Justin M. Chopin

Mr. Force practices in the areas of commercial litigation, admiralty, and complex insurance defense and coverage law and has represented clients at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Force is admitted to practice in Louisiana, Texas, and California and has practiced with law firms in each of those states. Mr. Force is an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, having served on its Board of Directors and as Chair of the MLA's Practice and Procedure and Young L...

Bill Harrison's practice is litigation-oriented in the areas of toxic tort, personal injury and insurance defense, including general aviation, litigation, premises liability, automotive and products liability. His defense clients include local and national automotive, aviation, and insurance companies. In addition to his law degree, Bill holds a degree in Respiratory Therapy, which includes instructing at The Charity School of Nursing, Tulane Medical School's Paramedic Program, LSU Medical Sc...

Will Baldwin is co-leader of the firm’s Maritime Industry Group and leader of the firm’s maritime transactional team, where he focuses on maritime transactions and marine finance. Will also serves as co-chair of the firm’s offshore wind initiative. Will advises and represents clients on a wide range of complex marine transactional matters, including financings, ship mortgages, the purchase and sale of marine assets, Jones Act compliance, and governmental approval for maritim...

Michael S. Blackwell is Of Counsel with Riess LeMieux, L.L.C.. Michael represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation, corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters, sales...

Rivers Lelong is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and a member of the Jones Walker board of directors. He has a broad-ranging transactional practice representing clients across several industries. Rivers’ practice involves a variety of commercial transactions comprising secured finance, real estate, acquisitions and divestitures of privately held companies and their assets, and the negotiation of sophisticated commercial contracts. He is also general outside counsel to an inter...

Victoria Davies is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. She represents a broad range of companies, from large, multinational corporations to private, closely-held businesses doing business in a variety of industries, including construction, mining, and energy, on capital projects and day-to-day commercial transactions. Victoria’s experience includes drafting and negotiating construction agreements, design-build agreements, engineering procurement and construction (EPC) agreements,...

Lori Mince is a partner in Fishman Haygood’s Litigation Section. She practices in the areas of commercial litigation, media law, and tax litigation. Lori is also a certified American Arbitration Association® arbitrator. In her commercial litigation practice, Lori has represented clients in a variety of matters, including class actions and commercial disputes involving GoAuto Insurance, LLC; LCMC Health; Wallace Drennan, Inc.; Rouses Enterprises; H&E Equipment Services, Inc.; Sti...

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.

Curt Hearn is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. Curt served as co-leader of the Corporate Practice Group for more than 20 years, stepping down at the end of 2022. Drawing on his extensive experience and knowledge of what works — and what doesn’t — he works with firm clients to solve their most challenging, complex business and legal challenges. Curt advises private equity and venture capital firms, as well as publicly traded and privately held companies, working wit...

Steven W. Usdin is a founding member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. His practice is concentrated in commercial litigation, including insurance coverage, contracts, class actions and complex litigation, oil and gas litigation and intellectual property. Throughout his career, his diverse representations have included, among many other cases, representing large public companies in shareholder litigation, a shipbuilder in a multi-million dollar contract dispute, and insu...