Steve Hayes

Clint Smith is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and co-leader of the firm’s corporate, securities, and executive compensation team. He represents public and private company clients, both large and small, in a range of industries, including energy, healthcare, banking, and construction. Clint counsels clients in all areas of corporate securities and capital markets law, including initial public offerings, registered debt and equity offerings, exempt offerings under Regulation D,...

Michael S. Williams is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Michael S. practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized Michael S. Williams since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Michael S. Williams is held by other lawyers.

Rebecca Wilmore joined Blue Williams in 2017 and is a partner in the Metairie office. Her practice focuses primarily on medical malpractice defense and healthcare law. Ms. Wilmore earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, minoring in political science and graduating cum laude in 2001. She obtained her Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law degree in 2004 from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where she served as a member of the Moo...

Mr. Holmes has more than 25 years of experience as a business lawyer, representing clients in arbitration and litigation as well as handling transactional matters. He also represents franchisors with respect to disclosure, relationship and termination issues. Mr. Holmes also helps clients in the matters of business organization, contracts, directors’ and officers’ liability, bankruptcy and intellectual property as well as trusts and estates. Mr. Holmes is an Eagle Scout and remain...

David Patrón serves as the Regional Practice Coordinator of the firm’s New Orleans Litigation Group where he manages one of the firm’s largest practice groups. With over twenty years of legal experience, David Patrón has established a solid reputation as a talented litigator who successfully represents businesses at all phases of litigation in state and federal courts throughout the Gulf South and beyond. Whether winning at trial or negotiating favorable settlements,...

Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. he concentrates his practice on varied areas of casualty litigation in New Orleans and Lake Charles. Mr. Colletta worked as an executive assistant to United States Congressman Jimmy Hayes of Louisiana’s seventh congressional district during and after college. Following law school at Tulane School of Law, Mr. Colletta served as a law clerk for the Honorable Gene Thibodeaux, Chief Judge of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. Upon completion of his clerk...

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...

Richard E. Sarver is a founding member of the law firm of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C., a New Orleans litigation firm ranked among the top litigation firms in Louisiana. Rick has extensive jury trial experience, including trials in thirteen different states. He has served as lead trial attorney in more than 100 jury trials, including complex multidistrict litigation. Many of his trials have been in bet-the-company litigation, where he repeatedly has succeeded before j...

David K. Smith is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Admiralty and Maritime Law. David K. practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana Best Lawyers has recognized David K. Smith since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which David K. Smith is held by other lawyers.

Member Dan Hoerner anchors the firm’s Lafayette, Louisiana office. He has been with Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett since it was founded in 1997 and practiced with the firm’s founders for five years prior to that. His practice is primarily litigation-based, with emphasis on admiralty and maritime law, general casualty and insurance defense, personal injury defense, property damage claims, employer and premises liability, and contract negotiations and disputes. He has succ...