Jay M. Mattappally

Kevin LaVie practices in the area of admiralty and tort. He has a very broad-based practice involving nearly all aspects of maritime law including personal injury and death claims; cargo damage claims; dock damage and collision claims; Limitation of Liability matters; charter party and related commercial disputes (including ship arrests and Rule B attachments); insurance coverage disputes; oilfield indemnity actions; pollution matters; and various Coast Guard and immigration matters. His prac...

Steve Herman has more than 30 years of experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial, class action, and professional liability matters, and is often called on to provide expert testimony in these areas. His recent work includes submitting a series of declarations in support of class counsel’s successful fee petition in the multi-billion-dollar Aqueous Film-Forming Foam MDL settlements; serving as a special master to review litigation expenses and allocate awards t...

Frank Barry is an experienced maritime and energy litigator with successes involving maritime property damage, marine insurance indemnity and coverage claims. Frank also has achieved successful outcomes in insurance broker E&O claims, and in oil and gas claims such as Legacy Oil, on shore blowouts, and operating agreement litigation. With over 30 years of experience, his reported cases include seminal Louisiana caselaw on gas balancing and preferential rights in mineral law (Fina Oil &...

A firm founder, Senior Counsel André Mouledoux is a seasoned litigator who brings his clients more than 40 years of battle-hardened experience. André’s practice focuses on maritime, insurance and transportation defense. He is also a skilled commercial and corporate counsel. He has successfully litigated serious commercial disputes and catastrophic tort cases from California to Rhode Island, the U.K. to Egypt. He has tried and won defense verdicts in a number of wrongful de...

Joseph Lassalle is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Joseph practices law in Metairie, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Joseph Lassalle 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 Joseph Lassalle is held by other lawyers.

Maura Z. Pelleteri is a Special Partner with the firm engaged primarily in commercial litigation since 1985. Ms. Pelleteri’s practice areas include Surety and Fidelity Law; Insurance Coverage Litigation; Life, Health & Disability Insurance; Labor and Employment Litigation; Class and Mass Action Litigation; ERISA Litigation; Securities Litigation; Construction Litigation; Errors and Omissions Litigation and Directors & Officers Litigation. Ms. Pelleteri represents clients, mainly...

Frank Accardo is a founding member of the firm. He has been engaged in trial and appellate product liability litigation for over 30 years. His primary practice responsibilities include serving as managing counsel for the defense of asbestos personal injury litigation pending nationwide. Mr. Accardo was a licensed engineer engaged in the design and construction of offshore oil and gas platforms before starting his legal career.

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Jeff Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 1985. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert School of Law in 1989. Mr. Mitchell has devoted his legal practice to representing plaintiffs, with a primary focus on Medical Malpractice Law and Traumatic Brain Injury claims. He is among a small group of attorneys in Louisiana who are Board Certified in Med...

Demarcus Gordon is a partner in the Oil and Gas/Energy and Environmental Litigation sections and specializes in litigation involving the oil and gas industry. He has experience representing clients in cases involving premises liability and personal injury, particularly in cases involving chemical exposures such as asbestos, benzene, or naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Mr. Gordon also defends oil and gas exploration and production companies in legacy litigation by landowners a...

Noel Darce has more than four decades of experience in utility, regulatory, and energy law. He advises clients on a wide range of energy matters, including regulation under the Federal Power Act, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, and related regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. His practice also encompasses legal and strategic issues involving regional transmission organization participation, utility mergers and acquisitions, generation expansion, utility bankrup...