Bayou Vista Lawyers

Mr. Douglas obtained his Juris Doctor with a certification in taxation from Loyola University College of Law in 2011. While studying for his degree, he interned at Lowe Stein, joining as an attorney in 2012. Mr. Douglas’ practice areas include commercial transactions and litigation, with a majority of his practice devoted to trust and estate planning and administration, tax exempt organizations, and tax planning and controversy. Mr. Douglas has successfully settled a contested succession with $1 Million paid to Lowe Stein’s clients, organized a regional magazine and obtained a 501(c)(3) for an American fundraising arm of a Thai nonprofit organization....

Jeffrey Hoffman first joined Lowe Stein in 2004 as an associate attorney. His success and hard work earned him the title of partner in 2013. As a New Orleans family law attorney, Mr. Hoffman has a comprehensive understanding of the complications involved with domestic disputes. He can litigate and negotiate matters such as custody, spousal support, child support, prenuptial agreements, community property partitions, and more. Mr. Hoffman has had tremendous success in litigating child custody jurisdiction cases. In 2013, his dedication in family law earned him recognition as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers® Magazine and he has maintained...

Mitchell J. Hoffman earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tulane University. He received his JD in 1976. He has been in private practice since that time representing individuals and companies throughout the Greater New Orleans area. Over the years, Mr. Hoffman developed an expertise in family law and his practice now includes significant involvement in divorce, custody, community property issues, pre and post-nuptial agreements, partitions and a host of other family law related matters. Mr. Hoffman also has experience trying cases involving insurance defense, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and business law, and general litigation. He qualified to become...

In 2005, Gregory S. Marsiglia joined Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver, LLP, having practiced law in New Orleans since 1997 in a variety of commercial, corporate, and general civil litigation, and in a variety of corporate, real estate, and business transactions. Mr. Marsiglia also advises corporate and commercial clients on formation and planning issues, internal governance, in a variety of contractual matters. His construction litigation and contracting practice has been a steady and significant portion of the practice during the past ten years, as has general commercial litigation for clients in other industries. Mr. Marsiglia also has...

Marynell Piglia exudes confidence in her practice and epitomizes the effectiveness of hard work and tenacity. Practicing civil litigation, family law, and employment law, she represents clients in matters such as discrimination, sexual harassment, workers’ compensation, divorce, and related family law matters. Ms. Piglia earned her undergraduate degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, magna cum laud. She was the recipient of a President’s Medal for Academic Excellence. She went on to receive her law degree from Loyola University, where she served on the Loyola Law Review, as chair of the Moot Court Board, and a member of the Moot Court teaching...

My name is Mike Gertler and I am the managing partner of Gertler Accident & Injury Attorneys, a New Orleans based Personal Injury Law Firm. I have been representing individuals injured in accidents since 1970 - not only in the state of Louisiana, but throughout the country. I focus only on personal injury lawsuits and concentrate in the following areas: Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Claims Construction Accidents & Injuries Brain Injuries/Traumatic Brain Injury/TBI Injuries from Defective Products Medical Malpractice Birth Injury/Cerebral Palsy Nursing Home Negligence Medical Negligence Nursing Home Abuse Premises Liability/Non-Secure Premises Offshore Injuries Oil Rig Injuries Dog Bite...

Chelsea Brener Cusimano has a substantial litigation practice and client base after a decade of work with her family firm and public officials. Chelsea is the daughter of the late Lisa Brener who began her trailblazing civil rights and employment practice in New Orleans in the 1980s. Chelsea is a fourth-generation New Orleans lawyer. Chelsea has successfully litigated Collective Actions under the FederalFair Labor Standards Act, including managing a Collective Action with over 90 Plaintiffs from 2018-2020. Chelsea is a member of both the Louisiana and Georgia bars, and holds an LL.M. from George Washington University in National Security and International Affairs. She...

I focus my practice on business, corporate, and real estate matters. My experience includes representing and offering operational advice, reviewing and drafting contracts, and providing general transactional support to a diverse array of both domestic and international companies across various industries and sizes. I particularly enjoy collaborating with young entrepreneurs to help bring their visions to life. I take pride in guiding start-ups and emerging businesses through crucial growth phases, from entity formation and structuring to navigating mergers, acquisitions, and real estate transactions. I am passionate about delivering strategic, practical advice that enables entrepreneurs to achieve their goals and establish a...

Before starting a law practice in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, Matt left home to acquire the education and experience he needed to represent the people of Lafayette and Acadiana in legal matters. Earning first a college degree from Sewanee and then a law degree, with honors, from Tulane, Matt was a DeBlois-Sewanee Scholar and honors trial advocate. And he obtained the Tulane Civil Litigation Clinic's then highest ever trial award for an indigent client. Matt's law practice now draws on a wide range of experience and education to serve injured people in any Louisiana state or federal court. Matt has extensive...

Background and Education Mr. Mitchell was born in Mobile, Alabama on April 7, 1963. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He attended Louisiana State University, The Paul M. Hebert, School of Law from which he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1989. During law school, Mr. Mitchell was awarded the Outstanding Oral Advocate award by Mr. F. Lee Bailey during the F. Lee Bailey National Moot Court Competition. Mr. Mitchell's team placed second in the country. Mr. Mitchell was also a member of the National Moot Court Team and was...

Ben Jumonville is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller.

Richard McConnell is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He is trial counsel for energy and financial companies in high stakes lawsuits involving a wide variety of claims. Prior cases involved soil and groundwater contamination, wetlands loss, toxic tort exposure, lost mineral leasing opportunities, mineral lease cancellation, pipeline right-of-way claims, expropriation/condemnation, and commercial litigation. Richard also serves as appellate counsel arguing before state and federal appellate courts.

Richard’s recent experience includes obtaining a successful verdict as trial counsel for national pipeline companies in a wetlands loss lawsuit involving canals that widened over time, he was lead...

Matthew Meiners is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2009 and practices in the business and corporate group. Matthew has experience in the drafting and negotiation of numerous industrial service and purchase agreements. He also has experience representing numerous individuals and small businesses in connection with acquisitions and divestitures of their respective businesses and with formation of new entities, including drafting organizational documents and planning of overall corporate structure.

Matthew earned his B.S. in International Trade and Finance with a minor in Economics from Louisiana State University in 1998. He earned his...

Gayla Moncla is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller and practices in the areas of toxic tort and environmental litigation, premises liability, and commercial litigation. She has more than 25 years of experience in the chemical and petrochemical industries, defending workplace accidents, chemical exposure cases, products liability cases, as well as advising clients regarding workplace safety issues and OSHA regulations. Gayla also has experience in retail premises litigation having defended retail clients for over 25 years.

Gayla earned her B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1973. She earned her J.D. in 1989 from the LSU Law Center...

Bob Hawthorne is of counsel to the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He is one of the founding members of the firm and practices in the estate planning and probate, business and corporate, and real estate groups. Bob represents clients in the finance, acquisition, construction, purchase, refinancing, management, leasing and sale of various types of real estate developments, both commercial and residential, including office buildings, shopping malls, manufacturing facilities, retail centers, industrial facilities, and commercial developments.

Bob advises business and corporate clients with regard to commercial lending transactions, financings, and the structure and formation of corporate entities. He has extensive...

Shane Sandefer is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He practices in the business transactions and environmental law groups and is a Registered Professional Engineer. Shane represents local, regional, and national clients in a variety of real estate, finance, and environmental matters including, industrial and commercial real estate transactions, title insurance matters, general preparation and negotiation, regulatory proceedings, wetlands permitting, wetlands mitigation, and state and federal environmental advice. Prior to law school, Shane was a project engineer for Turner Environmental and a senior staff engineer for URS. He also served as an assistant project manager for...

I focus my practice on intellectual property and environmental regulatory matters, while also handling cases related to energy, administrative law, and utility regulation. As a registered Patent Attorney authorized to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, I have filed both provisional and non-provisional patent applications. My work includes drafting and negotiating licensing agreements and assignments for trade secrets, patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property concerns. Additionally, I assist clients with intellectual property protection, transactions, and litigation matters. My previous experience includes engaging with state and federal agencies in environmental regulatory proceedings. This involved drafting nine-factor analyses in response to...

The Butler Law Firm is a minority-owned firm dedicated to providing high-quality and value-priced legal services to its individual, business and governmental clients in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, workers' compensation defense, debt collections, contracts and business development.

Michael S. Brandner, owner of the Brandner Law Firm, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up there and attended Jesuit High School. After graduating from high school, he attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 1999. He then went on to study law at the Loyola University New Orleans School of Law where he served on the Executive Board of the Loyola Student Bar Association and was a member of the Loyola University School of Law Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Bradner received his juris doctor in 2002....

Melissa Hemmans is an experienced Litigation Attorney in Kean Millers's Baton Rouge office. Her practice includes Petrochemical, Manufacturing, Municipal, Civil Rights Defense, Oil and Gas, and Local Business matters. She has extensive experience with cases involving Toxic Tort and Environmental claims. Melissa is dedicated to providing clients with creative solutions, unique strategies, and unparalleled value.

In 1996, Melissa received her B.A. from Louisiana State University. She obtained her J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1999. Melissa is admitted to practice law in the State of Louisiana, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, United States District Courts for the Eastern,...

Attorney Caj Boatright grew up in Sweetwater, a small town in west Texas. He attended Southwestern University of Georgetown, and graduated cum laude with Honors as a double major in Political Science and History. He earned his J.D. from the University of Texas Law School, where he also met and became friends with Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin. Following law school, Attorney Boatright worked for the largest firm in Fort Worth, where he handled cases related to all types of litigation and appellate matters. In 2006, he joined Kurt and Jason at their small firm, Arnold & Itkin...

John Funderburk is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller and practices in the litigation and construction groups. He represents clients in energy, commercial, environmental, transportation, and construction litigation in both state and federal courts. Prior to joining the firm, John practiced with a global law firm from its Houston, Texas office.

John has represented both individuals and corporations in complex environmental litigation, contract disputes, maritime actions, personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, deceptive trade practices claims, and oilfield contamination litigation. In addition, he coordinates with clients and experts to respond quickly to accidents and incidents across the...

Jacob Delahoussaye hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was born and raised. He completed his secondary education at Lafayette High School before embarking on his academic journey at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. There, he excelled and graduated with distinction, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with the highest honors, summa cum laude. His exceptional academic performance led him to receive the esteemed Outstanding Scholar Award. Driven by his passion for the legal field, Mr. Delahoussaye pursued advanced studies at LSU's Paul M. Hebert Law Center. In 2022, he successfully earned his Juris Doctor degree and Diploma of...

Troy Charpentier is a dedicated and experienced Louisiana Attorney. He joined Kean Miller in 1996, where he works with the Litigation Group in the Baton Rouge office. Troy has successfully represented local, regional and national clients in an array of legal disputes. His practice areas include General Commercial Litigation such as Contract Claims, Lease Disputes and Landlord/Tenant matters. Additionally, Troy advocates for clients with Pipeline Permitting and Incident Response before the Department of Natural Resources. He has extensive experience in Pipeline Expropriation projects. Troy is committed to providing outstanding service and the best possible outcomes.

Troy received a B.A. from Louisiana...

Matthew D. Lane, Jr. is committed to helping the citizens of Acadiana and Louisiana whose claims for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have been denied. Disability law is all we do. And we have assisted hundreds of people obtain the Social Security benefits they deserve. The disability appeal process is long and complex, and when you are injured, sick, or severely depressed, it can be simply overwhelming. Matthew D. Lane, Jr. has the experience and tenacity to advocate for you at all levels of the disability appeal process, including Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)...

Reed K. Kreger is an attorney at Broussard & David, LLC whose practice focuses on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving 18-wheeler and automobile accidents, premises liability, and general injury law. Reed is a proud graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. After graduation, Reed studied at the Paul M. Hebert LSU Law Center, obtaining her Juris Doctorate. Before she began representing plaintiffs, Reed clerked for the honorable Judge Jason D. Meche of the 27th Judicial District Court in Opelousas, Louisiana. Reed’s practice is devoted to helping those who have been seriously...