James P. Manasseh

Alston Johnson practices in the area of litigation, particularly at the appellate level and with particular emphasis in the areas of tort litigation, insurance coverage and litigation, and administrative law. He has extensive experience in legislative and regulatory and governmental matters and has represented numerous public entities in both counseling and litigation capacities. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar in 1984, Mr. Johnson was a member of the full-time law faculty at the Hebert Law Ce...

Drew Patty is a partner with Phelps Dunbar, LLP in the firm's Intellectual Property and Cybersecurity Groups. He also leads the firm's Artificial Intelligence Working Group. With 30 years of experience in a broad range of transactional intellectual property matters and related litigation, he also has a growing AI and data privacy practice. His chemical patent experience includes patent preparation and prosecution in the fields of oilfield proppants and other downhole chemicals, refinery catal...

Kelsey K. Funes is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Litigation - Construction. Kelsey K. practices law in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Kelsey K. Funes since 2024. 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 Kelsey K. Funes is held by other lawyers.

James R. “Sonny” Chastain is a commercial litigator and business advisor with Kean Miller in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He represents businesses and individuals in complex federal and state court matters and provides counsel on the ownership, protection, and enforcement of intellectual property assets. His practice includes Commercial Litigation, Trademark Law, and Venture Capital Law. Sonny handles a wide range of commercial disputes, including contract negotiation and litigation, b...

Heather Sharp is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Insurance Law. Heather practices law in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Heather Sharp since 2025. 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 Heather Sharp is held by other lawyers.

David is a member of Butler Snow’s Finance, Real Estate and Restructuring Group.

Andy St. Romain is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and maintains an active practice advising clients on a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial real estate matters. Andy handles matters related to oil and gas leasing and infrastructure, mixed-use, and other retail development. He regularly drafts and negotiates purchase, lease, development, and financing agreements, conducts title examinations for issuance of owner and loan title insurance policies, and has been involve...

Practicing law since 1974, Taylor Porter Of Counsel Jim Ellis has focused on representing utility, energy, and other regulated companies on state and federal regulatory, corporate, merger and acquisitions, transactional, contract, and litigation matters. Upon graduating from Tulane Law School, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the General Services Administration. He represented the executive agencies of the federal government and the Department of...

Susie Furr practices in the area of labor and employment law. Her concentration is in employment litigation, employment counseling, and business litigation. Ms. Furr’s practice covers the wide array of issues that arise in the employment context. She routinely counsels employers regarding compliance with applicable federal and state employment laws, including Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, The Fair Labor Stand...

Willie Kolarik is an attorney and certified public accountant at Kean Miller in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he focuses his practice on Litigation and Controversy – Tax and Tax Law . He serves as tax counsel to many large domestic and international businesses across a wide range of industry sectors, including energy, financial institutions, manufacturing, industrial products, retail, consumer goods, healthcare, gaming, entertainment, and utilities. His background includes in-house Fort...