Plain Dealing Real Estate Lawyers

As a sole practitioner, our firm's founder, Carl Henry Franklin, dedicates his practice to working one-on-one with each client. Although there are thousands of lawyers and law firms throughout Louisiana, few can match the personalized attention, access to resources, wealth of local knowledge and decades of experience our firm offers.

Will Huguet is a partner in the Shreveport office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2014 and practices in the oil and gas and energy litigation groups. Will has more than fifteen years of experience assisting energy companies in the exploration and production of minerals, including sales and acquisitions, lease and contract rights, title, due diligence, regulatory compliance, dispute resolution, and litigation, and in representing landowners and companies in selling and purchasing property and managing their mineral and royalty interests.

Prior to law school, Will was a professional landman in Lafayette, Louisiana. After law school, he served as a...

Rich is a shareholder with Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He joined the firm in 2013 and advises businesses, families and individuals in the areas of Taxation, Corporate Law, Securities Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate Law, Estate Planning, Successions/Probate, Title Insurance and Nonprofit Law.

Allen P. Jones is a shareholder in Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. He practices in the areas of estate planning, tax law, succession and probate law, business and corporate law, and real estate. Allen represents individuals and families in all aspects of estate planning, including the preparation of wills, trusts, partnerships and limited liability companies. His work in the area of business and corporate law includes business succession planning, corporate reorganizations, and business sale transactions. He is Board Certified by the Louisiana State Bar in Estate Planning, and is licensed as a title insurance agent in the state...

Armand Roos is Of Counsel for the firm of Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. He has been in private practice for more than 40 years. Armand is certified as a specialist in estate planning and estate administration by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).

Bill has more than four decades of experience in the area of real estate law and represents lenders, title insurance underwriters and commercial and residential real estate developers.

Bill is an AV-rated lawyer and has been named as one of Louisiana's Super Lawyers.

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...

Don Wiener is of counsel for the firm of Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He has more than 25 years of experience in commercial transactions, including corporate, oil and gas law, real estate, commercial lending, title insurance and probate.

Geoffrey D. Westmoreland is a shareholder in the firm of Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. Mr. Westmoreland has over 20 years of experience in real estate transactions, real estate litigation and real estate development matters. Mr. Westmoreland also has extensive experience in complex zoning and land use matters, as well as extensive experience in commercial and business litigation matters.

Cliffe Laborde is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Texas, and has more than 24 years of experience in a wide variety of business and commercial real estate transactions, and estate planning and administration matters, including:

Asset and stock purchase transactions, and other agreements (employment, non-competition, etc.) arising in connection with business acquisitions and divestitures.
Formation of corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships, including the drafting of complex shareholder, operating and partnership agreements, and the purchase and sale of ownership interests in such entities.
Negotiation and documentation of purchase, sale, financing, development and leasing transactions related to all types of commercial real...

Russell Dickson is an associate with Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He practices in the areas of Business law, Oil & Gas Law, Real Estate Law, Probate and Succession Administration, and Commercial Litigation. At the firm, he has experience in litigation and transactional work representing landowners and business owners in Northwest Louisiana.

With extensive experience in real estate and business management, Christie Tournet & Associates is the consummate business, estate planning, and successions/probate firm. Christie views legal issues through a unique lens and becomes a trusted legal and business adviser.

Ciolino & Onstott provides high-quality, cost-effective outside general counsel services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in Louisiana and across the United States. We represent clients across various industries, including niche areas such as real estate, construction, entertainment, medical marijuana, and non-profit.

I am a CPA and attorney. I have been a CPA since 1994 and an Louisiana attorney since 2000. The Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization has designated me as a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist (since 2008), as well as a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist (also since 2008). My practice focuses strongly on the needs and issues particular to farmers, middle income clients and small business owners. These include issues such as estate tax reduction, medicaid long-term care planning, special needs planning, asset protection planning, and small business protection planning. Plans I regularly recommend and personally draft for...

Kyle Polozola is a partner in the Lafayette office of Kean Miller. He practices in the oil and gas, business and corporate, and real estate groups. Kyle has more than 21 years of experience handling complex oil and gas and commercial litigation disputes, environmental litigation, oil and gas transactional matters, including mineral title examination, due diligence, acquisition and sale of oil and gas properties, and energy regulatory matters. He represents lenders and business interests in commercial real estate matters, and assists clients with a variety of corporate and business transactional matters.

Following law school, Kyle clerked for the Hon. Catherine D....

I am a life-long Louisiana native admitted to practice in all Louisiana state and federal courts. For over 40 years I have handled trials and appeals on many different legal issues. Although my representation has involved many other matters, I have concentrated my current practice in the areas of bankruptcy cases (consumer and business, debtor and creditor); business law and litigation (forming, reorganizing, selling, and purchasing small businesses and handling business disputes); storm/hale damage insurance claims and litigation; successions, wills, and estate law; collections, foreclosures, and real estate litigation; and construction claims, arbitration, and litigation. Bar Admissions All Louisiana state courts U.S. District...

Mr. Sterbcow’s practice focuses on consumer financial services and real estate regulatory compliance and litigation including: Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Truth In Lending Act (TILA), Fair Housing Act, Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Dodd-Frank Act, Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act involving federal and state mortgage lending and consumer credit compliance issues, title insurance compliance, real estate brokerage programs and operational compliance, affiliated business arrangement compliance, financial services marketing and promotional programs, state and federal licensing compliance, multiple listing service compliance, Best Practices compliance, and consumer fair financing practices....

Mack Gregorie is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1984 and has extensive experience in all types of business and corporate transactions, including complex commercial and industrial real estate matters and finance. Mack represents major international petrochemical clients, worldwide energy producers, banks and financial institutions, buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants, and lenders. A Certified Public Accountant, Mack lectures frequently on real estate topics such as sales, leases, property law, purchase and sale agreements, and recent developments in real estate law. He is also a title agent for First American Title...

Trenton A. Grand, a native of Baton Rouge practices law in areas of consumer and commercial bankruptcy, debt reorganization, estate planning-wills and trusts, personal injury, and residential and commercial real estate transactions.

David Halpern is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2015 and practices in the business, real estate, and commercial litigation groups. David has over 30 years of legal and business experience, and assists clients with a variety of legal, corporate, and land use matters. His clients include national, regional, and local businesses, real estate developers, bars and restaurants, and New Orleans area businesses. His practice includes land use issues, zoning ordinances, mergers and acquisitions, and transactions. He also serves on governmental advisory boards and represents businesses and individuals before regulatory authorities.

David...

Jill Gautreaux is special counsel to the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2015 and practices in the real estate, business, and commercial litigation groups. Jill assists clients with corporate matters, real estate, liquor licensing, and business transactions in the hospitality, technology, retail, and professional services sectors. She handles corporate transactional matters including business formation, buy/sell agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and dissolution/liquidation. Jill also represents individuals and companies in contractual disputes and shareholder litigation in Federal and State courts.

She helps her clients in a wide variety of legal and transactional matters including leases, sales, mortgages,...

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...

Ms. Casteix is Managing Partner of Barrios Kingsdorf & Casteix LLP. Her practice primarily focuses on business and real estate transactions as well as estate planning and administration (successions). She is a native and lifelong resident of New Orleans. After receiving her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law, Ms. Casteix began her legal career as a law clerk for the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. In 1980 she became a partner in the firm of Cleveland, Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix where she remained a partner until 1995 when Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix was founded....

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...

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...

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...

Mark Doré is senior counsel in the Lafayette office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2018 and practices in the oil and gas, business and corporate and real estate groups. Mark’s practice focuses on representing upstream energy companies in Louisiana, including oil and gas transactional matters, mineral title examination, due diligence, acquisition and sale of oil and gas properties, regulatory compliance, and providing advice to attorneys and landmen at companies engaged in upstream activities.

While in law school, Mark launched his own oil and gas/real estate title company in Lafayette, Louisiana, and continued working full time as an independent...

Mr. Nance has a general practice with special focus on all aspects of the Internet, entertainment, media, business and construction law, state and federal civil litigation. He has over 21 years of experience practicing law in Europe, South America and the US, including experience in litigation and administrative hearings as well as first-chair jury trial experience.

Mr. Nance speaks fluent English, German, Spanish and conversational Polish and French, having earned a bachelor's degree in German and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990 and a J.D. in civil and common law from Loyola University School of Law, New...

Randy Opotowsky is a highly experienced real estate attorney and commercial litigator, who is held in high regard by his colleagues in New Orleans. He has more than 44 years of experience in residential and commercial real estate law, and business and corporate law, including 25 years as a litigator. His practice areas include residential and commercial closings, condominium creation and conversion, multi-family and subdivision development, and representation of condominium homeowner associations. Randy has developed a reputation for providing high quality legal counsel to condominium owners, developers and associations in condominium conversions of existing buildings, condominium collections, ground-up condominium development,...

Lillian E. Eyrich is a highly experienced title insurance attorney who has a reputation for solving title insurance problems, so that a transaction can go through and not get stopped. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the best in the industry. She was honored by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as the “New Orleans Best Lawyers Real Estate Law Lawyer of the Year” in both 2022 and 2012. Lillie provides title insurance for closings handled through Steeg Law's in-house title insurance agency, Orleans Title, for numerous commercial and residential transactions, including hotels, office buildings,...

David A. Martinez is a highly experienced commercial and residential real estate and title insurance attorney. David's practice areas include title examinations, title insurance law and secured transactions. He is highly respected for his legal acumen and approach to resolving a client’s issue in a practical way, qualities that have attributed to him being recognized by his peers as one of the top real estate attorneys in New Orleans through his inclusion in Best Lawyers in America. David coordinates title insurance for numerous commercial and residential transactions, including hotels, office buildings, shopping centers, convenience store chains, and multi-state sales and loan...