Gerald
Gerald

Gerald "Jess" Waltman III

Associate

gwaltman@gamb.com504.582.1111

201 St. Charles Avenue
40th Floor
New Orleans, LA 70170

504.582.1111 | gwaltman@gamb.com

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admissions

  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Alabama
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of LA
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of LA
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of LA
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of MS
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of MS

education

  • University of Mississippi School of Law, J.D. magna cum laude 2016
  • University of Mississippi, B.Accy. cum laude 2013

languages

English

Gerald “Jess” Waltman III joined Gordon Arata in 2023 and represents clients in banking, construction, energy, and other litigation matters.

Prior to Gordon Arata, Jess worked at Davis & Crump, P.C., in Gulfport, Mississippi, and his practice focused on litigating complex pharmaceutical and medical device cases.

He graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law and was awarded the Robert C. Khayat Award for Outstanding Service to the Mississippi Law Journal by his peers and the 2016 Outstanding Law Student Award by the faculty. While in law school, Jess served as president of the Student Bar Association, as the executive online editor and alumni coordinator of the Mississippi Law Journal, and as editor-in-chief of the UM Business Law Newsletter. He was also active with the School of Law’s Pro Bono Initiative, which allows practicing attorneys and law students to provide legal services to low-income individuals.

In 2013, Jess graduated from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and earned his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi. In his senior year, Jess was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and the University of Mississippi Hall of Fame.

Jess is deeply involved in the community and has served in leadership roles in a variety of professional and personal organizations, including the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar, the Mississippi Association for Justice, the University of Mississippi Alumni Association, the American Cancer Society, and the Human Rights Campaign. In 2023, Jess was honored as one of the members of the “Top Forty Under Forty” class by the University of Mississippi Alumni Association and in the Mississippi Business Journal’s 2023 “Top Forty Under Forty” class.

  • Member, Louisiana State Bar Association
  • Member, The Mississippi Bar
    • Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar (2017-Present)
      • President, Young Lawyers Division (2022-Present)
      • President-Elect, Young Lawyers Division (2021-2022)
      • Member, Board of Directors (2017-Present)
      • Co-Chair, Diversity & Social Justice Committee (2020-2021)
      • Chair, Communications Committee (2019-2020)
      • Chair, High School Mock Trial Gulf Coast Regional (2019-2022)
      • Chair, Veterans Legal Assistance Committee (2018-2019)
    • Board of Bar Commissioners
      • Member, Executive Committee (2022-Present)
      • Member, Board of Bar Commissioners (2021-Present)
    • The Mississippi Bar Foundation, Inc.
      • Trustee, Board of Trustees (2022-Present)
    • Fellows of the Young Lawyers Division
      • Member, Board of Directors (2021-Present)
    • Diversity Committee
      • Member, Diversity Committee (2022-Present)
  • Member, Alabama State Bar Association
  • Member, State Bar of Arizona
  • Member, New Orleans Bar Association
  • Member, Harrison County Bar Association (President, Young Lawyers Association 2017 – 2021)
  • Member, Mississippi Association for Justice (Executive Committee, Board of Governors, New Lawyers Division, Connection Line Partners and Sponsors Committee, Membership Committee, Annual Convention Committee, Bill Reading Committee)
  • Member, American Association for Justice (Diversity Committee, Membership Outreach Committee, New Lawyers Division, Student Trial Advocacy Competition)
  • Member, American Bar Association (Young Lawyers Division)

  • 2023 New Lawyer of the Year, Mississippi Association for Justice
  • 2023 “Top Forty Under Forty” Honoree, The University of Mississippi Alumni Association
  • 2023 “Top Forty Under Forty” Honoree, Mississippi Business Journal
  • 2022 Membership Outreach Bedrock Award, The Human Rights Campaign
  • 2021-2022 Above and Beyond Award, American Association for Justice New Lawyers Division
  • 2020-2021 New Layers Division Excellence Award, American Association for Justice New Lawyers Division
 

NEWS

PRESENTATIONS

  • Practicing Law as an Attorney for Plaintiffs, The University of Mississippi School of Law, 2023
  • Mass Tort Litigations, The University of Mississippi School of Law, 2023
  • Don’t Be the Wicked Stepmother: Managing Non-Attorney Staff and the Ethical Limits of the Work They Can Do, American Bar Association, 2022
  • The How & Why of DE&I: Implementing an Inclusion Plan in Bar Association, American Bar Association, 2022
  • Mass Torts Litigation, The University of Mississippi School of Law, 2022
  • Call of Duty: Are You Ready?, Mississippi Bar Association, 2020
  • This is Your Circus, Mississippi Bar Association, 2019
  • Personal Leadership, Mississippi Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, 2019
  • Life After Law School, The University of Mississippi, 2019
  • Bridging the Gap: Expert Witnesses, Mississippi Bar Association, 2018

Gerald “Jess” Waltman III joined Gordon Arata in 2023 and represents clients in banking, construction, energy, and other litigation matters.

Prior to Gordon Arata, Jess worked at Davis & Crump, P.C., in Gulfport, Mississippi, and his practice focused on litigating complex pharmaceutical and medical device cases.

He graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law and was awarded the Robert C. Khayat Award for Outstanding Service to the Mississippi Law Journal by his peers and the 2016 Outstanding Law Student Award by the faculty. While in law school, Jess served as president of the Student Bar Association, as the executive online editor and alumni coordinator of the Mississippi Law Journal, and as editor-in-chief of the UM Business Law Newsletter. He was also active with the School of Law’s Pro Bono Initiative, which allows practicing attorneys and law students to provide legal services to low-income individuals.

In 2013, Jess graduated from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and earned his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi. In his senior year, Jess was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and the University of Mississippi Hall of Fame.

Jess is deeply involved in the community and has served in leadership roles in a variety of professional and personal organizations, including the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar, the Mississippi Association for Justice, the University of Mississippi Alumni Association, the American Cancer Society, and the Human Rights Campaign. In 2023, Jess was honored as one of the members of the “Top Forty Under Forty” class by the University of Mississippi Alumni Association and in the Mississippi Business Journal’s 2023 “Top Forty Under Forty” class.

languages

English

  • Banking
  • Construction
  • Banking
  • Construction
  • Energy and Natural Resources
  •  

    NEWS

    PRESENTATIONS