Joseph P. Briggett

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...

Steve has practiced in the commercial litigation and bankruptcy areas for 40 years. His practice centers around the oil and gas and maritime industries. He has represented oil field service providers, vessel providers, aviation interests, geopositioning companies, shipyards and lease interest owners in bankruptcy matters in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Delaware. Steve has also represented pipeline interests and property owners in environmental litigation. Since 2013, he has taught Inter...

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...

Richard G. Duplantier, Jr. is a senior partner at Galloway, a respected trial lawyer, and accomplished business consultant known for his critical and innovative approach to litigation and case handling. He focuses his commercial litigation practice on products liability, construction, environmental, professional liability, and insurance defense and coverage, with extensive trial experience and a success rate of over eighty percent. Rick also represents entertainment industry clients in litiga...

Of Counsel

Stephen Brooks joined Pugh Accardo as a Special Partner. He has been practicing law since 1994 in Louisiana. He is an experienced insurance casualty and workers’ compensation defense attorney. He is trial counsel for multiple insurance companies, risk retention groups, self-insurers’ funds, insurance agencies and agents and corporate employers involved in litigation throughout the Southeast Region of the United States. Mr. Brooks has also been extensively employed by the insurance...

Leann Opotowsky Moses is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Leann Opotowsky, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leann Opotowsky is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew J. Fantaci is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Energy Law and Oil and Gas Law. Matthew J., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Scott Willis is a partner in Fishman Haygood's Business Section. He practices primarily in the areas of commercial transactions, negotiated acquisitions, banking and commercial real estate acquisitions, development, and financing. Scott is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (“ACREL”) and previously served on its Board of Governors, is a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (“ACMA”) and serves on its Board of Regents, and is a past C...

Gerald E. Meunier was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 20, 1948, and admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1974. He received his college education at Georgetown University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in 1970. Mr. Meunier attended Georgetown University Law Center while working in the United States Senate as an assistant to the Secretary for the Majority. He was a contributing Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal and received his J.D. in 1974. He also served in the D.C. Natio...