Kelly Brechtel Becker

Andy Lee is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and a member of the corporate compliance group. He maintains an active national appellate and trial practice focused on business and commercial disputes. Andy founded and serves as head of the firm’s privacy and data security team and holds the CIPP/US designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Andy also chairs the firm’s Innovation Committee and co-leads the Technology Industry Team. Litigation. ...

John Werner is the Managing Partner of Fishman Haygood. John works in the firm’s Business Section, primarily on financings, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and general corporate advice. In private equity, John represents Black Bay Energy Capital, Jefferson Capital Partners, and Enhanced Capital Partners in their investments in various portfolio companies. He also represents numerous private equity funded portfolio companies in their ongoing corporate nee...

Nicholas Wehlen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Litigation - Construction and Litigation - Securities. Nicholas, 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 Nicholas is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Joshua Rubenstein grew up in New Orleans and was the three-time Louisiana State High School Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking, which meant he was destined to be a trial lawyer. While in law school, he worked as a Judicial Law Clerk to Judge Roland Belsome, then of Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans (New Orleans) and as a judicial extern for Louisiana Fourth Circuit Judge Pattie Murray. Following law school, he worked as Judge Ethel Simms Julien's law clerk and then entered priva...

Pauline Hardin is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on criminal litigation as well as business, commercial, and labor disputes. Pauline has tried more than 150 jury trials across the spectrum of criminal and commercial litigation. She routinely handles bet-the-company and high-stakes matters, and also draws on her experience to help clients facing grand jury investigations by avoiding prosecution, or when facing criminal charges, by negotiating plea agreements or going t...

Jamie L. Berger is a member of the firm and serves as the firm’s hiring partner. Clients have praised Jamie for her "out-of-the-box solutions to complicated legal problems" and "impeccable judgment." Jamie practices in all aspects of complex litigation. She has litigated, arbitrated, and advised clients in a variety of areas, including securities, corporate governance, contract disputes, and government and regulatory investigations. Her clients come from a range of industries, including...

Roy E. Blossman is a founding partner of the firm. Mr. Blossman handles a variety of matters in banking and finance, including commercial financings, trouble debt restructurings, workouts, preparation of standard banking forms, general banking and lending advices and regulatory work. He also represents sellers and purchasers in sales and exchanges of developed and undeveloped real estate, preparation and negotiation of leases on improved and unimproved property, and all other kinds of transac...

Ian Atkinson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Tax Law. Ian, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ian is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Brent Barriere has over forty years of experience litigating commercial cases. He represents clients in a wide variety of commercial disputes, including bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, securities litigation, breach of contract, business valuation disputes, director and officer claims, error and omission claims, and class actions. Brent has developed a national practice niche representing trustees and receivers in varied litigation. He is currently Receiver’s counsel in Securitie...