James C. "Jim" Exnicios

Cynthia Nicholson’s practice is centered on oil and gas transactions with respect to lands located within the State of Louisiana as well as those located on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). She regularly documents and negotiates acquisitions and divestitures of both onshore and offshore properties, and has extensive experience with many types of transaction structures including mergers, asset and stock acquisitions and sales. She regularly counsels clients on a wide range of regulator...

Mr. Force practices in the areas of commercial litigation, admiralty, and complex insurance defense and coverage law and has represented clients at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Force is admitted to practice in Louisiana, Texas, and California and has practiced with law firms in each of those states. Mr. Force is an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, having served on its Board of Directors and as Chair of the MLA's Practice and Procedure and Young L...

Allen Miller practices in the area of commercial litigation. He concentrates his practice in the areas of general business torts; products liability; casualty litigation, banking and lender liability; class-action litigation; bankruptcy litigation; construction litigation and contracts; civil RICO; trade secrets litigation; professional malpractice; and a wide variety of other corporate litigation matters. He has extensive experience in complex commercial matters. Mr. Miller has handled a sub...

Ruddy Ramelli is a partner in the Tax Practice Group. Ruddy has been practicing tax law for more than 30 years and is a board-certified tax specialist as certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He focuses his practice on federal and state income tax issues and the tax structuring and consequences of mergers, acquisitions, and related transactions. Ruddy regularly represents corporations, partnerships, individuals, and other for-profit entities, and has in-depth experience in...

Commercial lending is the focus of Stephen "Steve" P. Strohschein's practice, providing assistance to lenders of all types – real estate, floor plan, asset based and small business – both with regard to litigating lending issues, handling workouts, foreclosures, collections and bankruptcy matters and also frequently providing assistance with lending transactions, structure and documentation. Steve has been certified by the American Board of Certification as a specialist in the are...

Bill Backstrom is a partner and leader of the firm’s Tax Practice Group. For more than 35 years, he has focused on state and local tax matters in Louisiana and on a multistate basis. Bill provides comprehensive, practical, and solution-focused tax guidance to a broad range of business enterprises. Known for the quality of his counsel, his commitment to client service, and his ability to explain sophisticated issues in clear terms — particularly with respect to Louisiana’s hi...

Cove Geary is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group, where he counsels clients with respect to a broad range of disputes. Cove represents and advises clients in connection with energy litigation; life, health, and disability insurance, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation; aviation litigation; insurance coverage issues; commercial disputes; professional liability matters; and class action litigation. Cove leads the firm’s insurance coverage practice team. ...

Michael R.C. Riess is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law, Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Michael R.C., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael R.C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Milele St. Julien is a Special Partner at Pugh Accardo. Her practice primarily focuses on toxic tort litigation, premises liability, product liability, collections and sequestrations, and general civil litigation. Milele began her legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Lloyd J. Medley, Jr. (retired) of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. Subsequently, she concentrated her practice in the areas of toxic tort, environmental litigation, premises liability, and prod...

Irving J. Warshauer joined the Gainsburgh Benjamin law firm as an associate in 1980, and he became a partner of the firm in 1984. Prior to joining this firm, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana and a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, from whom he received a Special Commendation in 1979. He served on the Federal Public Defender Panel for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 1981 – 2002. Irvin...