Best Lawyers Near You in New Orleans, Louisiana for Admiralty and Maritime Law
Senior Counsel Georges Legrand is one of the founding members of MBLB. He has more than 44 years of experience as a litigator. As a leader of the firm’s Admiralty and Maritime law practice, he has been part of forging a team of attorneys who have developed a depth of expertise that rivals larger firms. His practice focuses on defense of maritime personal injury and property damage claims on the river and offshore, as well as insurance, transportation, and contractual matters. His experi...
Jeff Tillery is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He helps maritime and marine industry clients prevent and resolve a broad range of disputes. For more than 35 years, Jeff has advised and represented clients in maritime personal injury and collision matters, commercial litigation, longshore matters, and marine insurance coverage disputes, and has tried, as lead counsel, complex marine multi-party casual...
Member Alan G. Brackett, who is one of the firm founders, leads the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act defense team, which also handles claims arising under the Defense Base Act and War Hazards Compensation Act. Alan litigates claims nationwide for large corporations and insurance companies, including Chubb and American Longshore Mutual Association. As supported by the many peer honors he has received, including The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, Alan has develop...
Michael J. Ecuyer is a member of the law firm of Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier, & Warshauer, L.L.C. Michael is engaged in a civil litigation practice. He practices with an emphasis on the representation of plaintiffs in medical malpractice claims, admiralty or maritime matters, mass torts, FELA claims and personal injury claims. A member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana Association for Justice (Executive Committee), and the Fede...
Steve Herman is special counsel in Fishman Haygood’s Litigation Section. With thirty years of experience, Steve’s primary practice has lately focused on representing both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial, class action, and professional liability cases, and he is often asked to provide expert testimony in such matters. He recently, for example, submitted a series of declarations in support of class counsel’s successful fee petition in the multi-billion dollar Aqueous F...
Thomas J. Smith represents clients in complex civil litigation with a focus on insurance defense, personal injury, and construction matters. He brings strategic insight to each case, guiding clients through litigation with precision and responsiveness from pre-suit through appeal. See how Tommy protects client interests in high-stakes matters: gallowaylawfirm.com
David focuses on marine insurance coverage; marine finance and vessel documentation; bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights; admiralty and maritime; and international and cross-border law. He represents clients that own, operate, charter, or employ vessels, and helps them understand and manage their risks in the United States, Gulf of Mexico, and worldwide offshore maritime oilfield and alternative-energy markets. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, David attended Tulane Unive...
David K. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. David K., 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 David K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael R.C. Riess is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law, Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Michael R.C., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael R.C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nathan P. Horner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Nathan P., 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 Nathan P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
David A. Bowling is the managing partner of The Bowling Law Firm APLC , in New Orleans, Louisiana . After spending most of his career focusing on the defense of malpractice and other complex medical cases, Mr. Bowling has now transitioned to a plaintiffs' practice. He and his firm concentrate on the representation of individuals and families in medical malpractice , catastrophic injury (including brain and spinal cord injury ), and other serious personal injury litigation. Mr. Bowling has bee...
Marty McLeod practices in the area of marine and energy and business litigation law. He represents U.S. and foreign vessel owners as well as offshore energy companies in a variety of marine and energy matters, including regulatory issues, business counseling, bankruptcy, and property, loss of use, pollution and commercial disputes. Marty serves as the practice coordinator of Phelps Dunbar's New Orleans admiralty group and is a current member of the firm's Operations Committee. Prior to enteri...
Alan R. Davis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Admiralty and Maritime Law and Commercial Litigation. Alan R., 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 Alan R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Etienne Balart is a partner in the Maritime and Litigation practice groups, in the Construction Industry Team, and co-leads the firm's Latin America working group. He provides transactional and litigation counsel to clients in the energy and maritime industries. Etienne helps clients identify and quantify financial, compliance, and other risks associated with disputes and litigated matters, negotiate, and, where necessary, bring to trial commercial and other disputes. Relying upon this deep e...
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...
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.