Central Lawyers

John D. Ray is the owner and operator of The Ray Firm, LLC and has practiced law for over 20 years and specializes in workers’ compensation. He opened his law firm in Baton Rouge in 2016 after years of working for New Orleans and Lafayette based defense firms, serving as Assistant Attorney General for the Louisiana Department of Justice and then serving as the Section Chief of Workers’ Compensation Section of LDJ. In addition to his role as Section Chief, he served as an in-house legal advisor to the Office of Risk Management and the Louisianan Department of Justice regarding...

We do things differently from other lawyers. We don't just give you a stack of documents. We advise and guide you to the best possible outcome for your family when you can't be there for them yourself. Our firm represents Louisiana families and individuals on matters involving estate planning, succession, probate, wills, trusts, and long-term care planning. We help you make the best planning decisions for your family and ensure that the estate plan you create with us will work when your loved ones need it most. Our team includes an expert estate planning attorney with 20+ years of experience in wills, trusts...

Attorney Leonard Kilgore is an experienced advocate for local, national and international commercial, energy and industrial clients in litigation involving toxic tort claims, personal injury, property damage claims, and class actions.

Pam Mascari is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 1997 and practices in the litigation, toxic tort and pipeline defense group. She represents clients in general litigation, oil and gas litigation, intrastate pipeline regulatory matters, environmental litigation, products liability cases, complex pharmaceutical drug litigation, and state and local tax litigation. Pam has extensive experience in the Louisiana energy, petrochemical and manufacturing industry and advises clients with regard to litigation strategy and management in Louisiana courts and regulatory matters before the Louisiana Office of Conservation. Pam also has extensive experience handling complex...

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...

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...

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...

Patrick L. McCune practices between the Baton Rouge and Shreveport offices of Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He engages in a broad legal practice, including a variety of commercial litigation matters in both state and federal courts, with a particular emphasis on creditor’s rights and litigation in bankruptcy court.

Patrick is licensed to practice law in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, and has appeared in courts in each of these states to represent the interests of his clients.

An honors graduate of LSU law school, the recipient of a Master of Business Administration and a former manager at a non-profit in New York...

Patrick Roquemore is an associate attorney in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2005 and practices in the litigation, energy, legacy oil field site, and oil & gas groups. Prior to joining Kean Miller, Patrick was a judicial law clerk for the Twenty-third Judicial District Court for the Parishes of Ascension, Assumption, and St. James. He also served as an attorney for the Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit (Criminal Division). Patrick has extensive experience in all aspects of legal research, including the drafting of opinions, jury instructions, and participating in and assisting in...

Paul "Woody" Scott is passionate in his representation of clients. Mr. Scott founded The Scott Law Firm and practices in immigration law, deportation and removal defense, criminal defense, and Federal Criminal and Immigration Litigation. Mr. Scott was born in a small hospital in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. At two years old he and his mother moved to the New Orleans, Louisiana, area where he was raised. After he graduated from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, he moved to Baton Rouge where he attended Louisiana State University to obtain his bachelor degree. He went on to receive his Juris...

Seth Moyers is a shareholder with Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He joined the firm in 2009 and practices primarily in the areas of collections, bankruptcies, and other commercial litigation. Seth has represented both commercial and individual creditors throughout the collections process, including settlements and judicial collection proceedings in both Louisiana State Courts and United States Bankruptcy Courts.

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....

After practicing for several years at one of the most respected and top rated defense firms in Louisiana, Collin and three other experienced lawyers formed Mansfield Melancon with the goal of providing his clients the personal attention that they deserve and expect from their attorney.

Collin has experience advocating for clients in both Louisiana federal and state courts. He has handled cases ranging from complex business disputes to individual disagreements. Collin is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts, in the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, and the United States...

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...

Eric Lockridge enjoys helping clients solve problems that arise in their businesses. His practice includes business litigation, bankruptcy and business reorganization, commercial collections, and assisting clients with business transactions. He has tried commercial and tort cases to verdict in Louisiana and Texas, and has successfully defended judgments on appeal. Eric currently focuses on lender work-out agreements, bankruptcy-related litigation, negotiation and dispute resolution, and complex commercial cases for Kean Miller’s construction, energy, and financial sector clients. Eric also works with Kean Miller’s intellectual property team to litigate patent, trademark, and copyright claims.

Eric advises corporate clients, lenders, and distressed-asset investors in asset...

Adam Lewis was born in Clear Lake, Texas. Due to his father’s employment in the oil and gas industry, Adam moved to various places such as Louisiana, Nigeria, Scotland, and England. After graduating high school in England, Adam returned to his roots to attend Texas Tech University. While there, Adam pursued History and Political Science before receiving his diploma in 2008. After graduation, he went to Houston, Texas, where he worked in numerous legal industries such as pharmaceutical litigation and litigation support and technology.

Adam’s career choices led him to Park City, UT, where he worked in the legal department of...

Yuxian Wang practices in toxic tort litigation, oil and gas litigation, asbestos litigation and hearing loss litigation. Yuxian has extensive experience in defending the petrochemical and manufacturing industries in lawsuits claiming chemical exposure. She has particular expertise in litigation involving the vinyl chloride industry including litigation related to allegations of cancer and other injuries arising from vinyl chloride exposure, as well as litigation related to alleged exposure to ethylene dichloride. She represents industrial clients in defending asbestos and hearing loss claims. She also works with oil exploration and refining companies in lawsuits by landowners claiming property damages related to oil...

Trippe Hawthorne is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2004 and practices in the construction, ADR and business litigation groups. Trippe has experience in all phases of the construction industry and in a wide variety of commercial litigation, and general litigation matters, including design and construction contracting and dispute resolution across all sectors, including industrial, commercial, public, and residential; public bidding and procurement challenges; and public and private works lien laws. Trippe has experience with administrative law and occupational licensing law, having served as General Counsel for the Louisiana State Licensing...

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,...

Troy Villa practices extensively in the areas of business transactions, corporate advisory, banking and finance. He also represents both lenders and borrowers in leveraged financing transactions, mezzanine financing, private equity funding, venture capital and other high-yield credit facilities. He also represents clients in a wide variety of business transactions, including the structuring, negotiation and drafting of contracts and agreements related to the purchase and sale of businesses, mergers, corporate reorganizations, limited liability company and other entity formations and restructuring and other general corporate matters.

Hayden A. Moore is an associate at Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens, LLC. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, she is a proud graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy where she lettered in volleyball. She attended Louisiana State University and obtained two degrees in Political Science and Sociology with a concentration on Criminology. While at LSU she served as the President of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International.

She attended law school at Southern University Law Center where she graduated cum laude in 2013. While at Southern she served as Vice Justice of Phi Alpha Delta and was a student attorney in the...

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

James A. Spokes is Partner at The Scott Law Firm, LLC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His primary practice is in the area of criminal defense in both state and federal courts throughout the State of Louisiana, with a specialization in representing non-citizen defendants facing potential immigration consequences.

Additionally, he serves on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel in the Middle District of Louisiana and he also practices in the areas of personal injury and immigration.

Reid is an experienced Litigation Attorney at Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He is dedicated to representing individuals and businesses in a variety of legal disputes. His practice areas include Commercial, Property, Insurance, and Construction Law matters. Reid brings extensive experience, knowledge and skill to advocate for your legal needs.

In 2009, Reid received his B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 2012. Reid practices in both Federal and Louisiana State Courts. His jurisdictions include the State of Louisiana, United States Court of Appeals for...

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...

Reneé Chabert Crasto is an associate at Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens, LLC., where she works with Darrel J. Papillion as co-trial counsel on highly complex and specialized legal matters. Her practice focuses on very large and complex complicated wrongful death and catastrophic burn and other personal injury cases. Reneé has extensive experience in all areas of personal injury and wrongful death litigation including products liability, catastrophic 18 wheeler and other highway and interstate death and serious injury cases, as well as petrochemical and other industrial cases involving fires, explosions, electrocutions, burns, asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. She practices...

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...

Attorney Noah Wexler is a highly experienced trial lawyer who has handled tens of thousands of cases in the past decade. Due to his commitment to his clients, keen skills in preparing for trials, attention to detail, and his ability to identify strategies that force insurers and negligent companies to pay maximum compensation, Noah has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars. While he is highly skilled in various areas of personal injury law, he focuses the majority of his work handling catastrophic truck accident cases, pharmaceutical cases, complex product liability cases, wrongful death cases, and catastrophic offshore injury cases throughout...