Elizabeth "Blair" Schilling

Elizabeth "Blair" Schilling

recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2023
Awarded Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation Environmental Law Litigation - Environmental Litigation - Intellectual Property Oil and Gas Law
Works at
Fishman Haygood LLP

23 Best Lawyers awards

Fishman Haygood LLP logo

Biography

Blair Schilling represents clients in a wide range of commercial matters in federal and state court, with a concentration in environmental law.

Blair’s environmental practice spans coastal erosion and restoration, land contamination, land use, clean water, asset retirement, brownfield site cleanup and redevelopment, regulatory and permitting matters, and expropriation issues. In doing this work, Blair represents state government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies and individuals, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resource Defense Council, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Orleans Audubon Society, Pontchartrain Conservancy, Restore the Mississippi River Delta, and many private landowners. The goal of her environmental practice is to make Louisiana more resilient and encourage future sustainable economic growth in the region.

Blair represents landowners throughout Louisiana against some of the oil and gas industry’s largest operators for land loss, oilfield contamination, erosion, and groundwater contamination. Because the cases she handles are highly technical and require a great deal of scientific and operational understanding, Blair is known for immersing herself in the complicated aspects of these matters, as well as for her keen ability to steer her cases in a strategic and effective manner to achieve the overarching goal of the litigation.

Blair was a member of the five-day trial team in Vintage Assets Inc. v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C., a seminal coastal land loss case that secured injunctive relief requiring pipeline defendants to restore damaged wetlands and protect them from future erosion. Since then, Blair has represented landowners in similar cases across Louisiana, seeking restoration of land loss caused by pipeline canals. Recently, Blair filed suit on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to address damage to the nearly 34,000-acre Pointe aux Chenes Wildlife Management Area, seeking to hold pipeline companies accountable for failing to maintain and restore critical coastal wetlands.

Blair is an experienced mediator who was trained at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, an internationally recognized program at Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law. She earned a Sustainable Capitalism and ESG certificate from UC Berkeley School of Law’s Executive Education program, focusing on integrating environmental, social, and governance considerations into business and investment strategy.

Blair frequently shares her knowledge and experience. She was selected to present “Legal Ramifications Surrounding the Latest Scientific Evidence in Pipeline Canals and Land Loss” at the 2023 State of the Coast conference, the largest statewide forum on Louisiana’s coastal communities, environment, and economy. She is also committed to advancing female representation in the legal profession and her community. She participated in the Loyola University New Orleans Women’s Leadership Academy, which focuses on developing women leaders through education and mentorship.

Works at
Fishman Haygood LLP

23 Best Lawyers awards

Fishman Haygood LLP logo

Locations

Education

  • Loyola University New Orleans, J.D., graduated 2013
  • University of Kentucky, B.A., graduated 2007

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana, 2013

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association – Young Lawyers Division - Member, Disaster Legal Services Program (2023-2024); Vice-Chair, Environment, Energy & Resources Committee (2023-2024)
  • American Bar Foundation - Fellow
  • Association for Women Attorneys – New Orleans Chapter - Member, Past President
  • Litigation Counsel of America - Fellow
  • Louisiana Association for Justice - Board of Governors Member
  • Women’s Professional Council of New Orleans - Chair, Bylaws Committee

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 for work in:
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Oil and Gas Law
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America from 2021-2022 for work in:
  • Commercial Litigation - 2022
  • Environmental Law - 2022
  • Intellectual Property Law - 2022
  • Litigation - Environmental - 2022
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property - 2022
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs - 2022
  • Oil and Gas Law - 2022
  • Commercial Litigation - 2021
  • Environmental Law - 2021
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property - 2021
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs - 2021
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Environmental Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
  • Oil and Gas Law

Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.

Please use the print button to print this profile page.

Spinning circle Big letter B