future-focused

Assistant

Elizabeth Fisher

504.299.6106

Overview

Kirk Jones helps corporations and other business entities throughout Louisiana and the U.S. in complex commercial litigation, corporate bankruptcy, insolvency and creditors’ representations. Clients also seek Kirk’s help in claims involving trusts, estates and succession litigation, indenture trustees, arbitration and other contentious corporate and partnership disputes.

Kirk’s business litigation cases tend to be difficult and high exposure. For example, he has recently handled:

  • A trust and estate dispute in south Louisiana involving a residual interest and acts of ingratitude, a case worth hundreds of millions of dollars
  • A breach of partnership claim involving a New Orleans law partnership being sued by Kirk’s client, a former partner
  • A creditor’s claim, asserted by a bank client, involving a breach of obligations and collateral (i.e., several million dollars worth of pig iron to be used in the refining process) seized in the port of New Orleans and later sold

His clients include major oil companies and banks, which he regularly counsels concerning their rights under mineral leases and operating agreements during bankruptcy cases. Kirk has also acted as counsel for the indenture trustee in the bankruptcy of a land-based casino and for a disbursement agent in another casino bankruptcy. “I also get involved in other complex business disputes, such as appellate cases, legacy litigation and decommissioning of onshore wells,” Kirk said, “especially if bankruptcy is an issue.”

He served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable John A. Dixon, Jr., Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1974-1975. He also was a Tutor in Roman Law at St. Catherine’s College of Cambridge, 1976-1977, and a Lecturer-in-Law (Evidence and Corporations) at the University of Singapore, 1977-1979.

Highlights

Notable Experience

Bankruptcy

  • In re Jack/Wade Drilling, Inc., 258 F.3d 385 (5th Cir. 2001)
  • First Trust Nat. Ass’n. v. First Nat. Bank of Commerce, 220 F.3d 331 (5th Cir. 2000)
  • Matter of U. S. Abatement Corp., 79 F.3d 393 (5th Cir. 1996)
  • Matter of Washington, 967 F.2d 173 (5th Cir. 1992)
  • Matter of River Products, 954 F.2d 722 (1992) (affirming In re River Products, Inc., Civ. A. No. 91-1303, 1991 WL 148119 (E.D. La. Jul. 31, 1991)), cert. denied sub nom Amwest Surety Ins. Co. v. United Fidelity Trust Co. Inc., 505 U.S. 1221, 112 S. Ct. 3032, 120 L. Ed. 2d 902 (1992)
  • Matter of Clark Pipe & Supply Co., Inc., 82 B.R. 21 (5/23/88); aff’d and remanded, 870 F.2d 1022 (4/25/89); withdrawing and superseding opinion on rehearing, 893 F.2d 693 (5th Cir. 1990)
  • Matter of Evangeline Refining Co., 890 F.2d 1312 (5th Cir. 1989)
  • Caillouet v. First Bank and Trust, 548 F.3d 344 (5th Cir. 2008), reversing 347 B.R. 550 (Bankr. E.D. La. 2006), which had been affirmed by 368 B.R. 520 (E.D. La. 2007)
  • Adams Vessel (Bilbao) Ltd. v. Torch, Inc., Civ. A. No. 04-3471, 2005 WL 1431711 (E.D. La. May 19, 2005)
  • Crescent City Liquidation Trust v. Mirage Resorts, Inc., Civ. A. No. 01-899, 2002 WL 1046709 (E.D. La. May 20, 2002)
  • In re Elmwood Partners, L.L.C., Civ. A. No. 01-2662, 2002 WL 654105 (E.D. La. April 18, 2002)
  • In re Service Marine Industries, Inc., Civ. A. No. 00-2344, 2000 WL 1673061 (E.D. La. Nov. 3, 2000)
  • In re Service Marine Industries, Inc., Civ. A. No. 00-579, 2000 WL 777912 (E.D. La. May 30, 2000)
  • Hospital Service District No. 3 of the Parish of Lafourche State of Louisiana d/b/a Thibodaux Regional Medical Center v. Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland, Civ. A. No. 99-0752, 1999 WL 294795 (E.D. La. May 11, 1999)
  • Inter Urban Broadcasting of Cincinnati, Inc. v. Lewis, Misc. A. Nos. 94-3126 and 95-0523, 1994 WL 774050 (E.D. La. Mar. 14, 1995)
  • In re Inter Urban Broadcasting of Cincinnati, Inc., Civ. A. Nos. 94-2382 and 94-2383, 1994 WL 646176 (E.D. La. Nov. 16, 1994)
  • Delta Energy Resources, Inc. v. Damson Oil Corp., 72 B.R. 7 (W.D. La. 1985)
  • In re Offshore Marine Con
  • In re Pallet Reefer Company, 233 B.R. 687 (Bankr. E.D. La. 1999)
  • Matter of Bergeron, 218 B.R. 1003 (Bankr. E.D. La. 1998)
  • Matter of Enjet, Inc., 205 B.R. 803 (Bankr. E.D. La. 1997)
  • Matter of Inter Urban Broadcasting of Cincinnati, Inc., 180 B.R. 153 (Bankr. E.D. La. 1995)
  • In re Evangeline Refining Co., Inc., 37 B.R. 450 (Bankr. W.D. La. 1984)
  • South Louisiana Ethanol, LLC v. CHS-SLE Land, LLC, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7870, (January 23, 2012)
  • South Louisiana Ethanol, LLC v. Agrico Sales, Inc., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6465, January 19, 2012, Decided January 20, 2012
  • In Re: South Louisiana Ethanol, LLC, Debtor, 2010 Bankr. LEXIS 5602, Decided October 27, 2010
  • In Re: OCA, Inc., et al., Debtors, 2007 Bankr. LEXIS 4977, Decided January 26, 2007
  • In Re: Entergy New Orleans, Inc., Debtor, 2007 Bankr. LEXIS 1632, Decided May 7, 2007
  • In Re: Entringer Bakeries, Inc., 548 F.3d 344 (U.S. 5th Cir. 3/26/99)

Creditors’ Rights Outside of Bankruptcy

  • Mitsubishi Intern. Corp. v. Clark Pipe & Supply Co., Inc., 735 F.2d 160 (5th Cir. 1984)
  • Canterbury Joint Venture v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 99 F.3d 1136 (5th Cir. 1996), affirming Civ. A. No. 95-2135, 1995 WL 555597 (E.D. La. Sept. 15, 1995) and Civ. A. No. 95-2135, 1995 WL 619773 (E.D. La. Oct. 19, 1995)
  • Texaco, Inc. v. Shaw-Trosclair Fabricators, Inc., 683 F. Supp. 560 (E.D. La. 1987)
  • Raj v. Tomasetti, 2007-2223 (La. App. 1 Cir. 6/6/08), 2008 WL 2332284, writs denied, 2008-1505 (La. 10/3/08) and 2008-1615 (La. 10/3/08) (Text not available on WL for writ denials)
  • Littleton v. Moss, 2005-614 (La. App. 4 Cir. 7/29/05), 914 So. 2d 59, writ denied, 2005-2235 (La. 12/29/05), 918 So. 2d 1018
  • Pioneer Valley Hosp., Inc. v. Elmwood Partners, L.L.C., 01-453 (La. App. 5 Cir. 10/17/01), 800 So. 2d 932
  • Grimaldi/C.R. Pittman v. River City Joint Venture, 2000-0172 (La. App. 4 Cir. 2/29/00), 763 So. 2d 693
  • Security Center Protection Services, Inc. v. All-Pro Sec., Inc., 97-1070 (La. App. 4 Cir. 11/26/97), 703 So. 2d 806
  • Security Center Protection Services, Inc. v. All-Pro Security, Inc., 94-1317 (La. App. 4 Cir. 2/23/95), 650 So. 2d 1206
  • Bernard v. Fireside Commercial Life Ins. Co., 633 So. 2d 177 (La. App. 1st Cir. 1993), writ denied, 93-3170 (La. 3/11/94), 634 So. 2d 839
  • First Federal Sav. & Loan Ass’n of Warner Robins, Ga. v. Delta Towers, Ltd., 544 So. 2d 1331 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1989)
  • First Natl. Bank of Commerce v. Dufrene, 525 So. 2d 298 (La. App. 1st Cir. 1988), writ denied, 530 So. 2d 567 (La. 1988)
  • First Natl. Bank of Commerce. v. Breaux, 529 So. 2d 145 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1988)
  • First Natl. Bank of Commerce v. Verheugen, 527 So. 2d 453 (La. App. 5th Cir. 1988), writ denied, 530 So. 2d 576 (La. 1988)
  • Raj v. Tomasetti, 208 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110713, July 11, 2008, Decided, July 11, 2008
  • In re: Levy-Mellon Marine, 61 B.R. 331, March 21, 1986 (USBC, WDLA March 21, 1986)
  • Regions Bank v. Eymard, 2021 WL 9950217, aff’d in part, rev’d in part and remanded, writ denied. 2021-0927 (La. App. 1 Cir. 5/23/22) 342 So.3d 908

Contract Litigation

  • Kelly Inv., Inc. v. Continental Common Corp., 315 F.3d 494 (5th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 942, 124 S. Ct. 383, 157 L. Ed. 2d 262 (2003)
  • Kinsley v. Lakeview Reg’l Med. Ctr. LLC, 570 F.3d 586; 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 12077, June 3, 2009
  • Kadlec Medical Center v. Lakeview Anesthesia Associates, Civ. A. No. 04-997, 2006 WL 1328809 (E.D. La. May 12, 2006), Civ. A. No. 04-997, 2006 WL 1328872 (E.D. La May 9, 2006) (5th Cir. 2006), Civ. A. No. 04-997, 2006 WL 897223 (E.D. La. March 14, 2006), and Civ. A. No. 04-997, 2006 WL 622796 (E.D. La. Mar. 7, 2006)
  • Bank One v. River Park Pship, 195 F. Supp. 2d 737 (E.D. La. 2002)
  • Construction Dev. Mktg. v. Bally Entertainment Corp., Civ. A. No. 95-1015, 1996 WL 273935 (E.D. La. May 22, 1996)
  • McDonald Sales Corp. v. D. H. Holmes Co. Ltd., 94-0981 (La. App. 4 Cir. 9/28/95), 665 So. 2d 1
  • Hyundai Motor America v. J.R. Huerta Hyundai, Inc., 762 F. Supp. 137 (E.D. La. 1991)
  • First Nat. Bank of Jefferson Parish v. First Maryland Leasecorp, 582 F. Supp. 853 (E.D. La. 1984).
  • Hosp. Serv. Dist. No.3 v. Fid. & Deposit Co., 1999-2773 (La. App. 1 Cir. 1/16/01), 809 So. 2d 145, writ denied, 2001-0679 (La. 4/17/01), 791 So. 2d 639
  • Desonier v. Golden Gulf Marine Operators, Inc., 474 So. 2d 1314 (La. App. 5th Cir. 1985), 476 So. 2d 336 (La. 1985)

Trust Litigation

  • Cook v. Marshall, 7.3d, 2020 WL 7861332 (5th Cir. 2000)
  • Read v. U.S. ex rel. Dept. of Treasury, 169 F.3d 243 (5th Cir. 1999)
  • F.D.I.C. v. Lewis, 21 F. 3d 89 (5th Cir. 1994)
See a full list of Kirk’s Reported Cases here.

Involvement

Professional

  • The Foundation For Natural Resources and Energy Law - Member
  • American Bankruptcy Institute and INSOL International - Member
  • American Bar Association – Member, Business Law Section and International Law Section
  • Louisiana State and American Bar Associations - Member
  • International Energy Credit Association – Member

Recognition

 

 

Credentials

Education

  • Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center (J.D., 1974)
    • Order of the Coif (Top 10%)
    • Louisiana Law Review, Member
  • Cambridge University (LL.B., 1976)
  • Cambridge University (Diploma in Legal Studies, 1978)
  • Hague Academy of International Law (1976)
  • Dartmouth College (A.B., 1971)

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana, 1974

Court Admissions

  • , Louisiana, 1974

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk to the Honorable John A. Dixon, Jr., Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1974-1975

Publications

After Hours

"I love to read, particularly murder mysteries and histories.  And, I'm getting back into tennis."

Unique Experience

Kirk brings a wealth of international experience to his practice.  He received several law degrees from Cambridge University in England, studied at The Hague Academy of International Law and was a lecturer-in-law at the University of Singapore for two years.  Prior to his international studies, he was on the 1975 staff counsel of the Presidential Clemency Board in Washington, D.C.

“I didn’t want to go right into a law practice after LSU law school,” Kirk notes, “which is why I applied to the LL.B. program at Cambridge.”

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