J. Dwight LeBlanc III

Walter Maestri is a maritime attorney working in the offshore fields representing companies that have contracts with oil and gas interests in the Gulf of Mexico. Whether representing the actual platform owner or the service industries that provide support to the oil and gas industry, he defends those companies against personal injury actions, property damage loss, lost oil and gas revenues, or other claims that may arise from operations in the Gulf. Working in partnerships with his clients, W...

Michael D. Landry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Corporate Law. Michael D., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kelly Duncan is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group. He serves currently as co-chair of the firm’s Gaming Industry Team and served on Jones Walker’s board of directors from 2006 to 2014. Kelly has 40 years of experience handling admiralty, maritime, and international and customs law matters, including domestic and international matters relating to marine acquisitions, financings, vessel construction, regulatory issues, maritime lien enforcement and foreclosures, contracts of ...

Brent Barriere has over forty years of experience litigating commercial cases. He represents clients in a wide variety of commercial disputes, including bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, securities litigation, breach of contract, business valuation disputes, director and officer claims, error and omission claims, and class actions. Brent has developed a national practice niche representing trustees and receivers in varied litigation. He is currently Receiver’s counsel in Securitie...

Raymond G. Areaux is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property and Technology Law. Raymond G., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Raymond G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris Friend is a partner in the Litigation Practice group. He represents oil and gas and chemical companies in commercial and class action disputes, regulatory investigations, and law-enforcement actions. Chris represents upstream and midstream oil and gas companies, chemical companies, service providers, and contractors across the country in all aspects of regulation and litigation, including property damage, accidents, and insurance claims, toxic tort and bodily injury claims, environmenta...

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...

Katherine Karam is a partner in the firm’s insurance and reinsurance practice. For over two decades, she has served as local, regional (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas), and national coverage counsel for both foreign and domestic insurance companies. She counsels clients, resolves coverage disputes and manages litigation involving insurance issues under state laws in all regions of the United Stat...

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...

An attorney with Jones Walker for more than 40 years, David Edwards is a partner in the Tax Practice Group who focuses on estate planning and administration. David advises individual clients on wealth transfer at minimum tax cost, in addition to providing traditional estate planning counsel in areas of wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. He also advises clients on marriage contracts and other aspects of property obligations stemming from marriage. David’s practice includes the admini...