Jonathan Cook

Nicole A. Eichberger is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - ERISA and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nicole A., 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 Nicole A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mary Ellen Roy practices in the area of commercial litigation. She represents media and advertising companies in pre-publication and pre-broadcast review, defamation defense, privacy law, courtroom access, public records and open meetings, reporter’s privilege, negligent misrepresentation, and other First Amendment issues. She also handles intellectual property law matters, including copyright and trademark counseling, litigation, registration, prosecution and proceedings before the U.S...

Senior Counsel Will Bland, III, one of the founding members of the firm, has more than 49 years of experience as a litigator. Will’s practice focuses on maritime personal injury defense, maritime collision and property damage insurance coverage, contractual indemnity, longshore matters, transportation defense, and general litigation. His clients have included both Fortune 500 and local one-boat companies, and he regularly represents vessel operators, shipyards, both brown water and offs...

Heather Lonian is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Heather, 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 Heather is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Peck Hayne's practice centers on oil and gas, pipeline and other energy-related transactions and regulation and on federal appellate litigation. Peck regularly negotiates, drafts and advises clients on complex purchase and sale agreements, operating agreements, mineral leases, right-of-way agreements, transportation and interconnection agreements, gas storage agreements and settlement agreements in complex litigation and other disputes. He also frequently renders title opinions on complex pet...

Michael S. Williams is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Michael S., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Terry Knister has more than 30 years of litigation experience in both bench and jury trials and also on appeal. His practice is concentrated on toxic tort and environmental litigation with an emphasis on class action and mass tort cases. He has served as lead trial counsel in numerous cases involving allegations of personal injury, property devaluation/damage, and remediation as a result of chemical exposure and/or contamination. These matters typically include thousands of plaintiffs seeking...

David K. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. David K., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Fishman Haygood’s Jason Burge represents victims of financial misconduct in single plaintiff, mass action, and class action cases against banks, loan servicers, stockbrokers, and investment firms. Jason is also an Appellate Practice Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. With a background in economics, Jason can distill complex financial transactions into terms that judges, arbitrators, and jurors can understand; Chambers and Partners has described him as ...

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...