News

Liskow & Lewis is pleased to announce the election of three new shareholders, effective January 1, 2019.

Hunter Chauvin, Lafayette

Hunter is a litigator that assists major oil and gas companies in environmental litigation, with a concentration on legacy lawsuits and coastal land loss issues. He has worked with experts across the globe to defend environmental lawsuits, which has allowed him to develop a deep working knowledge of the complex scientific issues underpinning these cases. He has been entrusted to represent clients in major bellwether environmental cases. Hunter’s practice also includes working with regulators at the department of natural resources and other agencies on behalf of oil and gas companies to resolve regulatory disputes. Hunter teaches Trial Advocacy for LSU’s Paul M. Hebert law school and is a board member for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.  He is an active member of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA), and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA). Hunter received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University in 2011.

Ryan Christiansen, New Orleans

Ryan is a business lawyer helping companies in real estate matters. His practice is concentrated in the areas of commercial real estate, secured transactions, commercial and energy lending, ship mortgage and marine financing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate and general business matters. In commercial real estate matters, Ryan advises clients with respect to the leasing, acquiring, selling, developing and financing of commercial real estate. He counsels them in the review and analysis of title and issuance of title insurance policies for the firm’s title agency. Ryan advises clients with corporate governance and has aided clients in the creation, acquisition, and sale of business entities and assets in a variety of industries, including real estate, construction, non-profit, and oil and gas. His clients consist of real estate developers, vessel companies, banks, and industry and pipeline companies. He is the Vice-Chair of the Title Insurance and Surveys of the American Bar Association Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section and he is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association’s Real Property Committee. Ryan received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, magna cum laude, in 2011.

James Kittrell, Houston

James Kittrell is a litigator with a practice focusing on commercial, energy, and maritime matters.  James has represented his clients at both the trial court and the appellate level. His energy litigation experience involves representing oil and gas clients in venues across the state of Texas in a wide variety of lawsuits related to on-shore operations, including royalty claims and operational disputes. James’ commercial litigation practice includes a range of contractual matters, including indemnity claims, shipping disputes, and suits on sworn accounts. His maritime practice focuses on representing large marine services companies in Jones Act cases and other maritime personal injury lawsuits. James received his Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law, with honors, in 2011.

Thirty-Nine Liskow & Lewis lawyers have been named to the 2019 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters. James A. Brown and S. Gene Fendler were named among the top 50 attorneys in the state of Louisiana. Shareholder, Marguerite L. Adams, was named one of the top 25 women attorneys in the state, and she was among the top 50 attorneys in New Orleans.

Super Lawyers

Donald R. Abaunza
Marguerite L. Adams
Robert S. Angelico
John C. Anjier
James A. Brown
George Denegre, Jr.
Dana M. Douglas
S. Gene Fendler
Don K. Haycraft
Shannon S. Holtzman
R. Keith Jarrett
Greg L. Johnson
Philip K. Jones, Jr.
Mark D. Latham
David W. Leefe
Thomas J. McGoey, II
Mark L. McNamara
Robert B. McNeal
Joe B. Norman
Kelly T. Scalise
Lawrence P. Simon, Jr.
Raymond T. Waid

Rising Stars

Erin Bambrick
Brittan J. Bush
Brian W. Capell
Hunter A. Chauvin
Ryan T. Christiansen
Philip Dore
Jonathan J. Fox
Kathryn Gonski
Penny Leonard Malbrew
Randy Marse
Devin C. Reid
April L. Rolen-Ogden
Matthew Simone
Laura Springer Brown
Tyler Trew
Court C. VanTassell
Stephen W. Wiegand

Super Lawyers lists outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. 

Liskow & Lewis is pleased to announce thirty-eight of the firm’s New Orleans lawyers are among New Orleans Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” 2018. 

The voting to determine the top New Orleans attorneys was open to all licensed attorneys in New Orleans, Louisiana. Voters were asked which attorney, other than themselves, should appear on the New Orleans list. The list includes:

Donald R. Abaunza, Admiralty & Maritime Law
Marguerite L. Adams, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates
Robert S. Angelico, Tax Law
John C. Anjier, Securities Regulation, Securities/Capital Markets Law
Kelly B. Becker, Energy Law, Appellate Practice
Wm. Blake Bennett, Banking and Finance Law, Gaming Law
Lauren Bridges, Mass Tort / Class Actions
James A. Brown, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law, Bet-the-Company Litigations
Louis E. Buatt, Environmental Law
Ryan Christiansen, Banking and Finance Law
George Denegre, Commercial Litigation
James C. Exnicios, Tax Law
S. Gene Fendler, Admiralty & Maritime Law, Commercial Litigation
Kathryn Gonski, Appellate Practice
Shannon S. Holtzman, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law
R. Keith Jarrett, Admiralty & Maritime Law, Energy Law
Greg L. Johnson, Environmental Law
Philip K. Jones, Jr., Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Paul C. Kitziger, Real Estate Law
Cheryl M. Kornick, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Tax Law
Gene W. Lafitte, Oil and Gas Law, Energy Law
Thomas J. McGoey, II, Labor and Employment Law
Mark McNamara, Energy Law
Robert B. McNeal, Oil and Gas Law, Energy Law
Carey L. Menasco, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Joe B. Norman, Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law, Appellate Practice
Leon J. Reymond, Jr., Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Trey Reymond, Venture Capital Law
Katie S. Roth, Appellate Practice
Kelly T. Scalise, Admiralty & Maritime Law
Matt D. Simone, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
Randye C. Snyder, Employee Benefits Law
Sean Toomey, Criminal Defense White Collar
Raymond T. Waid, Admiralty & Maritime Law
Stephen W. Wiegand, Environmental Law
Michael S. Williams, Employee Benefits Law
Charles B. Wilmore, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions
John M. Wilson, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Liskow & Lewis has been ranked in the 2019 "Best Law Firms" list by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, BL Rankings, LLC. Firms included in the "Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  Firms receive tiered rankings if they have a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

The firm received National Tier 1 rankings in the areas of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants and Oil & Gas Law, National Tier 2 rankings in the areas of Admiralty & Maritime Law, Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law, and a National Tier 3 ranking in the area of Energy Law. Additionally, fifty-two lawyers were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, BL Rankings, LLC, 2019 edition.

Liskow & Lewis received comments from companies including, South Louisiana Methanol, Motiva Enterprises LLC, Birla Carbon, Targa Resources, and Freeport-McMoRan. You can read all of Liskow & Lewis’ client testimonials by visiting the firm’s Best Law Firms Profile.

Liskow & Lewis is pleased to announce five attorneys have joined the firm. 

Elizabeth Byrne practices in the firm’s Houston office focusing on oil & gas litigation. She received her Juris Doctor from The University of Oklahoma College of Law. While pursuing her J.D., Elizabeth participated in the OU Law Oxford Program during the Summer of 2016. Prior to joining the firm, Elizabeth served as an intern for the General Counsel’s Office at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

Brady Hadden is a member of the firm’s Maritime, Oilfield, and Insurance practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Brady served as a law clerk to the Honorable Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He also served as a legal extern to the Honorable John W. DeGravelles of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.  Brady received his Juris Doctor and Diploma of Comparative Law from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University.

Brady McMillin is a member of the firm’s Maritime, Oilfield, and Insurance practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Brady served as a research clerk to the East Baton Rouge Parish Attorney’s office and the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. He received his Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University.

Jody Schisel-Meslin is a member of the firm’s Maritime, Oilfield, and Insurance practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Jody served as an intern to the Honorable Ivan L.R. Lemelle of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. She also served as a legal clerk for the Tulane University Legal Assistance Program. Jody received her Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School.

Sara Grace Sirera is a litigator practicing in the firm’s New Orleans office. Her practice primarily consists of representing clients in the Maritime, Oil and Gas, and Insurance industries. Sara Grace is a graduate of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University where she received her Juris Doctor and Diploma of Comparative Law, cum laude. During law school, she participated in several moot court competitions and served on the Student Bar Association as Vice President of her graduating class. Prior to joining the firm, Sara Grace served as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Regina Bartholomew- Woods of the Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Fourth Circuit and as a judicial extern to Magistrate Judge Richard L. Bourgeois of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Liskow & Lewis shareholder, April L. Rolen-Ogden, has been selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. The Litigation Counsel of America (“LCA”) is an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.

April is an oil & gas litigator with experience as a trial lawyer in both state and federal courts, as well as arbitration tribunals. She defends her trial work on appeal through her appellate practice. The array of topics she has litigated is extensive. April defends companies in high stakes commercial and energy litigation matters. She litigates traditional oil and gas disputes involving royalties, servitudes, title disputes, property damage, statutory penalties, joint operations, oil and gas accounting, taking production in kind, the Risk Fee Statute, and complex oil and gas marketing matters. April defends oil and gas companies in environmental legacy suits seeking damages and restoration for oilfield contamination and coastal loss. She defends companies in personal injury cases, including toxic torts, whether those injuries occur in the oilfield or any other context. She frequently defends companies in disputes involving allegations of fraud, unfair trade practices, and trade secrets.

April has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Louisiana Super Lawyers. She is listed as a “Top Lawyer” in Oil & Gas, Commercial Litigation, and Energy Law by Acadiana Profile. April is involved in the Institute for Energy Law, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute, and she was the first Lafayette member of the Board of Directors for the expansion of the South Louisiana chapter of the Women’s Energy Network. April received her Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University.  

April joins three other Liskow Senior Fellows and Fellow in the LCA, Gene Fendler, Lawrence Simon, and Michael Cash.

Liskow & Lewis is pleased to announce the following Houston-based lawyers have been selected to the 2018 edition of Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters:

Michael Cash, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation, Litigation

Marilyn Maloney, Banking, Energy & Natural Resources, Intellectual Property, Real Estate

Michael Rubenstein, Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, Creditor Debtor Rights

Robert Theriot, Energy & Resources

Super Lawyers lists outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Texas Super Lawyers includes a statewide nomination process, a peer-review survey by practice area, and independent research on candidates. The process results in a list of the top five percent of attorneys in each state, as nominated by their peers, which is then reviewed by an independent research team that focuses on professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.