John R. "J. R." Whaley

John Blackman is a partner in the Tax Practice Group. He focuses on employee benefit plans, estate planning, and individual, corporate, and pass-through entity income tax planning. John has drafted qualified plans, employment agreements, and deferred compensation plans; has advised and represented clients on tax and ERISA matters, including Internal Revenue Code Section 409A; and has frequently represented clients in matters involving ERISA litigation. He works with clients to draft complex w...

Bob Schmidt joined Kean Miller in 2016 and is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he focuses his practice on Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and related tax matters. He has represented employers for more than 40 years, advising organizations of all sizes on the design, implementation, and ongoing operation of pension plans and other employee benefit arrangements. Earlier in his career, Bob served as an attorney-adviser with the United States Tax Court in Washington, DC. His practice includes...

Heather Sharp is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Heather, who practices law in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Heather is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Practicing law since 2009, John M. Parker, Jr. is a Partner at Taylor Porter, focusing on insurance coverage and defense litigation, public utilities, personal injury and commercial litigation. John is admitted to practice before all Louisiana federal and state courts. John’s representative practice area experience includes: Working with public utilities companies on litigation issues and contract negotiations concerning pole attachment agreements. Helping clients with representation be...

Dean Cazenave is a corporate, business, and real estate attorney with more than three decades of experience advising clients on complex legal transactions. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he represents businesses and individuals across a wide range of finance, commercial real estate, and corporate matters at Kean Miller. His practice includes Mergers and Acquisitions Law, with a focus on structuring, negotiating, and closing transactions that align with his clients’ business objectives...

Len Kilgore is a founding member of Kean Miller and has over 30 years of experience handling complex litigation matters. His practice focuses on environmental law and environmental litigation, including environmental and toxic tort matters and class actions. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Len represents local, national, and international commercial, energy, and industrial clients. Len’s litigation experience includes matters involving toxic tort claims, personal injury, property damag...

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...

Charles McCowan is a founding member of Kean Miller and has more than 55 years of experience representing local, regional, national, and international petrochemical, industrial, healthcare, and corporate clients. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his practice focuses on defending complex litigation matters in state and federal courts. Mr. McCowan regularly represents defendants in Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions, as well as Personal Injury Litigation involving alleged toxic exposure, in...

W. Bradley Kline is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law and Corporate Law. W. Bradley, who practices law in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which W. Bradley is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Katherine King is an attorney with Kean Miller in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where her practice focuses on Administrative / Regulatory Law, Communications Law, and Energy Law. She advises clients on project development and electric regulatory matters involving a wide range of generation projects. Katherine regularly works with electric generators and project developers on structuring generation projects to meet business objectives while complying with federal energy regulatory requirements and L...