Introduction 4 Patricia LeBlanc 41 2005 winners 7 Edward LeBreton III 42 2006 winners: Andrew Lee 43 Marguerite Adams 9 Wayne Lee 44 Nan Alessandra 10 Jon Leyens Jr. 45 Thomas Beron 11 Kelly Longwell 46 Carmelite Bertaut 12 John Manard Jr. 47 Kim Boyle 13 Robert Manard 48 Elwood Cahill Jr. 14 Joseph Marino III 49 Kathryn Caraway 16 Robert McCalla 50 2006 James Carroll 18 Corinne Morrison 52 Charlie Cerise 20 Thomas O’Brien 53
Shaun Clarke 22 Paul Pastorek 54 Published by the NOPG LLC Philip deV. Claverie 25 Lawrence Ponoroff 55 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 1440, Metairie, La. 70005 CONTENTS Miles Clements 26 Fredrick Preis Jr. 56 504-834-9292; Fax: 504-837-2258. Frank J. D’Amico Jr. 27 Richard Richter 57 Nancy Scott Degan 28 Howard Shapiro 58 Publisher and president: D. Mark Singletary John Duck 29 Jack Stolier 59 Associate Publisher: Lisa Blossman Val Exnicios 30 Noel E. Vargas Jr. 60 Editor: Terry O’Connor Associate editors: Tommy Santora and Greg LaRose George Frilot III 31 Nelson Wagar III 61 Art director: Alex Borges John Galloway 32 Kenneth Weiss 62 Production manager: Julie Bernard Covert Geary 33 David Willenzik 63 Advertising coordinator: Erica Adams, Liz Baldini, Cassie Foreman, Coco Judd Russ Herman 34 John Wilson 64 John Houghtaling 36 Phillip Wittmann 65 Grady Hurley 37 Scott Wolfe Jr. 66 James Irwin 39 Robert Worley Jr. 67 Steven Lane 40
Congratulations to Nelson W.“Chip”Wagar, III Managing Partner Winner of the 2006 Leadership in Law Award Nelson W.“Chip”Wagar, III is one of New Orleans’ most experienced trial lawyers. His practice is concentrated mainly on maritime, products liability, professional liability and general casualty litigation. Chip was recognized in “Who’s Who in American Law” in 1994. His peers in the local bar gave him an “AV”rating in Martindale-Hubbell’s annual survey of attorneys; a rating he has maintained for nearly two decades.
Chopin, Wagar, Richard & Kutcher, LLP 3850 North Causeway Blvd., Ste 900 Metairie, LA 70002 • 504.830.3838 Telephone: (504) 569-2030 Telephone: (228) 875-3266 Telecopier: (504) 569-2999 Telecopier: (228) 875-8337 www.chopin.com
May 1, 2006 3 In Louisiana We Trust
F irst Bank and Trust is one of the largest independent banks in Louisiana. We’re based in New Introducing... Orleans with branches around the city and in Baton Rouge. For the Leadership in Law recipients almost 25 years, businesses have put their trust in First Bank and Trust. Now we’re putting our trust By Tommy Santora rest assured they have many well-estab- in Louisiana. From mom and pop ONLINE BANKING Associate Editor lished role models to learn from in the neighborhood restaurants, to New BANKING BY PHONE New Orleans legal arena. And Ponoroff is one of them. Orleans institutions like Brennan’s, LOANS & LINES OF CREDIT Lawrence Ponoroff, dean of Tulane New Orleans CityBusiness recog- HOME MORTGAGES First Bank and Trust is helping University Law School, has a nized 50 of New Orleans’ lead- Louisiana businesses reopen their CHECKING message for his 2006 graduates. ers in law based on professional doors. To find out more about CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS “We want to impress on stu- and community achievements. SAVINGS & CDS dents the public service obliga- CityBusiness received more commercial lending, visit a branch or tions that are naturally attendant than 100 nominations in its sec- fbtonline.com. to the privileges one enjoys as ond year of producing this spe- being the member of a profession. cial publication. POYDRAS 504-584-5900 “The message we give them is that The 2006 Leadership in Law list fea- METAIRIE RD. 504-586-2720 it’s our hope and expectation of them tures five second-time winners, includ- ALGIERS 504-586-2640 that they will become leaders not just in ing Kim Boyle, Russ Herman, John ELMWOOD 504-586-2700 their profession, but in their communi- Houghtaling, Steven Lane and Wayne KENNER 504-589-2600 ties as well.” Lee. MANHATTAN 504-586-2620 While Ponoroff hopes his students The 2006 class is a special group BATON ROUGE 225-925-3014 will carry the torch in fulfilling legal because the Leadership in Law judges at MEMBER FDIC EQUAL HOUSING LENDER www.fbtonline.com and community achievements, he can CityBusiness took into serious considera-
The best private “Dining Rooms” with Legendary Cuisine and elegant French Quarter Setting.
Dinner: Monday,Thursday, Friday and Saturday Open for Jazz Brunch on Sunday's from 11:00 to 2:00. Dinner available on closed days for Groups of 50 or more Lunch available for Groups of 50 or more Corporate Dining Accounts Available for client entertainment.
Since 1840
713 St.Louis Street: New Orleans, La. Reservations 504-581-4422
4 New Orleans CityBusiness tion the efforts of lawyers post-Hurricane • Corinne Morrison, the first female Katrina and what they are doing to step managing partner at Chaffe McCall, vol- up and help New Orleans rebuild. unteers at a legal help desk at the Jewish • Robert Worley Jr., partner in the Community Center. labor and employment section at Jones • Nan Alessandra, partner at Phelps Walker, is the president of the Habitat for Dunbar, helped revive the Delta Festival Humanity New Orleans chapter. Worley Ballet this week at Loyola. said the organization has increased its • Miles Clements, founding partner goal from 15 houses a year to 250 and a of Frilot Partridge, is organizing a bene- four-year goal of 1,000 to help combat fit for high school volleyball players the housing problem in the city. whose fall season was interrupted by • George Frilot III, senior partner at Hurricane Katrina. Frilot Partridge, led the efforts to donate • Lane has helped represent and given $10,000 to the Habitat for Humanity, pro bono legal advice to members of the and his firm was also honored by the New Orleans fire and police depart- Jefferson Parish school system with a ments. “Good Citizen Award” for its contribu- The list of post-Katrina efforts among tions of school supplies to students who all 50 of these lawyers continues into this lost everything. publication. • Thomas Beron, a shareholder at They are impressive efforts because Liskow and Lewis and Colonel in the while they have given back to the com- Louisiana National Guard, witnessed munity, they are busy reestablishing the hurricane firsthand, working in the their legal practices and rebuilding their Ninth Ward when the Industrial Canal homes. Several lawyers lost their homes levee broke. He was one of the first peo- and offices and had to be displaced for as ple rescuing victims and put his law long as seven months after Katrina. career on hiatus for four months. Other lawyers have stepped to the • Fred Preis, a member at political forefront on recovery boards or McGlinchey Stafford, is chairman of the lobbying for legislative changes to make New Orleans Chamber of Commerce lives better for the people they represent. and works with businesses reopening Many times, lawyers are judged by and reestablishing themselves in the wins and losses in the courtroom. These New Orleans area while trying to find attorneys also fit that bill, arguing cases housing for employees who want to in front of the United States circuit come back and work in the city. courts, Supreme Court and more than • John Houghtaling, managing partner 30 combined state courts other than at Gauthier, Houghtaling and Williams, Louisiana. will put on the seventh annual French CityBusiness thanks each of them for Quarter Classic car show in November their professional and civic efforts and with proceeds going to Katrina victims. the differences they make in New Houghtaling also expects to have secured Orleans. more than $30 million in lawsuits paid to Congratulations to the 50 recipients Katrina victims. of CityBusiness’ Leadership in Law.•
PROFESSIONAL SHORTHAND REPORTERS, INC. Proud to be a part of the New Orleans legal community since 1990
Board Certified Court Reporters Full-Service Copy & Scanning Center Video Services Offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport
504-529-5255 or 1-800-536-5255 [email protected] www.psrdocs.com
Locally owned and operated by working Court Reporters
May 1, 2006 5 CongratulationsCongratulations 2006EDITORIAL CALENDAR No.2 CorinneCorinne MorrisonMorrison Business Newspaper in theNation The in its class by the Alliance of Area Business Publications awarded in 2004 Source for Local Business News!
MAY JUNE
1 Small Business Health Care List: SBA Lenders 5 List: HMOs/PPOs & Point of Service Plans 8 Dining & Catering List: Independent Caterers 12 Real Estate List: Largest Office Buildings 15 Banking/Financial Services List: Banks/S & L Directors 19 Public Companies 22 Law Firms List: Public Companies List: Law Firms
29 Office Technology 26 Insurance/Investments List: Wireless Telephone Retailers List: Life Insurance Agencies
JULY AUGUST
Education Real Estate 3 7 List: Commercial Leasing Companies List: Four-Year Colleges Construction 10 Banking/Financial Services 14 Law Firms/Legal Affairs List: Credit Unions List: Highest Paid Executives in State Government Dining & Catering Office Technology/ 17 List: French Quarter Hotels 21 Telecommunications from all of us at Chaffe McCall Tourism List: Computer Hardware Retailers Oil & Gas Accounting 28 on your selection as one of the List: Engineering Firms 24 List: Highest Paid Public Company Executives N.O. East Business Report Book of Lists 31 Health Care Top 50 Lawyers List: Diagnostic Imaging Centers SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
4 Banking/Financial Services 2 Holiday Party Planning in New Orleans. List: Savings & Loans List: Largest Hotels 9 Real Estate 11 Dining & Catering List: Commercial Property Managers As the first female Managing Partner of any major law firm in New List: Seafood Suppliers 16 Health Care Orleans, you have demonstrated your leadership skills with trial teams, 18 Insurance/Investments List: Women Owned Businesses List: General Contractors practice groups and our firm’s administrative duties. We are proud of 23 Maritime Report List: Deep-Draft Ports you, just as we are fortunate to have your cool-headed decisiveness 25 Education List: Private Elementary Schools Insurance/Investments and consummate legal knowledge in guiding Chaffe McCall. 30 List: Title Companies Health Care Benefits Guide September 25 Jefferson Parish Business Report
Liz Baldini Erica Northcott Coco Evans Judd 293-9213 293-9268 293-9288 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 2300 Energy Centre • 1100 Poydras Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70163-2300 Cassie Foreman Shannon Grooters Phone: 504.585.7000 • Fax: 504.585.7075 293-9222 293-9731 www.chaffe.com [email protected] [email protected]
6 New Orleans CityBusiness Donald Abaunza James Garner 2005 Robert Acomb Jr. William Grace Jr. Judy Barrasso Mat Gray III Hilton Bell Harry S. Hardin III Edward B. Benjamin Jr. Russ M. Herman Virginia Boulet Bill Hines Kim Boyle John Houghtaling Alan Brackett Richard Ieyoub C. William Bradley James A. Brown Donna Klein Paula A. Brown Roselyn Koretzky past winners Joseph Bruno Cheryl Kornick Peter J. Butler Sr. Steven J. Lane McChord Carrico J. Dwight LeBlanc Jr. Roy Cheatwood Wayne Lee James Coleman Jonathan McCall Keith Colvin Michael A. McGlone E. Howell Crosby Robert Mouton Howard Daigle Jr. Antonio Rodriguez Christopher Dicharry Dionne Rousseau Anthony DiLeo Leopold Sher J. Kelly Duncan Ernest L. Edwards Jr. Mark Surprenant Michael Ellis Robert Vosbein Frank Fontenot David Ware George J. Fowler III Scott Whittaker
L E B LANC B UTLER LLC Congratulations, Frank J. D'Amico, Jr., ATTORNEYS AT LAW for being selected one of the top 50 attorneys CONGRATULATIONS and for 20 years of service to the community, PATRICIA S. LEBLANC protecting the rights of injured people in WINNER OF THE 2006 Motor Vehicle Accidents LEADERSHIP IN LAW AWARD Semi Tractor-Trailer Accidents WE OFFER LEGAL SERVICES Environmental and Toxic Torts TO LARGE AND SMALL Medical Malpractice Maritime and Offshore Injuries BUSINESSES INCLUDING: Wrongful Death • Review of all Insurance Coverage Birth Injuries Questions Motorcycle Accidents • Interpretation and Calculation of Business Interruption Business Interruption Claims Katrina Property Damage • Real Estate and Commercial Transactions From the attorneys, paralegals and staff at • Debt Collection The Law Offices of Frank J. D’Amico, Jr. • Employment Practices • Zoning and Permitting Issues 622 Baronne Street 3421 N. Causeway Boulevard • Suite 301 • Metairie, LA 70002 New Orleans, LA 70113 504.828.1010 Phone • 504.828.1079 Fax (504) 525-7272 • Fax (504) 525-9522 web: LeblancButler.com ~ 9035 Bluebonnet Blvd. • Suite #2 Patricia S. LeBlanc, Esq. member Baton Rouge, LA 70810 Carl A. Butler, Esq. member (225) 928-7272 • (866) 70-FRANK
May 1, 2006 7 Lisa Blossman 19 year resident, with CityBusiness 19 years 100% of readers consider CityBusiness a primary or secondary source of local business Liz Baldini Cassie Foreman news. Advertise in a trusted publication. 47 year resident, with CityBusiness 18 years 43 year resident, with CityBusiness 19 years Our readers’ average household net worth is The CityBusiness website had 156,116 views $1,650,000 with an annual household income in February and 172,063 in March. Banner of $213,000. They have money to invest and and medallion ads are a great way to advertise spend with you. your business.
Ruby Merrick Aimeé Arceneaux New Orleans native New Orleans native with CityBusiness 9 years with CityBusiness 7 months 73% of readers find the 81% of readers are in top or advertising in CityBusiness middle management positions. helpful in making business They are decision makers. or personal purchasing decisions. Make sure our readers see your ad.
Erica Northcott Adams Coco Evans Judd New Orleans native New Orleans native with CityBusiness 4 years with CityBusiness 15 years 78% of readers have been 56% of readers are owners or subscribers for 3 years or partners of their business and longer and 44 minutes is the 61% serve on at least one average time people spend Board of Directors. Our readers reading each issue. Loyal can be your best customers. readers equal loyal customers. PHOTO BY BEN BULLINS Let Us Help You Increase Your Business Advertise in
504.293.9226 www.neworleanscitybusiness.com Leadership in Law 2006
Marguerite Adams Position: shareholder, Liskow & Lewis Family: husband, Thomas Foutz; daughters, Margaret and Claire Noonan Education: bachelor’s degree, Auburn University; master’s degree, Louisiana State University Medical Center (communication disorders); juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
arguerite “Peggy” Adams practices in a number of She is a member of the board of directors of New Orleans Mlegal areas, including real estate, general business Commercial Real Estate Women, which promotes the devel- and estate planning. opment of commercial real estate. Adams represents clients in the likes of acquisition of Adams is also the president-elect of the Sacred Heart industrial plants and office buildings. She has been involved Academy Alumni Association. in the sales of both the Plaza Tower and the Kaiser Adams said she is fortunate to have assisted people in Aluminum Plant. She also represents landlords and tenants achieving some positive outcomes and takes pleasure in in the acquisitions of commercial leases. working with her clients. Adams practices as an estate planner, preparing wills and “I think the legal profession has been a fairly friendly trusts and advising individuals in planning for the future. place for women,” Adams said. “What I find most satisfying Following Hurricane Katrina, she says she is working is when I work with people and bring a good product to a with more commercial real estate developers. She cur- conclusion. I enjoy working hard and endeavor to promote rently represents one of the country’s largest home- my clients’ best interests.” builders purchasing large amounts of property in outly- Adams is also pleased with her job environment, noting ing areas of the city. Adams could not disclose the name that her firm is an excellent place to work. of the company. “I am proud of being part of such a great law firm,” In the community, Adams has served as a member and as Adams said. “The people here are not only great lawyers, but president of the board of trustees of the New Orleans Speech are great people to work with. They just create a very con- and Hearing Center. She is a member of the Real Estate genial and collaborative atmosphere. This firm also offers Committee of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and has excellent service to its clients.” served on the board of trustees of the Catholic Foundation. — Mike Patton
May 1, 2006 9 Leadership in Law 2006
Nan Alessandra Position: partner, Phelps Dunbar Family: single; five dogs Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
an Alessandra, who has worked at Phelps Dunbar Texas). She has spent a great deal of time post-Katrina Nsince 1986, is the practice coordinator of the firm’s advising companies on issues regarding disaster leave, paid employment group and works primarily on employment leave, unpaid leave and how to donate money to charitable and labor cases. organizations. She said her job requires litigating for defendants in “Life post-Katrina is very stressful and we’re trying to labor-related lawsuits, drafting job descriptions for compa- take stress away from people trying to do business,” she says nies, and advising them on whether or not certain practices regarding her efforts to help companies draft leave policy in are legal. “It’s never dull. It’s a varied practice and that’s why a fair and legal manner. I love it,” she said. When asked about what she is most proud of, Alessandra One of Alessandra’s biggest cases was Gansar v. WDSU responds, “I am proud of being a female who rose to the prac- and Pulitzer Broadcasting. In the late 1990s, a female tice coordinator level.” When she began at Phelps Dunbar in broadcaster sued WDSU claiming pregnancy and gender 1986, there was only one female partner in the firm. Now, discrimination. there are 18. The broadcaster was trying to get pregnant and sought “Luck won’t get you very far (in the law profession),” she extended leave to obtain fertility treatments, Alessandra said. Alessandra said lawyers have an opportunity to use said. When this leave was not granted, she sued for discrim- their work to help rebuild New Orleans. ination. At the end of the case, Alessandra achieved what she “There’s a tremendous opportunity for the city and for us calls “a zero verdict” for the defense. “No damages, no liabil- to allow businesses to get back on their feet without having ity,” she said. to get embroiled in litigation,” she said. While she cannot discuss particulars on her current cases, On the community front, Alessandra is a ballet aficionado Alessandra said she is working on two sex discrimination and a charter member of the Delta Festival Ballet. After cases, one racial discrimination case and an age discrimina- Katrina, the Delta Festival Ballet had difficulty securing a tion case. performance space but performed its first post-Katrina show Because of Hurricane Katrina, Alessandra briefly prac- April 25-26 at Louis Roussel Hall on Loyola’s campus. ticed in Houston (she is also licensed to practice law in — Fritz Esker
10 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
Thomas Beron Position: shareholder, Liskow & Lewis Family: wife, Wendy; daughter, Scout Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; master’s degree, University of Virginia; master’s degree, U.S. Army War College; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School
homas Beron represents several offshore oil and gas when the Industrial Canal levee broke, he was one of the first Tcompanies while also practicing in general business people rescuing victims. He put his law career on hiatus for litigation at Liskow & Lewis. Beron acts as general coun- four months to serve the people of New Orleans. sel for a number of small businesses. “Clearly, I have such a personal impact from Katrina,” “I enjoy helping people solve problems,” Beron said. “My Beron said. “I saw it all up close and personal. Being away job involves resolving disputes and offering advice, especial- for four months, I had to rely on the law firm to pick up my ly for my business clients, which represent a nice change for clients and shoulder the load.” me. The oil and gas facet of my job is very specific, almost Beron sees law as a very demanding profession and said his boutique-like, because it is so specialized. With my business biggest struggle is attempting to equally allocate time to his clients, I can help them think through different issues. It is job, his family and his commitment to the National Guard. a nice counter-balance.” The Guard is currently making preparations for the In addition to regularly working with major oil compa- upcoming hurricane season, but he believes it is all worth it nies, Beron has also worked on real estate acquisitions as well to be able to help people work through problems, either at as the establishment of the National D-Day Museum. his job or outside of work. Since Hurricane Katrina, Beron has noticed some of his “People have issues and need to get things done,” Beron clients are struggling while others are prospering. said. “But I think it is most satisfying to give time of our- “I see two sides,” he said. “Some people lost businesses or selves for the public good. We all need to do more of that, offices or warehouses, but some real estate people are now especially now. We have to make an impact, find a niche. seeing opportunities to come here and help.” We have to do more than just pay our taxes to have a great As a colonel in the Louisiana National Guard, Beron wit- country.” nessed the hurricane firsthand. Working in the Ninth Ward — Mike Patton
May 1, 2006 11 Leadership in Law 2006
Carmelite Bertaut Position: special counsel, Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann Family: single; daughters, Sarah and Margaret Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
s a special counsel at Stone Pigman Walther “It takes up a fair amount of my time,” she said. AWittmann, Carmelite Bertaut focuses on complex and Bertaut has held numerous positions in the New Orleans commercial litigation and class action suits against manu- Bar Association including chairing the Bench Bar, publica- facturers, almost always as a lawyer for the defense. tions, continuing legal education, lawyer referral service, pub- Her average day may involve a variety of tasks, from talk- lic relations and women’s committees. She received the asso- ing to clients, doing research on cases, interviewing experts, ciation’s 2003 Outstanding Service Award. Bertaut is a mas- taking depositions and arguing motions in court. ter barrister in the New Orleans Bar Association American One famous case Bertaut litigated still pending appeal is Inn of Court and served as the Inn’s president. Scott v. American Tobacco. Another case, Clement v. Bertaut is an active speaker and lecturer and has served on Delgado, also on appeal, was the first in Louisiana to apply a the faculty of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel particular standard as to how an expert witness is defined as Trial Academy. Her views on the defense and management expert— and not just some person on the street giving an of mass torts have been published nationally by the Defense opinion. Research Institute. Like all New Orleanians, Hurricane Katrina affected Bertaut graduated law school in 1977 in an era “where Bertaut’s work. you didn’t see a lot of women in courts and what women “On a practical stand, Katrina caused disruption in the (lawyers) there were did not go in front of juries.” She takes ability of lawyers to find witnesses and records,” she said. pride in the fact that more women have succeeded in the Bertaut had two cases pushed back indefinitely because legal profession. “It’s been a process and hopefully it will plaintiffs have been out of the area and unavailable. Some continue.” witnesses have relocated because of the storm and are diffi- She said succeeding involves some “flat-out perseverance cult to find. along with consistency.” Because of water damage in the city, some records have Bertaut feels the biggest challenges she faces on a regular been difficult to attain as well, Bertaut said, and lawyers basis involve “reaching resolution on issues with other peo- have suffered from a mail service that is “inconsistent at best ple who may have different communication methods and and nonexistent at worst.” agendas “... You must work with both the other side and Bertaut is the 2006 President of the New Orleans Bar your clients.” Association. — Fritz Esker
12 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
Kim Boyle Position: partner in the employment and law group, Phelps Dunbar Family: single Education: bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate, Princeton University; juris doctorate, University of Virginia School of Law
im Boyle ranks Theriot, et al vs. the Parish of Jefferson, “This concentration of law is very intellectually challeng- Ktried in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of ing and exciting. It’s also one of the most important,” Boyle Louisiana, as her most significant case to date. said. “Most people work. We attempt to help employees A handful of Jefferson Parish Caucasian residents alleged develop policies in the workplace to make it a comfortable a new majority minority voting district, designed to protect environment for everyone.” African-American voters, violated the 14th Amendment. Boyle chairs the health and social services committee of The claim was the new district diluted the voting rights Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s Bring Back New Orleans Commission. of Caucasians, who constitute the majority of voters in the She serves as treasurer for the Louisiana Bar Association and is parish, but were not recognized as such by the new districts. active with the New Orleans AIDS Taskforce and the Greater The case was decided in favor of Boyle’s client, Jefferson New Orleans Foundation Board, the latter having been active Parish, and the drawn district was upheld by the Fifth in issuing grants to local nonprofits whose funding sources Circuit Court of Appeals. have been hurt by Hurricane Katrina. “The parish had crafted these districts pursuant to an In the employment arena, the storm caused businesses order to defend African-American voters in that district,” to downsize, drove up unemployment rates, one of the Boyle said. “This was part of the trend of the mid- and late many obstacles the city as a whole must overcome in a cli- 1990s in which whites said voting rights were compro- mate that Boyle feels will only become more challenging mised by majority minority districts. It was a very signifi- as the region recovers. Given the support of her firm and cant case.” her family, however, Boyle feels equipped to confront Boyle represents employees in discrimination and harass- these difficulties. ment cases, alleged violations of the Equal Pay Act, labor “Obviously, our society still has some barriers as it relates standards violations, and instances where employees claim to minorities and women,” she said. “As an African- their rights were violated due to disability. Her division American female, I’ve dealt with some of these issues. I don’t emphasizes counseling and preventative measures, training think we should let them stop us. It’s critical to keep one’s managers and supervisors in the law and appropriate work- focus and goals, knock obstacles down and keep going.” place behavior, as well as mediating disputes. — Lisa Haviland
May 1, 2006 13 Leadership in Law 2006
Elwood Cahill Jr. Position: member, Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert Family: daughters, Erin, Kristen and Abby Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
commitment to serve underlies Elwood Cahill Jr.’s Children’s Hospital and the Louisiana Bar Foundation. He is Aprofessional career and community interests. on the governing council of the American Bar Association’s He is a member of the business group at Sher Garner Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section. Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, L.L.C., where he focuses on In 1983, he co-founded the Young Lawyers Section of the commercial real estate. Cahill also handles creditor’s rights, New Orleans Bar Association. He was also a co-founding workouts, foreclosures and commercial bankruptcies. board member for the New Orleans Pro Bono Project, In a recent case, he represented Deutsche Bank as a bond which provides free legal services to the poor. holder in the Entergy New Orleans bankruptcy. He also Cahill is a board member and past president of the worked with poultry producer Pilgrim’s Pride in the devel- Algiers Economic Development Foundation and actively opment of a new facility in Natchitoches. participates in his daughters’ fund-raising activities. Cahill spends a good portion of his time handling title “I think my dad instilled a real sense of community serv- insurance for commercial transactions and was involved in ice in me, and he also instilled a credo to always do your major transactions for Jazzland Theme Park, Canal Place best,” Cahill said. and the Saulet Apartments. Cahill strives to maintain diversity in his profession. He Keeping up with the immediacy of the legal profession has said it’s important to embrace individuals from different been one of the most difficult aspects of the practice, said Cahill, backgrounds and cultures to learn from their experience, specifically responding to e-mails and Blackberry messages. which in turn can provide better outcomes and rewards. “It’s a challenge to try and balance trying to respond as Aside from the practice, Cahill expresses his success as a quickly as possible, knowing the client is expecting an parent of his three daughters. “I think most people would immediate response. At the same time making sure to prop- agree that the vicarious pride a parent feels for his or her erly reflect on the matter and provide the counsel and advice children almost always exceeds any pride in your personal the client really needs from his or her lawyer,” he said. achievements,” he said. In addition to practicing law, Cahill is active in several Cahill has been practicing law for 26 years and has been professional and charitable organizations. with Sher Garner since its founding in 1999. He sits on boards for the New Orleans Bar Association, — Nayita Wilson
14 New Orleans CityBusiness Congratulations to our Colleagues ELWOOD F. CAHILL, JR. and RICHARD P. RICHTER
for receiving the Leadership in Law Award 2006 AWARD
www.shergarner.com 909 Poydras Street, 28th Floor New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 Phone 504-299-2100 Fax 504-299-2300 LEADERSHIP
&ILING AN !PPEAL OR -AJOR -OTION 7HICH OPTION DO YOU THINK A JUDGE FINDS MORE USEFUL
#0 % "2)%&
%LECTRONIC BRIEFS PROVIDE AN EASY WAY TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE ARGUMENT s (ELP THE COURT UNDERSTAND YOUR ARGUMENT IN CONTEXT s "RIEFS ARE TEXT SEARCHABLE AND HYPERLINKED TO ALL SUPPORT DOCUMENTS ON #$ s /NE MOUSE CLICK DISPLAYS EXHIBITS APPENDICES CASE LAW COURT RECORDS VIDEO CLIPS s 5SE THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IMPROVES YOUR BRIEF s #ALL US TO DISCUSS THE ADVANTAGES OF SUBMITTING ELECTRONIC BRIEFS s 9OU FOCUS ON THE ARGUMENT WELL TAKE CARE OF THE PROCEDURE
#OUNSEL 0RESS 4HE !PPELLATE %XPERTS WWWCOUNSELPRESSCOM EBRIEF COUNSELPRESSCOM
May 1, 2006 15 Leadership in Law 2006
Kathryn Caraway Position: partner, Frilot Partridge Family: single Education: bachelor’s degree, Newcomb College; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
t was Kathryn Caraway’s first job as a radio reporter for said. “It’s about getting a good result for the client and mak- IWWL that led her to the practice of law. ing sure that they’re pleased.” She originally had intentions to go to law school but was Caraway recently obtained a defense verdict in a medical lured into the fun of college radio and pursued it immedi- malpractice case in which a doctor was accused of failing to ately after graduation. After being assigned to cover numer- diagnose ovarian cancer. She has also worked with nonprof- ous trials, Caraway’s interest in the field grew and propelled it blood banks to defend cases in which they have been sued her to go to law school. by blood recipients who claim to have contracted Hepatitis “The two professions aren’t entirely different. I think I C in the 1970s and early 1980s when it was an unknown have an analytical and questioning mind,” she said. “What disease. intrigues me about the law is the analytic nature of the work “We have worked to obtain some very helpful decisions and the advocacy aspect of it. I originally wanted to go into from the trial and appellate courts in those cases,” she said. criminal prosecution or defense but that changed as I went Caraway sees many changes in the post-Katrina legal to school.” industry but says uncertainty is currently the biggest hur- Caraway has now been practicing law for 14 years. As a dle. Like other local attorneys, Caraway has noted that many partner with Frilot Partridge, she specializes in health care of her colleagues tend to be kinder and gentler in the post- law, which includes the representation of doctors, hospitals, Katrina arena. “There’s certainly more empathy in the pro- nurses and therapists in malpractice cases. She is an experi- fession right now,” she said. enced litigator who has tried cases in both state and federal Caraway said she is often characterized by her integrity courts and has presented numerous seminars to lawyers and and is driven by a desire to be able to serve as an advocate for health care professionals. Caraway is a member of the her clients. Louisiana Hospital Association and the Association of “What I’m most proud of about myself is that I strive for Women Attorneys. integrity and try to be as honest with my opponents and “I’m really inspired by the quest to resolve a dispute courts as I can. It’s never hurt me. It’s only helped,” she said. whether that is by going to trial or settling a case,” Caraway — Craig Guillot
16 New Orleans CityBusiness Free yourself from the ordinary.
Try 6 Weeks FREE of Lawyers USA.
Set yourself apart from the crowd by Service which lets you know immediately reading the latest in cutting-edge litigation when critically important cases have news and analyses. With this free trial, been decided and alerts you of important H6Z346 you’ll receive 6 weeks FREE of the breaking news pertaining to the law. Lawyers USA newspaper and unlimited access to “subscriber-only” features on Sign up for a free trial of Lawyers USA by the Lawyers USA website. calling 800.451.9998 or visiting us online at www.lawyersusaonline.com. In addition, you will receive a free subscription to our daily E-Mail Alert Formerly Lawyers Weekly USA
May 1, 2006 17 Leadership in Law 2006
James Carroll Position: partner, Fowler Rodriguez Chalos Family: wife, Cynthia; sons, Ross and Taylor Education: bachelor’s degree, Villanova University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School
ames Carroll’s law career spans a 30-year time period. learn and develop,” he said. JCarroll began working for Fowler Rodriguez and Carroll also practices litigation in the areas of product lia- Chalos when it merged with his firm, Gelpi Sullivan bility, insurance law and contract law. Carroll, three years ago. At Fowler, Carroll specializes in Prior to attending law school, he was commissioned as a defense litigation for maritime and offshore gas companies. second lieutenant in the Marine Corps from 1968 to 1969. Some of his clients include Tidewater and Seacor Marine. He also served as a platoon commander and company com- Carroll has always had a niche for maritime litigation and mander in Vietnam. said he has extreme integrity for what he does and a recog- Carroll is a member of the Mariners Club for the ports of nized reputation working in the courts. New Orleans and Houston and has been active in the “When I speak, people believe me because I stand behind United Way’s fund-raising and insurance practice sections. what I say, and I do what I say I’m going to do,” he said. Carroll is also immediate past chair of the Tort Trial Carroll has been an active member of the Maritime Law and Insurance Practice Committee for the America Bar Association of the United States since 1975, and served on Association. its board from 1999 to 2002. Carroll said his main objectives are to participate in the Because he handles a lot of national maritime cases, firm as a good partner and to continue to serve his clients as Carroll acquires knowledge from clients and other attorneys best he can. throughout the field. “This gives you tremendous ability to — Nayita Wilson
18 New Orleans CityBusiness www.neworleanscitybusiness.com CityBusiness Website Views: • January 142,329 • February 156,116 NET ADVERTISING RATES Banner 468 pixels x 90 pixels One Time Rate: $200 Weekly Rate: $600 Monthly Rate: $2000 Medallion 125 pixels x 125 pixels One Time Rate: $150 Weekly Rate: $450 Monthly Rate: $1500
Ads will be rotated.
For more information please e-mail: [email protected]
May 1, 2006 19 Leadership in Law 2006
Charlie Cerise Position: head partner, Adams & Reese Family: wife, Janis van Meerveld, partner at Adams & Reese; sons, Adam, Andrew and Robert Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
harlie Cerise, who has practiced law for 23 years “One of the things I’m most proud of is the way we came Cincluding the last seven with Adams & Reese, said through after that storm,” Cerise said. “It worked out well some of his biggest cases have never made it to trial. and I had the good fortune to be part of the lead on that. It’s But he points to a 2001 case brought against his client hard for that not to stand out — it’s become the defining Trico Marine, a marine support services firm, as the most moment.” unique case he has handled in his career. Adams & Reese, like other New Orleans firms, ran oper- “The case was significant in that there are not many cases ations out of Baton Rouge for the three months after where there is a collision and someone is found free of fault,” Katrina. Though local litigation slowed significantly, the Cerise said. “The other vessel did not show on our compa- majority of Cerise’s staff, which he manages as one of two ny’s vessel’s radar in the fog so we had to try a case where we New Orleans office head partners, has returned. didn’t have any radar evidence.” Despite the upheaval of the last six months, Cerise’s pro- The case, which involved property damage and four sig- fessional and personal focus remains the same. nificant personal injury claims, was ultimately decided in As before, Adams & Reese remains committed to commu- favor of Trico and upheld by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of nity service through its in-house volunteer organization Appeals in 2003. Hope, Understanding, Giving and Support. Cerise concentrates his practice in offshore energy matters The firm works with the St. Tammany Association for and environmental and toxic tort litigation. Retarded Citizens, St. Michael’s Special School, where Cerise Much of Cerise’s toxic tort litigation arises out of the referees and keeps score for basketball games, and the Good impact of naturally occurring radioactive material, which Shepherd School for inner-city children, established by the accumulates in offshore production pipes. Rev. Harry Tompson in 2001. Though the courts, the state and environmentalists are “The theme is to have employees here involved — we still sorting out the potential effects of Hurricane Katrina. send both money and labor,” Cerise said. “The most impor- The storm affected the daily operation of nearly every busi- tant aspect of my practice is to do a good job for my client ness in the Gulf Coast area and Adams & Reese was no and personally to make sure my family is intact and OK.” exception. — Lisa Haviland
20 New Orleans CityBusiness Even more possibilities.
In our practice, the keys to success have been in sustaining growth to meet client needs and hitting the right note for responsive, results-minded service.
Our recent merger with Stokes Bartholomew in Nashville and our expansion to Memphis* provides us with over 300 attorneys in nine markets and even greater possibilities to serve our clients.
Congratulations to our New Orleans CityBusiness “Leadership in Law” Honorees.
Charles A. Cerise, Jr. John M. Duck Thomas G. O'Brien Paul G. Pastorek
Out in front.
www.adamsandreese.com
One Shell Square · 701 Poydras Street · Suite 4500 · New Orleans, Louisiana 70139 · 504.581.3234
*Effective May 1, 2006 Baton Rouge · Birmingham · Houston · Jackson · Memphis · Mobile · Nashville · New Orleans · Washington DC
No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of the legal services performed by other lawyers. FREE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Author: Charles P. Adams, Jr. Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization except as noted. Leadership in Law 2006
Shaun Clarke Position: partner, Liskow & Lewis Family: wife, Kate McCall Clarke; sons, John and Christian; daughter, Caitlin Education: bachelor’s degree, Brown University; juris doctorate, Yale University
haun Clarke has served on both sides of the law, hav- Clarke also aided the 1995 conviction of Gus Mijalis, an Sing worked as a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s associate of former Gov. Edwin Edwards, for bank bribery Office in New Orleans and a defense attorney and partner and bankruptcy fraud. with his current firm, Liskow & Lewis. “The job is both fun and stressful — there’s a lot at stake. Clarke’s caseload is about 90 percent business related with It’s not just about money; it’s peoples’ lives,” Clarke said. his cases ranging from the representation of corporations or One case that hit home for Clarke was the State of individual corporate employees under investigation by the Louisiana v. Donna Shalala, regarding organ allocation rules government for anti-trust, environmental violations, health of the United Network for Organ Sharing. Shalala, secretary care fraud, or what he refers to as “Enron-like” offenses. of Health and Human Services for the Clinton administra- “Becoming the target of a federal investigation is one of tion, wanted UNOS to base its allocation on a national list the worst experiences of life short of the death of a loved one rather than giving priority to local needs. or being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease,” Clarke The case, which was decided in favor of the state, was said. “The two categories of cases I’m proudest of are those especially significant to Clarke because his daughter, Caitlin, that vindicated the rights of people who were victimized was diagnosed with incurable fatal liver disease in 1988 and and, as a defense attorney, those that vindicated a person saved by a liver transplant. who was not guilty of the crime in question.” “Changing those rules would have destroyed Louisiana’s Clarke’s recent successes include the representation of a organ availability — very few people have the resources to former Enron Corp. executive in the Department of Justice relocate to Pittsburgh or New York,” said Clarke, who rep- fraud investigation, one of the world’s largest energy compa- resented the Louisiana transplant centers. “It’s better for nies in a Department of Interior investigation and a major people to be close to home where their jobs and support hospital in the Hurricane Katrina euthanasia investigation. networks are.” Clarke would not release the names of the energy company Since Hurricane Katrina, Clarke’s caseload has grown due or the hospital. to a pronounced increase in local investigations — despite the As a prosecutor, Clarke was involved in the 1992 convic- damage it has caused in both the public and private sectors. tion of Carlos Miro, former chairman of Anglo American “Lawyers seem to do well no matter what happens,” Insurance Co. Miro was dubbed one of the world’s worst Clarke said. “When things go well, we have work and when insurance criminals by the U.S. House of Representatives things don’t go well, we have work.” Committee on Energy and Commerce. — Lisa Haviland
22 New Orleans CityBusiness AReputationforSuccess
is proud to congratulate
Marguerite ("Peggy") L. Adams Thomas Beron Shaun G. Clarke John M. Wilson
for their selection to the 2006 CityBusiness Leadership in Law Guide
New Orleans • Lafayette • Houston www.liskow.com
Arriving daily on your computer!
Daily Update
FREE Register today www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/dailyupdate.cfm
May 1, 2006 23 Committed to the Future of New Orleans
Admiralty Appellate Litigation Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Business and Finance M. NAN KIM M. PHILIP DEV. JOHN P. Commercial Litigation Construction ALESSANDRA BOYLE CLAVERIE, SR. MANARD Corporate and Securities Employee Benefits/Executive Compensation Labor and Labor and Business and Commercial Energy and Utilities Employment Employment Finance Litigation Environmental Gaming Health Care HIPAA Compliance We congratulate and recognize the Phelps Dunbar partners selected Insurance and Reinsurance Intellectual Property as “New Orleans 50 Top Lawyers” for CityBusiness’ 2006 Leadership in Labor and Employment Law issue. Legislative and Governmental Relations Municipal Finance Oil and Gas, Energy and Minerals Petroleum Marketing Litigation Products Liability Railroad Real Estate Regulatory and Governmental Matters Tax Since 1853 • www.phelpsdunbar.com Tort Litigation Toxic Tort Litigation Canal Place, 365 Canal Street, Suite 2000 • New Orleans, LA 70130 • (504) 566-1311 Trusts and Estates
NEW ORLEANS BATON ROUGE JACKSON TUPELO GULFPORT TAMPA HOUSTON LONDON
Built to Build Your Business ATTENTION DJC SUBSCRIBERS!
Effective February 1, 2006, your print subscription to the Daily Journal of Commerce entitles you to have FULL ACCESS to our newly updated website, www.djcgulfcoast.com. Here’s a sneak peek at what our new online service can offer you:
I Personalized email alerts regarding construction activity in your field of interest
I Real-time access to bids and projects
I Ability to submit bid requests and official proposals throughout the region
I Full search capabilities according to project, region, job type and time frame
I Daily access to regional construction news, high profile projects and industry trends
Best of all, the price you pay for all this insider information – paper delivery AND online access – is only $456 per year, our lowest rate available!
If you’re not already registered, you can access your account online using your 9-digit account number as your Log-in ID, and the word ‘password’ as your password. Then you click on My Daily Journal, and you can create your own profile, change your ID and password or check the status of your account. It’s that simple!
If you have any questions or problems logging in, please call Anne Lovas at (504) 293-9216.
24 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
Philip deV. Claverie Position: partner, Phelps Dunbar Family: wife, Laura; son, Philip Claverie Jr., an associate at Phelps Dunbar; daughter, Stephanie; father, the late Philip Claverie Sr., partner with Phelps Dunbar for more than 60 years Education: bachelor’s degree, Princeton University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School
n his capacity as a partner at Phelps Dunbar, Philip deV. Claverie said New Orleans is in the beginning of a build- IClaverie handles business law with an emphasis on real ing and transaction process whose participants must first estate and commercial financing, areas he refers to as trans- determine whether there is a market for new projects and actional process rather than a courtroom practice. Claverie construction. has practiced law with Phelps Dunbar for the entirety of In his 35 years as a transactional attorney, Claverie has his career, handling primarily commercial transactions, handled closings on New Orleans buildings including the such as shopping centers, and clients such as Hibernia, Marriott and Sheraton hotels, One Shell Square, and the Chase and Whitney. Texaco, Poydras and Energy centers. “I forge relationships, whereas as a litigator you are try- “Over the years, economics have changed dramatically — ing to extricate yourself or dissociate at some cost — there law services are much more expensive and lawyers are paid is no relationship after the case is over. To me, business law more,” Claverie said. “Law firms are more efficient and is more satisfying — working on a common venture rather expert. Lawyers used to be generalists. Now people demand than having to deal with people who are forced to be togeth- a higher degree of expertise. On the transactional side, I still er and really don’t want to be,” Claverie said. see personal relationships as being important and that real- Since Hurricane Katrina, there has been a heightened ly hasn’t changed very much.” demand for apartments and townhouses, as well as a lack of Another mainstay of Claverie’s career at Phelps Dunbar homes in the $100,000- to $150,000-price range, creating has been community service. He has chaired and served on a burgeoning need for and construction of what Claverie the boards of the Isidore Newman School and Children’s calls “multi-family housing.” Hospital and worked with the New Orleans Police The business and commercial sector has not witnessed Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. much growth in the aftermath of the storm, which Claverie “We’re in seven cities and have an impressive number of hypothesizes is due to a reduction in the size and prevalence people involved in community activities,” Claverie said. of local businesses. “That’s something we encourage at all levels and it’s equally As for Phelps Dunbar, all but two attorneys returned pervasive in our other offices — a part of the culture of our after Hurricane Katrina, though the firm did lose 15 percent firm. At the personal level, it’s very satisfying: a win-win.” of its administrative staff. — Lisa Haviland
May 1, 2006 25 Leadership in Law 2006
Miles Clements Position: founding partner and head of the energy and environmental practice area, Frilot Partridge Family: wife, Mary; sons, Miles and Jack; daughter, Emily Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School
iles Clements developed a unique competitive streak A past career challenge of Clements was assisting in Mwhile playing sports as a youth. It’s a trait he says has founding the firm in 1994. “We started out as a large firm helped him throughout his legal career. of 25 lawyers. We didn’t quite know what to expect, but it “I think people who enjoy litigation tend to have com- worked out pretty well for us,” he said. petitive personalities. For me, I’ve always enjoyed playing in Today, there are 65 attorneys at the firm and Clements is a big game and trials are some of those experiences,” he said. expecting the practice to continue to expand. Clements has litigated cases in Louisiana and throughout Clements is active in several community organizations. the country for 27 years. Jury trial work accounts for the He is a current board member for the Sugar Bowl bulk of his current cases, where he represents energy, mar- Committee and co-chairman of its membership commit- itime and patent companies. tee. He served as president from 1999-2000 and is cur- In 2002, Clements and his firm won a commercial case rently organizing a benefit for high school volleyball litigated for seven years for Mossy Motors Inc. players whose season was interrupted by Hurricane In present cases, Clements and his firm represent Chevron Katrina last fall. Corp. in New Orleans and Tidewater Marine Inc. There are Clements leads the firm’s work with Habitat for also several patent cases pending throughout the country. Humanity and co-leads the firm’s community outreach Clements said his job is to help clients present themselves committee. He desires to give back to the community and to juries in a “credible and professional manner.” The goal is assist in its revitalization post Katrina. for witnesses to reveal “personal integrity and the integrity Clements has worked hard to gain success in his career of the company, which reflects well on the case.” and social activism, but even those successes are secondary to In an administrative capacity, Clements supervises attor- the fulfillment he gets from his family. neys and several lawsuits in state and federal courts. Much of “Raising my family has been the greatest source of pleas- that work includes depositions, handling motions and ure in my life, particularly sharing my children’s school preparing for trials. It’s time consuming and requires team- activities or sporting events.” work, he said. — Nayita Wilson
26 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
Frank J. D’Amico Jr. Position: founder, The Law Offices of Frank J. D’Amico Jr. Family: wife, Jamie; sons Frank and Jacob; daughter Alexandra Education: bachelor’s degree, Loyola University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
rank J. D’Amico Jr. usually needs little introduction in or to get compensation for a wrong,” D’Amico said. “I think FNew Orleans. compassion is my biggest attribute. I’m a compassionate “The Strong Arm” has been practicing law since 1986 person and I’ve become much more humble. It’s my respon- and his television and billboard advertisements have made sibility to convey what the client has endured and suffered him quite visible in the legal industry. to the jury.” By the time D’Amico finished law school at Loyola D’Amico said he is a trial lawyer at heart and enjoys University he had already assisted in more than 50 trials and working hands-on with cases. had a number of clients when he opened his plaintiff’s liti- “I’m always in the courtroom. I have a small staff and gation practice in 1986. want to keep it personal. I meet my clients and take the cases “I started my own law firm two years after graduation to trial if necessary,” he said. and bought my own building a year later,” he said. D’Amico, who lost his home on Lakeshore Drive as His firm employs about 20 people, representing clients well as rental properties in Lakeview to Katrina, lost seven who have been negligently injured through by another per- employees and had to replace all of them, from reception- son or company. The cases include vehicle accidents, wrong- ists to associates to paralegals. His caseload has shifted ful deaths, medical malpractice, environmental and toxic since the storm with an influx of business owner and torts, maritime injuries and products liability. property damage claims. Some of his more notable verdicts include a $3.4-billion “Contract law and insurance disputes will be in the verdict in the New Orleans Tank Car Leakage Fire litigation courts for years,” he said. “With so many homes being and a $5-million verdict for a man who lost his arm in the destroyed and so many displaced residents not given a voice, Cole v. Deno case. D’Amico was even nominated for the San there are going to be many social lawsuits and legal ramifi- Francisco trial lawyer of the year award. cations from this disaster for the next five or 10 years.” “What motivates me is a desire to help. To right a wrong — Craig Guillot
May 1, 2006 27 Leadership in Law 2006
Nancy Scott Degan Position: shareholder, commercial litigator and commercial litigation mediator, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz Family: husband, Sid; daughters, Alison and Emily Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
ancy Scott Degan has practiced law for 23 years eral and state bar associations, last year’s term as president of Ndealing with substantive legal issues in the oil and the University of New Orleans’ International Alumni gas industry. Association and working with the New Orleans Bar “Law is the most dynamic profession there is,” Degan Association to bring the city back in the wake of Katrina. said. “Ninety percent of newspaper coverage is about mak- “I have never been so excited to go to a construction site,” ing law, breaking the law and how the law affects peoples’ Degan said of returning to her flooded Lake Vista home last lives. To be involved in the legal arena gives you context.” December, which fared better than her Pass Christian, Miss., Degan co-authored Louisiana Courtroom Evidence, a residence. Louisiana evidence book published by Betterworths and “The storm made me realize how lucky I was to be Michie Publishing companies, now a division of Mead Data with Baker Donelson. They helped us establish an office Central. This book is used as a resource by judges and liti- in Baton Rouge, helped us open some temporary offices gators to interpret and apply Louisiana’s Code of Evidence. and our employees agreed to house people and provided Degan has also been active in legal education, having clothes and money in drives — any kind of assistance you taught as an adjunct professor of law at Loyola from 2002 to can imagine.” 2003. She also worked as an article editor for Loyola Law The firm reopened its New Orleans office in October, Review while a law student. She was the co-organizer of a though Degan was unable to return until year’s end. The continuing education conference in Houston and the associ- firm is home to 438 attorneys, 41 of whom work in the New ate editor of the American Bar Association’s section of liti- Orleans office. Degan is observing the process of recovery gation news. with a watchful eye. “The rule of law is so important. Without it, there’d be “One of my major concerns as a citizen of New Orleans chaos,” Degan said. “I’m just proud of being a lawyer and is the criminal district court system,” she said. “This is an part of a profession that does a whole lot of good even if it’s important issue that is not getting enough attention and I’m not recognized.” a civil lawyer.” Her community service includes membership in the fed- — Lisa Haviland
28 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
John M. Duck Position: partner, transactions and corporate advisory services; Chairman, executive committee, Adams and Reese Family: wife, Renea; sons, Alex and Christopher Education: bachelor’s degree, University of Southern Mississippi; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School
ohn Duck is a member of Adams and Reese’s “Our activities are focused on need,” Duck said. “Both JTransactions and Corporate Advisory Services prac- lawyers and staff participate in activities such as playing tice group and specializes in commercial restructuring in bingo with residents at a retirement home or sponsoring bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy matters. events at local nonprofits.” He has represented Bollinger Shipyards in acquisition Adams and Reese also sponsors Caring Adams and Reese transitions and the lessors in the Jitney Jungle/Delchamps Employees. Established in 2000, the firm’s pro bono project bankruptcy. Jitney Jungle was exiting a number of leased handles hundreds of cases and has earned recognition from properties with the equipment going to auction. Much of state and local bar associations. the equipment was damaged, and Duck was successful in In addition to the firm’s activities, Duck’s community getting Jitney Jungle to establish a fund to pay for the dam- service includes chairing the Urban League of New Orleans aged equipment. Nominating Committee. He also serves on the executive The approach of Hurricane Katrina last year had Adams committee of the board of directors of the New Orleans and Reese activating its emergency plan. Most of the New Ballet Association, is the vice chairman of the Committee Orleans employees relocated to Baton Rouge and were back for a Secure Louisiana and is a member of the Committee of in business in a week. 100 for Louisiana and the Committee for Economic Back in New Orleans, Duck said his firm remains com- Development for Louisiana. mitted to the community. Duck said he owes his success to “always being prepared Several years ago, the firm created Hope, Understanding, and respecting opposing counsel; being professional, honest Giving & Support. The nonprofit organization is the firm’s and having integrity when dealing with clients and the employee volunteer program that commits hours and dollars courts; and keeping a positive image in the community.” to community organizations. — Beth Branley
May 1, 2006 29 Leadership in Law 2006
Val Exnicios Position: senior counsel, Liska, Exnicios & Nungesser Family: wife, Victoria; daughter, Valerie Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
al Exnicios is the senior counsel of Liska, Exnicios & One of his strengths, Exnicios said, is the ability to VNungesser and specializes in class action litigation, muster the resources to provide first class representation for consumer and environmental protection. the little guy when he is wronged by corporate America. His Exnicios was appointed to the executive committee of challenge, he said, is to continue to practice law the “old the plaintiff steering committee in the class action lawsuit fashion way.” against Murphy Oil for the spill following Hurricane “I have resisted practicing law using the new age tech- Katrina. He is co-lead in the largest class action case in his- niques of advertising,” he said. “I prefer to maintain my tory, Barisich v. Shell, on behalf of all affected by Katrina’s practice with referrals.” destruction of the wetlands. Exnicios is also involved in Exnicios estimates that 20 percent of his practice is pro another Katrina lawsuit on behalf of commercial fisher- bono. He is the New Orleans coordinator with Homeless men, Barisich v. Columbia Gulf, et al, for the destruction Experience Legal Protection. HELP places hundreds of of their livelihood. lawyers in homeless shelters to assist those living there with Katrina not only brought new clients but also the com- legal issues. plete destruction of the Liska, Exnicios & Nungesser main Exnicios said he is passionate about the issue of profes- office in eastern New Orleans. sionalism in the practice of law. He teaches the subject to For two months, the firm relocated to north Louisiana students and lawyers at Loyola University School of Law. with employees spread throughout the country. Exnicios He was recently appointed to the Louisiana State Bar said the firm was shut down completely until mid-October Association Rules of Professional Conduct Committee. when it reopened in One Canal Place. Exnicios also serves on the state bar’s ethics advisor and lawyer “It’s been a challenge to rebuild,” Exnicios said. “We not advisory subcommittee and chairman of the Section Council. only lost all of our files but we are seeing a drop off in our Additionally, he is the current president of Lawyers personal injury business. However, our class action business Against Crime and a volunteer with the Red Cross. has significantly increased.” — Beth Branley
30 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
George Frilot III Position: senior partner, Frilot Partridge Family: wife, Stella; sons, Jimmy and Whitney; daughter, Wendy Education: bachelor’s degree, Louisiana State University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
eorge Frilot III is a founding member of Frilot have to be willing to put your whole heart and soul in GPartridge and leading partner in the firm’s Energy your work.” and Environmental Practice Group. Frilot is a Fellow of the American College of Trial He began his practice in the maritime field but now Lawyers and has been listed in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers mostly handles class action suits. Over the course of 40 years in America and BTI Client Service All-Star Team for Law of practice, Frilot has tried cases in 23 states and participat- Firms. ed in proceedings in two foreign countries. His practice has Frilot is also heading efforts to give back to the New involved the trial of cases resulting from offshore catastro- Orleans community post-Katrina. The firm donated phes, energy and environmental issues stemming from class $10,000 to the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity and action proceedings, commercial litigation and products lia- supported the Save NOLA project, which also raised money bility. for Habitat. Frilot said Hurricane Katrina brought personal and pro- Frilot Partridge was honored by the Jefferson Parish fessional changes. He lost everything when his house in School System with a “Good Citizen Award” for contribut- Waveland, Miss., was washed away by the storm, while the ing school supplies to students who lost everything. firm temporarily relocated to offices in Lafayette and Frilot said trial lawyers are well served to have a back- Covington for about two months. ground in athletics. A nationally ranked senior tennis play- Frilot’s practice has grown since the storm with the addi- er himself, Frilot said it is important to learn how to win and tion of his latest client: Murphy Oil. Murphy Oil is the sub- how to lose. It is also important to learn how to deal with ject of a mass class action suit against the company in St. adversaries in a reasonable manner, he said. Bernard Parish after oil spilled from the plant during Frilot cites two moments in his life of which he is proud. Hurricane Katrina. One was when he began Frilot Partridge in 1994 and the Frilot said his inspiration to be a lawyer came from his other when he was a teen at Jesuit High School and entered father who graduated from Tulane Law School in 1932 when an essay contest titled “I Speak for Democracy.” Along with America was gripped by the Great Depression. His father three other students from around the country, Frilot was never had the opportunity to practice law. presented an award in the White House Rose Garden by “You have to be willing to work long hours doing a then-President Harry S. Truman. tremendous amount of preparation,” Frilot said. “You — Beth Branley
May 1, 2006 31 Leadership in Law 2006
John Galloway Position: founding partner, Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr and Smith Family: wife, Blanche; stepsons, Trey Joseph and Robert Joseph; grandson, Zachary; dog, Buddy Education: bachelor’s degree, Louisiana State University; juris doctorate, LSU Law Center
s one of the founding members of the firm Galloway, faculty member for trial advocacy programs including the AJohnson, Tompkins, Burr and Smith, John Galloway Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy has helped the firm grow to include 80 lawyers with offices and the LSU Law School Trial Advocacy Program. in five cities and three states in Louisiana, Texas and Galloway said the principle change in the local legal Florida. industry since Katrina has been delays in court cases moving Born and raised in New Orleans, Galloway is a graduate forward. Galloway said judges are doing a better job and he of East Jefferson High School and Louisiana State University sees progress in the legal system and all of New Orleans. and has been practicing law in New Orleans for 34 years. “I think everybody recognizes that it is important for “As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a individuals to continue to have faith in the judicial system courtroom lawyer,” Galloway said. “There was a lot of and that their disputes can get resolved fairly quickly. I excitement and unpredictability involved. It looked like an think we’re rapidly getting back to normal,” he said. exciting way to make a living.” Galloway has tried malpractice cases in state and federal Galloway started the firm in 1987 with only six lawyers. court. His firm defends clients in products liability, maritime, He now practices primarily in personal injury and property employer’s liability, construction and environmental law. damage defense litigation with an emphasis on maritime, “What really motivates me is that I believe I chose a commercial driving claims and truck accidents. career that is important in terms of getting disputes settled He is admitted to the Louisiana and State Bar of Texas in a civil manner,” he said. “That’s why we built the courts and is a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense after all — to resolve disputes. What motivates me is to try Counsel, the Defense Research Institute and the Maritime to make this system work.” Law Association of the United States. He often serves as a — Craig Guillot
32 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
Covert J. Geary Position: partner, Jones Walker Family: wife, Lisa; son, Cove Jr.; daughters, Claire and Caroline Education: bachelor’s degree, Washington and Lee University; juris doctorate, Louisiana State University
overt Geary, a partner in the litigation practice He soon joined the board and, later as the food bank’s Cgroup at Jones Walker, is responsible for a team of president, he negotiated its merger with the Second Harvest 10 lawyers. Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, where he His litigation practice focuses on complex commercial continued to serve as an officer during a 15-year period of litigation, including energy law, insurance coverage and statewide growth. class actions. Continuing his focus on serving the underprivileged, Notable cases include the successful defense of a seller of Geary served on the board of the Louisiana Children’s complex navigational and survey devices in a series of law- Museum. He leads its long-range planning committee. suits for securities fraud and breach of contract. He has also Geary co-founded the Louisiana Volunteer Lawyers for defended a party in an oil and gas joint venture over rights the Arts and has handled pro bono matters for musicians and to seismic data, and represented an oil and gas royalty owner a Treme nightclub, as well as for members of a Housing and in a series of title and survey disputes. Urban Development-financed homebuyers’ development. While the diversity of his litigation practice presents As his children grew and he became involved in their challenges, it also brings rewards. school and its church community, Geary began doing pro “I can’t wait to get up and begin the day, in part because bono work for the Episcopal Church. He now serves as the I never know what is going to happen,” he said. chancellor, or general counsel, of the Episcopal Diocese of Hurricane Katrina brought new challenges to his prac- Louisiana. tice, as he has handled a number of property and business “This stretches my skill set,” Geary said. interruption insurance claims for clients. After Katrina, he counseled the diocese’s rebuilding com- Some of his most rewarding times as a lawyer, Geary said, mittee as it worked on a plan for recovery of churches and have been in his commitment to service in the community the community. where he grew up. Geary lectures at annual conferences for bishops and their “Just after I began practicing law, I called the local food chancellors. bank and offered to sweep in the warehouse,” he said. — Beth Branley
May 1, 2006 33 Leadership in Law 2006
Russ Herman Position: senior partner, Herman, Herman, Katz & Coltar Family: wife, Barbara; son, Steve; daughter, Penny Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School
uss Herman is a senior partner of Herman, Herman, Herman and his firm believe in giving back to the commu- RKatz & Coltar and chairman of the board of directors nity. He is working pro bono on behalf of police and fire per- of Herman, Mathis, Casey, Kitchens & Gerel, a national sonnel who stayed during the storm, assisting them with insur- firm with central offices in Atlanta. ance claims. He has also done pro bono work for the city of New Herman began practicing law in 1966 and has authored Orleans, the Louisiana Superdome and the band Cowboy more than 100 articles, papers and books in various aspects Mouth. The firm is involved with the Jazz & Heritage Festival of civil trial practice. Gala, donates to WWOZ radio and contributes to the arts. Herman’s specialty is complex civil trials, having partic- Herman’s philosophy on success involves taking risks. ipated in suits against drug companies, tobacco companies “Early on my brother and I took cases that no one else and several others. He has also worked on behalf of Loyola wanted. Until we got involved, there had been no wins in University, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and the city of the suits against the tobacco companies.” New Orleans. Herman sees many challenges for the law in the future. Hurricane Katrina caused setbacks for some law firms, He believes there is a very reactionary U.S. Supreme Court, but Herman did not remain down long. One week after the making it more difficult to try cases in federal court. storm, he had offices up and running in Houston, Atlanta, After Katrina, Herman says juries will have a different Destin, Fla., and Covington. All employees were back to look and feel. In addition, he anticipates many judges will work earning paychecks with moving and living expenses take early retirement. covered by the firm. His biggest challenge, however, has nothing to do with According to Herman, they are seeing more clients than the law. before the storm. “I now have to figure out how to spend more time with “We’re very lucky to have clients pleased with our serv- my grandchildren,” he said. ices and they spread the good word,” he said. — Beth Branley
34 New Orleans CityBusiness
,OST IN THE MAZE OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE E
53 #OURTS OF !PPEA#OURTS OF !PPEAL E
C C
N N
A A
T T
S S
N N
) )
L L
A A N
T N I I
R
G G
I
U I
R R
O /
# /
E
M
F F
E
O
R O
S
P S
T T
U
R R
3 U
U
O 3 O
# # 5 3TATE !PPELLATE #OURTS3TATE !PPELLATE #OURTS #OUNSEL 0RESS IS READY TO GUIDE YOU s /UR EXPERTISE IS UNDERSTANDING THE LOCAL RULES s 7E OFFER PERSONAL SERVICE FROM THE NOTICE OF APPEAL THROUGH THE REPLY BRIEF s /UR STAFF ARE ADMITTED ATTORNEYS AND PARALEGALS WITH EXPERTISE IN APPELLATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE s 3PECIALIZING IN 3TATE !PPELLATE #OURTS &EDERAL #IRCUIT #OURTS AND THE 53 3UPREME #OURT s 5TILIZE OUR ELECTRONIC BRIEF SERVICES TO CREATE A HYPERLINKED #$ 2/- FOR THE COURT s 7ELL MAKE SURE THIS IS THE EASIEST MOST PROFESSIONAL APPEAL YOU HAVE EVER FILED
#OUNSEL 0RESS 4HE !PPELLATE %XPERTS
#OUNSEL 0RESS ,,# !00%!, WWWCOUNSELPRESSCOM
May 1, 2006 35 Leadership in Law 2006
John W. Houghtaling II Position: managing partner, Gauthier, Houghtaling, and Williams Family: engaged, fiancee Brittany Education: bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Emory University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law
s managing partner at Gauthier, Houghtaling, and have to bet that a case is not only a good one and a right one AWilliams, John W. Houghtaling II has come a long but a successful one.” way from his start at the firm when he moved boxes for $8 While Houghtaling has been “very, very busy” lately, the an hour. storm initially took a toll on his business. For about six Primarily, Houghtaling’s work involves litigation for months, Katrina knocked out the court system, a period businesses and individuals. In the past, his firm focused pri- which Houghtaling describes as “very scary.” marily on class action lawsuits. Houghtaling represents clients as diverse as Heritage He became managing partner a year and a half ago after Plaza, the Freeport-McMoran Building, Metairie Country the death of Wendell Gauthier, the firm’s founder. After Club Gardens as well as several individual homeowners in Hurricane Katrina, Houghtaling is “focusing on individuals Lakeview and Metairie. in crisis by representing individuals and businesses affected Some of Houghtaling’s successes include obtaining a $7- by Katrina.” million settlement for victims of an industrial explosion in Since the storm, Houghtaling has already collected more New Orleans (names cannot be disclosed due to a confiden- than $18 million for victims of Katrina. A lot of the post- tiality agreement). He also obtained a $4.5-million settle- Katrina work has involved challenging flood exclusions on ment for the relatives of a family of four killed by a drunk several national casualty insurance policies. Houghtaling driver. believes in a quick, aggressive approach to these claims. In the last four years, Houghtaling has collected approx- “I am generally called upon to rep an individual when imately $50 million for his clients. something has gone catastrophically wrong. ... It’s impor- On the civic front, Houghtaling founded the French tant to move quickly and get quick results for our clients.” Quarter Classic, a rare car show in its seventh year that will By the end of 2006, he expects to have secured more than take place in November 2006. This year, all proceeds from $30 million for Katrina victims. the convention will exclusively benefit victims of Hurricane Houghtaling only gets paid if his clients win. Katrina. Houghtaling also serves on the board of the Cancer “One hundred percent of our cases are financed by us. If Crusaders, a nonprofit organization. we lose, our clients owe us nothing,” Houghtaling said. “We — Fritz Esker
36 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006
Grady S. Hurley Position: partner, Jones Walker Family: wife, Toni Giordano Hurley; sons, Joshua, Benjamin Patrick, William Joseph and John Schell; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, LLM, Tulane University Law School;
rady Hurley’s professional career began at Jones phone calls concerning the bar in an effort to keep the legal GWalker in 1979 as an associate with the firm. He was community in tact. promoted to partner in 1984. “Lawyers have a responsibility to use their skills as coun- His practice is in the field of maritime law. Hurley said selors to help people and businesses simplify complicated he chose this concentration because it encompasses a variety issues so people can understand them and resolve them,” of legal elements. said Hurley. “It’s a great all-you-can-eat buffet kind of field,” Hurley Hurley was also involved in various seminars and meet- said. “You won’t get into a rut doing the same thing every ings in the law community to address the myriad of storm day. Plus, New Orleans is a great place to practice maritime issues. law with the Gulf of Mexico and Port of New Orleans at Along with his time on the New Orleans Bar Association, such close range.” Hurley has also been part of the Louisiana Bar and American Hurley’s interest in law comes from his father, a former Bar associations. He served on the board of directors of the transaction lawyer with Texaco, and grandparents, Irish New Orleans Pro Bono Project and is a member of the immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island. Maritime Law Association. Hurley said his grandparents were dependent upon the help He is also devoted to his alma mater through his involve- of lawyers to get them into the country. ment in the Tulane Alumni Association, the Green Wave In the months following Hurricane Katrina, Hurley Club, Tulane Athletics Director’s Council, Tulane Board of worked vigorously in the law community in an effort to Administrators, President’s Council and as the Tulane “maintain the norm.” He used connections as former presi- National Homecoming Chairman. dent of the New Orleans Bar Association to take e-mails and — Robin Shannon
May 1, 2006 37 0<I< :C@ "ÕÀ ViÌViÌiÀi` « ë Þ Ã Ì i vÕ`>Ì v ÕÀ ÃÕVViÃð i «ÀÛiÃ Ì >Ì Ài `>Þ >vÌiÀ `>Þ Ì > ÕÀ «>ÀÌiÀ] ÀÜ] ÃiiVÌi` >à i v Ì i ÓääÈ ÌÞ ÕÃiÃà i>`iÀà « >Ü Àiið }À>ÌÕ>ÌÃ] t Only $149.50 Use it to: -hunt for new business -enhance existing data -supplement job search -raise funds -...and much more!!! 2006 Book of Lists on Disk or Download at: #/5.3%,/23 !4 ,!7 Please contact ÜÜÜ°ÀÜV°V Ruby Merrick {ää *Þ`À>à -ÌÀiiÌ] -ÕÌi ÓÇää N iÜ "Ài>Ã] N xä{°Î£ä°Ó£ää 504-293-9276 xxxx Ì ÛiÕi] -ÕÌi ÈÓä N >Ì ,Õ}i] N ÓÓx°È£x°Ç£xä 38 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 James Irwin Position: founding/senior partner, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore Family: wife, Stephanie; sons, Jimmy, Chris, Burke and Cullen Education: bachelor’s degree, Kenyon College; juris doctorate, Case Western Reserve School of Law s a rookie attorney, James Irwin found himself han- In actual litigation, he encounters challenges from plain- Adling “mundane” slip-and-fall cases that occurred tiff lawyers, who he says are resourceful and creative. “There in the Louisiana Superdome. But it was that foundation are very good lawyers on the other side,” he said. “They that taught him to be proficient in any specific area of make it hard.” litigation. Still, Irwin has managed to distinguish himself as a Today, with 30 years of experience under his belt, Irwin litigator. strictly does defense work. His primary area of concentration Irwin is a member of the New Orleans Association is pharmaceutical litigation where he questions “whether Defense Counsel and the Federation of Insurance and there is sufficient science to establish that a certain drug Corporate Counsel. caused a certain injury.” Irwin specializes in mass tort litigation, medical device Irwin defends the likes of pharmaceutical companies, litigation and complex litigation. He has also worked with Aventis, GlaxoSmithKlein, Johnson & Johnson, Armour commercial litigation and labor relations. Pharmaceuticals, Smith & Nephew Richards, Rhone-Poulenc “I think having that wide range of experience has taught Roer and Sterling Drug. Inc. me how to advocate and how to speak well for my clients,” Irwin’s daily routine includes depositions of patients he said. claiming injury from a drug and tries to prove that pre- Irwin said his success stems from the firm’s success, and existing factors or activities caused the injury and not the its commitment to put clients first. He and his partners drug. founded the company in 2000. The firm has 50 attorneys There is a lot at stake when defending a client, Irwin said, and a strong national base, which kept business afloat fol- so he and other members of the firm devote significant time lowing Hurricane Katrina, he said. to jury research where they practice deliberating in front of Irwin is a member of the American Bar Association. He a surrogate jury. was admitted into the Ohio Bar Association in 1973 and “We’re finding that’s becoming more and more com- the Louisiana Bar Association in 1974. monplace,” he said. — Nayita Wilson May 1, 2006 39 Leadership in Law 2006 Steven J. Lane Position: managing partner, Herman, Herman, Katz and Cotlar Family: wife, Mary Jane; daughter, Lauren Education: bachelor’s degree, State University of New York at Buffalo; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law sk Steven Lane about his most memorable cases and where he was co-lead counsel in a class action settlement val- Athey all have a common theme — they changed some- ued at $120 million; and Brodie v. Physicians Mutual one’s life for the better. Insurance Co. with a class action settlement of $46 million In one case, he represented a father whose children had for the plaintiffs. been alienated from him by the mother. Lane litigated the Since Hurricane Katrina, Lane helped represent and case for more than five years but almost a decade after it given legal advice pro bono to members of the New Orleans ended he received a letter from the father. fire and police departments. He is seeing more insurance “He sent me these letters that he got for Father’s Day claim cases but says fewer lawyers out there are protecting telling him that they were sorry for whatever it was that individuals. “In relation to Katrina, it’s about doing what we they had done and how much they loved him and how they can do to make the city better off,” he said. were happy that he had fought for them. That really meant Lane is driven by a desire to succeed and feel as if he has something to me. It doesn’t happen every day but every year accomplished something at the end of the day. He said he is I have cases like that,” he said. often characterized with a strong sense of drive, integrity As managing partner of Herman, Herman, Katz and and honesty, all of which usually come out in court. Lane Cotlar, Lane specializes in managed care litigation and is said he was originally drawn to the law to assist those peo- involved in class action litigation involving insurance fraud, ple who needed help and couldn’t help themselves. employment disputes, personal injury and business litiga- “I want to know I actually made a difference to some- tion. He has expertise in family and domestic law and is list- body, whether that be a child, a parent, someone who ed as one of the top family law attorneys in The Best Lawyers was injured physically or hurt in a business transaction,” in America, 2005-2006. he said. Significant verdicts include: Thompson et al. v. MetLife — Craig Guillot 40 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Patricia S. LeBlanc Position: managing member, LeBlanc Butler LLC Family: husband, Byron; sons, Atticus, Loren and Lyle; daughter, Caelyn Education: bachelor’s degree, Newcomb College, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law atricia LeBlanc is a prominent civil trial attorney in to do a lot more work in the area of real estate development PNew Orleans and one of few women to direct and lead and commercial transactions,” she said. “I am proud to say major defense litigation for national and international cor- that our firm was the lead on one of the larger deals that porations. has been done in this town in the last three years ... re- She has successfully defended claims against Mitsubishi, structuring at a major New Orleans hotel (Astor Alexa) Nissan North America, Royal Insurance Co., Isuzu, Sears and it was worth more than $100 million. That was hard Roebuck, Daimler Chrysler, Freightliner, Fleetwood work but it was fun.” Homes, Interstate Trucking Corp. and the Lions Clubs of Since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, LeBlanc has America. assisted businesses with varied hurricane related issues such LeBlanc has tried cases as lead counsel in federal and state as insurance disputes, restructuring and new acquisitions courts. She has argued before appellate courts in Louisiana, and opportunities. the Louisiana Supreme Court and the U.S. Fifth Circuit “Every day is different and that is what I love about prac- Court of Appeal. ticing law now,” LeBlanc said. “I am never bored.” “I was very fortunate in getting intense training early in LeBlanc also has a long history of activity in civic, busi- my career on effective courtroom skills,” LeBlanc said. “I was ness and professional organizations. She is a past chair of the working on large cases for major companies who invested a Jefferson Business Council (1996-1998), Jefferson Chamber lot of resources in presenting their case. That kind of expe- of Commerce (1999), and the Home Rule Charter Citizens rience is hard to come by and I really value it.” Committee, which brought term limits to Jefferson Parish LeBlanc said she still enjoys trying cases and has a solid government and gave veto power to the parish president. winning record as a litigator. Her biggest win so far was a LeBlanc is also an active volunteer with the Southeast jury verdict for $2.7 million in a case involving a commer- Louisiana Council of the Girl Scouts of America, the Jesuit cial transaction that went bad. Parents Club and Mount Carmel Academy. “Within the last five years I have had the opportunity — Robin Shannon May 1, 2006 41 Leadership in Law 2006 Edward F. LeBreton III Position: partner, Fowler, Rodriguez & Chalos Family: wife, Rose; son, Edward F. LeBreton IV; daughters, Julia and Amelie Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School ince being admitted to the bar in 1975, Edward LeBreton said he has had to travel to Australia and Korea SLeBreton has practiced all facets of maritime, ener- to research facets of certain cases he has argued. He is now gy, marine and insurance law. His practice includes a defending an ocean container carrier in a claim for damage variety of large casualty cases in the maritime and energy to an oil terminal dock in Puerto Rico. He is also involved areas, specifically involving oil development on the water in a claim for a cargo of coffee in storage in the city when or land. Hurricane Katrina struck. LeBreton began his career at Phelps Dunbar in New On the insurance side of his practice, he defended London Orleans as an associate in 1975. He was later promoted to energy insurers in connection with an oil blowout in partner before moving on to Fowler, Rodriguez & Chalos in Columbia and is involved in a suit in Miami involving insur- 1989. He was also admitted to the Texas State Bar in 1994. ers who have denied coverage in a pollution case. LeBreton said he has been involved in a number of excit- LeBreton is also an active member of the New Orleans ing, high profile cases, including representation of the Port community. His most notable achievement is his involve- of New Orleans when the Bright Field struck the Riverwalk ment in the creation of the Garden District Security District in 1996. in 1998. LeBreton said it is a tax-funded state board that “I was involved in the numerous claims asserted in both provides supplemental security through a neighborhood state and federal litigation,” LeBreton said. “I dealt with patrol service. both the engine failure on the ship, and the evacuation, “It has strong support from the residents and is a creative mostly successful, of the people on the wharf.” way to help maintain good neighborhoods in the city,” he LeBreton was the representative of GlobalSantaFe, a said. LeBreton is an original board member and the second major drilling contractor, during a suit against the manufac- president of the district. turer of deep-sea traction winches. LeBreton said he was responsible for most of the legal issues “This was interesting because the failure of the winch in writing the legislation and organizing the initial board. involved an analysis of friction, which in many ways is a new “It was a gratifying way to use my legal training.” science,” LeBreton said. — Robin Shannon 42 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Andrew Lee Position: partner, Jones Walker Family: wife, Susan; son, Taylor; daughters, Sydney and Elanor Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Washington & Lee University n addition to dealing with business litigation cases as large health care insurer in a computer software perform- Ipartner at Jones Walker, Andrew Lee has taken a concert- ance, arbitration action. ed effort in rebuilding New Orleans. Lee said he was naturally drawn to the law early in life as Although his home took on a few feet of water during a Youth Congress member in high school and as an active Katrina, Lee handles pro bono matters on the firm’s behalf debater at Tulane. and is heavily involved in the local Habitat for Humanity “I enjoyed the intellectual aspects of pursuing and chapter. Having served as president and now as a board researching a point, being able to back it all up but also member, he is vice president of Operation Home Delivery, being able to do some good with it,” he said. an effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast region devastated by hur- Lee moved his family back to New Orleans in November ricanes Katrina and Rita. and sees many changes in the legal industry in New Orleans, “I kind of live my life by the principle that there before including consolidation and the particular struggles of the grace of God go I,” he said. “Every opportunity that I smaller firms who were hit hard because the capital base was have to be involved in some naturalistic endeavor, I jump affected for every small business. at it. On a positive note, Lee said there is far more collegiality “My major enjoyment outside of my family is Habitat. among local lawyers since the storm, even among those It’s an exciting program to help people get in homes that whose clients don’t see eye to eye. they would otherwise not have.” Lee said he is often characterized as tenacious and Admitted to the bar in 1991, Lee practices in the areas of empathetic. business and commercial disputes, corporate and securities “There were times right after the storm where I won- litigation, property damage and land-use disputes. Some of dered if New Orleans would still be livable,” he said. “But his recent cases include representing a multinational public that was just a flash. I’m a sucker for challenges.” company in disputes with former officers and representing a — Craig Guillot May 1, 2006 43 Leadership in Law 2006 Wayne Lee Position: member, Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann Family: wife, Pamella; son, Wayne Jr.; daughter, Jennifer Badon Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School utting in time” could be the motto for Wayne Lee’s Lee’s practice as an increase in insurance class actions cases “Psuccessful law career. brought about a heavier workload. In a typical work week, his schedule includes lengthy In the complex litigation cases he handles, Lee has repre- conference calls, court appearances and community work for sented several local and national companies, insurance com- several nonprofit organizations. panies, the city of New Orleans and the Louisiana Public He’s also in the office on Saturdays catching up on work; Service Commission. a practice he learned from colleagues. “Whatever case I’m working on at a particular time is “It’s just part of doing what you have to do,” Lee said. important to the client, and it’s important to me,” Lee said. Lee joined Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann in 1974, the “I like the work. I like the people.” same year he graduated from Tulane University Law School Lee is chairman of the board of directors of the Audubon and was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar Association. Nature Institute. He is also a board member for Tulane “I’ve been fortunate to be at a firm for my entire career University’s Board of Administrators and a member of the that has given me the opportunity to do interesting legal firm’s management committee. work and take on projects that serve the legal profession and Lee is immediate past president of the Louisiana State Bar the community,” said Lee, who said he did not always want Association and was the first African American to hold the to practice law. During Lee’s junior year in college, he con- seat. He has served on several committees for LSBA and is templated a career in political science but soon discovered current vice chair of the association’s standing committee on his fondness for learning and practicing law. diversity. As a young attorney, he learned business and transaction- In the past, he served as board president for both al law, as well as litigation, allowing him to steer his career Kingsley House and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. toward personal preferences. “I’ve been blessed to have been given opportunities to do His areas of concentration are commercial litigation, things like that,” Lee said. antitrust and insurance. Hurricane Katrina directly affected — Nayita Wilson 44 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Jon F. Leyens Position: partner, The Steeg Law Firm Family: wife, Jane Education: general course degree, London School of Economics; magna cum laude, Amherst College; juris doctorate, Harvard Law School or a lawyer, Jon “Chip” Leyens spends very little time in St. Charles Parish, just past Louis Armstrong International Fthe courtroom. Airport. His practice at The Steeg Law firm focuses on commer- Leyens said his firm has been active in the months follow- cial transactions in the field of real estate, with most of his ing Hurricane Katrina, which stirred up a variety of legal time spent at his office answering a constantly ringing questions from clients. Leyens has noticed, however, there is phone. much more interest in investment in the New Orleans area He said his goal is to try to help people reach agreements with many opportunities for growth. to avoid litigation. Prior to joining the Steeg Law Firm, Leyens clerked for Leyens has represented numerous companies and individ- the U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan and worked for the uals, including lenders and borrowers, in connection with a U.S. Department of Energy and on various political cam- wide spectrum of commercial transactions, including lease- paigns in the New Orleans area. hold development and financing, bond loans, public-private Leyens serves on the Board of Zoning Adjustments of the cooperative endeavors and utility development matters. City of New Orleans and is a member of the executive com- The real estate aspects of his practice include representa- mittee of the Louisiana District Council for the Urban Land tion of office, retail and industrial landlords, as well as the Institute. He is immediate past president of the Crescent representation of tenants in significant office, hotel and City Farmers Market and serves on the Board of Directors of retail transactions. Longue Vue House and Gardens. Some of the more notable cases of Leyens’ career include In addition to his membership in the United Jewish his work with Entergy Thermal, a New Orleans-based Communities National Young Leadership Cabinet, Leyens chilled water plant. Leyens said the plant serves various serves on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater medical facilities in the downtown area. New Orleans, Touro Synagogue and Jewish Family Service. Leyens is also involved with the James Business Park in — Robin Shannon May 1, 2006 45 Leadership in Law 2006 A. Kelton Longwell Position: member, McGlinchey Stafford Family: husband, Scott Gottsche; son, Scott “Lock” Gottsche Jr. Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Louisiana State University; LLM, New York University ax law is sexy? Well, for A. Kelton “Kelly” Longwell to completion such as the Renaissance Arts District project, Tit is — sort of. which started with a land swap in the late 1990s and culmi- Longwell’s specialty deals with tax credits for organiza- nated in the opening of the Renaissance Arts Hotel two tions that build or renovate historic properties or housing for years ago. low- or moderate-income residents — an area drawing high But smaller projects, particularly ones that combine his- interest in post-Katrina New Orleans. toric and low-income tax credits, such as converting a “I never wanted to see a courtroom, even in law school,” church into residences for the elderly, are just as meaningful. Longwell said. “I always liked putting deals together. ... Asked if maintaining historic structures in New Orleans This is a very narrow specialty and I’m just so lucky to have should continue to be emphasized over building new, mod- fallen into it.” ern ones, Longwell said, “I think we have to, and I think we It’s evident Longwell is an enthusiastic supporter of will because that’s what makes New Orleans unique, and preservation issues. She and her husband are renovating their that’s why everybody wants to build it back. Overall, we third house. “This one we’re not moving out of.” She still have a lot of historic homes here and historic struc- remains an advocate for New Orleanians for whom finding tures, so we kept that charm that we have that can’t be housing is an expensive, confusing burden. replicated. “We have the chance to remedy some major problems “We’re very careful not to have the Disney World men- that we had pre-Katrina in our housing stock,” she said. The tality, which is let’s build something back that looks like it. city of New Orleans had a Section 8 housing waiting list We actually have the real thing.” that approached 20,000 people, and much of that stock was In her spare time, Longwell, mother of a newborn, is substandard. treasurer of the Junior League of Greater New Orleans and “Most of that flooded and/or was destroyed with wind serves on the boards of directors of the YMCA, the New damage and so we have the chance to replace it with good, Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Neighborhood safe housing for people, as opposed to what we had before.” Development Foundation. She is also a novice golfer. Longwell said she enjoys working on any case she can see — Faith Dawson 46 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 John P. Manard Jr. Position: partner, Phelps Dunbar Family: wife, Mamsie; daughters, Dorothy and Alice; two grandchildren Education: juris doctorate, LLM, Tulane University Law School ohn Manard fast-tracked his decision to become a Another reward lies in how his firm nurtured his prac- Jlawyer. He completed his undergraduate and law tice. “I found the association with the law firm to have been degrees in five years in order to meet a draft deferment. It rewarding and supportive. It’s been a really good experience was a near split-second decision that influenced his entire for me here ... it’s been equally rewarding to (handle cases) career. A clerkship at Phelps Dunbar led him to pursue lit- in a place that I like. It’s grown and changed dramatically igation in the firm’s then-new non-marine section in 1975. since I’ve been here.” Manard’s cases are heavy on science: chemical, pharma- Manard, an avid boater whose daughter, Alice, is one of ceutical and environmental. the nation’s top sailors, is also heavily involved with Court “One week you’re trying to figure out how a chemical Appointed Special Advocates, a children’s advocacy organi- plant works, the next week you’re trying to figure out how zation that has roots with Phelps Dunbar. CASA’s first head- a paper mill works ... the facts side and the science side of quarters was set up in an empty office at the firm. cases has always been fascinating to me,” he said. “I wanted to do something that was really simply doing “A series of cases that stand out in my memory are ones something good for somebody,” he said. “CASA was the for GTX Corp. It involved, over a series of years, explo- thing I lighted upon because I knew about it. I approached sions and fires that involved their terminal out in Norco, them about what I could do to be more useful. They the adjacent landowner at Good Hope Refinery, and then appointed me to the board, I opened my mouth way too rail car incidents that occurred in Louisiana — all of many times and pretty soon I was president,” he said. which generated complicated, multi-party significant “That’s been a great experience. They really do good things, cases,” he said. and they’ve got a great board.” Manard’s interest in science and its application to law In January, Manard ended a three-year term as CASA’s prompted him to pursue a master of law degree from Tulane leader, though he still serves on its board and its executive University. “It seemed like it took forever,” he said. “Trying committee. Most recently he has participated in the Health to get up there for an afternoon class in the middle of the and Social Services Committee of the Bring New Orleans week when you’ve got a trial docket — it’s really not easy. I Back Commission. was very interested in the subject area.” — Faith Dawson May 1, 2006 47 Leadership in Law 2006 Robert L. Manard Position: founder, Manard Law Offices Family: wife, Brenda; son, Robbie; daughters, Wendy and Maryclaire Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School t was a full athletic scholarship that drew Robert Manard knowing that they’re going to be held accountable.” Ito Tulane University and its law school. In the case against the shopping center, which had experi- Athletics still keeps Manard grounded through volunteer enced an increase in crime a year after reducing its security coaching and officiating, but working as a plaintiff trial staff, the owner was found liable for the couple’s injuries. “The lawyer satisfies his competitive urges. Supreme Court upheld our jury verdict, and as a result of that In 1978, Manard started his private practice at Manard the shopping center and ... several other centers beefed up Law Offices, focusing primarily on representing injured their security. I’m proud of that because I think it probably plaintiffs and wrongful death claimants against insurance kept a lot of other people from being hurt and injured.” companies, manufacturers and shipping interests. Manard Manard was lead trial attorney on several multi-million focuses primarily on automobile, maritime, product liabili- dollar cases, most recently winning a $2.3-million jury ver- ty and railroad cases and has maintained a private practice in dict in the case of Sneed v. Liberty Mutual. these areas for the last 30 years. Manard serves on the board of governors of the In a case that ultimately reached the Louisiana Supreme Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, the largest volun- Court, Manard argued against a shopping center owner tary bar association in the state, and was the original whose failure to provide adequate security resulted in a cou- chairman of its automobile tort section. In his current ple being kidnapped from a parking lot and beaten. The LTLA role, Manard lobbies the Legislature and lectures young man later died. Manard argued the case successfully the membership. but views it less as a personal win than a victory for “the Manard still enjoys what he sees as the beauty of practic- powerless, the disenfranchised.” ing tort law. “The case itself has repercussions well beyond “The thing I like about plaintiff personal injury work is the case you’re trying,” he said. that the insurance company is kind of like the bully in the Besides athletics, Manard finds recreation through schoolyard,” he said. “Little people can sometimes take down music: He’s the lead singer of the corporate boy band, “Hot the bully in the schoolyard if justice prevails. That’s the beau- Rod Lincoln,” which has sold out two shows at the House of ty about it; you feel like you have not only gotten somebody Blues. His favorite number to perform outside the court- compensation for being wronged, but in the long run you room is “Johnny B. Good.” ultimately influence other potential wrongdoers’ behavior by — Faith Dawson 48 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Joseph A. Marino III Position: senior partner, Marino Criminal Law LLC Family: wife, Loren; daughters, Carney and Ella Education: bachelor’s degree, Louisiana State University; juris doctorate, University of South Carolina oseph Marino’s career as a criminal defense lawyer was believes are innocent to counseling first-time offenders away Jborn shortly after the newly minted law school gradu- from repeating their mistakes, Marino said the work can be ate filed an employment application with the Jefferson intimidating and satisfying at the same time. Parish District Attorney’s office. “Once you represent the accused, (you) realize the system That office steered him across the street to the public is not exactly — although it may appear to be — set up to defender’s office to gain more courtroom experience. favor the accused,” he said. Almost 15 years later, the Gretna native is committed to Marino’s practice eventually developed a reputation as a criminal defense practice in the parish where he lives. competent and reliable counsel, which prompted accused “I started out in drug court for the public defender’s police officers and detectives to hire him to represent them. office,” Marino said. “That was a real trial by fire, so to speak. Marino takes that reputation seriously in that he feels he has I was handling 10 to 15 cases per day that were set for either earned the respect of law enforcement professionals. motions or trial. I very quickly got an appreciation for the “We pride ourselves on being straightforward,” he said. defense side of the criminal justice system, decided that I like “When we are hired to represent someone, we’re not going doing what I was doing, and went into private practice the to tell them what they would like to hear. We tell them, next year.” ‘This is your situation, this is our opinion and this is how I He had barely established a solo practice when his father, think we should proceed. This is what we believe is in your Joseph Marino Jr., retired from the oil and gas industry and best interest.’ And then it’s (the client’s) call.” decided to pursue a second career in law. At 57, Joseph Jr. Marino serves as president of the Jefferson Bar began studies at Louisiana State University Law Center. In Association, the first criminal defense specialist to hold that 2000, father and son formed a criminal defense partnership. post, and launched and maintains JBA’s new Web site for its The Marino law firm handles criminal matters mostly in 450 members. Jefferson Parish, and though “the public perception is that Marino is a past king of the Krewe of Endymion and the prosecutor wears the white hat” in courtrooms that are counts among his passions a zest for living in New Orleans, increasingly tougher on crime, the younger Marino says his especially during Jazz Fest and Carnival, when he rides in work is rewarding on several levels. From bearing the two to four parades each year. tremendous burden of representing clients whom he truly — Faith Dawson May 1, 2006 49 Leadership in Law 2006 Robert McCalla Position: senior partner, Fisher and Phillips Family: wife, Judy; sons, Robert, Jeffrey and Stephen; 11 grandchildren Education: juris doctorate, University of Nebraska College of Law unior high school was a critical time for Robert action. I like the craft that much,” he said. JMcCalla. It was then that he first appreciated the law “The reality is that our society functions so well — this and pondered a career in it. is such as wonderful country to live in because of the law. But it wasn’t until he was a senior in law school that he And the lawyers are the ones that help make that system became fascinated in labor law. The practice, he said, repre- work. Somebody has to administer (that system). I have sented to him a microcosm of humanity and relationships. great appreciation and admiration for any lawyer who prac- Social issues — discrimination or harassment, for example tices ethically at the highest levels of the profession.” — were just parts of everyday life, he said, and yet they also The Nebraska native came to New Orleans for a job with formed the basis of a well-rounded and satisfying career. Jones Walker, becoming the 27th lawyer the firm hired. “It’s very challenging. You get to handle cases that have In his spare time, McCalla enjoys gardening, riding his very interesting, cutting-edge issues that affect society,” he bicycle, spending time with his family and — like any good said. “Anything that’s going on in society we see, whether New Orleanian, native-born or transplanted — cooking and it’s drugs in the workplace ... social issues, gay issues ... we eating. see it.” McCalla is a contributing author to the American Bar McCalla, a senior partner at the labor and employment Association’s textbook, “Developing Labor Law,” as well as to law firm Fisher and Phillips, also handles labor negotiations, Schlei and Grossman’s treatise, “Employment Discrimination benefits and union issues. “I can’t say that one area is more Law.” exciting than another. I like things that are challenging ... He served as a member of the governing council of the there’s a new issue coming up every month.” ABA’s section of labor and employment law from 1981 to McCalla handles individual and class action suits, includ- 1990 and as chairman from 1990 to 1991. He presently ing one against Wal-Mart with 100,000 participants; he serves as co-chairman of the section’s publications commit- successfully argued to have the suit dismissed. tee. McCalla also served as chairman of the U.S. Chamber of McCalla also has handled class actions involving race dis- Commerce’s Equal Employment Opportuity Task Force and crimination, employment testing and sex discrimination. as a member of the labor council of the U. S. Chamber of He said one of the enjoyable facets was watching the Commerce. opposing counsel at work. “I love to see good lawyers in — Faith Dawson 50 New Orleans CityBusiness If you do business in the Greater New Orleans area, You should be reading New Orleans Your Comprehensive Source of Local Business News. Maximize your business and stay ahead of your competition. Congratulations to Our Partner BOB MCCALLA on being named by CityBusiness as one of the Top 50 Attorneys in the Greater New Orleans Area Fisher & Phillips LLP attorneys at law ® Solutions at Work Fisher & Phillips LLP is one of the oldest and largest firms in the country that represents employers in labor, employment, Subscribe Today! civil rights, employee benefits and immigration law. Suite 3710 201 St. Charles Avenue Call 800-269-8181 ext. 121 New Orleans, Louisiana 70170 (504) 522-3303 Atlanta Charlotte Chicago Columbia Dallas Fort Lauderdale Irvine Kansas City www.neworleanscitybusiness.com Las Vegas New Jersey New Orleans Oakland Orlando Portland San Diego Tampa www.laborlawyers.com May 1, 2006 51 Leadership in Law 2006 Corinne Morrison Position: managing partner, Chaffe McCall Family: single; daughters, Jeanne and Corinne Education: bachelor’s degree, Loyola University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School s managing partner for Chaffe McCall, Corinne is probably busier than it was before the storm. AMorrison refers to herself as a “jack of all trades,” lit- Morrison is also active in the community. Prior to the igating cases as well managing the office on a day-to-day storm, she was active in the Homeless Experience Legal basis. Protection program, which provided legal counsel to Morrison’s daily activities range from participating in meet- homeless people. ings, setting up court dates, taking depositions and appearing Because of Katrina-related difficulties, this project is cur- in court. As Morrison puts it, “the normal life of a litigator.” rently on hiatus but should return soon, she said. One of Morrison’s most famous legal efforts, she said, Morrison volunteers her time at a legal help desk at the involved closing down four financial institutions. These pro- Jewish Community Center, providing answers and assis- ceedings started in 1986 and continued into the early 1990s. tance for people who have questions on legal issues. The banks were losing considerable amounts of money and In 1973, Morrison was the first woman ever employed Morrison was able to help the Federal Deposit Insurance in a legal capacity at Chaffe McCall (as a law clerk). Corp. recover millions of dollars via foreclosure. Despite the scarcity of women in law at the time, Morrison While unable to go into specifics about the case, Morrison said, “I don’t think I was ever discriminated against” and currently represents Children’s Hospital in various succession says she advanced with the assistance of many people she and donation matters. She has represented Children’s worked with over the years. “There’s only so much you can Hospital for 20 years. do by yourself.” After Hurricane Katrina, Morrison said she learned to When asked what traits a lawyer needs to succeed, become much more self-sufficient as an attorney. Morrison cites a desire to help others, stating that lawyers “I’m more efficient in that I have developed skills that I are often unfairly maligned as ambulance chasers. previously relied on others for.” “The real quality that lawyers have is that they really For Chaffe McCall, the storm has generated cases involv- want to help people.” ing business interruption claims, and Morrison says the firm — Fritz Esker 52 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Thomas O’Brien Position: litigation practice group leader, Adams and Reese Family: son, Timothy; daughter, Kristin Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School homas O’Brien has spent most of his legal career fight- in some cases. In the early days of oil production, the saltwa- Ting legacies while building one of his own in the pro- ter byproduct from drilling was stored in open pits. fessional and community arenas. Contamination from those pits has spurred nearly 90 recent A litigation practice group leader at Adams and Reese, lawsuits in Louisiana. O’Brien oversees 130 attorneys in nine offices. He splits In addition to legacy lawsuits, O’Brien practices on the most of his time between the New Orleans and Houston defense side in personal injury and property damage claims, offices. collisions, marine and energy insurance coverage issues and O’Brien, who has practiced at Adams and Reese his commercial insurance claims — “a topic that has come up a entire career since 1979, formerly served as a member of the lot post-Katrina,” O’Brien said. firm’s executive committee and the business litigation prac- O’Brien has served as lead trial counsel in state and fed- tice team leader. eral courts in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and He has more than 25 years experience in transactions and Wyoming and appeared before the National Transportation litigation arising out of the exploration, development, pro- Safety Board, Minerals Management Service and U.S. Coast duction, transportation and regulation of Gulf Coast oil and Guard. gas operations. “You adapt your style to the local venue to who the judge “I spend a lot of my time defending companies in legacy and jury are,” O’Brien said. “What works in Jefferson Parish lawsuits along the Gulf Coast,” O’Brien said. may not work in Brazoria County, Texas.” The Corbello v. Iowa Production Co. case opened the In 2003, Adams and Reese honored O’Brien as the Pro floodgates for many of the legacy site lawsuits in Louisiana, Bono Attorney of the Year for having used his position to where landowners sue companies for the damage inflicted advance overall pro bono efforts. During his first term on the through exploration. executive committee, O’Brien was instrumental in working In the Corbello case, landowner William B. Corbello was with the Pro Bono Committee to create a pro-bono charge- awarded a $33-million judgment from a group of drillers able credit program where attorneys get billable credit hours including Netherlands-based Shell Oil. The judgment grew for participating in pro bono matters. to nearly $100 million following a 12-year journey through “It’s good to give back in the community in whatever the legal process and spawned similar Louisiana lawsuits. way you can,” O’Brien said. Legacy sites involve oil and gas fields dating to the 1930s — Tommy Santora May 1, 2006 53 Leadership in Law 2006 Paul G. Pastorek Position: partner, Adams and Reese Family: wife, Kathy; sons, Ryan and Jeff; daughter, Kaitlin Education: bachelor’s degree, Loyola University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law n 2002, after spending 23 years at Adams and Reese, ronmental matters, acquisition of businesses in a distressed IPaul Pastorek was appointed by President George W. condition, warranty provisions and other general contractual Bush to serve as general counsel at NASA headquarters in matters. Washington, D.C. Pastorek said he is particularly proud of his legal work Pastorek was the chief legal official for the agency and a at Bollinger Shipyards because he has had the opportunity trusted advisor to fellow Louisiana resident and then NASA to watch the company grow into a large business. Administrator Sean O’Keefe. “I’ve been lucky to be a part of the team there,” Pastorek “It was certainly one of the high points of my legal said. “My involvement has played a small part in their success.” career,” Pastorek said. “It’s really an amazing place; you get In the community, Pastorek is a devoted supporter of the chance to work with such well-meaning people.” efforts to improve public education in Louisiana. He has Eleven months into his job, however, Pastorek explained served as president of the Louisiana State Board of he had to cope with a tremendous challenge. On Feb. 1, Elementary and Secondary Education and chairman of the 2003, during its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, the Space Recovery School District Authority, which is overseeing the Shuttle Columbia broke up over the skies of Texas. Pastorek state takeover of New Orleans Public Schools. had the monumental task of dealing with the legal and Pastorek was also a member of Louisiana’s LEARN political issues tied to this tragedy. Commission for educational reform and served on “It was trial by fire,” he said. “I got a degree in crisis man- Louisiana’s Public School and District Accountability agement on this one, but I think we did a very good job Commission from 1997 to 1999. with the situation in the media.” Because of his ties to NASA, Pastorek has also been inter- After his time at NASA, Pastorek returned to Adams and ested in the recovery of the Michoud Facility in eastern New Reese to continue his practice of governmental relations, con- Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Pastorek said he is work- struction law and commercial litigation. ing on efforts to create greater economic opportunities for Pastorek represents a number of companies as general the facility. counseling and serves as a legal strategist and coordinating “People don’t realize the jewel that Michoud is for our lawyer for commercial client business strategies. state,” he said. His responsibilities include mergers and acquisitions, envi- — Robin Shannon 54 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Lawrence Ponoroff Position: dean, Tulane University Law School Family: wife, Monica; sons, Christopher, Devon and Scott; daughter, Laura Education: bachelor’s degree, Loyola University of Chicago; juris doctorate, Stanford Law School awrence Ponoroff does not practice law. But he can be Ponoroff also raised the community service requirement Lcredited for much of the legal talent coming out of for graduation for law school students from 20 hours to 30 New Orleans. hours a year. Ponoroff was appointed dean of Tulane University Law “The message we give them is that it’s our hope and expec- School in 2001 and has spent more than a decade at the tation of them that they will become leaders not just in their school as a visiting professor, professor and vice dean. profession, but in their communities as well,” Ponoroff said. He has taught courses in bankruptcy, business enterprises, Ponoroff said students and faculty spend much time on commercial paper, contracts, sales and secured transactions. evenings and weekends holding paint rallies, helping “It has always been a career aspiration to move into aca- Habitat for Humanity, gutting neighborhood houses and demia,” Ponoroff said. “When I first came to New Orleans renovating schools and buildings. in 1994 on the faculty, I had never been to the city. It was a Before beginning teaching in the early 1990s, Ponoroff good professional opportunity for me, but the real joy has was an associate and partner for nine years at Holme Roberts been how much my family has fallen in love with this city.” & Owen law firm in Denver. Ponoroff’s biggest challenge post Katrina has been restor- Ponoroff has won four teaching awards at three different ing Tulane Law School. Ponoroff said the fall semester’s law schools and can always lay claim to turning down incoming class will be about 275 students, down 15 percent Harvard Law School for Tulane. from the typical 320 students before Katrina. “Well, sort of. The year before I was appointed dean, I “We re-engaged our alumni constituencies around the accepted an offer for a one-year visiting appointment at city, state and across the country and reached out to our dis- Harvard,” he said. “When I was appointed dean of Tulane’s placed students,” he said. law school, I called Harvard and asked to be released from Ponoroff put together a consortium of New Orleans law my commitment.” firms to assist students who were displaced, having landlord Ponoroff has authored five books dealing with case laws difficulties and in need of legal advice. and commercial litigation and written more than 40 pub- Ponoroff was also on Tulane University’s Leadership lished articles and essays. Group Team — about 12 people in Houston who coordinat- Ponoroff is on the U.S. Judicial Conference Advisory ed recovery efforts, restoration of the campus, developing a Committee on Bankruptcy Rules and the board of directors spring academic plan and housing for students. of the Louisiana Supreme Court Historical Society, and is a For the spring semester, the law school integrated a new member of the American Bar Association’s Graduate Legal focus on disaster recovery and building a healthy, urban Education Committee and Diversity Task Force. community into curriculum courses and lectures. — Tommy Santora May 1, 2006 55 Leadership in Law 2006 E. Fredrick Preis, Jr. Position: member, McGlinchey Stafford Family: wife, Sue; sons, Spencer, Kevin and Matt Education: bachelor’s degree, Louisiana State University; juris doctorate, LSU Law Center s an attorney at McGlinchey Stafford, Fred Preis rep- employment issues in order. Aresents various businesses in labor and employment Since Katrina and its effects on businesses was a situation issues. Many of his clients are outside of the New Orleans without precedent, Preis says, “instead of tailoring what we area. think is good practice, we’re creating good practice out of “I spend more than half of my time away from the office,” whole cloth.” said Preis. Outside of the firm, Preis is chairman of the New Orleans He works on what he calls “typical employee issues” such as Chamber of Commerce and treasurer of the Louisiana collective bargaining agreements, union organizing, potential Association of Business and Industry, as well as a member of strikes, supervisor training and potential class action lawsuits. the board of directors of the New Orleans chapter of the Most of Preis’ cases do not reach the courtroom. American Red Cross. “Ninety-eight to 99 percent end up settling,” he said. Much of his charitable work has focused on “trying to “Most of my job is preventive medicine, in essence, helping find housing and shelter for people who want to come back businesses take the proper steps to ensure that potentially to the city and work but have no place to live.” costly disputes never arise and, if they do, solving them Throughout his career, Preis has faced a variety of chal- before they reach the courtroom.” lenges. One is balancing work and his home life, even Preis is working on a union organizing matter, as well as though sometimes he deals with business emergencies on an unfair labor practice case in New Jersey. He is also con- nights, weekends and holidays. On the job, serving as an ducting contract negotiations in Iowa and New Orleans and effective counselor and mediator can sometimes be difficult, an employee relations matter in Miami. he said. “The challenge is coming up with a solution that Because so much of Preis’ work is outside of the New will work for the employers and the employees-now and in Orleans area, his practice did not suffer as a result of the the future and tailoring it to each employers’ individual storm. However, he still has worked in the New Orleans culture because each employer is different.” area post Katrina, helping companies get labor and — Fritz Esker 56 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Richard P. Richter Position: member and co-founder, Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert Family: wife, Mary; daughters, Candice, Rachel and Courtney; two grandchildren Education: bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law ichard Richter took an unconventional route to Hotel. He and his partners helped with the litigation Rpracticing law. involving property damage at the FBI building on the New After receiving a graduate engineering degree from Orleans lakefront. Tulane University in 1970, he enrolled in the Army. Richter Richter is keeping busy with the litigation and arbitra- worked as a civil engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers tion of leases, business-related disputes and insurance in New Orleans, serving as a project manager for several adjustments spawned by Hurricane Katrina. He sees a navigation and flood control projects in Louisiana and Texas. convergence of his engineering and real estate background In 1978, Richter changed career plans to become a real since Katrina. estate development consultant in Tampa, Fla. He later “I had no idea that my two chosen professional career returned to New Orleans to serve as vice president of Dormal paths would ultimately cross ... I have a unique personal Corp., a real estate and securities company. opportunity to combine skill sets of engineering and law to Four years later, his career changed again. better manage a myriad of legal and technical issues that He received his law degree from Loyola University School have surfaced in the wake of Katrina,” he said. of Law and began practicing law for McGlinchey Stafford. While Richter sees the challenges left by Katrina in real Richter stayed at the firm for 17 years before co-found- estate and construction, he also sees an opportunity for New ing Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert. Orleans to emerge at the forefront of urban planning and The firm opened in 1999 with 25 lawyers and will development. exceed 40 lawyers by summer. “Not only physically but educationally, economically, Fittingly, Richter’s practice involves real estate law with environmentally, culturally and in regards to government, related concentrations in construction, commercial retail, health care and to other measures of life here in the city as multi-family residential developments, leasing, zoning, govern- well,” he said. mental relations, regulatory matters, commercial finance and Richter serves on several committees and in civic and business transactions. He says matters he handles are “transac- neighborhood activities. He was appointed by former Gov. tions and not cases,” and they lead to or involve litigation. Buddy Roemer to serve as a member of the East Jefferson Some of Richter’s biggest transactions include the Hertz Levee District in 1988. Richter has also participated in the Group’s acquisitions of the Poydras Center; Sarpy/Hixon East Jefferson Council of the New Orleans Chamber of Developments’ development of Whole Foods stores in New Commerce and the Loyola University Institute of Politics. Orleans and Metairie; and the Chateau Sonesta Hotel. He is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, the He has also been involved in commercial development Louisiana Bar Foundation and the New Orleans Bar along Bourbon and Iberville streets and was a major legal Association. force in the development of Jazzland and the Ritz Carlton — Brenda Ducote May 1, 2006 57 Leadership in Law 2006 Howard Shapiro Position: managing partner, Proskauer Rose-New Orleans Family: wife, Catherine Boozman; sons, Adam and Neil; daughter, Beth Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; master’s degree, McGill University in Montreal; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law n the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Howard Shapiro ment to New Orleans, to rebuild the city, rebuild our lives Ihad several opportunities to permanently relocate and help the city flourish,” Shapiro said. Proskauer Rose’s New Orleans office to Boca Raton, Fla. Shapiro was named managing partner when Proskauer Legal staff and attorneys temporarily evacuated there fol- Rose opened a New Orleans office in October 2004. He had lowing the storm. The firm paid for employees’ temporary worked for McCalla Thompson and Shapiro. housing expenses and raised $400,000 for employees. Shapiro practices labor and employment law and has 25 Shapiro lost his Old Metairie home to 6 feet of water; the years of experience as an Employment Retirement Income house had to be demolished. Security Act litigator. He has written law review articles on Proskauer Rose, a 700-lawyer international firm head- ERISA litigation and speaks at national seminars on ERISA. quartered in New York, already had an office in Boca Raton Shapiro is listed by the National Law Journal as one of where more office space was available. The majority of the the top 40 benefits lawyers in the country in the category of New Orleans office’s clients, 97 percent, comes from out of litigators representing management. He is one of the found- town services, so moving from the city would not have alien- ing fellows of the board of governors of the American ated its customer base. College of Employee Benefits Council. But Shapiro stayed committed to New Orleans. Shapiro said his one-year stint in 2004 as the chair of the His family is living in Florida until his 12-year-old son American Bar Association’s labor and employment law sec- Neil finishes the school semester. Shapiro travels back and tion helped his career. forth, managing and supervising offices in both cities, “I just developed so many contacts, working on the spending about three days a week in New Orleans. national labor relations board and developing future refer- By the first week of June, all of the New Orleans staff and rals,” Shapiro said. Proskauer Rose attorneys will be back in their Poydras Shapiro said he has helped New Orleans employers post Street office. Katrina by putting on workshops focusing on issues such as “We could be anywhere in the United States and a lot of employee pay, housing and leave of absence. our business is outside the city, but all of us have a commit- — Tommy Santora 58 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Jack Stolier Position: president, co-founding partner, Sullivan, Stolier & Resor Family: sons, Ryan, Andre and Myles Education: bachelor’s degree, Louisiana State University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School n the 1991 movie “Doc Hollywood,” Michael J. Fox’s lenging, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re Icharacter, a big city plastic surgeon, finds a special place currently designing documents to replace the facility.” in his heart for a small, rural hospital. Stolier help founded Sullivan, Stolier & Resor in 1987 So has Jack Stolier. with partner Stephen Sullivan. President and co-founding partner of Sullivan, Stolier & “My partner convinced me that a firm focused on com- Resor, he has served the last 12 years as general counsel to plex health care issues would be successful in New Orleans,” the Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition Inc., a trade associa- Stolier said. “We have been doing this for almost 20 years tion of approximately 50 small, rural hospitals in the state. now; we went from two lawyers to 15.” “It’s a great assignment because I get to pursue my profes- After Hurricane Katrina, the firm moved some of its sion, I get paid for my services but I get to advance the social operations to Lafayette, where it opened a second office for agenda I believe in, which is that all citizens in the state, Sullivan and several lawyers. Stolier runs the New Orleans especially in rural areas, get health care access,” Stolier said. office, which reopened in October. Stolier assisted the coalition and state Sen. Donald Hines Stolier started his legal career in Washington, D.C., in the drafting and passage of the Rural Hospital with the Department of Health and Human Services. As a Preservation Act. The act allowed rural hospitals to meet 33-year-old attorney, he helped bring the first lawsuit less stringent criteria in order to receive maximum funding against the Ronald Reagan Administration that involved available from the state and federal government. hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent federal assistance “It essentially saved a lot of hospitals financially by allow- for pregnant women. ing them access to more funds and kept some of them from Stolier said much of his time is not spent litigating but eventually closing down,” Stolier said. helping hospitals and doctors navigate through complex Stolier said the two biggest challenges for rural hospitals webs of regulations and rules they have to follow. are getting reimbursed for the care they provide to the unin- He spends about three to four days a week in Baton sured, and the competition from other facilities as they try Rouge lobbying for legislation. to recruit and retain doctors and nurses. “I don’t like to think of myself as a lobbyist though,” he Stolier represents a Cameron Parish hospital destroyed by said. “I’m more of a technician to explain complex issues to Hurricane Rita. He has worked with hospital operators, litigators. I help craft legislative remedies to complicated parish officials and the Federal Emergency Management problems.” Agency to help the parish reestablish health care. Stolier said his primary focus in his career is being avail- “We’re just navigating through the regulatory maze of able to his three teenage sons. rebuilding this hospital and setting up access to health care,” “They’re more challenging than any case.” Stolier said. “It has been interesting, frustrating and chal- — Tommy Santora May 1, 2006 59 Leadership in Law 2006 Noel E. Vargas Jr. Position: senior partner, Vargas & Vargas Family: wife, Marion Education: bachelor’s degree, University of New Orleans; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law oel Vargas said it’s a special feeling to know he’s adopting a Vietnamese girl, who later starred in a Gap Nresponsible for creating more than 800 families. commercial — and the birth mother who had a reunion Vargas, senior and co-founding partner at Vargas & with her daughter in Washington, D.C. The daughter was Vargas, runs a full-service adoption firm in which he has a child prodigy pianist there to perform at a national event, been involved in more than 800 transactions since the prac- while the birth mother was a United States attorney prac- tice opened in 1987. ticing in Washington, D.C. “They’re all special. That’s why I got into adoptions “It couldn’t have been more wonderful; I think that one because I wanted to make a difference. ... I am putting got some television coverage,” Vargas said. together families, saving children,” he said. Then there are the challenging cases. Vargas’ Mid-City office and home took on 4 feet of water A birth mother gave up her children but gave false infor- from Hurricane Katrina, leaving both inaccessible until mation concerning the birth father’s identity. The real birth October. Vargas’ family evacuated to its cattle ranch proper- father challenged the adoption, and the U.S. Supreme Court ty in Washington Parish. The property suffered wind dam- ruled in the father’s favor. age to 71 lost trees and one mile of broken fence. Vargas said the case created a criminal statute making Vargas was without a landline phone for two months and it a crime for anyone to give false information during an used his cell phone and a satellite Internet connection adoption. installed at the ranch to stay in touch with his clients. “Nothing is worse than contested adoption litigation, Vargas’ Mid-City home has gas and electricity but still no and I have been through some emotional ones,” Vargas said. phone, fax or Internet, so he has been commuting back and The biggest challenge in adoption cases, Vargas said, is forth from New Orleans to Washington Parish. dealing with birth mothers. The birth mother must have Vargas said he has finalized a few adoptions since the two sessions of medical counseling before she signs the storm but has 48 pending that were delayed by Katrina. papers, and there is a five-day period after the birth also “All of the paperwork has been filed, but the juvenile court before she can sign. in Orleans Parish was down until the last week of January and “Once she signs those papers, it’s pretty much irrevoca- now we’re starting to pick back up,” Vargas said. If the adop- ble,” Vargas said. “You can get out of a marriage. You can tion is transacted through an agency, the child has to be in the get kicked out of the Army. But an act of surrender in home for six months to finalize the adoption. If not through an Louisiana is very difficult to get out of. agency, the child must be in the home for a year. “The law is made and geared to protect adoptions and Vargas’ most memorable adoption cases are of the good create families.” and bad variety. He recalls a single mother in Boston — Tommy Santora 60 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Nelson Wagar III Position: managing partner, Chopin, Wagar, Richard & Kutcher Family: son, William; daughter, Sarah Education: bachelor’s degree, George Washington University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School elson “Chip” Wagar III, managing partner at Chopin, Wagar gives back to the community through youth NWagar, Richard & Kutcher, practices in the defense of sports, particularly to youth soccer. He helped found the personal injury and casualty cases often with the potential of Mandeville Soccer Club and served as an officer of the club seven-figure judgments. for over a decade. Wagar also spends time training new lawyers at his firm In the legal arena he has been involved in numerous attor- and managing its lawyers and administrative staff. ney advocacy programs in the past two decades and has been During Hurricane Katrina, Wagar took a patriarchal on the faculty of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy for stance in the safety of all the staff at his firm. He created new more than 10 years. e-mail addresses for all his employees, set up an office in Wagar says he is most proud of helping with the devel- Baton Rouge and due to the lack of space, put everybody on opment of the young lawyers. He puts the ethics of his pro- a leave of absence if they couldn’t be there. All employees fession and the impartiality and competence of the judicial were reimbursed for lost pay. system at the top of his list of importance. Wagar considers himself fortunate to not have many Taking advantage of the breaks he has gotten over the obstacles in his career and attributes this to his undergradu- years, especially early in his career, has helped Wagar rise ate and legal education. He says he was given a significant to the top, he says. He considers his biggest challenge “bal- amount of responsibility for litigation early in his career. ancing my legal career with the private life that I enjoy “This early experience helped me to attract and keep with my children and my friends.” clients over the years,” he said. — Brenda Ducote May 1, 2006 61 Leadership in Law 2006 Kenneth A. Weiss Position: member, McGlinchey Stafford Family: wife, Tara; daughter, Olivia Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School; master of law, George Washington University Law School hile many lawyers have big cases that get media Loyola University School of Law’s annual Estate Planning Wattention, Kenneth Weiss does not. Conference. He is also a full adjunct professor on the fac- “It’s different with tax planning. We try to keep our ulty of the Louisiana State University Hebert Law Center, clients out of court and keeping clients from being audited where he teaches federal estate and gift tax, and Tulane by the IRS is part of every plan,” he said. Law School, where he has taught federal, estate and gift Weiss is head of estate planning at McGlinchey Stafford. tax since 1987. He is a board certified tax specialist, estate planner and “Doing a good job” is most important to Weiss. “If you administration specialist who has written two books and care about your clients, helping them reach their goals is several articles on tax law. most important,” he said. Since Hurricane Katrina, Weiss said he has seen an Weiss describes his practice as people-oriented and “peo- increase of people needing help because they lost important ple appreciate you looking out for them. We respect people documents and the storm has forced them to review their and that’s what’s important.” wills and their estate plans. Weiss has advised them to recon- Staying on top of all his efforts is his biggest challenge sider some of their former plans for validity, especially people but teaching helps, Weiss said, because it challenges you to with displaced family members. view issues from different perspectives. The firm has had to overcome the challenges of Katrina, Weiss said there is a lot of room for growth in his area of Weiss said. “Evacuation was hard but we were fortunate law because baby boomers are beginning to retire and pass because we have a Baton Rouge office and were able to serve on wealth to the next generation. Financial, retirement and clients after being closed only one week.” estate planning are all related and are the biggest areas of Teaching is Weiss’ way of giving back to the community and growth right now, he said. In the next decade, Weiss esti- to the legal arena. He is approaching his 20th year on the facul- mates more than a billion dollars will pass hands. ty of Tulane University where he teaches taxation law. Weiss said his favorite charitable work is estate planning “It is really good to be on a faculty because when you because “it allows for creativity to enter into the process of teach it forces you to stay on top of it,” he said. helping people to meet their goals.” Weiss is a member of the planning committee for — Brenda Ducote 62 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 David S. Willenzik Position: senior attorney and managing director of business law section, McGlinchey Stafford Family: wife, the late Sandy Willenzik; daughters, Sherri Shapiro and Lisa Ellis, an attorney in Chicago Education: bachelor’s degree, University of Illinois; juris doctorate, Louisiana State University Law Center avid Willenzik, senior attorney and managing direc- “It was a trying time when she was ill, to be available for Dtor of McGlinchey Stafford’s business law section, her and for the firm, and family time was not enjoyable then prefers the hardest work at his firm and spends his days like it normally was,” he said. meeting the most challenging matters because “the more Willenzik’s wife did a lot of community work with the difficult, the better.” Susan G. Komen Foundation. Due to Willenzik’s senior status, he has transitioned Willenzik said her death “brought everything into prop- the bulk of his practice to other members of the firm and er perspective for him ... and family is the most important spends much time handling commercial finance, real thing anybody has — work pails in importance to it.” estate and Uniform Commercial Code-related matters. On the civic side, Willenzik prefers to stay involved in He also works on select consumer finance services, com- legal groups and law-related work, which takes much of his pliance and does litigation only alongside other attorneys time. He has written several of Louisiana’s laws including in the firm. Article 9 of the UCC, which he brought to Louisiana in Years of experience and a wealth of knowledge have 1989 after it had been made law in 49 states. He has earned Wellinzik the label of being a “lawyer’s lawyer” from taught, drafted documents and written several articles, his colleagues because of the way he helps others with com- codes and statutes dealing with banks and lending, and a plex legal issues and strategies. Most recently, Willenzik was treatise on Louisiana. He also lectures at law schools, asked to assist in the Entergy New Orleans bankruptcy case including Louisiana State University Law Center, and and the complex UCC and securities rights issues in connec- serves on the LSU Board of Supervisors. tion with the insurance of $1.2 billion in Louisiana Citizens His article, “Future Advance Priority Rights of Insurance’s Co. bonds. Louisiana Collateral Mortgages: Legislative Revisions, Willenzik has also helped represent Murphy Oil Co., and New Rules, and a Modern Alternative,” can be found in Harrah’s Casino. 55 Louisiana Law Review 1, and his treatise, “Louisiana Willenzik is a commercial arbitrator and a member of the Secured Transactions Practice Guide,” is available American Arbitration Association/Notable Commercial through the West Publishing Co. Willenzik also is the Finance Defense Panel. author of “A Lender’s Guide to Louisiana UCC Article 9,” Since Katrina, Willenzik has been “very busy with Fannie (7th edition), which is designed for and extensively used Mae,” the largest mortgage lender in the country, as its pri- by banks in Louisiana. mary council in Louisiana. In the 1970s, Willenzik was responsible for enactment of Though he is upset about what’s going on in the city, the Louisiana Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which allowed another hard challenge was when he watched his wife, married women in the state to obtain credit in their own Sandy Willenzik, lose her battle to breast cancer in 2003. names for the first time. David and Sandy were married for 35 years. — Brenda Ducote May 1, 2006 63 Leadership in Law 2006 John Wilson Position: shareholder, Liskow & Lewis Family: wife, Edie; sons, Morgan and Reynolds, an attorney in Washington, D.C. Education: bachelor’s degree, Louisiana State University; juris doctorate, LSU Law Center ohn Wilson has been practicing law for 34 years concen- He attributes his success to long hours of work and to the Jtrating on oil, gas, tax, expropriation and professional good training and development he received from senior liability litigation on the state and federal level. members of his firm. In addition to counseling clients and preparing for vari- “Challenges today consist of long hours that compromise ous court hearings, Wilson said much of his day includes family time and the lack of professionalism and civility by mentoring younger lawyers in his firm. some opponents, but some of the challenging things about “Beyond his representation of oil and gas clients, Wilson my practice are also the rewarding things,” he said. has represented a diverse group of clients — agricultural “I believe that high ethical standards, professional companies, banks, chemical companies, insurance compa- demeanor and conduct, and civility toward others I nies, lawyers and law firms, the FDIC and a number of other encounter in the practice of law are most important to me.” commercial entities,” said Gene Felder, president of Liskow Wilson has been selected in Best Lawyers in America, & Lewis and Wilson’s managing partner. and he serves as a fellow of the American College of Trial Hurricane Katrina disrupted the flow of work at Lawyers and the American and Louisiana Bar associations. Liskow & Lewis, especially with the interruptions in He chairs Liskow & Lewis’ ethics, professionalism and con- communications and travel since many of his clients are flicts of interest committee and manages the firm’s profes- from out of town, he said. Getting staff back to their sional loss prevention program. New Orleans office took the concerted efforts of Wilson Wilson served in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s and his partners. Corps from 1968 to 1972 before going into private practice. Another major challenge in Wilson’s life, he said, was the In his community efforts, Wilson aids St. Martin’s death of his parents and his wife’s father, but he says he has Episcopal Church and School and the Episcopal Diocese of been blessed with good health, strong family support and a Louisiana. wonderful law firm. — Brenda Ducote 64 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Phillip Wittmann Position: member, Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann Family: daughters, Elizabeth and Louisa Frederiksen Education: bachelor’s degree, Tulane University; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School hillip Wittmann recalls one of his first jury trials in schemed to market cigarettes to children. In spring 2004, P1968, United States v. Buras, in which he represent- the jury rejected calls from class-action plaintiffs for medical ed a group of Plaquemines Parish residents who claimed monitoring of present and former smokers but said the title to land at the Romere Pass oil field. industry should provide free smoking cessation programs. Wittmann fought the case for his clients and won at the Before a five-judge panel of the state’s Fourth Circuit Court district court level. Chevron Oil appealed the case and the of Appeal, Wittmann spoke on behalf of the tobacco indus- U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling, tak- try saying the trial should have ended when the jury ruled ing away Wittmann’s victory. that cigarette makers had not manufactured a defective “That was a hard-fought case,” Wittmann said. “I was a product under Louisiana’s products liability law. The judges young lawyer and I really wondered if all the time I put into have yet to rule on the final decision. it was worth it. It wore me out.” Wittmann is also on the defense liaison council in the Almost 40 years later, it’s safe to say Wittmann considers Vioxx litigation concentrated in New Orleans since practicing law well worth it. February 2005. The case began four years ago in New Jersey The former president of the New Orleans Bar Association when the pain reliever was said to have caused cardiovascu- and member of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann has prac- lar problems. ticed at the firm since 1961 in commercial litigation, antitrust, Wittmann’s clients also include RJ Reynolds Tobacco class actions, toxic tort litigation and products liability. Co., Laitram and Exxon Mobil. Wittmann is chairman of Stone Pigman’s management In 2000, Wittmann was the recipient of the G. Duffield committee and his legal work over the years has landed him Smith Outstanding Publication Award from the Defense recognition every year in The Best Lawyers in America in the Research Institute for an article he published on class action field of business litigation since its initial publication in 1982. lawsuits. “As long as I am healthy and enjoying my practice, I will Wittmann lectures for the Louisiana State Bar Association, keep practicing law,” Wittmann said. “I give a lot to the New Orleans Bar Association and Tulane University Law profession and I’ve learned over the years there’s no such School. thing as a part-time lawyer.” In 2005, he received the Professionalism award from the Tobacco and Vioxx take up much of Wittmann’s litiga- U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. tion time. Wittmann also has time for pro bono activity, represent- Earlier this month, a jury verdict ordered cigarette mak- ing Orleans Parish Prison inmates who lack representation. ers to pay $590.9 million for nicotine patches, telephone hot- “The indigent system is not working in this city and lines and other programs to help curb Louisiana smoking. that’s a problem, so I try to make as much of an impact as I Three years ago, a state district court jury found cigarette can in that regard,” he said. makers deceived the public with an addictive product and — Tommy Santora May 1, 2006 65 Leadership in Law 2006 Scott Wolfe Jr. Position: owner, Wolfe Law Offices Family: single Education: bachelor’s degree, Southern Methodist University; juris doctorate, Loyola University School of Law cott Wolfe Jr. is not your ordinary rookie attorney fresh one of his first clients was the Loyola University School of Sout of law school. Law Career Services Department, for whom he developed a The 25-year-old graduate of Loyola University School of Web-based program to handle job postings for students and Law opened his practice, Wolfe Law Offices, on Nov. 1 in organize job fairs. eastern New Orleans but has since moved to a two-story After Katrina hit, Wolfman Construction’s business office building on Prytania Street. started booming, and Wolfe designed a program to track Wolfe’s original business model for the firm called for a 1,000 projects at a time opposed to the few the old program building near Elysian Fields Avenue and Interstate 610, but was able to track. Hurricane Katrina hit the area with 10 feet of floodwater. He also created an estimate building program that can Wolfe practiced temporarily out of office space at his work up a contractor’s estimate of damages on a house or father Scott’s business, Wolfman Construction, until the building for an insurance claim case. Prytania office space opened Jan. 1. “We have a gap between lawyers having insurance dis- Wolfe practices construction and business law, two areas putes and they need to know how much damage a house has in which he has a vested background. received. But contractors are too busy right now to get them Wolfe was a former door-to-door salesman for AT&T for that so they ask us what estimate they need,” Wolfe said. three years and ranked as the No. 1 salesman one year. He “Insurance companies can give you an estimate but that’s was offered a $300,000 a year job but turned it down to what you’re disputing.” attend law school. In the last eight months, Wolfe has served a diverse Wolfe is also a former executive at Wolfman Construction, group of clients including individuals and businesses having Wagner’s Meat and Chicken Box, all businesses under insurance disputes and problems with uninsured contrac- Wolfman Inc., his father’s corporation. Wolfe programmed tors. He is also getting ready for a unique case involving an and installed the new computer software for the businesses. inflatable chicken. His computer expertise led him to start a Web design, In July, Wolfe will defend the Chicken Box in a case software programming and technology company, The Web where the inflatable chicken outside a Chicken Box store fell Lab (theweblab.com), formerly known as Wolfman Design, and injured a person in a car. in 1997. Wolfe has practiced thus far on the plaintiff and defense Wolfe has a designer and programmer working with him side of insurance disputes. at his law office. The company has served more than 100 “I like the mix of seeing both sides. The cases you get are clients, including 50 active companies. more interesting when you are pulling from both sides, and “I do a lot of Web-based programs and software programs it’s been amazing to me how effective that one phone call for law firms, other retail businesses and even construction could be from one lawyer to an insurance company,” Wolfe companies,” Wolfe said. said. “You resolve the problem before it goes to litigation.” He started the company while he was in high school and — Tommy Santora 66 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law 2006 Robert Worley Jr. Position: partner in labor and employment section, Jones Walker Family: wife, Cassie; daughters, Nancy and Catherine Education: bachelor’s degree, University of Kentucky; juris doctorate, Tulane University Law School obert Worley Jr. knows all too well about frequent Leave Act allowed for only 12 weeks of leave. It did not con- Rflyer miles. sider extra sick or vacation time in addition to the 12 weeks. A partner in the labor and employment law section at The court ruled the Department of Labor’s regulations regard- Jones Walker, Worley has defended employment lawsuits in ing notice to employees on leave were contrary to the FMLA 28 states and estimates he spends about three days a week and unenforceable on AutoZone. out of town and that 80 percent to 90 percent of his work is “It’s not every day you strike down the secretary of labor’s with clients outside Louisiana. regulations,” Worley said. Worley is a member of the bars of U.S. Supreme Court, Worley also won a sexual harassment case in 1999 when the states of Texas and Louisiana and 14 federal courts. the judge decided in favor of AutoZone, citing that the com- “I enjoy what I do. It gets stressful traveling around at pany exercised reasonable care to prevent and promptly cor- times but it really makes you a better lawyer,” Worley said. rect harassing behavior and that the employee failed to take “It hones your skills because every place does it a little bit advantage of the company’s preventive procedures. The deci- differently. Judges accept evidence in different ways or they sion was the recognized by the Supreme Court and is often want the closing arguments in different orders, and you just cited in sexual harassment sections of employer policies. have to adapt and adjust.” In the community, Worley is the president of the Habitat Worley has practiced law for 21 years, including seven at for Humanity New Orleans chapter; chairman of the Rayne Jones Walker. In 1985, Worley was practicing maritime law Memorial United Methodist Church Council; chairman of but switched to labor and employment law because “it was the Louisiana Junior Tennis Council; and on the board of more dynamic.” directors for the Louisiana Tennis Association. “In just the years I have been practicing, you have had the Worley played tennis on scholarship at the University of Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Leave Act, drug test- Kentucky. He still plays recreationally and spends much ing laws, Civil Rights Act and those are just a few examples,” time traveling to tennis tournaments to watch his two Worley said. “Laws change and are created every day in this daughters play. field, and clients call constantly with very different situations.” Worley said Habitat plans to build 250 houses a year for Worley counsels employers in the application of employ- the next four years to reach the 1,000-mark, including the ment laws, drafts employment policies and contracts, trains creation of a Musicians Village in the Ninth Ward for dis- supervisors and provides advice to minimize legal exposure placed musicians. for his clients. “Housing is one of most urgent needs we have,” Worley Worley said two of the bigger cases in his career involved said. “What Habitat does is combat blighted property and representing Autozone. poverty. There is no down payment; it’s a no-interest loan and In McGregor v. AutoZone, a former supervisor took 15 it’s all based on Christian principles. A lot of our homeown- weeks off to have a baby and was demoted when she returned. ers will be service workers who can help us rebuild the city.” She filed suit against AutoZone, but the Family Medical — Tommy Santora May 1, 2006 67 <285%86,1(66 ,6&29(5(' ,QVXUDQFHFRPSDQLHVDUHZURQJIXOO\GHQ\LQJ FODLPVDVVHVVLQJGDPDJHIDUEHORZDFWXDO UHFRQVWUXFWLRQFRVWVDQGUHO\LQJXSRQ§IORRG H[FHSWLRQV¨WRPLQLPL]HSD\RXWVH[FHSWLRQV¨WRPLQLPL]HSD\RXWV ,QPRVWFDVHVWKHVH§IORRGH[FHSWLRQV¨GR QRWDSSO\WRKXUULFDQHGDPDJHIROORZHGE\D OHYHHEUHDN ,WWDNHVDILUPRIXQSDUDOOHOHGUHSXWDWLRQDQG H[SHULHQFHWRJHWWKHLUDWWHQWLRQ 0D[LPL]LQJ,QVXUDQFH&RYHUDJH0D[LPL]LQJ,QVXUDQFH&RYHUDJH _3URSHUW\9DOXDWLRQ$GMXVWPHQW3URSHUW\9DOXDWLRQ$GMXVWPHQW_%XVLQHVV,QWHUUXSWLRQ%XVLQHVV,QWHUUXSWLRQ +XUULFDQH&RYHUDJH+XUULFDQH&RYHUDJH _:LQGYHUVXV)ORRG'DPDJH:LQGYHUVXV)ORRG'DPDJH_,QVXUDQFH/LWLJDWLRQ,QVXUDQFH/LWLJDWLRQ 1RUWK+XOOHQ6W *DXWKLHU_ +RXJKWDOLQJ_ :LOOLDPV 0HWDLULH/$