Top best C Lawyers in ZIP 70809 | 214 available

William Robert (“Robby”) Gill, a 1990 graduate of the Southern University Law Center and a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Eastern and Middle District Circuit Courts of Louisiana and the United States Army Court of Military Review.  Gill has also been granted pro hac vice status to handle cases in Mississippi, Texas and California.. Gill served on active duty as a lawyer in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG), achieving the rank of Captain.  He was a prosecutor at Fort Ord, California and a trial defense counsel at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals. His court martial trials included cases of attempted murder, drugs, rape, sexual assault, child molestation, conduct unbecoming, and assorted felonies.. As a military defense counsel, Gill eagerly took on many supposedly unwinnable cases.  Two of his most notable cases were United States v. Pettway and United States v. George, both very difficult rape cases.. After his honorable discharge, Gill practiced with Reagan, Manasseh & Boshea, one of the largest criminal defense firms in Louisiana with offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Oakland, California.  He was selected to attend Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  He then opened his own firm in Baton Rouge with James P. Manasseh, where he continues to practice criminal defense and personal injury law.. Gill enjoys putting his energy, experience, and skills to work in both civilian and military settings.  Among his more memorable trial cases are California v. Gipson (murder), State v. Kolb (sexual abuse), State v. McNeal (attempted murder), State v. Mire (felon in possession of illegal firearm), State v. Tyler (murder), and, most recently, State v. Hooks (murder).

Whether you are accused of a crime or if you've been the victim of an injury or abuse, I can help.   For over twenty years I have done so in a caring and effective manner.  Your best interest is my only goal.   My experience has brought me to all regions of Louisiana, but I primarily spend my time in the greater Baton Rouge area, including West Baton Rouge, Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish and the Felicianas.

Tanner C. Woods relocated to the Baton Rouge area to join Manasseh, Gill, Knipe & Belanger, PLC in 2018. Raised on a cotton farm in a small town outside of Shreveport, Tanner learned the value of hard work early in life. Tanner attended Tulane University where he obtained his undergraduate degree on full scholarship. From there, Tanner made the decision to pursue a career in law. He received a scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Following his admission to the practice of law, Tanner joined the firm Flowers & Long, LLP in Shreveport, LA where he developed a respectable criminal defense and family law practice. After the untimely passing of Tanner's mentor Peter R. Flowers, Tanner seized the opportunity to join the Manasseh & Gill team and move his practice to the Baton Rouge area.. Tanner has also worked as an intern for the Louisiana House of Representatives, an intern investigator for the Orleans Public Defenders' Office, a law clerk for Smith & Stag, LLC, and a law clerk for the Pro Bono Project New Orleans. Tanner is an Eagle Scout and enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.. Tanner is a passionate advocate for individuals facing a wide plethora of problems. Whether it is a college student praying to graduate after a DWI, or a person facing jail time for a serious felony, Tanner devotes himself to providing a zealous defense by giving each case the individualized attention it deserves. Whether it is a custody dispute or dividing community property, Tanner truly cares about his clients and their concerns. Tanner will fight endlessly to ensure his clients interests' are protected.

Scott Brady is a partner with Bohrer Brady, LLC, a law firm located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  His practice is dedicated primarily to wage hourly litigation, class actions, pharmaceutical litigation, auto accidents and 18-wheeler accident.  He has also litigated several claims for denial of insurance benefits resulting in tens of millions of dollars recovered by policyholders.

Robert W. Hoke is the founder and owner of Hoke Law Firm. Originally from Orange, TX, Robert received his Bachelors Degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX.. After college, Robert moved to Houston and worked managing a restaurant in the Greater Houston Area for 4 years. Realizing that he wanted more from his career, Robert moved to Baton Rouge where he attended Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, receiving his Juris Doctor in 2014. While at LSU, Robert was active in many of the school’s advocacy programs. Robert was a member of the LSU Law Moot Court Board and Trial Advocacy Board. Also during his time at LSU Law, Robert was a student attorney with the Juvenile Defense Clinic, providing youth charged with criminal offenses representation in juvenile court delinquency proceedings.Robert is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts as well as the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana.. During his free time, Robert enjoys spending time with his wife and their two children. Robert is also an avid fan and supporter of LSU.. Robert works mainly out of our Baton Rouge office, where he represents clients in the areas of  Chapter 7 bankruptcy; Chapter 13 bankruptcy; non-bankruptcy financial legal assistance matters.

Mr. Damico graduated from the Louisiana State University Law Center in 1979 with a Juris Doctorate. Thereafter, Mr. Damico embarked on a law career primarily in the area of criminal law.. Immediately after law school, Mr. Damico was appointed as an Assistant District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District located in East Baton Rouge Parish, the capital of Louisiana. During his five years as an Assistant District Attorney he steadily rose from a misdemeanor assistant to the position of Section Chief in a mere 28 months. As Section Chief, he was not only responsible for handling and trying the most serious and high profile cases in his section, he was also responsible for the training of attorneys and their support staff.. Further, as a result of his successes in the District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Damico was appointed to aid other prosecutorial jurisdictions during his tenure.. After five years, Mr. Damico was recruited and joined a three man law firm that quickly grew to an eight man firm of which Mr. Damico became the managing partner, as well as one of the chief litigators. In 1989, Mr. Damico opened his own law firm where he continued to apply his knowledge of criminal law and more specifically criminal defense law. Through his practice, Mr. Damico has represented thousands of individuals, companies and public officials. Mr. Damico’s success in the field of criminal defense law has earned him a strong reputation among other defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges as a hard working, aggressive and successful criminal defense attorney.. Mr. Damico’s philosophy is to provide complete representation in the criminal defense field by fully investigating and grasping the factual issues in every case and then by applying every available area of research and law to the proper legal defense for that case. Mr. Damico’s extensive trial experience has been aggressively utilized to obtain the best end result possible for the client, be it through actual pretrial and trial work or negotiations that lead to the client’s desired result.. Attorney Thomas C. Damico practices in many areas of Criminal Defense:. Violent CrimesSex CrimesDrug OffensesComputer Crimes (or Internet Crimes)Federal Criminal DefenseEnvironmental CrimesHomicide/MurderChild Pornography

Mr Simien is admitted to practice before the Louisiana Supreme Court and all inferior courts in the state ofLouisiana.. At the law offices of Simien & Simien, Mark's emphasis is in the areas of Class Action lawsuits, Mass Tort, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death and other major litigation.. With two decades of legal experience, Mr Simien is a valued member at our law firm.

Many people ask me "when did you decide to become a lawyer".  It goes back to when I was a teenager and my sister died because of the neglegence of doctors during "routine" wisdom teeth extraction.  My sister, Marcae, suffered a violent reaction to  general anesthesia and after several wrong decisions by her doctors, she passed at the age of 20.  My parents were thoughtful people and sought help and education so that my brother and myself would be protected from similar fates during our lives.  They received some wonderful help from many, and not so much from others.  There were lawyers involved who completely botched their duties as advocates and counselors.  After a poorly handled malpractice case was dismissed, my parents were confronted with having to fight the battle of legal malpractice.  My father was an extemely intelligent man who was a giant in his field of expertise, but he felt helpless in dealing with this most difficult life circumstance.  I knew from watching him deal with these events that I did not want to experience such roadblocks in my life and, in fact, I wanted to help people manuever through the minefields that confront them in life. My entire career in the practice of law has been to help people during the most difficult moments in their lives. I will continue to fight these fights.

Louisiana Injury Lawyer Scott Andrews handles serious personal injury and wrongful death cases caused by accidents, including car wrecks, motorcycle accidents, 18 wheeler accidents, medical malpractice and products liability.. Scott Andrews is licensed to practice law in Louisiana (since 1996) and Texas (since 2006), and is admitted to practice in all Federal Courts in Louisiana, and before the United States Supreme Court.  Scott is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Southern University Law Center, teaching Advanced Louisiana Torts, Insurance Law, and Products Liability.. Scott Andrews is a 2011 Baton Rouge Business Report Forty Under 40 honoree,  The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers and Top 40 Under 40 member, Chairman/Presdident of the Northwestern State University Foundation, and is a Past-President of the Wex Malone American Inn of Court.  Scott has also been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers-Personal Injury Plaintiff, Best Lawyers, and enjoys a prestigious AV peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.. Scott Andrews was born and raised in Jonesboro-Hodge, Louisiana.  After graduating with honors from Northwestern State University, where he served as Student Government Association President, Scott worked as a PPO Contract Negotiator for the State of Louisiana Group Benefits Program for one year prior to beginning law school at the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center.. Scott Andrews is a Member of the Louisiana Law Review and graduated in 1996 as a member of the Order of the Coif, Phi Kappa Phi, and the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame.. Scott Andrews began his association with the Due' firm as a law clerk during law school and continued with the firm after law school.  Scott handles all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases, but his practice focuses primarily on motorcycle accidents, automobile accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, medical malpractice and products liability.. Scott Andrews was a member of the Baton Rouge Rotary Club for several years and served on the Small Law Firm Advisory Board for Thomson West.  Scott currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Foundation, the executive committee (Past-President) of the Wex Malone American Inn of Court, and as a member of the House of Delegates of the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA).  Scott also serves as an elected member of LSBA's Legislation Committee.  Scott previously served on the Amicus Curie and Legislation Committees for the Louisiana Association for Justice (formerly the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association) and published numerous articles in its periodical, Louisiana Advocates.  Scott received the LAJ President's Award in 2015.

Louis J. Cosenza is a Family Law Specialist who is certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He is one of eleven family law specialists with offices in Baton Rouge and the only board-certified specialist with an office in Ascension Parish. In his 43 years as a lawyer, Mr. Cosenza has had experience as a skilled litigator in diverse areas including tort law, medical malpractice, lawyer disciplinary proceedings, criminal defense and prosecution. He has practiced in state and federal district and appellate courts and before military Courts Martial.. A native of New Orleans, Louis evacuated after Hurricane Katrina and decided to settle in Gonzales, Louisiana. He established a new practice devoted exclusively to family law cases with an emphasis on divorce and the division of marital property, including high net value divorces.. Louis is married with four children and five grandchildren. He is an avid baseball fan, whose favorite likes are good food, classical music and jazz, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Yankees. Someday he hopes to get back on the golf course where he spent many hours as a young attorney.

Jarrett Ambeau is a distinguished criminal defense attorney and founder of The Ambeau Law Firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. With over 14 years of experience and more than 50 felony jury trials to verdict, Jarrett has built a reputation for his unwavering commitment to justice and his clients’ rights. His practice focuses on serious criminal charges, including violent crimes, homicide, sexual assault, and forensic-intensive cases. As a court-qualified expert in Forensic DNA Interpretation, Jarrett holds a Master of Science in Forensic DNA and Serology from the University of Florida and has testified in high-profile cases across Louisiana. He also trains legal professionals on interpreting and challenging DNA evidence. A U.S. Army veteran, Jarrett served in the JAG Corps' Trial Defense Service, including a combat deployment to Iraq, where he defended soldiers in criminal matters. He earned his law degree from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where he excelled in moot court competitions, and completed his undergraduate philosophy degree while deployed. Widely recognized for integrating forensic science into defense strategies, Jarrett’s work has been featured in national programs and the Netflix documentary “I Just Killed My Dad."

J. Andrew Bevinetto is an experienced attorney who focuses his practice on defending citizen's when their civil liberties are threatened.. Mr. Bevinetto was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from St. Paul’s School in Covington, Louisiana in 2008. In 2012, Mr. Bevinetto earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. After completing his undergraduate education, Mr. Bevinetto attended the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor and a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law. While in law school, Mr. Bevinetto served on the Executive Board of the Student Bar Association.. Before being licensed to practice law, Mr. Bevinetto gained valuable experience as an intern at the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office. Here, he was able to observe the procedure of a criminal case in state court from its inception to its conclusion while shadowing many of Louisiana’s toughest prosecutors. Mr. Bevinetto assisted the District Attorey's office with screening cases, reviewing police reports, and analyzing evidence. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bevinetto spent time as an intern at the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Here, he assisted in representing citizens who were deemed indigent by the court and not able to afford counsel.. After being sworn in to the practice of law in Louisiana, Mr. Bevinetto immediately began practicing criminal defense at Regan Law P.L.C., a private law firm in New Orleans. He zealously defended numerous citizens who were accused of committing criminal acts in Orleans Parish. He has conducted numerous pre-trial evidentiary hearings including bond reductions, preliminary examinations, and suppression hearings. Mr. Bevinetto has defended citizen’s dealing with charges ranging from misdemeanor DUIs to felony 2nd degree murders.. Mr. Bevinetto is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts, the Unites States District Court for the Eastern and Middle districts of Louisiana, and is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He is also a member of the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

I've been in practice over 40 years, started as a solo practitioner in 1973 and have remained a solo practioner to this day.  Rated by Martindale-Hubbell as a BV, Distinguished Attorney. Admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, 5th and 11th Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal and all Federal District Courts in La. I coudn't have been as successful as I have been without many satisfied clients.  Unfortunately, in the area of child custody, on occasion, we will get some people who are unhappy.

I have devoted my career to defending those accused of crime and to obtaining recovery for those injured due to the fault others.. As a criminal trial lawyer I have successfully litigated cases as small as municipal court misdemeanors through the most consequential involving large quantities of narcotics, federal gun offenses or homicide.. During my undergraduate years at LSU and through law school at Southern University Law Center, I worked for personal injury firms that specialized in representing victims that suffered significant personal injuries.  I took that experience with me when I joined our firm in 2004 and becoming a partner in 2006.. I am a lifetime member of Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.  I am one of a very few attorneys in the State of Louisiana that have been asked to be a member of the National College of DUI Defense.  I am also an active member of the Baton Rouge Bar of Criminal Justice.. I have been a guest speaker at seminars hosted by the Louisiana Public Defender Board, The Baton Rouge Association of Woman Attorneys and the Baton Rouge Bar Association, Family Law Section.. Through my criminal defense practice, I developed specializations in the following:

I currently handle both personal injury and criminal defense cases.  If you have a need for your family, in any area of law, please call me!  As an experienced attorney, the greatest gifts I can provide your family are my legal knowledge and the confidence you will have knowing that I care about your family.  A lawyer's role is to provide help without judging, and in me, I hope you will find an open heart for you when the world seems to collapse on you to go with a keen mind which will enable us to find a solution for you in the darkest of moments.. I began my legal career in 2000 after graduating from Tulane Law School.  I worked at three different law firms and concentrated in diverse civil law arenas.  After beginning a family and blessed to have two beautiful daughters, Catherine and Caroline, I focused my life on raising them as a stay-at-home mom.  Now that the girls are beginning to grow up and are performing well at St. George Catholic School, I have been able to renew my legal career at Manasseh, Gill, Knipe & Belanger.

I began my career as an attorney by representing injured people. Over the years, I have gravitated toward helping people with planning for their futures. I believe that proper planning is one of the most loving gifts a person can give. Through the creation of personalized and powerful legal documents, I help my clients memorialize their wishes, providing them with peace of mind while they are living and giving a true gift to loved ones after an unexpected event such as disability, incapacity or death.

I am here to listen to you and your family.  When the criminal justice system has your family under siege, I want to be there for you!  Our firm has the experience and the fire power to handle the most serious of cases. As a part of your team, I will provide your family with an open line of communication, a vigorous legal defense and a strategic plan to successfully navigate the case.

I am a solo practicioner in Baton Rouge, LA. I have practiced primarily in family and criminal law, although I have a general practice. I have a slogan for my law office that I follow in life, which is to "go the distance so that justice may be served." When I am not practiing law, I enjoy bowling, movies, music and anything else that won't keep me bored.

Hi.  I am Yazan Rantisi. My friends and family call me Yaz. I am a graduate of LSU and the Southern University Law Center. I founded The Louisiana Family Law Firm, a divorce and family law firm serving the greater Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas. In my free time I volunteer with Capital Area CASA, while also spending time with my friends, family, and two dogs.. My goal is to be avaiable for each of my clients and to be the attorney who is dedicated to their cause, expereienced with their legal issues, and can move their lives forward. I understand what you are going through and I can help.

Call Beau at our law firm of Brock & Palmintier Law. 33 years of experience including as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.. My major fields of practice are criminal defense, DWI, sex crimes, domestic violence, family law, protective orders, environmental criminal defense, environmental civil compliance, and car accidents.. I'm here to defend you from the moment the police begin their investigation all the way through trial, when necessary. If you need a lifeline in a moment of crisis, I am there for you and your family. As a former prosecutor, I know how the Government will attack you, and I know how to fight back!. Beau has practiced law for 33 years in Louisiana.. Previously, he worked at the private law firm of Manasseh, Gill, Knipe & Belanger from 2011 - 2019. Before entering private practice, he was employed at LDEQ as a member of the Secretary’s Executive Staff from 2008-2011. From March 1999 – February 2008, he worked as Regional Criminal Enforcement Council for the Environmental Protection Agency and provided in-house legal oversight to all Federal criminal investigations conducted in Louisiana by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division. Prior to joining EPA, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for East Baton Rouge Parish from October 1991 – March 1999, and was lead counsel on over 50 successful jury trials.. In 1988, he graduated from Louisiana State University and from the L.S.U. Law Center in 1991. He is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, Baton Rouge Bar Association and is an Associate member of the Baton Rouge Association of Women Attorneys. Beau is a frequent lecturer on professionalism, criminal law and environmental law and policy issues. Beau believes strongly in committing to our community and has served as a volunteer at his church, several schools, the YMCA as a basketball, volleyball, soccer and tennis coach, and as a charity fund-raiser.. In addition to recently publishing a book on coaching middle school & youth basketball, Run to Win: The Mongoose System: Coaching Middle School & Youth Basketball, (available online directly from amazon.com), some of the law review articles and materials he has published include the following:. • Andre Belanger, Beau James Brock, The Practice of Criminal Defense, Principles of Why We Fight, 257 Around the Bar 10 (September 2011). • Getting to Know Some of Baton Rouge’s Young Criminal Lawyers, 257 Around the Bar 20 (September 2011). • Don’t Tread on Me! Greenhouse Gases Must Never Choke American Freedom, 3 Regent J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 139 (Spring 2011). • Leviathan Menacing the Gulf Coast: Catastrophic Consequences May Imperil the Rule of Law, 18 Buff. Envt'l. L.J. 131 (Fall 2010). • Modern American Supreme Court Judicial Methodology and Its Origins: A Critical Analysis of the Legal Thought of Roscoe Pound, 35 J. Legal Prof. 187 (Spring 2011). • Beau James Brock, Peggy Hatch & Vladimir Alexander Appeaning. Ph.D., Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Communities: Louisiana Wastewater Infrastructure Recovery, 18 U. Balt. J. Envtl. L. 1 (Fall 2010). • Hanousek v. United States: Social Engineering Encroaching on Individual Liberty, 245 Around the Bar 18 (May 2010). • H. Leggett, B. Brock, The Moral Limits of Jurisdiction, 27 Environmental Forum 32 (May/June 2010). • Iconography and the Polite Art of Saying Nice Doggie, The Bencher (July/August 2009, p. 10). • A Profile of the District Attorney’s Office, East Baton Rouge, LA, 36 The Prosecutor 42 (March/April 2002). • Interview With A Prosecutor: Capitol Punishment Issues in the Capital City, 165 Around the Bar 12 (March 2002). • The Current State of Environmental Criminal Enforcement in Louisiana, An Insider’s View, 162 Around the Bar 14 (Dec. 2001). • Professionalism Lost: Where have you gone Atticus Finch? Our Nation turns its lonely eyes to you..., 156 Around the Bar 10 (April 2001). • Comment, Mr. Justice Antonin Scalia: A Renaissance of Positivism and Predictability in Constitutional Adjudication, 51 La. L. Rev. 623 (1991).

André Bélanger, a graduate of Loyola University, is a highly-respected criminal defense attorney serving the people of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and surrounding areas of Ascension Parish and New Orleans, for one of Baton Rouge's top-25 law firms.. In his 15 years of practicing law, Mr. Bélanger has handled thousands of criminal cases at both the pre-trial and trial stage, including approximately 200 trials. This trial experience includes homicide defense and prosecution, large drug conspiracies and fraud cases making Belanger one of the few attorneys capable of handling even the largest, most complex federal cases.. Having spent years devoted to developing a top tier regional law practice for federal court and state court litigation, Mr. Bélanger is admitted to practicing law in all federal courts in both Louisiana, Mississippi, the United States Supreme Court and the U. S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.. A strong commitment to the justice system, Mr. Bélanger has begun to forge his trial skills in the criminal courtroom in an effort to establish his own personal injury trial practice. This is a major boon for his clients, as few personal injury “trial attorneys” have appreciable jury trial experience. Mr. Bélanger is a member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel’s Top 1%, was also recently nominated to the National Trial Lawyers Association’s “Top 100 Lawyers” list for the third year in a row, as well as recognized as one of Louisiana’s Super Lawyers.. Outside of a law office, André  is happily married to his loving wife, Ashley, with whom he has two beautiful children, Luc and Mattheiu. He’s a firm believer that it’s because of their support that he has achieved so much success. When they aren’t spending quality time outdoors, they proudly offer their time to the St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Baton Rouge.

After graduating from Loyola Law School in New Orleans in 1990, Price McNamara served as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable John M. Shaw, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, from 1990 to 1991. Following his clerkship, he spent several years as an attorney at Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale in Metairie, Louisiana, where he defended automobile and truck insurers, as well as industrial offshore vessel owners and drilling contractors, in a wide range of personal injury and insurance disputes. During this time, he also earned an advanced master's degree in Environmental Law from Tulane Law School.. In 1995, Mr. McNamara transitioned to public service, serving as a felony trial division prosecutor for the State of Louisiana at the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office until 1997. That same year, he founded the ERISA Insurance Claim Attorneys and began using his extensive experience to help professionals, executives, hard-working wage earners, and their families in recovering denied Long Term Disability, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Life Insurance Benefits. This includes claims that fall under federal ERISA law, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), and Service Members’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI). With offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Houston, the firm offers free initial consultations and handles all cases on a contingency basis. The firm selectively takes on cases, limiting the number of active cases to ensure each client receives the full attention and resources they deserve. Clients only pay attorney fees if the firm successfully secures financial compensation through a settlement or trial judgment.