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Four Attorneys Join Liskow & Lewis

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Liskow is pleased to announce four attorneys have joined the firm.

Houston

Wilka V. Toppins is a fully bilingual immigration lawyer practicing in the Houston office of Liskow & Lewis. With over 26 years of legal experience, Wilka’s practice focuses on advising and assisting international public and privately held companies, entrepreneurs and investors with immigration and EB5 visa program solutions. Wilka graduated with honors from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, worked in-house with Exxon Company, USA and later, SBC Communications, was the first Latina to hold a corporate vice president position with Macy’s – serving as Vice President – Diversity – and has managed her own law practice in Houston for the past 12 years.

New Orleans

Alex Baynham is a member of the firm’s Maritime, Oilfield, and Insurance practice area. Prior to joining the firm, Alex served as a law clerk to The Honorable Chief Judge Dee D. Drell of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He received his Juris Doctor and Degree in Comparative Law, magna cum laude, from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University in 2015. While in law school, he served as a Senior Editor for the Louisiana Law Review. Alex received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Louisiana State University in 2012. 

A’Dair Flynt is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation practice area. She received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2016. A’Dair served as a member of the Louisiana Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She received both her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, and her Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University. Upon receiving her B.A. degree, she was also awarded the University Medal. 

Spencer Sinclair is a member of the firm’s Business Law practice area. He received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Tulane University Law School. He served as a Managing Editor of the Tulane Law Review, and was awarded the Rufus C. Harris award for the best student writing on a Civil Law topic. Spencer also received the David L. Herman award for academic achievement. He served as the law clerk to United States District Judge Martin L. C. Feldman in the Eastern District of Louisiana before joining the firm.

Liskow & Lewis Receives National Tier 1 Practice Area Rankings in U.S. News’ “Best Law Firms”

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Liskow & Lewis has been ranked in the 2017 "Best Law Firms" list by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, Woodward White, Inc. 

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, Natural Resources Law and Real Estate Law, and a National Tier 3 ranking in the area of Commercial Litigation. 

Liskow & Lewis also received the following Metropolitan Tier rankings: 

METROPOLITAN TIER 1

Houston

  • Admiralty & Maritime Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Oil & Gas Law
  • Real Estate Law

Lafayette

  • Admiralty & Maritime Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Energy Law
  • Natural Resources Law
  • Oil & Gas Law

New Orleans

  • Administrative / Regulatory Law
  • Admiralty & Maritime Law
  • Antitrust Law
  • Appellate Practice
  • Banking and Finance Law
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate Law
  • Employment Law – Management
  • Energy Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Labor Law – Management
  • Litigation – Bankruptcy
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Litigation – Securities
  • Litigation – Tax
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Natural Resources Law
  • Oil & Gas Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Real Estate Law
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts & Estates Law

METROPOLITAN TIER 2 

Houston

  • Banking and Finance Law
  • Natural Resources Law

Lafayette

  • Litigation – Environmental
  • New Orleans
  • Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Litigation – Antitrust
  • Litigation – Trusts & Estates
  • Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Securities / Capital Markets Law

METROPOLITAN TIER 3

Houston

  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Trademark Law

New Orleans

  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Gaming Law
  • Non-Profit/Charities Law

Firms included in the 2017 "Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal experience. 

The U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. Clients and peers were asked to evaluate firms based on the following criteria: responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, integrity and civility, as well as whether they would refer a matter to the firm and/or consider the firm a worthy competitor.

Four Liskow Attorneys Selected to Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2016

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Liskow is pleased to announce the following Houston-based attorneys have been selected to the 2016 edition of Texas Super Lawyers:

Michael Cash, Civil Litigation, Defense

Marilyn Maloney, Real Estate

Michael Rubenstein, Creditor Debtor Rights

Robert Theriot, Energy & Resources

Super Lawyers list 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.

Jack Weiss Joins Liskow & Lewis

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Liskow & Lewis is pleased to announce that Jack M. Weiss will become of counsel to the firm as of September 1. Mr. Weiss will be based in the firm’s New Orleans office. His practice will focus on Media and First Amendment Law, Appellate Practice, Business Litigation, and Business Law.

Mr. Weiss, a Louisiana native, has represented clients in challenging media and business matters for more than forty years. From 2007 to 2015, Mr. Weiss served as Chancellor and Professor of Law at the LSU Law Center.

“We are delighted to welcome Jack to the firm,” said Robert Angelico, President of Liskow & Lewis. “Jack is well known for his many years of success in defending the free flow of information to the public. In addition, he will add further depth and broad experience to our strong business litigation, business law, and appellate practices.”

Angelico said Weiss also will be available as a mediator and arbitrator, and will work with other Liskow attorneys to grow the firm’s alternative dispute resolution practice.

“I’m very excited to join Liskow & Lewis,” Weiss said. “The firm has a long history of excellent service to its clients and integrity in all aspects of its work. I am truly grateful to be able to resume my practice with the talented team at Liskow & Lewis.”

Prior to his tenure at LSU, Mr. Weiss was a partner for nine years in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP. Mr. Weiss served as principal outside publication counsel to Dow Jones & Company, Inc., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s. From 1975 to 1998, Mr. Weiss practiced law in New Orleans. He served as lead counsel to the Times-Picayune for more than twenty years and represented numerous other major publishing and broadcast clients. For many years, Mr. Weiss was listed in The Best Lawyers in America for First Amendment law and was ranked by Chambers USA as one of the top lawyers in the New York media and entertainment bar.

In addition to his experience in media law, Mr. Weiss has broad and diverse experience in a wide variety of transactional and commercial legal matters and litigations. From 1986 to 1987, he served as chairman of the Section on Business and Corporation Law of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Mr. Weiss served as law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1972 to 1973, and as law clerk to Judge John Minor Wisdom of the United State Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1971 to 1972. From 1973 to 1975, Mr. Weiss served as a legislative assistant to Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana.

Mr. Weiss received his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree cum laude with high honors from Yale University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He is licensed to practice law in Louisiana, New York, and the District of Columbia.

In 2006, Mr. Weiss was honored as a Traphagen Distinguished Alumnus of Harvard Law School. In 2010, Mr. Weiss was the co-recipient of the 100 Black Men/Forum 35 Baton Rouge Brotherhood & Sisterhood Award, given to community members who have “worked to break down the barriers that divide our community and prevent us from working and living together in harmony.”

Founded in 1935 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Liskow & Lewis has grown to more than 130 attorneys in New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. Since its inception, the firm’s practice has included a focus on the energy and oil and gas industries. The firm and its attorneys are recognized for contributions to the development of Louisiana’s mineral law, as well as for providing clients with exceptional counsel.

Eight Liskow Attorneys named Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year and Fifty-One Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward White, Inc.

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Liskow is pleased to announce attorneys listed in the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward White, Inc. 

Eight Liskow & Lewis attorneys are listed as “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective areas of practice:

James A. Brown Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants, New Orleans

James C. Exnicios Tax Law, New Orleans

Robert E. Holden Administrative/Regulatory Law, New Orleans

Jonathan A. Hunter Oil and Gas Law, New Orleans

James N. Mansfield III Energy Law, Lafayette

Thomas J. McGoey II Labor Law – Management, New Orleans

Joe B. Norman Energy Law, New Orleans

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

Only a single attorney in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as a “Lawyer of the Year.” Selections for this honor are based on voting averages received during Best Lawyers peer review assessments. This designation reflects a high level of respect an attorney has earned among his or her peers regarding abilities, professionalism, and integrity. 

Additionally, fifty-one Liskow & Lewis attorneys were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 edition:

Donald R. Abaunza, Admiralty and Maritime Law

Marguerite L. Adams, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates

Robert S. Angelico, Tax Law

John C. Anjier, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Securities, Securities / Capital Markets Law

George Arceneaux III, Litigation – Environmental, Oil and Gas Law

Wm. Blake Bennett, Banking and Finance Law, Gaming Law

James A. Brown, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Louis Buatt, Environmental Law

Michael P. Cash, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

George Denegre, Jr., Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Securities

Thomas P. Diaz, Admiralty and Maritime Law

Billy J. Domingue, Corporate Law

James C. Exnicios, Tax Law

S. Gene Fendler, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Joseph I. Giarrusso III, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Joseph C. Giglio, Jr., Corporate Law, Real Estate Law

Don K. Haycraft, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Robert E. Holden, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental

Shannon Skelton Holtzman, Commercial Litigation

Jonathan A. Hunter, Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law

R. Keith Jarrett, Admiralty and Maritime Law

Greg L. Johnson, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental

Matt Jones, Energy Law

Philip K. Jones, Jr., Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy

Paul C. Kitziger, Real Estate Law

Cheryl Mollere Kornick, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax

Gene W. Lafitte, Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law

David W. Leefe, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Thomas B. Lemann, Non-Profit / Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates

Marilyn C. Maloney, Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Trademark Law

James N. Mansfield III, Energy Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law

Everard A. Marseglia, Jr., Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law

Thomas J. McGoey II, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment

Robert B. McNeal, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental, Oil and Gas Law

Joe B. Norman, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law

William W. Pugh, Admiralty and Maritime Law

Gary Rachlin, Real Estate Law

Carol W. Reisman, Commercial Litigation

Richard W. Revels, Jr., Energy Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law

Leon J. Reymond III, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Leon J. Reymond, Jr., Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law

Jamie D. Rhymes, Oil and Gas Law

George H. Robinson, Jr., Admiralty and Maritime Law, Energy Law

Scott C. Seiler, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Lawrence P. Simon, Jr., Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law

Randye C. Snyder, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Charles B. Wilmore, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

John M. Wilson, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental

John D. Wogan, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Trusts and Estates

Andrew Wooley, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor and Employment

First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Founded in 1935 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Liskow & Lewis has grown to more than 130 attorneys in New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. Since its inception, the firm’s practice has included a focus on the energy and oil and gas industries. The firm and its attorneys are recognized for contributions to the development of Louisiana’s mineral law, as well as for providing clients with exceptional counsel.

Liskow Lawyer Elected President of Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation

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Jonathan Hunter, a shareholder in the firm’s New Orleans office, has been elected President of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation for 2016-2017. Hunter has held numerous positions with the Foundation since 2002, including Trustee-At-Large, Treasurer, and Vice President. 

As a leader of the firm’s federal oil and gas practice area, Hunter advises oil and gas companies in matters governed by the OCSLA, the Mineral Leasing Act, the False Claims Act, the Foreign Investment and National Security Act, NEPA, and numerous other statutes and regulations. His federal oil and gas practice includes matters arising in offshore waters (Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and offshore Alaska) and onshore federal lands throughout the country. He has successfully represented clients in dozens of proceedings involving federal lands, including multi-billion dollar royalty, lease cancelation, and fraud disputes. He has tried royalty, contract, and regulatory disputes in federal and state courts and in arbitration. 

The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation is known worldwide for its expertise in the mineral and natural resources community. In its 62nd year, the Foundation is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to the scholarly and practical study of the law and regulations relating to mining, oil and gas, water, public lands, energy, environmental protection, and other related areas. The Foundation’s Trustees Council includes representatives from 30 law schools, 13 bar associations, and 19 mining and oil and gas associations. Their educational programs bring together lawyers, landmen, managers, government personnel, law faculty, students, and others involved in minerals, oil and gas, water, and other natural resources. 

Founded in 1935 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Liskow & Lewis has grown to over 130 attorneys in New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. Since its inception, the firm’s practice has focused on the energy and oil and gas industry, and has grown to meet the evolving demands of its clients, diversifying into a wide-ranging litigation and transactional practice. 

Liskow Lawyers Grauberger and Downer Author LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources Article

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Liskow lawyers Jana Grauberger and Joshua Downer authored an article published in the Spring 2016 LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources. The article relates to a comparative law seminar held by LSU in March 2015 that compared the laws of the United States, United Kingdom, and Norway dealing with offshore oil and gas production. This article deals with the United States legal and regulatory regime for offshore Gulf of Mexico infrastructure. 

Jana L. Grauberger & Joshua P. Downer, Third Party Access to Infrastructure in the United States, 4 LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources 293 (Spring 2016).

Liskow Lawyer Joe Giarrusso Recognized as One to Watch in Law

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Joe Giarrusso was acknowledged by New Orleans CityBusiness as “One to Watch” in Law. He was recognized for his litigation practice, leadership involvement with a number of New Orleans area nonprofit organizations, as well as professional recognitions.

Joe is a member of the firm’s litigation practice and focuses his work on energy-related, casualty and commercial issues. He has extensive experience in the areas of maritime and oilfield torts, landowner/mineral lease disputes and royalty-related litigation. He also handles environmental and land damage cases, including environmental claims relating to oilfield operations. In business matters, his litigation practice involves business torts, unfair trade practices, transactional disputes and securities litigation, contract claims, and personal injury matters.

Joe was awarded The Best Lawyers in America 2014-2016, was named a Rising Star in the 2012-2016 editions of Louisiana Super LawyersChambers USA, 2013-2014. He received his juris doctorate from Louisiana State University.