Gus A. Fritchie III

Ed Harold is the regional managing partner in the New Orleans office and chair of the firm's Retail Industry Practice Group. His practice is primarily devoted to employment litigation in both state and federal courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and counseling employers to avoid litigation. Throughout his career, he has spent significant time and attention assisting employers in managing employee attendance and leave issues. As a result of this work, in 1999, Ed testified before the...

Douglas S. Draper practices primarily in the creditor and debtor rights area. His practice involves an equal mix of litigation and business negotiation. The creditor and debtor rights work involves representation of bondholders, creditors’ committees and debtors in large commercial and business cases. Has represented clients in successful reorganizations of hotels, grocery chains, apartment complexes, office buildings, oil companies, shipyards, clothing stores, an oil refinery, and fast...

Martha Young Curtis is a member (partner) of Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, L.L.C. Ms. Curtis was one of the founding members of Sher Garner law firm when it opened its doors in January, 1999. It has since grown into one of the top New Orleans law firms with over 40 attorneys and more than 80 employees. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree,summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her Juris doctorate, summa cum laude, from Tulane Law School where she served as Senior ...

David focuses on marine insurance coverage; marine finance and vessel documentation; bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights; admiralty and maritime; and international and cross-border law. He represents clients that own, operate, charter, or employ vessels, and helps them understand and manage their risks in the United States, Gulf of Mexico, and worldwide offshore maritime oilfield and alternative-energy markets. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, David attended Tulane Unive...

Bob Holden is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and is co-team leader of the firm’s environmental litigation team. He counsels clients on environmental regulatory compliance, enforcement actions, and related commercial litigation. With his deep understanding of the law and decades of experience in the field, Bob assists clients in developing practical, compliance-oriented solutions to environmental and related legal challenges. Bob represents businesses in the energy, chemicals...

Michael A. Balascio is an experienced litigator representing clients in securities litigation and arbitration, high-stakes insurance coverage and bad faith cases, and complex commercial litigation. He has first-chair trial experience and has successfully litigated matters in federal and state appellate courts. In his securities practice, Michael counsels investment management companies and brokers in litigated matters and FINRA proceedings in a variety of significant disputes involving securi...

Steven Serio is a results-oriented real estate and corporate attorney with a reputation for spearheading complicated transactions from start-to-finish in an organized, detailed, and productive manner. He represents a diverse group of business clients, both big and small, including real estate developers, landlords, commercial tenants, entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, and lenders. Steven’s practice includes all aspects of real estate development—acquisitions and sales of...

Pauline Hardin is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on criminal litigation as well as business, commercial, and labor disputes. Pauline has tried more than 150 jury trials across the spectrum of criminal and commercial litigation. She routinely handles bet-the-company and high-stakes matters, and also draws on her experience to help clients facing grand jury investigations by avoiding prosecution, or when facing criminal charges, by negotiating plea agreements or going t...

David N. Luder is the firm's managing partner. He maintains a varied arbitration and litigation practice covering a broad spectrum of industries and disputes. A key focus of David’s practice is financial services arbitration and litigation. He regularly represents domestic and international broker-dealers, banks, hedge funds and registered investment advisors in FINRA and AAA arbitrations across the country and institutional clients and individuals before regulatory bodies at all stages...

Chelsea P. Fitzgerald is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Banking and Finance Law and Real Estate Law. Chelsea P. practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Chelsea P. Fitzgerald since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Chelsea P. Fitzgerald is held by other lawyers.