Matthew J. Averill

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...

Scott Zander is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group, where he focuses his practice on tax-exempt and taxable finance structures for governmental, non-profit, and corporate clients. In addition to serving as bond counsel in municipal and corporate debt offerings, Scott represents borrowers, developers, underwriters, and trustees in various corporate, project, and structured financings. He also advises clients on economic development projects in Louisiana. In particular, Scott has extensi...

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...

David A. Martinez is a seasoned commercial and residential real estate attorney with particular experience in title insurance. Mr. Martinez is highly respected for his legal expertise and approach to resolving a client’s issue in a practical way, qualities that have attributed to him being recognized by his peers as one of the top real estate attorneys in New Orleans through his inclusion in Best Lawyers. “Through experience I have learned that most people are all fired up about t...

Judy Barrasso is a founding member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, and includes complex commercial litigation matters and class actions involving complex commercial contracts, director and officer liability, securities fraud, and insurance coverage and bad faith claims. Judy has been ranked by Chambers USA as a top commercial litigator, by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star, and by the Diversity Journal as among 20...

As part of the Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett’s “wheels team,” Member Gerard J. Dragna focuses his practice on transportation, trucking and automobile defense and litigation. He has represented Fortune 500 companies, motor carriers, trucking and transportation companies and their insurers in legal matters throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. As supported by the peer honors he has received, including Louisiana Super Lawyers and New Orleans Magazine Top Lawyers, Ger...

Loulan Pitre has extensive experience with the development, construction, operation, and decommissioning of energy, environmental, and infrastructure projects. He has represented energy and other industrial companies, real estate developers, financial institutions, ports, levee districts and other public entities, and participants in the construction and service industries such as contractors, engineers, and material suppliers. His work has included entity formation and governance, traditiona...

Phil is a commercial litigator in state and federal courts. He takes pride in advising his clients on how to succeed at trial, on appeal, or how to avoid litigation altogether. Louis Armstrong, the greatest trumpet player of all time, said “never play anything the same way twice.” Phil has taken this advice to heart in his practice, advising unique clients facing distinct challenges with an individualized approach. Phil represents a diverse set of clients across a broad range of i...

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...

Thear J. Lemoine is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Thear J., 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 Thear J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.