Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT One of the standout characters in the biographical film The Burial is Hal Dockins, raising the question of what happened to the real Dockins after the court case O'Keefe v. Loewen. Based on a real hearing, the courtroom dramedy The Burial follows the story of Jerry O'Keefe, the owner of a family funeral home business, who takes on the company the Loewen Group in a court case based on breach of a non-penned agreement.
The Burial includes numerous well-known actors like Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones. However, one of the most notable performances comes from rising star Mamoudou Athie, who plays Hal Dockins. He effectively portrays the young lawyer who everyone underestimates. Ultimately, Hal uncovers the Loewen Group's predatory deal with the National Baptist Convention, which harms poor Black communities.
Hal Dockins & Mike Allred Went To Court In 1999 To Settle Fees For The O'Keefe Case In 1999, Dockins and Mike Allred went to civil court to determine the splitting of attorney's fees after winning the court case O'Keefe v. Loewen depicted in The Burial. O' Keefe paid the attorney's fees in cash, stocks, and a promissory note — an important factor in the case. The trial court ruled in Allred's favor, ordering Dockins to pay the amount determined in the ruling.
After the trial court's second ruling, Dockins once again appealed. The Mississippi Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the trial court, stating that it incorrectly applied the 15% penalty to the entire attorney's fee rather than the amount of the attorney's fee the plaintiffs were arguing over: 21.53%. The court also valued the stock holdings at the time of the summary judgment instead of the date that the Mississippi Supreme Court provided its mandate .
Hal Dockins Is Still A Lawyer In Jackson, Mississippi Dockins worked as junior counsel in The Burial's true story, but it's been nearly three decades since the case unfolded. Nowadays, Dockins practices law in Jackson Mississippi, specializing in business litigation, commercial litigation, personal injury litigation, and torts . He holds the title of senior partner at the law firm Dockins, Turnage & Banks, PLLC.