Stup, Elizabeth

Hugh D. Keating is vice-president/treasurer, director and shareholder of Dukes, Dukes, Keating & Faneca, P.A., with offices in Gulfport and Hattiesburg, MS. He received his B.A. from the University of South Alabama, 1974; Juris Doctorate, Mississippi College School of Law, 1979; and Master of Science in Real Estate, The American University, Washington, D.C., 1981, pursuant to a National Highway Institute graduate fellowship awarded by the US Department of Transportation. Additionally, in 2004, Hugh earned the highly regarded SR/WA designation awarded by the International Right of Way Association.

Hugh currently serves as President of the Mississippi Bar for the July 2011-July 2012 term.  Within the Mississippi Bar, Hugh has served on the Board of Bar Commissioners, 2003-2006, and its Executive Committee; as Chairman, Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and as a member, Fee Dispute Resolution Committee. In 2005, Hugh was inducted as a Fellow into the Mississippi Bar Foundation and served as a member of the Board of Trustees, 2006-2009, and Awards and IOLTA Grants Committees.

Memberships in professional associations include the Harrison County Bar Association, Mississippi Bar, American Bar Association, Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference, American Association for Justice, American Inns of Court, and International Right of Way Association.

Hugh's practice areas cover general civil litigation, corporate and contract law, commercial transactions, commercial litigation, debtor/creditor relations, bankruptcy, real property, eminent domain, land use planning and zoning, gaming, hospitality and administrative law. Hugh is certified as a Mediator by the Mississippi Bar and approved by the American Arbitration Association and U.S. District Court, Southern District, Mississippi, and serves on the Court Annexed Mediation Committee created by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Efforts by Keating to contribute to our communities through servant leadership include involvement as Chairman, Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Trust Tidelands; President, Board of Trustees, Leadership Gulf Coast; Executive Council, Boy Scouts of America, Pine Burr Area Council; Assistant Scout Master, Troop 301; President, Mississippi Coast Crime Commission; Gulfport School District Strategic Planning Committee; Board of Directors, Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors, University of South Alabama National Alumni Association; Gulf Coast Business Council, Land Use Committee; Finance Committee Member for Governor Barbour’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal following Hurricane Katrina; Gulfport Rotary Club; Charter Member and Grand Marshal (2001) of the Hibernia Marching Society (Irish Heritage Society); Youth baseball coach for over 25 years; Commissioner, South Mississippi District 6 Babe Ruth Baseball; and President, Gulfport Youth Sports Association, Inc.

Hugh has overseen the acquisition of more than 300 parcels of property for public improvement projects and has tried, to a successful conclusion, more than two dozen eminent domain cases.

Over the years, Hugh has been an instructor at the University of Mississippi, Jackson branch; Jackson State University; William Carey College, Gulf Coast campus; and for the International Right of Way Association. He has also been a guest speaker for seminars and classes sponsored by the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association, National Business Institute, Lorman Education Services, Southern Gaming Summit, and Tulane University.

Keating has been recognized by Outstanding Lawyers of America, Who's Who Worldwide of Global Business Leaders, and Outstanding Young Men of America for contributions to his profession and community

In 2006, Hugh completed the Education for Ministry (EFM) program sponsored by the University of the South, School of Theology. He is a former Sr. Warden, Jr. Warden and Vestryman at St. Marks Episcopal Church, Gulfport, Mississippi.

Hugh and his wife, Donna, are blessed to have three children, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren. Daughter, Erin Whitaker (28) and husband, Jeff, and their two children, Isabelle Grace Whitaker and Curran Edward Whitaker; and sons, Sgt. Hugh Dennis Keating, Jr. (26), USMC (Reserves), 2 tour veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Daniel Dexter Keating (16).