M. Claire "Claire" Durio

Jeff Tillery is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He helps maritime and marine industry clients prevent and resolve a broad range of disputes. For more than 35 years, Jeff has advised and represented clients in maritime personal injury and collision matters, commercial litigation, longshore matters, and marine insurance coverage disputes, and has tried, as lead counsel, complex marine multi-party casual...

Senior Counsel Georges Legrand is one of the founding members of MBLB. He has more than 44 years of experience as a litigator. As a leader of the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime law practice, he has been part of forging a team of attorneys who have developed a depth of expertise that rivals larger firms. His practice focuses on defense of maritime personal injury and property damage claims on the river and offshore, as well as insurance, transportation, and contractual matters. His experi...

Lele Hainkel is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on energy litigation. Lele has extensive experience handling offshore and onshore energy-related disputes in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration. Her oil and gas litigation practice covers defense of claims against the oil and gas industry asserting liability for coastal erosion, legacy suit property restoration claims, disputes related to Outer Continental Shelf decommissioning liability, preferential rig...

Jacques F. Bezou Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Professional Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs. Jacques F. practices law in Covington, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Jacques F. Bezou Jr. since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal pract...

Blair Schilling represents clients in a wide range of commercial matters in federal and state court, with a concentration in environmental law. Blair’s environmental practice spans coastal erosion and restoration, land contamination, land use, clean water, asset retirement, brownfield site cleanup and redevelopment, regulatory and permitting matters, and expropriation issues. In doing this work, Blair represents state government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies ...

Mark Mintz is a restructuring partner in the firm’s New Orleans office and co-leads the firm’s bankruptcy & restructuring team. Mark is co-leader of Jones Walker’s bankruptcy and creditors’ rights team and represents clients in a wide range of creditor and debtor rights matters, with a particular focus on creditors’ committees. Among his notable engagements, Mark advised a client involved in the bankruptcy of a Houston-based oil exploration and production (E&...

Barbara Arras represents defendants in toxic tort litigation primarily involving pulmonary diseases allegedly caused by asbestos and other pulmonary irritants and hematopoietic diseases allegedly caused by benzene. She is responsible for the medical defense in each case. Specifically, she analyzes the facts to formulate a theory of defense and identifies the correct scientific discipline needed to advance that theory. She then identifies and retains the best expert in that discipline from her...

Gary Hemphill practices in the areas of admiralty litigation. His practice involves matters in personal injury, cargo, oil and energy, finance and FD&D. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, Mr. Hemphill was with the Terriberry, Carroll, & Yancey, L.L.P. law firm in New Orleans.

Bert M. Cass Jr., is a jury trial litigator concentrating in the defense of bodily injury and death cases particularly in marine and offshore litigation claims. His practice focuses on representing vessel owners, oil and gas producers, exploration and drilling companies, facility operators, distributors, and offshore service contractors and their insurers against personal injury, wrongful death and survival claims. He is also experienced in energy-related claims, including interpretation of i...

Francis “Rasch” H. Brown is an experienced trial lawyer who advises clients throughout the United States on tort litigation and commercial disputes, with an emphasis on product liability defense. In the products liability field, he has tried more than 35 cases to conclusion obtaining defense verdicts in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. Rasch is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Highly regarded for his ability to communicate scie...