Cherrell Simms Taplin

George J. Fowler, III, is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group, where he focuses on litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution. George Fowler is an internationally recognized trial lawyer known for his successful record trying hundreds of cases to juries and judges, including numerous high-profile matters, complex litigation, and cases of national concern. George has written and lectured extensively on private international law and world trade and is active in promoting trade and inv...

Michael C. Drew is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Construction Law. Michael C., 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 Michael C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michael S. Blackwell is Of Counsel with Riess LeMieux, L.L.C.. Michael represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation, corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters, sales...

David Halpern is an attorney with Kean Miller in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he practices in the business, real estate, and commercial litigation groups. He brings more than 30 years of combined legal and business experience to his work with clients on a wide range of corporate, real estate, and land use matters. His practice focuses on Land Use and Zoning Law, including zoning ordinances, land use approvals, and regulatory compliance, as well as mergers and acquisitions and complex busines...

John T. Balhoff, II, a member of the firm, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1971. He attended college at the University of Notre Dame and graduated from there, cum laude, in 1993, receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance. Mr. Balhoff received his Juris Doctor degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1996. Mr. Balhoff presently is admitted to the Louisiana Bar and he also is admitted to practice before all United States District C...

Mr. Murov devotes his practice to advising clients and litigating in the areas of commercial litigation, restrictive covenants, intellectual property, and labor and employment law. He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Louisiana, the Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He also has an administrative law practice before the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Labor, Wage...

Mike Butterworth practices in the areas of admiralty and tort litigation and alternative dispute resolution, which includes collision, repair yard, machinery, cargo, pollution and longshoreman personal injury litigation at the trial and appellate level as well as mediation where appropriate. He is a registered civil mediator with the Louisiana State Bar Association. In addition to litigation, he teaches in the maritime law program at Tulane University Law School.

Marc Yellin represented Pan American World Airways and the United States Government in multi-district litigation of approximately 200 wrongful death, personal injury, psychic injury and property damage suits arising out of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759. In his practice, Mr. Yellin defends insurers, businesses, private and commercial transportation carriers. He represents trucking companies, airlines, and trucking and product manufacturers. In addition to his transportation-related claims, Mr...

Justin Lemaire concentrates his practice on business litigation. He assists clients with a wide variety of business issues, including state and local tax disputes, products liability litigation, oil and gas litigation, public bid law cases and government procurement cases. His experience ranges from defending independent oil and gas companies in legacy oilfield site lawsuits to representing a large chemical corporation in a multimillion dollar arbitration over a chemical distribution agreemen...

Gary Hemphill practices in the areas of admiralty litigation. His practice involves matters in personal injury, cargo, oil and energy, finance and FD&D. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, Mr. Hemphill was with the Terriberry, Carroll, & Yancey, L.L.P. law firm in New Orleans.