Wells T. Watson

Brandon Davis practices in the areas of labor and employment and business, employment-based and family-based immigration. His employment litigation practice includes representing employers in the defense of employment related claims, alleging retaliation, discrimination and workplace harassment under federal and state statutes. He also handles EEOC charges and other administrative complaints through the administrative and judicial process. He has also represented clients on a variety of human...

Mark Mallery is the Managing Shareholder of the firm’s office in New Orleans, where he has practiced labor and employment law for over twenty-five years. A problem-solver for employers, Mark has acted as lead counsel on complex disputes, including Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claims before the Office of Administrative Law Judges; pattern and practice and class based claims prosecuted by the EEOC; collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act; and class-based discrimination claim...

Jerry Schiff practices in the areas of mediation and bankruptcy/ debtor-creditor law. He joined Gordon Arata in 2006 after serving over a decade as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Louisiana. While he principally presided over cases in the Lafayette, Opelousas and Lake Charles Divisions of the Western District, he occasionally sat in the Shreveport and Alexandria Divisions, as well as the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana. It was in the latter District where he presid...

T. Jay Seale, III was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1947 and has lived in Hammond, Louisiana for most of his adult life. He earned his Juris Doctor from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law School in 1973 and began practicing law in Hammond later that year. After practicing as a solo attorney for two years, he began developing what is now Seale & Ross, A Professional Law Corporation, with offices in Hammond, Baton Rouge, and Madisonville. Mr. Seale’s practice includes Commercial Liti...

David Redmann’s practice consists principally of the defense of toxic tort, products liability, occupational injury and disease, and class action claims; technically-oriented commercial litigation. He also engages in appellate practice in the Louisiana state and federal courts. David represents several Fortune 500 companies in occupational disease litigation. He has been the co-author (with Dwight “Trey” Paulsen) of the last three editions of the Louisiana chapter of the Def...

Rick Shelby is an experienced attorney who specializes in bankruptcy, restructuring, oil and gas litigation, commercial litigation and corporate governance. His representation includes secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, committees, and debtors. Mr. Shelby has handled virtually all aspects of bankruptcy work from complex chapter 11 cases representing debtors, creditors’ committees and secured creditors to consumer bankruptcy cases in chapter 7 and 13. He has recently represented ...

Valerie E. Fontenot is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law and Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants. Valerie E., 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 Valerie E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Britton Seal is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and co-leader of the mergers and acquisitions and private equity team. With broad knowledge of corporate and securities law, Britt represents clients in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; private equity transactions; business entity formation, counseling, and capitalization; joint ventures; and public and private company securities compliance. He has worked with a wide range of US and non-US individuals and public...

Pam Mascari is a state and federal court litigator, trial advocate, and regulatory advisor who represents clients in high-stakes environmental and energy-related disputes in Louisiana and beyond. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she works with energy, petrochemical, and manufacturing companies on complex litigation involving property contamination, environmental claims, and related business risks. Her practice regularly involves litigation strategy and case management before Louisiana state a...

M. H. Gertler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. M. H., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which M. H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.