Best Lawyers Near You in Metairie, Louisiana for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Stewart focuses on bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights; admiralty and maritime; marine finance and vessel documentation; asset-based finance; litigation, corporate and commercial law; and oil and gas. Stewart has been practicing law in New Orleans for more than 38 years. He is a 1974 graduate of Kenyon College, magna cum laude , where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated top in his class in 1977 from Tulane Law School where he was elected to the Order of the Coif...
William T. Finn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Banking and Finance. William T., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographi...
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...
Fishman Haygood Special Counsel Alicia Bendana maintains a national practice focused on complex bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She represents trustees, debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, receivers and liquidators in high-stakes matters involving officer and director liability, professional negligence, fraud, RICO, fraudulent transfers, and business dissolutions. A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Alicia is also board certified in business bankruptcy law by both the America...
Cynthia Nicholson’s practice is centered on oil and gas transactions with respect to lands located within the State of Louisiana as well as those located on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). She regularly documents and negotiates acquisitions and divestitures of both onshore and offshore properties, and has extensive experience with many types of transaction structures including mergers, asset and stock acquisitions and sales. She regularly counsels clients on a wide range of regulator...
Michael E. Landis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Michael E., 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 Michael E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Chris Caplinger is a partner at Kean Miller in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he represents clients in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy. His practice includes bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights, as well as marine insurance coverage and oil and gas matters. Chris represents debtors, creditors, and creditor committees in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization cases, creditors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 ...
Lewis McHenry is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He represents a wide range of parties in real estate transactions. Lewis advises clients on real estate acquisitions and divestitures, workouts, commercial bankruptcy, development, and finance. He handles matters in connection with multi-family residential developments throughout the southeastern and southwestern United States, office buildings, hotels, and medical facilities. He also advises forest products companies on timber inves...
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 ...
Commercial lending is the focus of Stephen "Steve" P. Strohschein's practice, providing assistance to lenders of all types – real estate, floor plan, asset based and small business – both with regard to litigating lending issues, handling workouts, foreclosures, collections and bankruptcy matters and also frequently providing assistance with lending transactions, structure and documentation. Steve has been certified by the American Board of Certification as a specialist in the are...
Katherine Clark is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Katherine, 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 Katherine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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 F. Waguespack is a partner in the Firm, practicing in bankruptcy, commercial litigation, creditor’s rights, and gaming law. He has represented lenders, debtors, creditor committees, and other parties in complex Chapter 11 reorganizations and related litigation and has served as a Chapter 11 trustee. Mr. Waguespack regularly represents investors acquiring property in and out of bankruptcy. He has handled litigation relating to liens, real estate, construction, shareholder’s r...
Coleman L. Torrans is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Coleman L., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Coleman L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Avery Autin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Real Estate Law. Avery, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Avery is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joseph Caneco is an attorney in Fishman Haygood’s Litigation Section. He works in the bankruptcy and restructuring practice group and concentrates on debtor and creditor rights. Before joining Fishman Haygood, Joseph was an attorney at two nationally recognized firms headquartered in New York City. Joseph has experience representing debtors, creditors’ committees, secured lenders, general unsecured creditors, and trustees before U.S. Bankruptcy and State Courts, as well as in conn...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.