Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  2) With regard to criminal matters, due to the Court’s reduced ability to safely obtain an adequate spectrum of jurors and the effect of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases on the ability of counsel and Court staff to be safely present in the courtroom, the time period of the postponements implemented by this general order will be excluded under the Speedy Trial Act, as the Court specifically finds that the ends of justice served by ordering the postponements outweigh the best interest of the public and any defendant’s right to a speedy trial, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3161(h)(7)(A).

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Construction law has evolved into a practice discipline in its own right, distinct from its traditional locations as a subpractice of project finance, real estate or corporate law. There are often strong links between construction law and energy law and oil and gas law.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Business Formation
• Business Disputes
  Commercial law, also known as business law, is the body of law that applies to the rights, relations, and conduct of persons and businesses engaged in commerce, merchandising, trade, and sale
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  Our firm has handled hundreds of jury and bench  trials in both federal and state court. We have represented public and private entities, Fortune 500 companies and insurance companies involving a broad range of casualty and insurance litigation including construction, automobile, premises, product liability, medical malpractice, including physician, hospital, nursing homes, and intermediate care facilities, property damage, municipal law, admiralty, Jones Act, maritime, occupational lung disease, environmental law, and state and federal workers compensation litigation and insurance coverage issues.
• Employment Contract
  Although “use it or lose it” vacation policies are permitted by Louisiana law, they must be carefully drafted and applied. One reason for this is that Louisiana law also strictly prohibits employers from having employees sign employment contracts which require forfeiture of accrued vacation time when the employee is discharged or resigns. See Beard v. Summit Institute of Pulmonary Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inc., 707 So. 2d 1233 (La. 1998). The fine line between a “use it or lose it” policy and what could be considered “forfeiture” of vacation time has been the subject of litigation between employers and employees. Therefore, it is advisable for employers to have a written vacation policy that is carefully drafted by an experienced labor and employment attorney.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Real estate law is a branch of civil law that covers the ownership of real or immovable property as well as the right to possess, use, and enjoy land and the rights that come along with land ownership. The practice of real estate law involves representing businesses and individuals in connection with various matters relating to real estate such as residential and commercial closings, donations, title defects, lien removal, zoning and land use, building permits, foreclosure, evictions, and leases.
• Construction Litigation
  Our business section handles all types of business and commercial practice including banking, real estate, estate and will practice, commercial law, construction litigation, hospital and health care law, employment law, environmental law, administrative law, and public contracts law.
• Land Use and Zoning
• Property Damage

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Ryan’s practice focuses on representing companies and individuals in proceedings involving contract and business disputes, personal injury, construction, property damage, labor and employment, zoning and land use, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, administrative law, funeral and cemetery law, successions, and community property.  His practice involves not only litigation but also business matters and transactions involving contract drafting and negotiation, business formation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, dissolution, collections, and lien rights under the Louisiana Private and Public Works Act.
• Medical Malpractice
  Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error.[1] Standards and regulations for medical malpractice vary by country and jurisdiction within countries. Medical professionals may obtain professional liability insurances to offset the risk and costs of lawsuits based on medical malpractice.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Our estate planning attorneys frequently meet with clients who are under the impression that they need to have a trust.  However, this is often not the case.  While trusts are sometimes appropriate, after legal consultation many clients realize a trust is not right for them.  What are the reasons to form a trust?
• Wills
  While there are other reasons to form trusts not discussed herein, this article demonstrates why trusts (especially revocable living trusts) are not necessary for many Louisiana residents.  Due to Louisiana’s unique succession laws, it is advisable for almost all individuals to create a last will and testament.  Whether to include a trust in the will depends on your particular circumstances.
• Trusts
  There are many different types of trusts which serve many different purposes.  A trust can be irrevocable or revocable.  A trust can be a living trust effective while the settlor of the trust is still alive or a trust can be a testamentary trust created in a will that becomes effective only upon the death of the settlor.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Foreclosure
  Steve Oliver is an experienced and skilled transactional and civil litigation attorney. A licensed title agent, Steve has represented clients in hundreds of commercial and residential real estate closings over his career. Steve also represents clients in connection with successions, business law, commercial litigation, collections, foreclosure, and casualty defense. His transactional practice is heavily focused on the drafting of wills, trusts and other estate planning documents.
• Tax Law
  Under the current tax law, the estate and gift tax exemption will sunset on December 31, 2025. Starting January 1, 2026, the exemption will return to $5 million adjusted for inflation unless Congress acts to renew the legislation.  There is also the possibility Congress could act before the current tax law expires and could lower the estate and gift tax exemption.  While the law has the potential to change, the consistent trend over the last 25 years or so has been to increase, rather than decrease, the amount of the exemption.  The best approach at this juncture may be to wait and see what happens.  A lifetime exemption of over $5 million per person is still significant and essentially rules out federal estate tax for most people, especially considering the annual gift exclusion discussed below. Even if the tax law does significantly change, estate plans can be updated to include a trust, if necessary.