Betsy Britton

Senior Counsel Georges Legrand is one of the founding members of MBLB. He has more than 44 years of experience as a litigator. As a leader of the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime law practice, he has been part of forging a team of attorneys who have developed a depth of expertise that rivals larger firms. His practice focuses on defense of maritime personal injury and property damage claims on the river and offshore, as well as insurance, transportation, and contractual matters. His experi...

David J. Topping is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law. David J., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Cannella is a shareholder in the Louisiana offices of Baron & Budd. As part of the Mesothelioma Litigation Group, he serves asbestos victims across the gulf state. After graduating from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1999, Mr. Cannella served as a law clerk to the Honorable Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Following his service to Chief Justice Calogero, Mr. Cannella served as Assistant District Attorney for Orle...

David Israel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Compliance Law and Employment Law - Management. David, who practices law in Metairie, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris Wootten is Director in the Affordable Housing and Community Development practice in the New Orleans Office. His practice focuses on commercial finance, government incentives, public private partnerships and real estate development. Chris commonly represents commercial lenders, SBA licensed Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), Community Development Entities (CDEs), tax credit investors, non-profit corporations, business owners and developers. Chris has extensive experience closin...

Walter Maestri is a maritime attorney working in the offshore fields representing companies that have contracts with oil and gas interests in the Gulf of Mexico. Whether representing the actual platform owner or the service industries that provide support to the oil and gas industry, he defends those companies against personal injury actions, property damage loss, lost oil and gas revenues, or other claims that may arise from operations in the Gulf. Working in partnerships with his clients, W...

Mark A. Cunningham is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and co-team leader of the corporate compliance and white collar defense team. Mark provides strategic advice to clients on competition and trade issues related to the structuring of national and global distribution networks, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property protection. Mark also serves as first-chair trial counsel for companies and individuals under law enforcement scrutiny or facing bet-the-co...

Allison Bell is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and co-chairs the firm’s Healthcare Industry Team. She focuses on merger and acquisition transactions. Allison represents a wide variety of organizations in a number of key industries, including healthcare, insurance, transportation, and energy. Allison has extensive experience advising public and private companies in acquisition and divestiture transactions, joint ventures, and other complex business transactions. Allison also r...

Ms. Doucette joined Ogletree Deakins in 2009. She practices primarily in the area of employment litigation and represents management in claims arising under Title VII, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, as well as other federal and state employment laws. She also regularly represents employers in various state and federal administrative proceedings. Ms. Doucette has significant experience with litigating employment matters in a variety of business sectors such as construction, insurance, banking, hospitality, ...

Jim Swanson represents state and local governments, corporations, and individuals in cases involving municipal finance, derivatives, CDOs, Ponzi schemes, corporate tax, coastal land loss, industrial and environmental accidents, and a range of other subject areas. Jim’s efforts are recorded in over 100 reported decisions. Jim is particularly known for his securities practice and has obtained multimillion-dollar judgments for his clients in jury and bench trials and commercial arbitration...