

Cowles practice primarily focuses on complex litigation including products liability actions, environmental, toxic tort, general liability litigation, personal injury, premises, admiralty and maritime actions, and complex tort actions and has represented a wide variety of businesses, insurers, and personal clients as both local, panel, and/or national counsel for over 25 years.  Cowles dedicates his time to defending all aspects of insurance defense litigation, including asbestos lawsuits, representing various clients including manufacturers of industrial equipment (pumps, valves, boilers, digesters, turbines, separators, silencers, blowers, compressors, precipitators, bag houses, dust recovery systems), gaskets, friction products, plastics and molded materials, suppliers, premises, contractors, electrical products, and automotive parts. For years, he has also developed and managed defense strategies, experts, and multi-state dockets while serving as National Coordinating Counsel for clients sued across the United States.

Cowles was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and was raised in Gulfport, Mississippi. He attended undergraduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi and law school at Mississippi College before being admitted to practice law in 2001. He is also involved with his local community, as well as the business and legal community throughout Mississippi. Cowles and his wife, Mary Beth, have three children.

Education
Mississippi College School of Law, Jackson, Mississippi
Juris Doctor ‑ 2000
Phi Alpha Delta
University of Southern Mississippi
Bachelor of Science ‑ 1996
Major: Business Administration

Bar Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2001
U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi, 2001
U.S. District Court Southern District of Mississippi, 2001
Mississippi, 2001
Supreme Court of Mississippi, 2001
Pro Hac’d in multiple states across the U.S.

Professional Associations
Mississippi Bar Association
Harrison County Bar Association
Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
Defense Research Institute

Representative Cases
Alpha Management Corporation v. Harris, 362 So.3d 25 (Miss.2023)
Ridgway Lane & Associates, Inc. v. Watson, 189 So.3d 686 (Miss.2016)
Accident Insurance Company v. Byrd, et al, 2013 WL 5445396 (S.D.Miss.2013)
Magruder v. Amica Mut. Ins. Co., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8591 (S.D.Miss.2009)
Langston v. Bigelow, 820 So. 2d 752 (Miss.App.2002)
Callender v. Imperial Palace of Mississippi, LLC, 2008 WL 4372739, (S.D.Miss.2008)
Adkins v. Ametek, et al., Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2003 WL 24011960 (S.D.Miss.2003)(Civ.A. No. 1:02CV728GR)‑available at LexisNexis

Honors
Super Lawyers® in 2014-current
Martindale‑Hubbell AV® Preeminent Rating
Mid‑South Rising Star by Lawyers 2010‑2013
Martindale-Hubbell’s Silver Client Champion Award

Pro‑Bono Activities
Mississippi State Port Authority, Commissioner and former Board President
Mississippi Coast Foreign Trade Zone, former Board President
Biloxi Chamber of Commerce, former Board of Directors
Gulfport Youth Sports Association
South Mississippi Soccer Club

Renee Hasty
(Closing Specialist)

Renee has served as a real estate closing specialist for over 20 years and is the primary point of contact for the firm’s real estate closings.  Renee has served as a closer for the firm via the Firm’s closing entity, Integrity Land Title, LLC since the firm’s inception in 2020 and has worked with nearly every lender available in South Mississippi as well as working with national mortgage lenders across the nation.