Ryan T. Christiansen

Jim Silverstein joined Kean Miller in 2012 and is based in New Orleans, Louisiana. His practice focuses on Admiralty and Maritime Law and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants , along with matters involving energy, construction , environmental , and commercial litigation . Jim has substantial litigation and trial experience representing clients in admiralty and maritime disputes, energy and oil and gas matters, and complex product liability litigation. He regularly defends manufactu...

Sean Mount defends corporate clients and insurance companies in a variety of litigation claims that can arise as a result of today’s competitive legal environment. With a special interest in defense litigation, Sean Mount enjoys addressing client problems and crafting a solution that is best suitable for their business. Building upon his extensive courtroom experience, he has successfully litigated a variety of matters in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas for various corporate and insur...

Matthew J. Fantaci is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Energy Law and Oil and Gas Law. Matthew J., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

McGready Richeson joined the firm in 2017 and is a Member of the Firm; he is primarily engaged in environmental litigation, toxic torts, products liability, and business litigation. A skilled litigator, McGready has tried numerous cases throughout the States of Louisiana and Texas for nearly 25 years, and he is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western District of Louisiana, and all c...

Kara Hadican Samuels is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Kara Hadican, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kara Hadican is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Grady Hurley is a partner in and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team and co-chair of the Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources Industry Team. Since 1979, he has focused on maritime, oilfield, and energy litigation. Grady has broad-ranging dispute resolution and transactional experience at the intersection of energy and maritime law, including in areas such as offshore energy exploration, production, and distribution, where a range of complex ...

Aimee Hebert helps clients in the energy business solve their challenging legal problems. Her experience includes disputes that involve mineral royalties, mineral lease termination, implied obligations, mineral servitude maintenance, operating agreements, production handling agreements, blowouts, and oilfield environmental issues. She represents both individuals and businesses and gets excellent results. Ms. Hebert has been recognized in the Best Lawyers in America® ranking every year sin...

Jim Wright is a partner in the Maritime and Litigation practice groups. He represents clients in a broad range of commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, and criminal cases. Jim has more than four decades of experience as a trial attorney in civil and criminal jury and judge trials in federal and state courts. His areas of practice include maritime, white collar crime, oil and gas regulatory enforcement, environmental, customs, gaming regulatory enforcement, commercial litigation, pro...