Michael C. Luquet

John W. Joyce is an experienced litigator and trial attorney whose practice includes most types of sophisticated civil litigation. He represents insurance companies in coverage and claim-handling cases, broker-dealers and financial advisors in securities and employment disputes, and both businesses and individuals in contract, fraud, fiduciary liability, shareholder, restrictive covenant, and trade secret litigation. John has represented clients in more than twenty trials, evidentiary hearing...

John T. Balhoff, II, a member of the firm, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1971. He attended college at the University of Notre Dame and graduated from there, cum laude, in 1993, receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance. Mr. Balhoff received his Juris Doctor degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1996. Mr. Balhoff presently is admitted to the Louisiana Bar and he also is admitted to practice before all United States District C...

Steven I. Klein is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Franchise Law, Litigation - Real Estate, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Steven I. practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Steven I. Klein since 2007. The Best Lawyers re...

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 ...

Ed Harold is the regional managing partner in the New Orleans office and chair of the firm's Retail Industry Practice Group. His practice is primarily devoted to employment litigation in both state and federal courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and counseling employers to avoid litigation. Throughout his career, he has spent significant time and attention assisting employers in managing employee attendance and leave issues. As a result of this work, in 1999, Ed testified before the...

Ms. Gillen is a partner in the Metairie office and has been with the firm since 2013. Her practice consists primarily of environmental and toxic tort litigation and commercial litigation. Ms. Gillen graduated from Tulane University in 2010, where she received her BA degree in sociology, cum laude . In 2013, she was awarded a JD, magna cum laude , from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was also recognized as a William L. Crowe, Sr. Scholar for graduating in the to...

Douglas S. Draper practices primarily in the creditor and debtor rights area. His practice involves an equal mix of litigation and business negotiation. The creditor and debtor rights work involves representation of bondholders, creditors’ committees and debtors in large commercial and business cases. Has represented clients in successful reorganizations of hotels, grocery chains, apartment complexes, office buildings, oil companies, shipyards, clothing stores, an oil refinery, and fast...

Natalie Taylor enjoys a diverse commercial law practice handling a wide range of issues, including corporate formations, reorganizations, and dissolutions, joint venture arrangements, corporate governance, private equity capital raising, project finance, real estate, and title review. Natalie’s practice has focused primarily on assisting local and international clients with all stages of project development, including company start-up, industrial site land acquisitions, structuring and ...

Steven W. Usdin is a founding member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. His practice is concentrated in commercial litigation, including insurance coverage, contracts, class actions and complex litigation, oil and gas litigation and intellectual property. Throughout his career, his diverse representations have included, among many other cases, representing large public companies in shareholder litigation, a shipbuilder in a multi-million dollar contract dispute, and insu...

Lee Adler practices primarily in the areas of general business relationships and finance. He has an extensive transactional-based practice representing clients in a wide variety of fields. Finance transactions include real estate finance, vessel finance, accounts receivable-based finance and equipment and inventory finance, representing both borrowers and lenders. Prior to joining Phelps in 1992, Mr. Adler was an attorney at a large multi-practice firm in New York.