Gerald A. "Jerry" Melchiode

Sarah Dicharry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law. Sarah, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sarah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jim Stuckey practices in the areas of commercial finance, real estate, business, project financing, and leasing. His commercial experience includes complex loan transactions in real estate, construction, project finance, oil and gas, line of credit and asset based loans, as well as leveraged lease and utility securitization financings, and real estate and commercial transactions. His lending practice includes representing lenders and borrowers in oil and gas loans, real estate and constructio...

Steven W. Usdin is a founding member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. His practice is concentrated in commercial litigation, including insurance coverage, contracts, class actions and complex litigation, oil and gas litigation and intellectual property. Throughout his career, his diverse representations have included, among many other cases, representing large public companies in shareholder litigation, a shipbuilder in a multi-million dollar contract dispute, and insu...

Carrie R. Tournillon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Regulatory Law and Utilities Law. Carrie R., 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 Carrie R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions-Defendants since 2012 Practice Concentration & Experience Summary: Mr. Mollere is able to combine the legal experience and acumen acquired from working in a large firm, the insight acquired in positions in business, and the discipline acquired in the military to provide full solutions to his clients' cases. Since he began practicing in 1999, Mr. Mollere has handled a wide range of civil litigati...

Amanda Russo Schenck obtained her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications from Louisiana State University in 2003 and her law degree from Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law in 2006. While at Loyola, Amanda was the Vice-president of the Student Bar Association, a Student Practitioner in the Family Law Section of the Loyola Law Clinic, and a teaching assistant in the Research and Writing Lab. Amanda was also the Case Note and Comment Editor of the Loyola Law and Technology Annua...

Stephen Brooks joined Pugh Accardo as a Special Partner. He has been practicing law since 1994 in Louisiana. He is an experienced insurance casualty and workers’ compensation defense attorney. He is trial counsel for multiple insurance companies, risk retention groups, self-insurers’ funds, insurance agencies and agents and corporate employers involved in litigation throughout the Southeast Region of the United States. Mr. Brooks has also been extensively employed by the insurance...

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.

Prior to entering law school, Andrew Vicknair worked as a software engineer for a major medical manufacturer and as an electrical engineer for a major chemical manufacturer. Andrew regularly uses his prior work experience as a part of his legal practice. He is now a partner in D’Arcy| Vicknair. Andrew has over 18 years of litigation experience. His primary practice areas include all phases of intellectual property including litigation, prosecution, and transactional matters. Andrew hand...

I’ve always stood up for the little guy, especially when they’re being pushed around by big insurance companies. My commitment to personal injury law grew out of a deep frustration with how everyday people are treated after an accident. I kept seeing the same pattern: hardworking folks doing everything right, raising families, paying their bills, showing up for work, only to be mistreated by the very systems that were supposed to protect them when they needed help the most. After ...