M. Claire "Claire" Durio

Maureen Brennan Gershanik is a partner in Fishman Haygood’s Business Section. She practices primarily in the areas of corporate law and governance, securities law, and mergers and acquisitions. She also advises clients on ESG initiatives. Maureen has an active business transactional and advisory practice. She works with clients on public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, acquisition transactions, restructuring transactions, business separations, new business formation...

Paul Sterbcow is the managing member of Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson, LLC. Paul obtained a B.S. from Tulane University and a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law. Paul is licensed to practice in all Louisiana state and federal courts, along with the United States Supreme Court. Paul’s primary practice area is admiralty and maritime law, an area in which he has been recognized as one of the best practitioners in the country. Paul was selected as a member of the Plaintiff&...

Tony Marino’s practice focuses on energy transactions and regulatory matters. His work includes drafting and negotiating oil and gas agreements, acquisitions and divestures of mineral properties, and energy financings. Additionally, he advises clients on regulatory issues on mineral leases both onshore in Louisiana and offshore in state and federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Tony represents clients before regulatory agencies, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage...

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...

Lesli D. Harris focuses her practice primarily on intellectual property, sports and entertainment law, and emerging companies. She has also successfully handled class action defense and general business litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Harris was a partner at Stone Pigman Walther Wittman in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was formerly Chief of Staff and Executive Counsel to the President at Loyola University. Ms. Harris received her LL.M in Trade Regulation, with a concentration in Inte...

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.

Christopher Wappel is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on commercial lending and finance. Christopher has practiced law since 1999. He represents borrowers, agents, and lenders in structuring, negotiating, and documenting senior and subordinated, secured and unsecured, and bilateral and syndicated credit facilities, including acquisition, asset-based, oil and gas, real estate, receivables, vessel, and working capital financings. Christopher also has significant experience...

Etienne Balart is a partner in the Maritime and Litigation practice groups, in the Construction Industry Team, and co-leads the firm's Latin America working group. He provides transactional and litigation counsel to clients in the energy and maritime industries. Etienne helps clients identify and quantify financial, compliance, and other risks associated with disputes and litigated matters, negotiate, and, where necessary, bring to trial commercial and other disputes. Relying upon this deep e...

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...

Kelly Duncan is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group. He serves currently as co-chair of the firm’s Gaming Industry Team and served on Jones Walker’s board of directors from 2006 to 2014. Kelly has 40 years of experience handling admiralty, maritime, and international and customs law matters, including domestic and international matters relating to marine acquisitions, financings, vessel construction, regulatory issues, maritime lien enforcement and foreclosures, contracts of ...