Top Maritime Lawyers Near Me in New Orleans Area

Turk Clay practices in the area of marine and energy litigation. His practice includes the defense of vessel owners and operators from claims arising from personal injury, vessel collisions, cargo damage, and contract disputes. He has experience conducting shipboard investigations for vessel collisions, personal injury, and cargo damage. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, he was a law clerk for the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Timothy J. Young, founder of The Young Firm, has dedicated over 30 years to representing injured maritime workers. Specializing in maritime and Jones Act cases, Timothy has built a reputation for delivering exceptional legal representation to offshore workers, including rig and vessel employees, across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. His extensive experience includes numerous jury trials and appellate arguments in both state and federal courts. Timothy is deeply committed to securing fair compensation and justice for clients whose livelihoods have been disrupted by serious injuries.A graduate of Tulane Law School with honors, Timothy is licensed to practice in Louisiana and Texas. He is a recognized leader in maritime law, frequently speaking at industry conferences and appearing on television to educate workers about their rights. Timothy has also authored several books on maritime law and is an active member of professional organizations, including the Louisiana Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice. Outside of his practice, Timothy enjoys life in New Orleans with his wife, two children, and their dog, Jackson. His dedication to his clients and passion for justice define his career and his approach to the law.

Throughout my legal career, I have had the good fortune of representing an array of clients, from Fortune 500 companies, to my next-door neighbor. Thanks to the trust and confidence of these clients, I’ve been able to gain invaluable legal experience, from personal injury litigation to business litigation… and everything in between, including the unique, and often misunderstood, area of maritime law. What started with my first pair of steel-toed boots and a vessel inspection has, over time, developed into a specialized focus on maritime-based claims, including those arising under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Defense Base Act.. And while I have gained significant experience handling maritime-related claims, I also have extensive experience handling a variety of claims, including personal injury, construction, business, property and casualty loss, and employment related matters (including workers’ compensation). Above and beyond my technical knowledge and skill set though, I have learned the most valuable lesson of all- that the personal component of practicing law is often the most rewarding.. I am a New Orleans native who has lived and worked in the Gulf South region my entire life. After graduating from Louisiana State University, I was drawn back to New Orleans to pursue my legal degree at Loyola University School of Law, where I excelled in the nationally recognized Moot Court Program and graduated with multiple designations. I am a member of several organizations that I feel are important to the betterment of New Orleans and our community. I’m on the board of the Association of Woman Attorneys, an active member of St. Thomas Moore Inn of Courts- a legal honor society- the Louisiana Association for Justice, and the Workers Injury Law and Advocacy Group. I also volunteer with the Covenant House and Eden House and serve as an adjunct professor with the Loyola Trial Advocacy Program. I’ve graciously accepted peer recognition as a Super Lawyer Rising Star since 2017, and as a New Orleans City Business as One to Watch.. While I am proud of these accolades, it’s the trust and recognition of my clients, friends, and family that means the most to me. I credit my husband, Sean, and two sons, Ryan and Bodin for continuing to motivate me to do my best, both professionally and personally.

Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. concentrates his practice on varied areas of casualty litigation.  Following law school at Tulane, Mr. Colletta served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Gene Thibodeaux of the Third Circuit Court of Appeal.  Upon completion of his clerkship, Mr. Colletta entered private practice specializing in general casualty litigation as well as commercial litigation.

Stephenson, Chavarri & Lambert is full service law firm, dedicated to providing our clients with efficient solutions, cost-conscious time management and individualized, focused attention.  Contact us at.

Stephen Hébert’s career reflects his lifelong dedication to discipline and advocacy. A former amateur boxer, Stephen competed in the lightweight, light-welterweight, and welterweight divisions from 1993 to 1999 before pursuing law. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University-New Orleans, graduating with honors, and was admitted to the Louisiana bar in 2002. His legal career began as a law clerk for the Honorable Marc T. Amy at the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, followed by a role as an Assistant District Attorney in Orleans Parish, where he gained invaluable trial experience and worked on policy reforms.. Stephen expanded his expertise in civil litigation at King, LeBlanc & Bland, P.L.L.C., handling complex commercial and maritime disputes. Since establishing his private practice in 2010, he has built a reputation as a skilled criminal defense and personal injury attorney, earning accolades such as AV-Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and recognition in Super Lawyers Magazine and New Orleans Magazine.. In addition to his legal practice, Stephen is an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University-New Orleans and an active martial artist. He earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2024 and continues to compete in grappling tournaments while giving back to the boxing community through sponsorships.

Rachael Ferrante practices in the area of admiralty.

Practiced in the field of maritime and energy law for 47 years.  Formerly, managing partner of Liskow&Lewis for 8 years.  Fellow in American College of Trial Lawyers since 1994.  Rated one of top ten lawyers in Louisiana in 2007.  Has handled many national and international litigation matters.  Named Distinguished Maritime Lawyer by NOBA in 2008.  Twice received the LSBA President's Award.  Member of several non profit boards.  Has arbitrated commertial and admiralty cases over last 20 years.

Not all lawyers enjoy practice.. To stand in a courtroom and argue to a judge or a jury makes many nervous.. Kara Samuels is unique in that regard. She loves to practice and knows that each of her clients has a unique story to tell.. Though originally from St. Louis, she fell in love with New Orleans when attending Loyola University. Majoring in Drama and Speech, she learned the art of storytelling and effective communication . This is probably best evidenced by the firm’s track record before the courts of appeal. In fact, Kara was recently given an award by the Louisiana Association for Justice for having won 4 cases before the Louisiana Supreme Court in one year.. She earned her law degree from Loyola University, graduating as a William L. Crowe, Sr. Scholar and as a Law Review student. Her passion for helping individual people seek  justice led her to pursue personal injury law as a trial lawyer.. The complexity of the cases that the firm handles involving medical, injury, and products liability is a challenge that Kara  finds rewarding. It has driven her to build her  own firm and establish a strong professional reputation , while maintaining the balance required of a working mother.. Kara believes that an important ruling is lost before the trial court, it must be appealed.  Appellate work is laborious and takes a tremendous amount of skill.  The firm’s strong track record before both the trial courts and the courts of appeal has resulted in referrals from members of the bench and bar.. As a member of the New Orleans Bar Association, the Jefferson Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and the Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), Kara has  a fierce devotion to her cases and a diligent work ethic that leaves no stone unturned.

Neil F. Nazareth is a litigation attorney and has made a career of helping victims of major industrial disasters and environmental exposures receive compensation for injuries and death.  Neil’s practice is focused on asbestos, environmental, products liability, toxic tort and complex maritime cases.  Along with his firm, Neil represented the first death case from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and represents several governmental and private landowners for their economic loss and environmental damages as a result of the oil spill and other contaminations.  In addition, Neil has represented many victims and their families for injuries and death from catastrophic incidents and for illnesses caused by asbestos exposure.  Neil was recognized by his peers for all of his good work when he was awarded the 2013 Louisiana Super Lawyers Rising Star recognition given to less than 2.5% of lawyers in Louisiana.  He was also awarded the Super Lawyers recognition in 2014,2015 and 2016.  Neil was recognized in St. Charles Avenue Magazine and Louisiana Life Magazine for this distinction.  Neil has been asked to give several presentations to lawyers and communities on topics including the Oil Pollution Act and Class Action Litigation, and most recently, he taught a CLE (continuing legal education) course to lawyers on Maintenance and Cure and Punitive Damages.  Neil will also be presenting at the 2017 AAJ annual conference in Boston.. Neil graduated from Louisiana State University where he was on the Dean’s List and Loyola University of New Orleans’ School of Law where he was on the Moot Court Board and was a Law Excellence Award recipient in several courses.. In addition to his active law practice, Neil is the President of the Academy of New Orleans Trial Lawyers, he serves on the Executive Board of the Admiralty Section of the AAJ where he is the Articles Editor ation and he is a mentor with the Executive Mentor Program of Loyola University of New Orleans.

Nathan focuses on several practice areas including marine finance and vessel documentation, asset-based finance, and bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights. Nathan was born in Greeneville, Tennessee. In 1978, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.. Nathan completed his legal education at Tulane University where he received a Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 1983, and a Master of Laws in Admiralty, with distinction, in 1984. Nathan has been admitted to practice in Louisiana and Tennessee since 1984, and is a member of the Bar of the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nathan is a member of the Louisiana State, Tennessee State, New Orleans, and American Bar Associations, and a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.

Mike Butterworth practices in the areas of admiralty and tort litigation and alternative dispute resolution, which includes collision, repair yard, machinery, cargo, pollution and longshoreman personal injury litigation at the trial and appellate level as well as mediation where appropriate. He is a registered civil mediator with the Louisiana State Bar Association. In addition to litigation, Mr. Butterworth teaches in the maritime law program at Tulane University Law School. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, Mr. Butterworth was with the Terriberry, Carroll, & Yancey, L.L.P. law firm in New Orleans which merged with Phelps Dunbar LLP in 2006. Before law school, he worked for Sea-Land, Crowley Maritime, Dutra Construction and various other maritime companies as a vessel officer and captain, both blue water and brown water.

Meredith Blanque practices in the area of admiralty and maritime litigation. Her practice consists of defending vessel owners and operators, as well as offshore companies, from claims arising from collisions, property damage, personal injury, maritime pollution, environmental issues, cargo matters and contract disputes. She has experience conducting shipboard investigations and in the arrest and seizure of vessels in the federal courts, both from the standpoint of arresting vessels and from the standpoint of obtaining the release of arrested vessels.. Ms. Blanque has represented clients in state and federal courts in all aspects of litigation and through a broad range of regulatory proceedings. She has experience handling cases through trial, appeal, mediation and court sponsored settlement conferences.

Marty McLeod practices in the area of marine, energy, and insurance law. He represents U.S. and foreign vessel owners as well as offshore companies and liability, pollution, hull, protection and indemnity insurance clients in a variety of marine and energy matters, including property, loss of use, pollution, and commercial disputes. In addition, he regularly counsels clients in negotiating and drafting contractual agreements involving marine and energy contracts, charters, and operating agreements. Mr. McLeod serves as the practice coordinator of Phelps Dunbar's New Orleans admiralty group. Prior to entering the practice of law, he worked for an international shipowning company.

Kevin LaVie practices in the area of admiralty and tort. He has a very broad-based practice involving nearly all aspects of maritime law including personal injury and death claims; cargo damage claims; dock damage and collision claims; Limitation of Liability matters; charter party and related commercial disputes (including ship arrests and Rule B attachments); insurance coverage disputes; oilfield indemnity actions; pollution matters; and various Coast Guard and immigration matters. His practice covers both the offshore energy or “brownwater” industry and traditional “bluewater” shipping.. Litigation is a major focus of Mr. LaVie’s practice, and he has tried personal injury and death cases (including Jones Act and 905(b) cases) in all federal courts in Louisiana, many state courts, and in federal courts in other states on a pro hac vice basis. He has also tried a number of cargo damage claims. A sub–specialty of his litigation practice involves maritime products liability claims, including machinery and equipment failures. Due to the number of cases he has tried, Mr. LaVie has handled numerous appeals, including over two dozen appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, Mr. LaVie was with the Terriberry, Carroll, & Yancey, L.L.P. law firm in New Orleans.

Kent Morrison practices in the areas of maritime law, general litigation, and insurance coverage, handling cases involving tort, cargo disputes, collisions, maritime personal injury, property damage, indemnity and insurance coverage disputes. He represents maritime employers, vessel owners, longshore employers, energy companies, dock and terminal owners and their underwriters in commercial disputes, personal injury defense litigation, collisions, allisions, wavewash/surge damage, groundings, salvage and cargo matters. He also provides representation with respect to coverage issues involving a broad range of energy, marine, general liability, excess and umbrella insurance policies, including representation of underwriters' interest in litigation arising out of coverage disputes. Mr. Morrison has represented his clients both locally and nationally in state and federal courts in all aspects of litigation. He has considerable trial experience and has handled innumerable cases through private mediation and court sponsored settlement conferences. Mr. Morrison enjoys AV recognition on Martindale-Hubbell, as rated by his peers.

Justin Warner practices in the area of admiralty.. During law school, Mr. Warner served as an intern for the Hon. Sylvia Steib-Dunn of the Department of Labor, Workers Compensation Division, District 7.

John Bolles practices in the areas of admiralty and tort litigation.  His trial experience includes various aspects of maritime law, including occupational disease, personal injury defense and mass torts. He represents the International Group of P&I Clubs’ Industrial Disease Subcommittee and has acted on behalf of the Group in Louisiana legislation matters.. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, John was with the Terriberry, Carroll, & Yancey, L.L.P. law firm in New Orleans.

James handles all types of personal injury matters, including car accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, chemical exposures, homeowner claims, and more, while serving over one hundred clients across the state of Louisiana.. James practices exclusively in personal injury and property damage litigation. He is licensed to practice in all state courts in Louisiana, as well as all Louisiana federal courts including the Eastern District, Western District, Middle District, and 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is an active member of both the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Louisiana Association for Justice.. James graduated with honors from Tulane University Law School where he excelled in insurance law and litigation based courses, earning the top grade in his class in Civil Litigation Skills and Strategy.

Jacki Smith is an associate concentrating on Maritime Injury/LHWCA matters. Ms. Smith’s experience includes motion practice, depositions, and bench and jury trial preparations.. Ms. Smith joined The Lambert Firm (now Lambert Zainey Smith & Soso) in 2013 after receiving her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a concentration in Management and Finance from Louisiana State University in 2008.. She is admitted to practice in all Louisiana State Courts and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Ms. Smith is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Justice, American Association for Justice, and the Association for Women Attorneys. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Recruitment Committee for the Louisiana Association for Justice Women’s Caucus.

In house counsel for a growing and innovative healthcare finance company.

In his more than 20 years practicing law, Mike has recovered awards of more than $300 million in settlements and in excess of $1 billion in jury verdicts for his clients.

I practice in Deutsch Kerrigan’s Maritime department resolving marine and energy disputes for my clients.

I learned early on that as a lawyer, I could change people’s lives for the better.A few years ago, I had a client who worked for one company as a tankerman for 20 years. He was ordered into a crawlhole during a storm to check the radar, and as he was getting out, the boat hit a swell. He was thrown backwards and ended up with a spine injury.. He went from being the main provider for his family to borrowing money to get a Coke and sleeping on people’s sofas.. The day of the trial, the company offered us $100,000.. The jury came back with the verdict of $1.6 million in favor of my client. He hugged me and started crying. His family cheered.. I looked over at the defense lawyer and had an epiphany: His clients never hug him. Win or lose, they would have just argued about his bill.. That’s why I never doubt that I’m on the right side of justice.. When I take on a client, I dive head-first into their world.I want to know what it was like to be there during their injury… What it felt like, what it sounded like, what it smelled like. I want to know what was happening through their eyes.. I deep dive into what their life was like before their injury, and what it’s been like since.. As their attorney and advocate, it’s my job to absorb their story and be in touch with my client emotionally—not only so that they know I’m truly on their side, but also to effectively present this story to a jury of their peers.. Telling that story together... that’s how we win.. Maritime is a very distinct area of law, unlike any other.And not every lawyer understands the ins and outs of these types of cases.I do.

I have years of experience representing companies and insurers in personal injury and commercial trucking litigation. Also, I defend insurance professionals, architects, engineers and other design professionals.