Rebecca Zotti

Robert W. Rachal is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law - Management and Litigation - ERISA. Robert W., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michael C. Drew is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Construction Law. Michael C., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mr. Lee is Chair of the firm's Commercial Litigation Practice Group. For the last 15 years, his practice has included a concentration in insurance and insurance class action lawsuits. He has experience in handling coverage issues, bad faith claims, mold claims, regulatory issues and class action claims with a myriad of substantial issues. Mr. Lee joined Stone Pigman, and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar, in 1974.

Marty McLeod practices in the area of marine and energy and business litigation law. He represents U.S. and foreign vessel owners as well as offshore energy companies in a variety of marine and energy matters, including regulatory issues, business counseling, bankruptcy, and property, loss of use, pollution and commercial disputes. Marty serves as the practice coordinator of Phelps Dunbar's New Orleans admiralty group and is a current member of the firm's Operations Committee. Prior to enteri...

Josh Keller is a New Orleans native and Partner in the firm’s Civil Litigation section. His practice focuses mainly on personal injury defense and products liability matters. Josh primarily defends high net worth individuals through private client group insurers and publicly traded companies through Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurers. Most of the cases he defends involve multi-million dollar claims. Josh handles matters involving auto accidents, premises liability, insurance co...

David N. Luder is the firm's managing partner. He maintains a varied arbitration and litigation practice covering a broad spectrum of industries and disputes. A key focus of David’s practice is financial services arbitration and litigation. He regularly represents domestic and international broker-dealers, banks, hedge funds and registered investment advisors in FINRA and AAA arbitrations across the country and institutional clients and individuals before regulatory bodies at all stages...

Richard Cortizas is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and a member of the Jones Walker board of directors. He focuses on transactional matters, representing clients in complex land use and zoning matters, public finance, and economic development projects. Richard has extensive experience representing corporate clients, developers and individuals before local planning commissions, boards of zoning adjustments, and governing authorities of political subdivisions throughout the state. Ri...

Melissa Lessell partners with her clients faced with professional liability and complex commercial litigation matters. She helps professionals navigate through disciplinary actions, ethics investigations, malpractice, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty claims and lawsuits. Forming partnerships with her clients, Melissa Lessell tirelessly defends them in professional liability and complex commercial litigation matters. She helps professionals navigate through disciplinary actions, license...

The founding member of the firm, Larry Pugh has been practicing law in New Orleans since 1986. A skilled trial lawyer, he has defended businesses and individuals in complex civil matters and class actions. He is trial counsel for clients involved in nationwide litigation and has tried cases in multiple jurisdictions, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee. He is a leading litigator in the areas of asbestos litigation, other toxic tort litigation, products liability and environm...

Dan practices in the area of construction litigation with a focus on construction and surety litigation. He represents general contractors, major subcontractors, sureties, public and private owners, and wireless telecommunications carriers and owners of telecommunications infrastructure. Dan also serves nationwide as a construction mediator and as a construction arbitrator through Perry Dampf, and arbitrations only through the American Arbitration Association. Outside of the courtroom, Dan re...