Louisiana

Adams and Reese is well established throughout the South. Headquartered in New Orleans, the firm also maintains a strong presence in Baton Rouge; Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Columbia, South Carolina; Houston, Texas; Ridgeland, Mississippi; Jacksonville, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, and Tampa, Florida; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; and Washington, DC. Just shy of 200 attorneys make up the litigation department, 100% of whom act on the defense side. "Adams and Reese are definitely aspiring to become what could be considered a regional firm," ventures a peer. "They have some players scattered beyond Louisiana."

Appellate team leader Martin Stern triumphed for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, when he won a reversal of a $330 million judgment when the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the company's marketing of the antipsychotic drug, Risperdal, did not violate the Louisiana Medical Assistance Programs Integrity Law, as the Attorney General had alleged. Stern also triumphed at the Supreme Court of Louisiana in December 2014 when the court reversed a $2.4 million judgment for exemplary damages against ExxonMobil in favor of a former pipeyard employee who claimed the oil giant had negligently exposed him to radioactive material that caused his cancer, finding the man had already unsuccessfully litigated the claim in a previous suit. Mark Beebe joined Adams and Reese 25 years ago and has since developed a celebrated general practice that encompasses director and officer liability, education, health care, and, in particular, antitrust and securities. Beebe is representing Lloyd's of London at the Fifth Circuit, where he argued that the court should affirm the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the founders of Safeguard Self Storage against the insurer and a Morgan Stanley unit for allegedly conspiring to block a $350 million insurance claim following Hurricane Katrina. William Gaudet is the firm's class-action leader as well as the head of the New Orleans Bar Association's class actions capacity. Commercial and real estate litigator Philip Franco is championed by peers as "a terrific lawyer, he's a pain in the neck but he's great."

Litigation boutique Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver is commended by peers for "actually trying cases and doing this nationally. They take on the most sophisticated cases with a small number of lawyers." While it is said that the firm's lawyer "do everything," it is also noted that its practitioners eschew specialization. "They have sub-specialties," ventures a peer. Clients meanwhile remain devoutly appreciative; one raves, "The firm's excellent legal reputation and trial successes were both compelling reasons to use this firm. The litigators we use are sharp, responsive, honest, and fair." Another champions the firm's "knowledge, competence, confidence, drive, honesty, and fairness," going on to point out, "It also helps that these attorneys are experienced trial attorneys; they aren't afraid to take cases to trial."

Judy Barrasso, who enjoys nationwide recognition, is lead counsel for Allied World Assurance in a putative class action alleging exposure to the bacteria Legionella and/or Pseudomonas aeruginosa purportedly originating from the hot tub of a hotel and conference center in Covington, Louisiana. "This is a fascinating case," opines a peer. "There was a death a result of that outbreak at the hotel, and all of these insurance companies got drawn into it." Richard Sarver represents DePuy Orthopaedics, part of the Johnson & Johnson family, in a second national litigation brought by plaintiffs who allege they received defective hip implants manufactured by DePuy. The client selected the firm to try the first bellwether trial, which began in September 2014 and concluded in October, when the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict. Stephen Kupperman scored in August 2014 on behalf of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, plaintiffs who in late July 2014 petitioned to seek declaratory and injunctive relief from actions by the Governor and his administration to interfere with contracts entered into by the Louisiana Department of Education providing for testing services and tests aligned with Common Core standards. Rapidly risen former future star Minor Pipes was retained to represent ASIC, a primary insurer, in connection with an excess insurer's claim that ASIC failed to properly defend the insureds in an underlying personal injury suit. The matter was set for trial in June 2015.

In the mid-1990s, three business and litigation lawyers left prestigious Louisiana law firms to found Fishman Haygood Phelps Walmsley Willis & Swanson. Its litigation department handles matters relating to securities, media, class actions/mass actions, contracts, product liability and property tort, arbitration, insurance, and tax in addition to the firm's pro bono commitment.

James Swanson serves as the firm's managing partner. Others consider him a specialist in general commercial, securities, tort, and tax litigation. He recently acquired a $22 million award in a widely publicized NASD arbitration against Securities America. Lori Mince practices media law, commercial litigation, and tax litigation. She has defended well-respected publications including The New York Times and New Orleans' Times-Picayune in defamation lawsuits. In her tax practice, she has represented the Louisiana Department of Revenue in a variety of state corporate income and franchise tax suits against many large international conglomerates.

New Orleans plaintiff boutique Herman Herman & Katz is primarily known - and feared - as a personal injury shop. "They are a great plaintiff firm. If they bring a claim, you know it's going to be a fight. And they've hit it really big lately, they have been in loads of big-ticket litigation." Most notably, the firm is the leading firm for an entire class of plaintiffs in the Louisiana litigation against BP concerning the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

While firm figurehead Russ Herman still enjoys a presence in the state, it is his son Stephen Herman is, by one opponent's assessment, "our mortal enemy, we get knocked around by him all the time. He is one of the leading plaintiffs in the state." Leonard Davis attends to a practice includes corporate law, commercial litigation, complex business litigation, multi-district litigation, mass torts, class actions and railroad crossing matters.

With its main office in New Orleans, Jones Walker has 17 additional locations throughout the Southeast and from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. The firm opened its doors in 1937 and has since developed a flourishing practice strong in many areas, including, of course, litigation. In this regard, just north of 180 attorneys are key to the practice - while the firm can boast approximately 389 in total. They represent both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial litigation; when personal injury matters are concerned, their work primarily concerns the defense side. A client testifies, "We use Jones Walker because of their knowledge and expertise in admiralty, maritime, labor, personal injury, appellate, and commercial litigation, and they have done an outstanding job in our cases. The client service from Jones Walker is exceptional and they have outstanding trial lawyers." Both Patrick Vance and Pauline Hardin are well-established plaintiff attorneys. Vance heads the business and commercial litigation practice group. Among his many areas of expertise are antitrust, RICO, copyright infringement, Lanham Act, securities litigation, class-action defense, foreclosures, fraud, lender liability, legal malpractice, tax, and, specifically, general commercial and bankruptcy disputes.

With offices in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Houston, Texas, Liskow & Lewis has become a formidable name in the oil and gas industry. The firm, which devotes 80% of its practice to litigation, which 60 dedicated practitioners attending to this, further provides clients with a broad range of legal services that include appellate, aviation, environmental law, business law and litigation, energy and natural resource law, governmental law, labor and employment law, maritime law, and real estate law. Peers note, "They are very involved in the oil patch, doing energy litigation. They are BP's Louisiana counsel. They work with Kirkland & Ellis on this - it's one of the largest civil litigation in the country. They have the admiralty practice, criminal, oil and gas practice, so they are ideally positioned for this."

Keith Jarrett is the firm's primary contact with BP. James Brown, who was inducted into the Amercian College of Trial Lawyers three years ago, is a shareholder in the New Orleans office where he serves as head of the commercial litigation section and its professional liability practice group. His work concerns business litigation; wills, trusts, and estates; and appellate. Also based in New Orleans is his colleague John Anjier, who focuses on business law and litigation. Anjier attends to a case in which he represents the FDIC regarding a bank failure in Puerto Rico. "John has developed a real specialty in that kind of work," confirms a peer. Jonathan Hunter is noted for his administrative practice and his oil royalty practice. Hunter is said to have developed a national expertise in dealing with suits filed by the federal government based upon how much royalties the oil companies are going to pay.

Phelps Dunbar maintains a vibrant presence in the Southeast has offices in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Alabama, and North Carolina with an additional location in London. With more than 270 attorneys internationally, its abilities cover antitrust, appellate, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, commercial litigation, environmental law, gaming, health care, intellectual property, labor and employment, product liability, professional liability, real estate, tax, toxic torts, and white-collar criminal defense. Peers confirm, "Phelps Dunbar has very deep ties to maritime work, financial institutions, contract matters. They have an international presence in insurance coverage work as well as a fairly robust employment practice."

In New Orleans, Kim Boyle's practice involves commercial, tort, and general litigation as well as labor and employment, civil rights, and constitutional law. She has represented employers against discrimination claims and workplace harassment. "Kim has kind of a 'double-dip' practice, she straddles the commercial and employment world and has a strong presence in each."  Peers also observe, "Harry Rosenberg has been representing the City of New Orleans regarding the conditions at the county jail. He would be on any shortlist - he's in his late sixties but he is still active!" A peer notes that "Stephen Hall is someone I've been working with. He does toxic tort cases and is very good at this." The firm's Baton Rouge-based managing partner Michael Hunt appears on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation disputes and those regarding design and construction. This includes contract disputes, civil and criminal antitrust matters, environmental claims, and issues involving business torts, trade secrets, and alleged unfair trade practices. Also in Baton Rouge, Dennis Blunt is said to have "been involved in some really high-profile cases over the years. He is very well known throughout the bar, despite being only about 47 years old."

New Orleans firm Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert is noted for "having worked hard to carve a very jealously guarded niche." Elaborating upon this, a peer notes, "Litigating with Sher Garner will not be a walk in the park! They have a hard edge and they are prolific." In particular, James Garner is namechecked for "handling some cases for plaintiffs and defendants." A peer observes, "He is a tough fighter, takes on some cases that are interesting, and has made quite a name for himself." Garner provided lead counsel to the St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District, which expropriated approximately 70 acres along the Mississippi River for Port expansion and development needs in December 2010 and deposited $16 million into the Registry of the Court as just compensation for the property. A group of landowners challenged both the Constitutional basis for the taking as well as the amount of fair market value, which they contended was approximately $60 million. A decision is pending.