Ally L. Duplechain

Melissa Harris is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Melissa, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melissa is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

René E. Thorne is the Managing Shareholder and Litigation Manager of the New Orleans, Louisiana office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice covers the full range of employee benefit litigation matters, including representation of employers, plans, plan fiduciaries, and trustees. In that regard, she has handled numerous ERISA class actions for clients such as Nortel Networks, Target, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Owens Healthcare, United Airlines ESOP Committee, Dunbar Armored, United Companies...

Robert S. Stassi is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Robert S., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Francis “Rasch” H. Brown is an experienced trial lawyer who advises clients throughout the United States on tort litigation and commercial disputes, with an emphasis on product liability defense. In the products liability field, he has tried more than 35 cases to conclusion obtaining defense verdicts in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. Rasch is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Highly regarded for his ability to communicate scie...

Rick Shelby is an experienced attorney who specializes in bankruptcy, restructuring, oil and gas litigation, commercial litigation and corporate governance. His representation includes secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, committees, and debtors. Mr. Shelby has handled virtually all aspects of bankruptcy work from complex chapter 11 cases representing debtors, creditors’ committees and secured creditors to consumer bankruptcy cases in chapter 7 and 13. He has recently represented ...

P.J. Kee is a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group and a member of the trade secrets and fair competition team. He focuses on advising clients in disputes and potential threats concerning trade secret theft, computer fraud and abuse, unfair competition, civil conspiracies, and non-competition obligations. P.J. regularly represents clients in federal and state courts. He has been on trial teams that have not only successfully obtained and fended off injunctions relating to trad...

Mr. Maraldo is a partner in the Metairie office and has been with the firm since 1995. His practice consists primarily of business consulting, business transactions, corporate law, commercial litigation, medical malpractice litigation and healthcare law. He has been a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association since 1994. Mr. Maraldo holds an AV ® Peer Review Rated certification mark from Martindale-Hubbell, and he has been recognized by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in A...

Christopher Wappel is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on commercial lending and finance. Christopher has practiced law since 1999. He represents borrowers, agents, and lenders in structuring, negotiating, and documenting senior and subordinated, secured and unsecured, and bilateral and syndicated credit facilities, including acquisition, asset-based, oil and gas, real estate, receivables, vessel, and working capital financings. Christopher also has significant experience...

Pauline Hardin is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on criminal litigation as well as business, commercial, and labor disputes. Pauline has tried more than 150 jury trials across the spectrum of criminal and commercial litigation. She routinely handles bet-the-company and high-stakes matters, and also draws on her experience to help clients facing grand jury investigations by avoiding prosecution, or when facing criminal charges, by negotiating plea agreements or going t...

Judy Barrasso is a founding member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, and includes complex commercial litigation matters and class actions involving complex commercial contracts, director and officer liability, securities fraud, and insurance coverage and bad faith claims. Judy has been ranked by Chambers USA as a top commercial litigator, by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star, and by the Diversity Journal as among 20...