Gerald A. "Jerry" Melchiode

Avery Pardee is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. She is a career defense attorney and represents clients in white collar criminal matters, internal and government investigations, and commercial litigation. Avery has significant experience defending and advising individuals as well as publicly traded companies, private businesses, and other entities with respect to internal investigations, government and grand jury investigations, criminal prosecutions, parallel proceedings, regulat...

Christopher K. LeMieux is a founding partner of the firm. Prior to starting the firm, Chris served as general counsel and an executive committee member for a regional design builder. During his seventeen-year career, Chris has represented contractors, architects, engineers, owners, sureties, insurers and subcontractors in litigation, arbitration, claims, disputes and negotiations and drafting of construction contracts for a variety of projects, including design build, integrated project deliv...

Lee Adler practices primarily in the areas of general business relationships and finance. He has an extensive transactional-based practice representing clients in a wide variety of fields. Finance transactions include real estate finance, vessel finance, accounts receivable-based finance and equipment and inventory finance, representing both borrowers and lenders. Prior to joining Phelps in 1992, Mr. Adler was an attorney at a large multi-practice firm in New York.

Mr. Whittaker is Chair of the firm's Business Section. He represents clients in a wide variety of transactions, including buying, selling and merging companies; private placements of securities; venture capital and private equity transactions; joint ventures; roll-ups, spin-offs and split-ups; and all phases of real estate acquisitions, development and financing. Mr. Whittaker joined Stone Pigman in 1984.

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, ...

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...

Brooke Tigchelaar concentrates her practice in family law, including divorce, property partition, custody, and support. She regularly handles high-conflict situations, intricate property partitions, and evolving custody and support agreements for high-net-worth individuals. She is skilled in conflict resolution, delivering sound guidance and service to each client with discretion and compassion. Brooke also has experience in commercial litigation, including general business litigation and pro...

P. Christopher Bynog is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. P. Christopher, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which P. Christopher is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alex Rothenberg’s practice focuses on oil, gas and energy litigation and complex commercial and construction litigation. He also has experience in the areas of admiralty, insurance defense and family law. Alex was heavily involved in the multi district litigation concerning Chinese drywall and helped obtain the dismissal of one of his clients pursuant to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. In re Chinese Manufactured Drywall Prods. Liab. Litig. , 168 F. Supp. 3d 918 (E.D. La. 2018). Al...

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...