Bernice Lawyers

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)...

Robert “Bob” Brahan is a personal injury attorney whose practice focuses on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving 18-wheeler and automobile accidents, premises liability, and general injury law. Before he began representing plaintiffs, Bob gained experience representing insurance carriers, giving him valuable knowledge of the insurance defense industry that he uses to maximize recovery for his clients.

Bob graduated from Louisiana State University in 2002 with a degree in Business. After graduation, he moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane Law School where he received his Juris Doctorate degree with a certificate of specialization in Civil Law in 2005.

Bob...

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...

The Wall Street Journal has described Arsenault as having “national notoriety,” BusinessWeek described him as “a Dean of the Louisiana Tort Bar,” and The New York Times described him as one of the “big players” in the legal community. Arsenault has been an invited lecturer at various law schools including Baylor, Duke, Emory, University of Texas, Tulane, George Washington and LSU where he served on the Trial Advocacy faculty. He has been involved in over 25 Multidistrict Litigation proceedings, often serving in leadership capacities. He served as Lead Counsel in the Actos MDL where a jury rendered a $9 billion...

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...

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...

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

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...

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,...

Michelle McCune Sorrells is of counsel to Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens, and concentrates her practice in the area of workers' compensation law.

David Abboud Thomas is an veteran trial lawyer who has handled many jury trials throughout the State of Louisiana.

Mr. Cullens was born in New Orleans on April 3, 1967.

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, I am a product of our local public schools. I graduated from LSU in 1983 with a degree in Finance. I graduated from Loyola New Orleans Law School in 1987, but before graduating, I tried my first jury case. It was a manslaughter charge. The Orleans District Attorney was impressed enough to offer me a job upon graduation. I was an Assistant District Attorney for Mr. Harry Connick from 1987 through 1990 and have been on my own since then.

As to public service after the District Attorney's Office, in 2009 I was elected to...

Seth joined Mansfield Melancon after practicing with two of Lafayette's preeminent law firms. Seth joined Mansfield Melancon to pursue the firm's goal of understanding a client's wishes while efficiently and aggressively pursuing the most favorable result.

After receiving his J.D. from LSU, Seth accumulated experience in Personal Injury Litigation, Property Damage Litigation, Insurance Defense, Coverage Litigation, and Commercial Litigation and Transactions (including Collections, Corporate Organizational Work, Contract/Lease Preparation, Mergers, and Acquisitions). Seth has appeared before various Louisiana administrative agencies (including Louisiana's Office of Workers' Compensation), 20+ Louisiana Judicial District Courts, several Louisiana Appellate Courts, the U.S. District Courts in Louisiana,...

Brad’s practice utilizes the Master of Business Administration he earned in addition to his Juris Doctor. In addition to representing businesses of all kinds, he practices many different areas of law, performing both transactional work and litigation. Brad’s trust and estate practice covers everything from simple wills and successions to complex trusts and advanced estate planning. As part of his real estate practice, he is a title agent for Gulf Title Corporation, which is an agent for First American Title Insurance Company of Louisiana. Brad’s collection practice specializes in purchased debt. He also litigates many labor and employment matters and...

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....

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...

Randy Cangelosi is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He practices in the litigation group. Randy represents clients in complex products liability, general litigation, commercial and business litigation, environmental litigation, healthcare issues and related business disputes, medical malpractice defense, telecommunications law and litigation, trademark and intellectual property claims, and personal injury defense. He has trial experience in products liability defense and large commercial litigation matters. He also has experience in NORM, TERM and asbestos cases in the energy industry. Randy also has served client's needs on a national level, obtaining various admissions to the bar in...

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...

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...

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...

Beau Bourgeois is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2016 and practices in the commercial litigation and construction litigation groups. Beau has represented and counseled owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in the industrial and commercial markets and in both the private and public sectors. He has drafted construction contracts for owners, drafted and filed numerous Private Works Act liens, assisted clients with obtaining contractor’s licenses in multiple states, and represented clients in Public Bid Law disputes.

Prior to joining Kean Miller, Beau served as an Issue Editor for the Louisiana Law Review...

Amanda Bourgeois is a partner in the Baton Rouge office. She joined the firm in 2012 and practices in the business and corporate group. Amanda has experience representing clients in connection with a variety of transactional matters, including asset and stock acquisitions and sales and the drafting and negotiating of industrial and construction procurement, purchase and service contracts. She has also assisted individuals and businesses with entity formation, structure and governance, including the drafting of organizational documents and planning of overall corporate structure.

Amanda received her J.D. in 2010 from the LSU Law Center where she was a member of the...

Allison Benoit is special counsel in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2005 and practices in the toxic tort, occupational exposure, and commercial litigation groups. Prior to joining the firm, Allison practiced at an insurance defense firm in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Allison earned her B.A. in English, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University in 1999. She earned her J.D. in 2003 from the LSU Law Center where she was a member of the Moot Court Board and a semi-finalist in the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition.

Greg Anding is a litigation partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1995 and practices in the trial, toxic tort, expropriation, and commercial litigation groups. Greg represents clients in asbestos and benzene defense, other occupational and toxic tort litigation, hearing loss claims, expropriation (eminent domain) litigation, civil and business litigation, and construction law.

Greg has particular experience representing clients in cases involving premises liability, products liability, personal injury involving occupational and chemical exposures, and pipeline expropriation and expansion projects. He has specialized in asbestos and benzene litigation for over 20 years. Greg has handled...

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...

I was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, living there until I was 21 years old, when I moved to New Orleans for law school. I have vivid memories of being a child and arguing with my father – who is a lawyer – about something, and after I had made my point, he would stare at me silently, then look down, shake his head, and say “gosh you’d be a good lawyer.” And because of that, I just always knew I was going to go to law school. I tried to stray from that path a few times – my...

Dually-licensed Attorney-CPA serving the tax planning & compliance, business law & planning, and accounting needs of domestic and foreign businesses, including their entrepreneurial owners. Currently owns and operates a multidisciplinary practice since 2012. Prior to 2012, spent over 10 years' professional experience within the "Big 4" global firms, including the Washington National Tax Office of one "Big 4" firm and the New York M&A-Transactions practice of another "Big 4" firm, having significant Director/Senior Manager-level experience. Licensed as both an Attorney (DC) and CPA (DC, FL, LA).

Christopher L. Williams focuses his practice on complex employment litigation, including cases involving violations of wage-and-hour laws, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, unpaid wages, breach of contract, whistleblower claims, and non-compete issues. After working for some of the nation’s largest labor-and-employment law firms, he opened his own practice in 2014 to concentrate on protecting the rights of workers and employees. Mr. Williams draws on his previous experience representing employers to provide legal advice to individuals regarding potential claims and legal remedies under state and federal employment laws. Mr. Williams has litigated a wide variety of employment issues in...

Megan handles cases in the greater New Orleans area and around Louisiana. She is nationally ranked in the top ten personal injuries under 40* and in the top ten personal injury attorneys in Louisiana. She is a trial attorney who has a proven track record in and out of court. She has a reputation as a fierce litigator and fights hard for her clients to get them the justice and compensation that they deserve. She has handled cases involving car accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, severe spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, wrongful death, sexual harassment and assault,...

Dylan is an associate at Denechaud & Denechaud. He was born in Melbourne, Australia. Dylan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and earned a Juris Doctor cum laude and a Master of Arts from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. In law school, Dylan was a senior editor on law review and a moot court participant. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Donald E. Rysavy and the Honorable Fred W. Wellmann in Minnesota’s Third Judicial District. Dylan met his Covington-born wife while studying abroad in Germany. They live in New Orleans with...

“He and his staff always took their time in answering any questions I had and made me feel my healthcare needs were first priority. He is highly knowledgeable of the law and I appreciate all he and his staff did to resolve my case. If you need a workers compensation attorney don’t hesitate to contact Shawn Murray.” “The moment I walked out of his office I felt like he rolled his sleeves up and went to work. I was kept informed of the process the entire time and was made to feel as if I had not a worry...

Malveau Law Firm, L.L.C. provides legal representation for clients with Criminal, Family, Juvenile, Personal Injury, Traffic & Municipal matters in the New Orleans metropolitan area.