News

Liskow is proud to announce that Jana Grauberger has been elected President of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (FNREL). Jana began her term at the conclusion of the Foundation’s Annual Institute and will serve through the 73rd Annual Institute next July in Monterey, California. 

Jana’s election as President follows a year of service as FNREL’s Vice President, where she worked alongside the Foundation’s executive leadership on governance, strategic planning, financial oversight, and educational initiatives. She has been actively involved with the Foundation for many years, previously serving as Program Chair for the 69th Annual Institute, co-chairing the Foundation’s Short Course on Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing and Development, and serving on its Board of Directors.

As President, Jana will lead the Board of Directors in advancing the Foundation’s strategic priorities, preside over board and membership meetings, oversee committee appointments, and work closely with Foundation leadership to support the organization’s continued growth and impact. FNREL is recognized internationally for its educational programs and resources for legal professionals, industry leaders, and policymakers navigating complex natural resources and energy issues.

As an energy lawyer with more than 25 years of experience, Jana negotiates contracts, provides day-to-day regulatory advice and assistance, and handles administrative appeals, litigation, and arbitration matters concerning oil and gas and other energy matters. Her experience includes drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, participation agreements, joint operating agreements, production handling agreements, gathering agreements, transportation agreements and other upstream and midstream contracts. She also helps clients navigate the complex legal and regulatory framework applicable to federal offshore leasing, development, and operations. Jana’s litigation and arbitration experience is wide-ranging and includes contract disputes, royalty litigation, offshore construction and installation claims, indemnity litigation, and decommissioning disputes. She also handles administrative appeals of orders issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Marine Minerals Administration (formerly Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement) and Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Jana is Co-Chair of Liskow’s Energy Litigation Section.

In addition to serving as President of FNREL, Jana is an Advisory Board Member for the Tulane Energy Law & Policy Center and has held numerous leadership positions within the Women’s Energy Network, including President of the WEN Global Board of Directors, the WEN Houston Chapter, and the WEN Foundation. She is also a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), a frequent speaker and author on offshore energy issues, and an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association–International Centre for Dispute Resolution’s Commercial Arbitration Panel.

Beyond Jana’s leadership, Liskow is proud to have several lawyers contributing to FNREL in meaningful roles. Jackie Hickman serves as Chair of FNREL’s Participation and Engagement Committee, and Zac Berryman was recently selected as one of only four attorneys for the Foundation’s inaugural Emerging Leaders Program.

Liskow is proud to announce that Alex Gjertson has been selected for the Institute for Energy Law’s 9^th 2026-2027 Leadership Class. The program brings together 40 young energy professionals from eight U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Mexico, Switzerland, and Venezuela.

Alex is an associate in the Energy practice group in the firm’s Lafayette office. She earned her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she served as Managing Senior Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review. During law school, Alex gained valuable experience as a judicial extern for the Honorable Michael G. Gotsch of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana and the Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She received her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Louisiana State University.  In addition to her practice, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit.

Members will participate in specialized webinars, leadership training sessions, and networking events designed to build lasting professional relationships and grow their impact across the energy law sector.

Read more about this selection here. 

Liskow Maritime attorney Ray Waid was recently quoted in an Associated Press article regarding commercial shipping activity and maritime control issues in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important waterways for international commerce.

The article, “FACT FOCUS: A look at US and Iranian claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz,” examines the maritime significance of the Strait and the practical impact that disruptions can have on vessel traffic through the region. As daily commercial traffic through the Strait has reportedly declined from roughly 130 ships per day to 14, the piece highlights the operational importance of maintaining safe and reliable passage through this critical shipping corridor.

Drawing on his unique maritime perspective, Ray commented on the unique factors that can affect commerce in the Strait: “You have two nations, both of which are very capable — the U.S., because it has the most powerful Navy in the world, and Iran, which is geographically well positioned to disrupt commerce throughout the Strait of Hormuz — (and) can exercise a significant degree of control.”

To read the full article, please click here.

Liskow is proud to announce that bankruptcy attorney Michael Rubenstein has been appointed to the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization’s Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission for the 2026 term.

In this role, Michael will assist the Board of Legal Specialization in overseeing the standards and certification process for attorneys practicing in the field of bankruptcy law. He will specifically contribute to the Commission’s efforts to review attorney applications for specialization, evaluate candidates’ bankruptcy experience, and maintain the testing standards required for board certification in Louisiana.

Michael’s leadership background includes serving as the firm’s deputy general counsel and as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. Throughout his career, he has held numerous leadership roles within the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the State Bar of Texas, and has consistently demonstrated a dedication to professional development and high standards of legal practice.

Michael works with clients throughout Louisiana and Texas on bankruptcies, restructurings, and reorganizations, as well as complex business litigation and criminal law. His bankruptcy practice is largely devoted to the representation of creditors, often in the energy sector, in complex reorganizations throughout the U.S.

Liskow joins the New Orleans legal community in mourning the passing of J. Berry St. John, Jr., an extraordinary lawyer, colleague, mentor, and friend whose impact on our firm was profound.

Berry practiced law at Liskow for 34 years, upholding the highest standards of professionalism, judgment, and integrity. He brought deep experience, sound judgment, and a steady sense of purpose to his work. For those who had the privilege of working with him, Berry was a model of what it means to serve the profession with excellence, humility, and care.

Berry was especially respected for his work in environmental law. He founded Liskow’s environmental law section and led it for many years. His work included significant matters under federal and state environmental laws and regulations, including the Federal Clean Water Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and regulations issued under them. He handled and argued cases nationwide involving these statutes and was frequently called upon to serve as environmental counsel in transactional matters.

His leadership extended well beyond Liskow. Berry was active in the American Bar Association and served as Chair of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. He also served as President of the New Orleans Bar Association, reflecting his deep commitment to the legal community in which he practiced and led for decades. At Tulane Law School, he served as Managing Editor of the Tulane Law Review, and he later returned to Tulane as a member of the practitioner faculty, teaching Louisiana environmental law to future lawyers.

Berry’s life of service also included distinguished service as a naval aviator. He attended the University of South Carolina on a Naval ROTC scholarship, received his wings of gold in 1964, served as a pilot with squadron VS-28 aboard the USS Wasp, and later flew in Navy Reserve Squadron VP-94 based at Naval Air Station New Orleans. While on active duty, Berry also served as the Executive Officer of the Navy aerial performance team, the Blue Angels, and he taught formation flying at the Pensacola NAS. Aviation remained a lifelong passion. That experience reflected qualities that those around him saw throughout his life and career: discipline, leadership, precision, and an unwavering commitment to the people who served alongside him.

For those of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with Berry, his legacy is measured not only by his many professional accomplishments but by the example he set and his mentoring of younger lawyers. He was a leader in our firm, in his field, and in the bar, and he was truly a great model for us all.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Berry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all who knew and admired him. We are grateful for his life, his service, and the lasting legacy he left at Liskow and in the New Orleans legal community.

Liskow is proud to announce that attorney Hayley Landry has been elected to serve as Vice President of the Professional Landmen’s Association of New Orleans (“PLANO”) for the 2026-2027 term. Hayley will serve alongside PLANO’s newly elected board of directors and officers as they lead the organization’s continued programming and industry engagement for the coming year.

Hayley focuses her practice on energy litigation, representing clients in complex disputes arising from the upstream and midstream sectors of the energy industry, as well as related environmental matters. She counsels clients through litigation involving operational and environmental issues, drawing on a deep understanding of Louisiana’s energy industry and its evolving legal and regulatory landscape. Her practice is further enhanced by active leadership in industry organizations and an ongoing commitment to staying at the forefront of developments affecting the energy sector, enabling her to provide clients with informed, practical counsel in a rapidly changing industry.

PLANO is a nonprofit association founded in 1953 that serves land and energy professionals across the Gulf Coast by providing continuing education, networking opportunities, and updates on legal and legislative developments impacting the energy industry. Its membership includes professional landmen, title attorneys, surveyors, abstractors, and other industry professionals involved in oil and gas, renewable energy, carbon capture, and related sectors.

Liskow maritime attorney Ray Waid was recently quoted in The Wall Street Journal in the article, “A Focus on Terror Risks, Not War, Is Coming Back to Bite Companies,” discussing the legal and insurance implications of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including rising war risk insurance demand, increasing premiums, and anticipated maritime coverage disputes.

Ray provided a quote on the expected litigation arising from these issues stating, “This will likely cause a wave of litigation. The longer this goes on, the more cases there will be.”

To read the full article, visit The Wall Street Journal here.

Liskow is proud to announce that the Federal Bar Association – New Orleans Chapter is recognizing James A. Brown with the John R. “Jack” Martzell Professionalism Award. The award is presented annually to honor an attorney who best exemplifies outstanding professionalism in the practice of law.

James’s distinguished legal career, longstanding leadership within the firm and the broader legal community, and sustained commitment to the highest standards of the profession exemplify the professionalism, judgment, and integrity recognized by the Professionalism Award.

James is an experienced trial lawyer handling complex litigation in state and federal courts across Louisiana and the U.S. His practice focuses on banking, contract, and professional liability disputes, class action defense, and insurance coverage litigation, alongside his work advising clients on crisis management matters. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, James maintains a national reputation in key areas including corporate disputes, antitrust, and trusts and estates litigation. Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, he has represented national and international businesses, financial institutions, and major law and accounting firms in high-stakes cases characterized by their size, complexity, and large exposure.

At Liskow, James has held multiple leadership roles, including service on the firm’s Board of Directors and as Chair of the Commercial Litigation Section. He currently serves as the firm’s General Counsel and Loss Prevention Partner, and he leads the Professional Liability Group.

James’s commitment to the legal profession extends well beyond Liskow and the courtroom. He is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, where he served as Chair of the Louisiana State Committee, currently chairs the College’s National Committee on Mental Health Awareness, and serves on the Podcast Committee. He has also served for more than three decades as an adjunct professor in Torts and Trial Advocacy at Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center and has co-chaired the Louisiana State Bar Association’s “P’s and Q’s” Ethics and Professionalism Program since 2004. His broader professional and civic leadership includes service as past Chair of the American Bar Association Presidential Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability, chairing the U.S. Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel by appointment of the Chief Judge of the Federal Court, and serving on the New Orleans Ethics Review Board by mayoral appointment, including terms as Vice Chair and Chair.

James will receive the award at the Chapter’s Annual Meeting on August 17, 2026.

Liskow is pleased to announce that the firm is ranked nationally in The Legal 500 United States 2026 Guide for Transport: Shipping – Litigation and Regulation. Only 11 law firms were ranked in this area in the United States. Michael Fernandez is listed as a Leading Partner, and Will Yost is ranked as a Next Generation Partner.

In commentary provided by The Legal 500 editorial team, Liskow’s Maritime team was noted for its work in offshore oil and gas matters, casualty response, personal injury, offshore collisions, toxic tort class actions, vessel construction, salvage and wreck removal, and maritime litigation. The editorial team also highlighted David Reisman, Michael Golemi, Raymond Waid, Michael Fernandez, Will Yost, and Jonas Patzwall for their roles in the practice.

About The Legal 500

The Legal 500 analyzes the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research program revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions highlighting the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. The research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of experienced researchers.

Liskow attorneys Leon Rittenberg III and Kevin Naccari were recently featured on National Fisherman’s website with their article, “Marad Modernizes US Citizenship Evidencing Requirements for Vessel Owners and Program Participants.” The article details two final rules issued by MARAD on June 4, 2026, which simplify how business entities demonstrate U.S. citizenship for MARAD programs and fishery endorsements.

Leon and Kevin explain that these deregulatory actions significantly reduce compliance burdens by eliminating the need to provide sensitive personally identifiable information, such as birth dates and social security numbers, in citizenship affidavits. They also highlight that the rules remove the notarization requirement for standard affidavits and introduce a streamlined recertification process for entities with stable ownership. Furthermore, the article notes that these updates harmonize MARAD standards with existing U.S. Coast Guard guidance, establishing clearer methodologies for publicly traded corporations to evidence U.S. citizen ownership. 

Leon and Kevin note that these changes are expected to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining MARAD’s ability to oversee citizenship compliance.

To read the full article, please click here.