Shannon Howard-Eldridge

Tim Brechtel is a partner in the Tax Practice Group. He counsels employers on tax and ERISA compliance issues relating to employee retirement, health, welfare, compensation, and other plans. Tim advises clients ranging from sole proprietorships to large, multinational corporations on establishing, administering, merging, and terminating qualified defined-contribution and defined-benefit retirement plans — such as 401(k) plans and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) — and nonqua...

Member Mike Parks has more than 25 years of experience in trucking, transportation and automobile defense, general casualty and insurance defense, premises liability, products liability, and maritime litigation. As supported by the peer honors he has received, including Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Rating, inclusion in Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers and New Orleans Magazine Top Lawyers, Mike has developed a reputation as a highly skilled trial attorney in transportation and insurance defense li...

Bessie Antin Daschbach is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law and Litigation - Environmental. Bessie Antin, 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 Bessie Antin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Richard Bertram is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group. Richard has more than 30 years of experience in admiralty and maritime law. He handles a wide range of domestic and international admiralty and maritime matters, including transactions, litigation, arbitration, appellate, regulatory, and administrative law, marine casualty investigations, regulatory compliance, and marine pollution and environmental matters.

Leann Opotowsky Moses is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Leann Opotowsky, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leann Opotowsky is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stewart Spielman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Stewart, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stewart is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

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...

Hirschel Abbott concentrates his practice in estate planning, closely held businesses and entity selection, fiduciary litigation, charitable planning, and tax-exempt organizations. He currently serves as a co-chair of the firm’s Tax, Trusts and Estates Practice Group. As a Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist and a Certified Public Accountant, Hirschel counsels businesses and other high net worth individuals and families on matters related to property, tax, and estate planning. He also ad...

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...