Louisiana

Adams and Reese

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 have become what could be considered a regional firm,” ventures a peer. “They have grown well 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.”

Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver

New Orleans-based Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver is a litigation boutique with a penchant for sophisticated multidistrict and national litigations, having served as counsel on a number of class actions for a variety of claims. Self-touted as a firm of “trial lawyers first and foremost,” Barrasso Usdin boasts an impressive company of attorneys experienced in handling matters efficiently while maintaining an eye on favorable results for clients. Name partner and co-founder Judy Barrasso is on the frontline of the firm’s litigationthis past year involving herself as lead counsel in a litigation for an excess liability insurer that issued a $50 million policy to claimants affected by a sinkhole. The insured is alleged to have caused the sinkhole formation from its salt mining and other activities, which resulted in homeowners, pipeline companies and state and government agencies seeking damages or cost remediation related to effects from the sinkhole. Barrasso and her team notched some pretrial wins in the suit, including the reversal of a temporary restraining order and a finding of contempt, as well as a trial court’s rulings on certain coverage issues.

Fellow founding partner Steven Usdin handled a series of proceedings for client Federal Insurance Company related to insurance coverage matters arising from the collapse of Singing River Hospital System’s employee pension program. Usdin’s representation includes coverage disputes with the hospital system, individual members of the pension’s board of trustees, and members of the pensions system’s executive leadership under Fiduciary and Executive Liability coverages. The matters are valued from $1 to $6 million.

Craig Isenberg has particular expertise in toxic torts, having been defense counsel for manufacturers in the first civil penalty action brought by the DoJ under the Oil Pollution Act. Recently, he represented SWN Production Company in a litigation involving several property owners suing oil & gas operators that conducted activities alleged to have led to property contamination. The plaintiffs are seeking millions of dollars in damages and for environmental remediation.

Fishman Haygood Phelps Walmsley Willis & Swanson

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.

Herman Herman & Katz

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.

Jones Walker

Full-service firm Jones Walker has offices populated throughout much of the Southeast, including Louisiana bases in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans, the last of which serves as the firm’s main location. The law group is touted for its ability to handle matters in a cost effective-manner without sacrificing results, echoed by one client who says Jones Walker offers the “highest quality service and representation at reasonable rates,” further adding that its team of attorneys are “extremely responsive.” Of its varied suite of litigation services, the firm is particularly adept in handling admiralty and maritime matters according to clients. After being represented by a team of Jones Walker attorneys, one maritime client says they were “extremely responsive and communicated well with all parties involved throughout the process.” The client added that representation was “excellent” and “well-versed in the legal issues relating to the case, allowing for a very favorable outcome.” Leader of the business & commercial litigation practice group R Patrick Vance is experienced in matters related to business law, creditors’ rights litigation and bankruptcy. He currently defends client Aviation Technical Services in a number of lawsuits in US Federal Courts related to the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act. Compliance and white-collar defense litigator Mark Cunningham filed a much-publicized class action suit against the governor of Louisiana and others challenging the constitutionality of and seeking systemic reform to the state public defender system. Cunningham is handling the case pro bono, and is working alongside the Sothern Poverty Law Center and the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights.

Liskow & Lewis

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

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, [and] 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.”

Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert

New Orleans litigation and transactional 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.