Kelly Brechtel Becker

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...

Craig Isenberg is a trial and appellate lawyer focusing on complex litigation matters, including commercial disputes, mass and toxic torts, environmental, product liability and securities matters. Craig has extensive trial experience in high-stakes litigation—trying jury and bench trials in Louisiana and across the country. He has tried a significant Clean Water Act case against the Department of Justice, dozens of toxic tort trials involving hundreds of plaintiffs, and a variety of com...

Russell L. Foster, a member with the firm, has litigated and argued a wide variety of matters in both federal and state courts. He also has extensive experience in mediation and arbitration proceedings involving labor and employment issues, oil and gas matters, commercial disputes, and personal injury. Mr. Foster has given and contributed to speeches and presentations concerning topics such as workplace torts, the impact of the National Labor Relations Act in the non-union workplace, and inve...

Irving J. Warshauer joined the Gainsburgh Benjamin law firm as an associate in 1980, and he became a partner of the firm in 1984. Prior to joining this firm, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana and a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, from whom he received a Special Commendation in 1979. He served on the Federal Public Defender Panel for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 1981 – 2002. Irvin...

George J. Fowler, III, is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group, where he focuses on litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution. George Fowler is an internationally recognized trial lawyer known for his successful record trying hundreds of cases to juries and judges, including numerous high-profile matters, complex litigation, and cases of national concern. George has written and lectured extensively on private international law and world trade and is active in promoting trade and inv...

Benjamin P. Bucy has significant experience in complex litigation and has focused his practice on representing whistleblowers in qui tam cases under federal and state False Claims Acts. Ben has been involved in all phases of False Claims Act (FCA) cases, including case development, drafting FCA complaints, assisting the Government in sealed FCA investigations, litigating FCA cases and has secured millions of dollars in False Claims Act settlements. Most of Ben’s FCA experience has invol...

Richard Bertram is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group. Richard has more than 30 years of experience in admiralty and maritime law. He handles a wide range of domestic and international admiralty and maritime matters, including transactions, litigation, arbitration, appellate, regulatory, and administrative law, marine casualty investigations, regulatory compliance, and marine pollution and environmental matters.

Richard Cortizas is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and a member of the Jones Walker board of directors. He focuses on transactional matters, representing clients in complex land use and zoning matters, public finance, and economic development projects. Richard has extensive experience representing corporate clients, developers and individuals before local planning commissions, boards of zoning adjustments, and governing authorities of political subdivisions throughout the state. Ri...

Frederic Theodore 'Ted' Le Clercq acts as a “problem solver” for his clients faced with labor & employment law, professional liability defense, civil rights litigation, and constitutional law claims. His experience includes developing a national coordinating counsel program for a Fortune 200 national retailer. He currently serves as that client's national coordinating counsel for high-value personal injury claims. Ted is also a frequent speaker for a variety of professional gr...

Joanne Rinardo defends clients in employment and constitutional claims and is best known for litigation involving Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Family Medical Leave Act, as well as general employment claims. Ms. Rinardo has defended 60 EEOC and/or comparable state agency charges in a tri-state area over a two-year period with no findings of “cause” issued against the client. She also advises clients ...