Mayor Paul Winfield’s defense in the sexual harassment lawsuit brought by his former chief of staff officially became a team this week.

Robert Gibbs signed on as counsel for Winfield, who last week had retained Gibbs’ partner, Vikki J. Taylor. Both work for GibbsWhitwell PLLC in Jackson.

Gibbs, a Jackson native and Tougaloo graduate, was a judge for Hinds County-centered 7th Circuit District from 1990 until 1997, then worked for Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes for 13 years before co-founding GibbsWhitwell with Jackson City Councilman Quentin Whitwell.

In 2011, he represented the state in its successful legal battle to hold last year’s state elections under legislative districts already in effect. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gibbs received his law degree from the University of Mississippi, where Winfield earned a bachelor’s in political science.

Taylor, 52 and a Mississippi University for Women alumna, has practiced employment-related cases for 19 years, including wrongful discharge and harassment, and has served on numerous community boards, according to the firm’s website. Her law degree is from the University of Mississippi.

Though the governmental and legal experience are weaved throughout each lawyer’s resumé, Winfield didn’t elaborate on why he chose his current team.

“I would rather not embellish a negative situation,” Winfield said.

Gibbs, 57, spent the latter half of his time at the Brunini firm on a series of discrimination cases representing the Life Insurance Company of Georgia. Many of the 140 or so cases were dismissed, some to clear the federal court’s docket.

Burks’ suit against the city and Winfield is Taylor’s second in the federal court system with local connections, the first being in a worker injury case in 2004 involving International Paper. In that case, Taylor was hired by the containerboard maker about midway through the case, which eventually was settled.

Burks’ legal representation, attorneys Louis H. Watson Jr. and Nick Norris, 33, also have a practice based in the capital city.

Cases in employment law dot their professional achievements, including against several state agencies in Mississippi.

Watson’s firm’s resumé of cases involving Vicksburg clients in the past four years has included many elements of Burks’ current case, including retaliation and unwanted sexual behavior.

In Bell v. Foam Packaging, a forklift operator alleged retaliation over a termination and a prior EEOC complaint. In Harris v. Trustmark National Bank, a plaintiff alleged negligence stemming from a sexual advance from an employee. Both cases were settled.

Norris’ degrees are from Mississippi State University and Mississippi College. Watson’s law degree is from the University of Mississippi and, according to the firm’s website. The site also says Watson, 46, contributed to an American Bar Association publication that included a state-by-state survey of U.S. wage-and-hour laws.

Burks hasn’t responded to requests for comment since February, when she filed the suit against the city claiming she was subjected to a hostile work environment and retaliation because of a consensual sexual relationship with Winfield. Both are 38. In April, Winfield was added individually as a defendant. Burks claims her city job benefits were tied to acquiescing to unwelcome sexual advances. Winfield has denied all claims of sexual relations.

In the suit, Burks says her position was eliminated because she didn’t initially accept $9,701.59 in back overtime pay, which she says amounted to a bribe.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi ruled this month that Winfield’s cell phone records are admissible in court proceedings, an order that Winfield’s side has asked the court to deny. A case management conference is set for Aug. 1.