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James Brown Named Distinguished Achievement Honoree by LSU Law Center

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Liskow is pleased to announce James A. Brown has been named a Distinguished Achievement honoree by the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. James will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans on March 2.

LSU Law Center’s Distinguished Achievement Award is given annually to graduates for professional achievement and career distinction, service to and support of LSU Law, and service to the community.

James is a 1984 graduate of the Paul M. Hebert LSU Law Center and holds an undergraduate degree from LSU in Political Science. He supports the Law Center in various ways, including serving as a member of the Dean’s Council and as an adjunct professor.

James is a shareholder in Liskow & Lewis’ New Orleans office, heading the firm’s Commercial Litigation Section as well as its Professional Liability Practice Group. He is an experienced trial lawyer handling complex litigation throughout the courts of Louisiana and the U.S., with a focus on banking, contract and professional liability disputes. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he has a national reputation in key areas of complex litigation: legal malpractice defense, director and officer liability, antitrust, trusts and estates litigation, First Amendment and Education Law. 

For over three decades, James has represented federal banking agencies and banks in complex commercial and professional liability cases.  He also has defended national legal malpractice carriers and law and accounting firms, and has handled trust and estates litigation and other types of commercial claims and disputes.  James has tried difficult, high-stakes cases in these areas in both state and federal courts.

James serves on the New Orleans Ethics Review Board by appointment of the Mayor. The Board administers and enforces the New Orleans Code of Governmental Ethics and appoints and oversees the New Orleans Inspector General.

He is listed by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as among America’s top commercial litigators. James is also named in Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, and Professional Malpractice Law. He is listed among Top Lawyers by New Orleans Magazine, and New Orleans CityBusiness named him one of New Orleans’ “Leaders in Law.”

Following law school, James served as law clerk to the Honorable Alvin B. Rubin, Circuit Judge, United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1984-85. Since 1992, he has served as an Adjunct Professor in Torts and Trial Advocacy at the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

Ray Waid to Present in Seattle on Maritime Best Practices

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Ray Waid will be presenting in Seattle on February 1 at the Admiralty & Maritime Law Committee of the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section's Maritime Best Practices Roundtable.

Ray will be presenting with Nathan Orf, Assistant General Counsel with Port of Portland, and Dave Boyajian with Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. The roundtable will discuss best practices for drafting maritime contracts and master service agreements, addressing: 

  • Choice of Law 
  • Maritime Liens 
  • Indemnity 
  • Additional Insureds 

You can reserve a seat for the roundtable and attend a reception following the discussion by emailing [email protected], or click here for more information.

In Support of the Environmental Needs of Louisiana

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The Calcasieu River Waterway Harbor Safety Committee has recognized Liskow & Lewis lawyer Louis Buatt “for his exceptionally innovative thinking and his steadfast support of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the environmental needs of southwest Louisiana.”

The Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District maintains the Wetland Restoration Escrow Account — a reserve account under the supervision of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. 

Mr. Buatt recommended that the Account be submitted to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality as a Beneficial Use Project under that department’s guidelines. This recommendation was approved, making the Escrow Account eligible to receive funds, under the Department's guidelines, from settlements entered into with the Department.

As a result, The Wetlands Restoration Escrow Account has received its first contribution in the amount of $550,000.

Liskow Lawyer Marilyn Maloney is Vice President of American College of Real Estate Lawyers

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Liskow is pleased to announce Marilyn Maloney is the new vice president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the premier organization of U.S. real estate lawyers.

The college is a national association of approximately 1,000 distinguished real estate lawyers. Admission into the college is by invitation only after a rigorous screening process. The American College of Real Estate Lawyers’ distinguished lawyers have been elected to fellowship for their outstanding legal ability, experience, and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice of real estate law.

Marilyn is a Houston-based business lawyer helping clients with real estate needs along with various other important transactions, including commercial lending, energy deals, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate trust. Marilyn is an in-demand real estate conference organizer and speaker, and she is continuously recognized for her work in this area. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, and she is a Top Rated Real Estate Attorney in Super Lawyers.

Marilyn is a leader in many civic, legal, professional and religious associations. In 2013, she received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, and, in 2004, she was recognized by the Louisiana Bar Foundation with its President’s Award. The same year, she was selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as one of the Women of the Year. 

Liskow & Lewis Announces Three New Shareholders

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Liskow is pleased to announce the election of three new shareholders, effective January 1, 2018.

Alma F. Gomez, Houston

Alma is a business and energy litigator representing a variety of clients in complex matters and contractual disputes. For her clients in the oil and gas industry, she handles matters, including general contractual disputes, indemnification, royalty disputes, trespass, and conversion matters. Her experience is concentrated on appeals, as well as trials and alternative dispute resolution. Alma also has experience in labor and employment law, defending age, sex and racial discrimination, harassment, retaliation and pay practices claims. She earned her law degree, with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law.

Kathryn Gonski, New Orleans

Kathryn is a litigator whose appellate practice regularly includes cases before the Louisiana courts of appeal, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal.  Her practice focuses on complex litigation, including environmental, energy, employment, and oil and gas matters.  Kathryn is also frequently retained to write amicus briefs on behalf of businesses and trade organizations in matters of industry-wide significance. She earned her law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Carlos J. Moreno, Houston

Carlos is an environmental lawyer advising clients on onshore and offshore regulations, safety requirements and emergency response. He counsels clients on, among other things, water discharge permits, process safety regulations, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, handling of waste, offshore regulatory requirements, and litigation. With more than 15 years of engineering and Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) experience in the energy and petrochemical industries, he is able to assist clients with complex litigation and regulatory concerns.  Carlos received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center.

Forty-Four Liskow Lawyers Selected to 2018 Louisiana Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters

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Forty-four Liskow & Lewis lawyers have been named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters. Marguerite L. Adams, James A. Brown, and S. Gene Fendler were named among the top 50 attorneys in the state of Louisiana, and shareholder Marguerite L. Adams was named one of the top 25 women attorneys in the state.

Super Lawyers

Donald R. Abaunza
Marguerite L. Adams
Robert S. Angelico
John C. Anjier
Wm. Blake Bennett
James A. Brown
George Denegre, Jr.
Thomas P. Diaz
Dana M. Douglas
S. Gene Fendler
Don K. Haycraft
Shannon S. Holtzman
Jonathan A. Hunter
R. Keith Jarrett
Greg L. Johnson
Philip K. Jones, Jr.
Cheryl Mollere Kornick
Mark D. Latham
David W. Leefe
Thomas J. McGoey, II
Mark L. McNamara
Robert B. McNeal
Joe B. Norman
Leon J. Reymond, Jr.
George H. Robinson, Jr.
Kelly T. Scalise
Lawrence P. Simon, Jr.

Rising Stars

Erin Bambrick
Brittan J. Bush
Brian W. Capell
Hunter A. Chauvin
Sarah Y. Dicharry
Kathryn Gonski
Mirais Holden
Penny Leonard Malbrew
Randy Marse
Devin C. Reid
April L. Rolen-Ogden
Matthew Simone
Laura Springer Brown
Court C. VanTassell
Raymond T. Waid
Stephen W. Wiegand
Michael S. Williams

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

Louisiana District Court Declares Tax Law Unconstitutional as Discriminatory Against Interstate Commerce in Smith v. Department of Revenue

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On December 19, 2017, Liskow attorneys obtained a district court ruling that a 2015 Act of the Louisiana Legislature was unconstitutional because it discriminated against interstate commerce in violation of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. During the 2015 regular session, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 109, which restricted the Louisiana individual income tax credit for out-of-state taxes paid on out-of-state income.  Under Act 109, some Louisiana residents who earned out-of-state income and paid taxes in those states where such income was earned were subjected to double taxation.  The Liskow attorneys argued, and the district court agreed, that Act 109 was an unconstitutional discrimination against interstate commerce. Attorneys Robert Angelico, Jim Exnicios, Cheryl Kornick, RJ Marse, and Jeff Birdsong are working on the case. The case is currently pending in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Judge Timothy Kelley is presiding.

BP Recognizes Liskow with 2017 Diversity and Inclusion Award

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Liskow is honored to be the recipient of the inaugural BP Legal Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Award. 

Liskow is proud to partner with BP, a company with a demonstrated commitment to diversity that is establishing a standard of excellence for us all. 

Liskow strives to provide diverse lawyers with the professional mentoring and training necessary to build client relationships and develop a vibrant law practice.  Progress is reflected in the promotion of minority and women attorneys to positions of leadership across the firm. We are proud that Liskow lawyers have served in leadership roles and actively participate in national and local organizations that promote diversity within the legal profession. 

Our commitment to diversity is driven not by external pressures. Rather, it is rooted in a belief that our clients are best served by the experience, expertise, and perspective that is the byproduct of rich diversity.

Dana M. Douglas Inducted as President of the New Orleans Bar Association

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Last night, November 16, 2017, Dana M. Douglas was installed as President of the New Orleans Bar Association at the NOBA Annual Dinner held at the Audubon Tea Room.

Robert Angelico, managing partner at Liskow & Lewis, recounts the dinner, “Dana outlined a very exciting year ahead of activities for NOBA. All of us at Liskow & Lewis are excited to watch the impact that Dana will make. Her compassion, determination, and eagerness to make this community better will make her an excellent president. We are proud to have Dana as a colleague and a friend.”   

Dana is active in professional and community organizations, and holds various leadership positions. Dana is a Charter and Founding Member of the Louisiana Chapter of the Women’s Energy Network, the Immediate Past President of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Society, and she served as Chair of the 28th Annual Justice For All Ball. Dana was recently selected as a “Women of the Year” honoree by New Orleans CityBusiness.

Dana’s service to the community has been formally recognized by many, including the Louisiana State Bar Association and the New Orleans Bar Association. In 2008, Dana was presented with the Louisiana State Bar Association’s President’s Award.  In 2016, she was presented the Camille Gavel Award, and in 2014, she received the Crystal Gavel Award. She was also a recipient of the 2017 Gillis Long Public Service Award from Loyola Law. These recognitions speaks to the difference Dana makes in the community. She is dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the practice of law, and cites the importance of diversity across all spectrums in the field. Within Liskow & Lewis, Dana serves on the Diversity Committee and is head of the Paralegal Committee.

Dana received her Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. She focuses her practice at Liskow & Lewis on commercial, energy and intellectual property litigation in the state and federal courts of Louisiana and across a wide variety of industry sectors.

New Orleans Bar Association’s Briefly Speaking November Issue featured Dana and her upcoming election.

Forty Liskow Lawyers Named “Top Lawyer” by New Orleans Magazine

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Liskow is pleased to announce forty firm lawyers are among New Orleans Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” 2017. 

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

Robert S. Angelico, Tax Law

John C. Anjier, Securities Regulation

Kelly B. Becker, Energy Law

Wm. Blake Bennett, Banking and Finance Law

James A. Brown, Commercial Litigation

Laura S. Brown, Energy Law

Louis E. Buatt, Environmental Law

Tiffany Davis, Natural Resources Law

George Denegre, Commercial Litigation

James C. Exnicios, Tax Law

S. Gene Fendler, Admiralty & Maritime Law

Joseph I. Giarrusso, III, Admiralty & Maritime Law

Kathryn Gonski, Appellate Practice

Don K. Haycraft, Admiralty & Maritime Law

Shannon S. Holtzman, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law

Jonathan A. Hunter, Oil and Gas Law

R. Keith Jarrett, Admiralty & Maritime 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

Gene W. Lafitte, Oil and Gas Law

Mark D. Latham, Personal Injury Litigation

David W. Leefe, Personal Injury Litigation

Thomas J. McGoey, II, Labor and Employment Law

Robert B. McNeal, Oil and Gas Law

Carey L. Menasco, Commercial Litigation

Joe B. Norman, Energy Law

Leon J. Reymond, Jr., Banking and Finance Law

Katie S. Roth, Appellate Practice

Matt D. Simone, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Randye C. Snyder, Employee Benefits Law

Raymond T. Waid, Admiralty & Maritime Law

Jack M. Weiss, Appellate Practice

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