Biz New Orleans February 2019

Higher Pay In Hospitality New efforts to move workers up the ladder

Jay Cicero, CEO, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

bringing the big games home

Mr. Sports

p. 52

College for Less Xavier University’s president offers solutions for rising costs.

P. 36

p. 46

february 2019

best lawyer issue

2 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

bizneworleans.com / 3

Publisher Todd Matherne Editorial Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Kimberley Singletary Art Director Sarah George Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot Associate News Editor Suzanne P. Tafur Social Media Assistant Becca Miller Multimedia Blogger Leslie T. Snadowsky Contributors Julia Carcamo, Dr. Edmund Kerut, MD, Pamela Marquis, Ashley McLellan, Chris Price, Jennifer Gibson Schecter, Rick Schwab, Poppy Tooker, Keith Twitchell, Reynold Verret, Melanie Warner Spencer Advertising Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan (504) 830-7215 Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com Sales Manager Caitlin Sistrunk (504) 830-7252 Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com Senior Account Executive Brennan Manale (504) 830-7298 Brennan@BizNewOrleans.com Account Executive Jessica Jaycox (504) 830-7255 JessicaJ@BizNewOrleans.com Account Executive Sydney Steib (504) 830-7225 Sydney@BizNewOrleans.com

Marketing Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine Event Coordinator Abbie Dugruise Digital Media Associate Mallary Matherne For event information, call (504) 830-7264 Production Traffic Coordinator Lane Brocato Production Manager Emily Andras Production Designers Rosa Balaguer, Meghan Rooney Administration Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Office Manager Mallary Matherne Distribution Manager John Holzer Subscription Manager Brittanie Bryant For subscriptions, call (504) 830-7231

AABP 2016 Bronze: Best Feature Layout AABP 2017 Bronze: Best Daily Email AABP 2017 Silver: Best Recurring Feature AABP 2018 Gold: Most Improved Publication AABP 2018 Silver: Best Recurring Feature

110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 • Metairie, LA 70005 • (504) 828-1380 Biz New Orleans is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380.

Subscription rate: one year $24.95, two year $39.95, three year $49.95 — foreign rates vary call for pricing. Postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biz New Orleans, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2019 Biz New Orleans. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Biz New Orleans is registered. Biz New Orleans is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a selfaddressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Biz New Orleans are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.

4 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

february 2019 / Volume 5 / Issue 5

contents EVERY ISSUE

perspectives

from the lens

08 / Editor’s note 09 / publisher’s note 12 / Calendar 14 / industry news 15 / recent openings 16 / Events

in the biz 20 / dining

Antoine’s Restaurant takes another step into the future with a new chef.

22 / tourism

FEATUREs

46

52

Not All Fun and Games

Aiming Higher With Hospitality

Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero talks about the multi-billion-dollar impact the organization has had in the state and region.

The hospitality industry remains one of the top employers in the city, but a large portion of the jobs are low wage/low skill. A look at organizations trying to move more people up the ladder.

By chris price Portraits by greg miles

By kim singletary Photographs by sara essex bradley

59

Will a new hotel tax plug our infrastructure holes?

24 / sports

College Football Playoff should follow NFL’s lead, expand to six teams 26 / entertainment

A look at the highlights of the 22nd French Film Festival.

28 / entrepreneurship

711 Lawyers in 110 Specialties plus Toughest Cases Photographs by jeffery johnston

Xavier University of Louisiana President Reynold Verret shares his thoughts on the challenges, and potential solutions, to the rising cost of higher education.

40 / healthcare

84 / great workspaces

The New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute seeks to fast track career paths in high demand industries.

88 / why didn’t i think of that?

Tips on how to battle stress and keep your heart healthy from Dr. Edmund Kerut, M.D.

El Guapo Bitters, Syrups and Tonics has become a favorite with home cocktail makers and James Beard Award-winning restaurants alike.

44 / maritime & ports

92 / making a match:

New programs, new money and ambitious goals: Senior director Rick Schwab shares the latest news at the Delgado Maritime and Industrial Training Center.

Inventions that changed our world.

businesses and nonprofits

Arc of Greater New Orleans’ bead recyling program — providing paid jobs for those in need for more than three decades.

96 / on the job

NOLA Costumes’ Jenny Campbell brings Carnival dreams to life.

30 / etiquette

Avoiding the gossip mill at work

Best Lawyers

36 / education

32 / marketing

How do you create a brand that consumers need, not just want?

on the cover Jay Cicero, CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Photograph by Greg Miles

Editor’s Note

City of Warmth As I sit writing this, we are four days away from the Saints vs. Rams

in the NFC Championship Game. The weather outside is dreary and cold, but the spirit in New Orleans is completely immune to any attempts to bring us down. Fingers, toes, every appendage in this city is crossed and you can be sure that this Sunday, every little game day superstition will be followed, no matter how ridiculous.

It’s the Saints. It’s the Super Bowl. It’s king cake hitting office breakrooms. It’s Mardi Gras plans being made. It’s Jazz Fest announcements. For the live theatre lovers (like me), it’s Hamilton arriving in March.

Basically, in Southeast Louisiana, we have plenty of good thoughts to keep us warm in these colder months.

This is a city of warmth, and not just the kind that keeps you firmly in flip flops and sno-balls six months out of the year. It’s a city where strangers will sometimes start talking to you as if you’re their close friend (something that definitely threw me off for a while). It’s a city with its own language, its own music, its own food, its own speed, and hospitality — both inside and outside our restaurants and hotels — that just can’t be touched.

When you come here, as millions do each year, all of those things either speak to your soul in a way that nowhere else does, or they don’t.

Ratings pop up all the time praising places like Minnesota and Iowa and Nebraska for low crime and ease of living, but having lived in the North for years, I can tell you that no matter how high the scores, it’s just not enough.

Happy Mardi Gras y’all and happy reading,

Kimberley Singletary Managing Editor Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com

8 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Publisher’s Note

Full Plate When you are crazy busy you get more done.

You know the saying, “Give something you need done to the busiest person and it will happen”? I feel like that person right now.

With the start of the New Year, we have been on fire. As the official publisher of the New Orleans Saints GameDay program, we have been so excited to come in on Mondays in January and publish for the playoffs in addition to our normal hectic closing schedule. Our custom team is doing a great job and I am so proud of them for the extra effort.

Being busy is not just about work at the office, but also involvement in the community. I currently work directly with seven organizations and do my best to be a good board member.

My largest personal board focus this year is the Jefferson Business Council. This year I am honored to serve as board chairman and look forward to a successful year with our executive board and Tony Ligi, who does an outstanding job as our executive director. He really is the busy guy and runs the show.

So now I’m off to the next meeting — have to keep rolling. Give me something else to do and watch it happen.

Todd Matherne

bizneworleans.com / 9

Meet the Sales Team

Caitlin Sistrunk Sales Manager (504) 830-7252 Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com

Brennan Manale Senior Account Executive (504) 830-7298 Brennan@BizNewOrleans.com

Jessica Jaycox Account Executive

(504) 830-7255 JessicaJ@BizNewOrleans.com

Sydney Steib Account Executive

(504) 830-7225 Sydney@BizNewOrleans.com

Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com 10 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Calendar

February 7 New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Women’s Business Alliance Seminar 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Sala Restaurant & Bar 124 Lake Marina Ave. NewOrleansChamber.org 7 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting: Transformations for a Bright Community 8 to 11 a.m.

Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport 2829 Williams Blvd., Kenner JeffersonChamber.org 7 St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce B2B Networking 8 to 9 a.m.

Chamber Board Room 610 Hollycrest Blvd., Covington StTammanyChamber.org 12 New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Power Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

1515 Poydras St. 5th Floor Auditorium NewOrleansChamber.org 14 New Orleans Chamber of Commerce 1st Quarter Luncheon: The State of Our City 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans 130 Roosevelt Way Roosevelt Ballroom, Mezzanine Level NewOrleansChamber.org

15 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Business & Breakfast 7:45 to 9:45 a.m.

Carrabba’s 4641 Veterans Blvd., Metairie JeffersonChamber.org 16 AMA New Orleans Design Thinking 101 for Marketers “Making It All Work: Marketing and Communications Strategies 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

National WWII Museum 945 Magazine Street AMANewOrleans.com 21 ABWA Crescent City Connections February Luncheon “The X Factor: Women, Influence & Resilience” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Cannery 3803 Toulouse St. ABWANewOrleans.org 22 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Jefferson Performing Arts Center 6400 Airline Dr. JeffersonChamber.org 27 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Prosper Jefferson: Human Resources 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Entergy Auditorium 4809 Jefferson Hwy. JeffersonChamber.org

For a more complete list of events, visit BizNewOrleans.com. We’d love to include your businessrelated event in next month’s calendar. Please email details to Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.

12 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Industry News

Management

Cost of Pointless Meetings According to the Doodle State of Meetings Report 2019, released Jan. 10, companies need to evaluate how they do meetings, as unnecessary meetups are resulting in billions in lost revenue.

2 hours

time professionals spend on average in pointless meetings each week

“While it’s good to see more information becoming available that patients can take into account when making their healthcare decisions, it’s important to remember that a hospital’s listed charge isn’t necessarily what you will pay.”

$399 billion

cost of resources lost

by U.S. companies

24 billion

number of hours lost cumulatively to pointless meetings in the next year

34%

of American professionals consider unnecessary meetings to be the biggest cost to their organization

76%

of professionals prefer face-to-face meetings to calls or video chats

70%

prefer morning meetings over afternoon

Aeronautics

Stennis Space Center Celebrates a Big Year of “Firsts” In 2018, the Stennis Space Center celebrated its 60th anniversary along with six notable “first” at the organization’s rocket engine test site. They include: first-ever test of an RS-25 engine at 113 percent of its original thrust level, the highest power level ever achieved;

first-of-its-kind thrust vector control (TVC) system for rocket engine testing developed

by Stennis engineers;

first-ever Stennis engineer to receive the Women of Color Professional Achievement Award (Dawn Davis); and

first-ever Commercial Space Launch Act agreement signed by Stennis;

first-ever string of 10 large rocket engine tests in a 240-hour period;

first visit of new NASA Administrator Jim Birdenstine to the rocket engine test site.

Mike Bertaut, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana healthcare economist and author of the insurer’s “Straight Talk” blog, regarding the fact that as of Jan. 1, hospitals nationwide are required to post their gross charges for all procedures, drugs and supplies in an effort to make healthcare costs more transparent. Bertaut advises consumers to pay attention to in-network and out-of-network coverage and consult their individual health plans and insurers for the most accurate information.

Maritime

Port NOLA Expands Partnership The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans approved a resolution in December to expand its partnership with Ports America, the largest terminal operator and stevedore in the nation. The 50-year lease and investment of $66.5 million in infrastructure and equipment will allow both the Napoleon Avenue and Nashville Avenue Terminals to facilitate larger ships and increased volume.

The move was praised by Port of New Orleans President and CEO Brandy Christian as enabling the port to “create long-term economic prosperity for the region and to reinforce our competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

14 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Healthcare

Ochsner Founding Member of New Drug Shortage Coalition Teaming up with 11 other health systems across the country, Ochsner Health System has created a new not-for-profit generic drug company called Civica Rx. In 2019, the company is aiming to bring more than 14 hospitaladministered generic drugs to hospitals and healthcare systems. Currently, Civica Rx is working toward becoming a, FDA-approved manufacturer, with plans to either manufacture generic drugs or subcontract manufacturing to trusted supply partners.

Recent Openings

Car Max The largest retailer of used cars in the nation is hiring to fill more than 80 positions at its first store in the New Orleans area. CarMax in Kenner will open late this month at 1601 32nd Street. It is the company’s fourth store in Louisiana, joining operations in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Shreveport.

Tulane Stewart Center CBD In early January, Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business held its first classes at the Stewart Center CBD, the university’s new home for executive education programs. The 21,000-squarefoot space will be the home of the Stewart Center for Executive Education, which includes the school’s executive M.B.A. program and custom, non-degree programs for professionals, along with the Goldring Institute for International Business and a newly-launched program in Entrepreneurial Hospitality.

Daiquiri Joe’s and Joe’s Café in Kenner The famous donut shop and café started by James and Tracey Armand 30 years ago called Joe’s Café has opened its sixth location at 2201 Veteran’s Boulevard in Kenner. At the same location, the company has launched a new concept, Daiquiri Joe’s, featuring a full-service bar and homemade daiquiri favorites.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Dana Incorporated Service and Assembly Center

South Louisiana Methanol

Stirling Properties and St. Tammany Parish celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Dana Incorporated Service and Assembly Center at Fremaux Park, the mixed-use property surrounding the Fremaux Town Center retail development in Slidell.

The 32,000-square-foot industrial facility specializes in repairing and refurbishing large-scale industrial gearboxes. Construction began in November and is expected to be completed this summer.

South Louisiana Methanol has announced a $2.2 billion capital investment in a new methanol complex located in the Port of South Louisiana district. The project — a partnership between the Todd Corporation, based in New Zealand, and SABIC, based in Saudi Arabia — is expected to create 75 direct jobs with average earnings of $71,400, as well as 350 permanent indirect jobs and 800 construction jobs. Work on the complex is expected to begin as early as later this year.

Hancock Whitney Center Louisiana’s tallest office building, formerly known as One Shell Square, is officially the Hancock Whitney Center as of the grand opening, celebrated on Jan. 9. Located at the corner of Poydras Street and St. Charles Avenue, the Hancock Whitney Center replaces the bank’s former home of more than 100 years at 228 St. Charles Avenue.

Tulane Surgery Clinic Northshore Lakeview Regional is now home to the services of the Tulane Transplant Institute with the opening on Jan. 10 of Tulane Surgery Clinic Northshore.

The center will offer pre-operative appointments, follow-up appointments, education and support groups while procedures and surgeries will continue to be performed at Tulane Medical Center.

bizneworleans.com / 15

Events

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Wednesday, January 9 | Tulane University

Wednesday, January 9 | Tchefuncta Country Club

Thursday, January 10 | The Roosevelt Hotel

Wage and Hour Division Educational Forum & Payroll Audit Independent Determination Program (PAID) Educational Forum

St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce Installation and Awards Luncheon

ACG Louisiana University

Two entities of the U.S. Department of Labor presented a forum about developments in its policies and regulations that included members of the departments staffs in Washington D.C., Dallas and New Orleans.

Among the awards presented at this sold-out luncheon was to Ochsner North Shore, winner of the Tammany Award, also known as Business of the Year.

ACG University in January featured a one-day conference on private equity education and networking with senior deal professions.

1. Armand Duvio, Donna Guerrini and Henry Heier 2. Lee Ann Dunbar,Troy Mouton and Jason Chretien 3. Rachel Warne and Janet Lopez

1. Christopher Masingill, Bonnie Eades and John Herman 2. Leighanne Weeks, Paul Myers and Amanda Paxton 3.

Rory Hebbler, Misty Labat and Townsend Underhill

1. Nemo Viso, Claude Silverman and David Ducote 2. Robbie Mahtoo and Ken Jones 3. Spencer Sinclair, Mariska Roney and Albert Alexander

16 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

select photographs by cheryl gerber

bizneworleans.com / 17

Biz columnists spe ak out

in the biz DINING / TOURISM / SPORTS / ENTERTAINMENT / ENTREPRENEURSHIP / ETIQUETTE / MARKETING

We know gossip can negatively impact the workplace environment, but how do you avoid it?

Top tips for staying out of the drama.

In The Biz dining

Changing of the Kitchen Guard Antoine’s Restaurant takes another step into the future with a new chef.

by Poppy Tooker

20 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Rich, had recently left an executive position with Sodexo, one of the largest food service companies in the world. Yvonne Blount knew that her own son Rick was searching for a chef and asked for Rich’s resume, which she passed on to her son. As it turned out, he was a perfect fit. Blount’s hiring was announced in early January.

Richard Lee’s path to the famous kitchen is unique. Originally from North Carolina, he joined the Coast Guard at 18, finding his place in the ship’s galley. Later, he traveled the world as an executive steward with the Merchant Marines. After leaving the sea, Lee quickly climbed the ladder in large corporate settings like Macaroni Grill, where he added front-of-the-house and financial management skills to his resume. Years as senior manager of culinary development with Sodexo brought his creativity to the forefront and earned him the title of efficiency expert.

Now at Antoine’s, all of Lee’s talents are being put to use, but nothing could have prepared him for the challenge of pommes soufflé. This house specialty, invented by founder Antoine Alciatoire, involves twice cooking carefully formed potato slices, shaking them in a pot of 600-degree oil over an open flame, which causes them to magically puff. There is no modernizing that ancient preparation, just like with other sacrosanct classics like oysters Foch, pompano Pontchartrain, marchand de Vin and baked Alaska.

For now, the lunch menu provides a testing ground for new dishes, like the recently-added charbroiled oysters. Plump oysters on the half shell are baked with a garlic-butter sauce, escargot-style, to great acclaim. While reworking the mechanics of food ordering and other business details, Lee is studying old Antoine’s menus while referring to his own collection of antique cookbooks for special-occasion luxe dishes featuring lobster, pheasant and fois gras.

Together, the Antoine’s team is looking toward the future and making new traditions.

“Antoine Alciatoire played a major role in creating classic Creole cuisine,” says Rick Blount. “We hope to look back in 25 years to see that we made our mark in tomorrow’s nouveau Creole.”.n Catch Poppy Tooker on her radio show, Louisiana Eats! Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Mondays at 8 p.m. on WWNO 89.9 FM.

i llu st rat i o n by To n y H e a l e y

A native New Orleanian, Poppy Tooker has spent her life devoted to the cultural essence that food brings to Louisiana, a topic she explores weekly on her NPR-affiliated radio show, Louisiana Eats! From farmers markets to the homes and restaurants where our culinary traditions are revered and renewed, Poppy lends the voice of an insider to interested readers everywhere.

Back in 2009, Rick Blount, fifth generation at Antoine’s Restaurant, made a daring move.

He opened a bar inside his family’s venerable dining establishment, a place renowned for its formality and tradition. Blount knew that in order for the historic landmark to stay viable in the 21st century, it would also have to become more accessible.

The Hermes Bar represents an evolution that began in 2005 when Blount became Antoine’s CEO. At the bar, for the first time, guests could experience Antoine’s magic no matter how they were attired. Some of Antoine’s greatest classics, like oysters Rockefeller and pommes souffle, could now be sampled in casual attire while sitting amongst lighted cases filled with glittering Carnival memorabilia, mirroring those in Antoine’s famed private dining rooms.

Blount also found the restaurant’s menu needed a bit of an evolution. Since its earliest days, Antoine’s menu was written entirely in French, including hundreds of items literally dating back centuries.

English subtitles were added, and archaic menu choices like pigeonneaux sauce Paradis and matelotte d’Anguille (yes, that’s pigeon and eel!) were eliminated. Alligator meat replaced turtle in the traditional potage au sherry, and specially priced lunches made the Antoine’s experience easier on the pocketbook and more attractive to tourists.

Today, the 178-year old institution stands at yet another crossroads. After almost five decades of service, Antoine’s chef, Michael Regua, is retiring. In preparation for that day, Blount and his wife, Lisa, had conversations with possible replacements from as far away as Paris and New York.

It might be expected that a celebrity chef could take the reins, but as the Blounts explain, “That wouldn’t work with the restaurant’s core DNA. Antoine’s is a family – it’s a team operation.”

Both agree that a bit of divine intervention was needed to find the right fit and that’s exactly what happened last fall during a conversation between two mothers. Yvonne Alciatoire Blount, Rick’s mother, had met a woman named Donna Lee Robert several years ago while participating in a religious retreat. The two stayed in touch and, while catching up on the phone, Robert mentioned that her son,

bizneworleans.com / 21

In The Biz to u r is m

Mind the Revenue Gap Will a new hotel tax plug our infrastructure holes?

By Jennifer Gibson Schecter

22 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

comes down to this, when you are asking for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars, you have an obligation to show the public, every resident of every neighborhood and every member of the business community exactly how you are going to spend the money, what the projects are and how all of those integrate into a holistic strategy that becomes roads, drainage and drinking water.”

Mayor LaToya Cantrell responded to the new tax announcement by issuing a press release and calling the proposed hotel sales tax “inadequate” for the city’s infrastructure needs. The mayor argued that too many of the city’s tourism taxes go to support organizations like New Orleans and Company and the Superdome, and should instead be funneled more directly to the city from the state. Perry disagrees.

“It’s easy for all of us to say we need lots of dollars for infrastructure. We all agree on that,” said Perry. “To go forward, what we need to know is what we do to fix that and in what order and how do all those pieces tie together — the same way a business does when it does a capital expansion plan…When the mayor called our proposed tax inadequate, we understood what she was trying to say.

It’s not enough money to fix everything that needs to be fixed over the next 20 years. That’s true. But she doesn’t need the money for everything that needs to be fixed today.”

New Orleans needs critical infrastructure repairs and new projects conceived and completed. While city, policy and hospitality leaders aren’t exactly in agreement on the how, they are in agreement on the need.

“All of us in our industry — I, our company and all of our members — we want to be phenomenal supporters of this administration and applaud [Mayor Cantrell] for her passion in wanting to repair longstanding infrastructure needs. We stand with her 100 percent,” said Perry. “But our job is to make sure in crafting the right public policy initiatives to do so, we don’t impair the highest performing private sector in the city, nor do we diminish the organic growth of the city, or affect the jobs of the 50,000 residents in the city who work in the industry and 40,000 from surrounding parishes that work in New Orleans tourism.”n

i llust rat i o n by To n y H e a l e y

Jennifer Gibson Schecter was once a tourist in New Orleans herself and is now proud to call NOLA home. She also writes the Wednesday Tourism Blog on BizNewOrleans.com.

Believe it or not, there are people who

question why anyone would ever want to live in New Orleans. For the most part, those people can keep living where they are, and I’ll take shorter lines at Haydel’s, thankyouverymuch.

It gets sticky, however, when those people question even visiting New Orleans.

We are a region that relies on hospitality and tourism, so when we have to explain potholes and boil water advisories to visitors it can be challenging to make the case to ever return or speak well of us to their friends back home. Creole cottages are charming. Brushing your teeth with bottled water is not.

For many of the organizations who work to draw visitors to New Orleans, our infrastructure challenges have been top of mind. That is why New Orleans and Company, joined by Greater New Orleans Inc., announced a new proposed hotel tax this past December.

The 0.55 percent sales tax would be charged on hotel rooms in New Orleans, effectively returning the tax rate to the level it was before 2018, when state legislators allowed the temporary tax to expire.

According to Stephen Perry, president and CEO of New Orleans and Company, the tax would create $6.7 million in annually recurring dollars that would be bonded out into $81.8 million for capital expenditures.

When the plan was announced, Perry outlined priority spending, identifying $5 million to $10 million to create a master plan to guide the infrastructure projects, $25 million to build a pipeline beneath the Mississippi River to connect Sewerage and Water Board water treatment plants on each riverbank, and $25 million to $27 million to create a downtown transit hub.

The inclusion of a master plan surprised me because I thought there must already be infrastructure priorities researched and identified by the mayor’s office, but according to Perry, that is not the case.

“We’ve had a laundry list of infrastructure priorities we’ve heard over the years from the city and Sewerage and Water Board,” said Perry. “What we have yet to see, and what I think is absolutely critical from the mayor’s office, is a comprehensive plan that integrates priorities, engineering strategies and methodologies, execution metrics, time tables and critical path plan illustrations so that we understand. It

In The Biz s p o r ts

Pick Six College Football Playoff should follow NFL’s lead, expand to six teams. by chris price

24 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

dilute the talent level and allow for more unbalanced games.

With 10 FBS (Division 1) conferences – half of which are considered superior – and independents like Notre Dame, there is no way to create a tournament featuring conference champions.

It is impossible to completely eliminate subjective biases in the current format.

While it’s easy to say reward the unbeaten teams, many would argue that an undefeated American Athletic Conference team is not better than a three-loss Southeastern Conference team.

With six teams, the committee can cover its mandate to preserve “the excitement and significance of college football’s unique regular season where every game counts.”

Teams would still be selected based on their performance, including winning conference championships, strength of schedule, headto-head results, and comparison of results against common opponents.

Additionally, adding two games is much more feasible. Currently, the two semifinal games rotate annually among the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls. With another round added, these same bowls can host the first and semifinal rounds. The final will continue to go to the city that bids on and wins hosting responsibilities.

While improving teams’ chances of making the playoffs, expanding the playoff to six will also increase the financial haul for every FBS school, as increased TV and ticket revenue will be split among the teams involved, their conferences and member institutions.

Despite many changes, deciding college football’s National Champion is still controversial. Increasing the College Football Playoff from four teams to six will add intrigue, improve the overall outcome and move closer to a true National Champion. n

i llust rat i o n by To n y H e a l e y

Chris Price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football. Price also authors the Friday Sports Column at BizNewOrleans.com.

When the College Football Playoff was

introduced five years ago, it was supposed to quiet the controversy of deciding the annual national champion. Unfortunately, it hasn’t.

While the two best teams made the final, it’s arguable that the nation’s best four teams did not make the single-elimination tournament. That was evident in the semifinal games. No. 1 Alabama walloped No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 in a game that saw the Crimson Tide get up 28-0 before halftime, while No. 2 Clemson destroyed No. 3 Notre Dame 30-3. The results placed Alabama in the championship game for the fourth straight year and Clemson for the third time in four years. The two Southern schools faced off previously in 2016 and 2017, splitting championships in games that were settled by five or fewer points.

While the Sooners and Fighting Irish were flailing, college football fans and casual followers were, rightly, wondering if the football final four might have provided better contests if No. 5 Georgia and No. 6 Ohio State had replaced Notre Dame and OU. This year’s semifinal games were duds, controversy is still at hand, and it’s bad for the overall good of the sport. There is a lingering feeling that the conclusion of the college football season is not the best it can be and further change needs to come.

One way to minimize risk of unbalanced games that are decided with more than half the game to play is for college football to follow the NFL’s conference playoff format.

That would mean inviting the top six teams and expanding the tournament by a week.

Just like the professionals, the top two seeds would get a bye in the first round, while the No. 3 and No. 6 teams and No. 4 and No. 5 teams would play each other.

The second-round semifinal would feature the No. 1 team taking on the lowest-ranked winner and the No. 2 team playing the highest-ranked winner from the first round.

The winners of the semifinals would play for the championship.

There would, of course, be naysayers.

Some will say an extra week takes students away from classes and puts the playoffs too close to exams, but technology has freed the student from the tether of the classroom.

Others will ask why not expand it to eight teams to ensure even more inclusion and representation? Eight teams would likely

In The Biz en t er ta i n m en t

Francophiles Welcome A look at the highlights of the 22nd French Film Festival.

by Kim Singletary

26 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Desplas. “The core audience for them was college students, and those college students, now grown, remain our core audience.”

Among the more modern film highlights is “Custody,” a twisted family drama that has found a place on many top 10 lists for French films, and “Non-Fiction” by Olivier Assayas (known most recently for the 2016 film “Personal Shopper,” starring Kristen Stewart.

“He’s the biggest name in French films right now,” says Desplas, “so we’re really excited to show this one.”

“Non-Fiction” — described as a timeless comedy about social media — stars Juliette Binoche and premiered to great acclaim at the Venice International Film Festival last year.

Besides “On Va Continuer!” Louisiana’s French side will also be on display in “A Sense of Place,” a film about French speaking Africans living in the United States that features the Whitney Plantation.

Director and producer Bruno Moynie will be speaking at the screening.

Prior to the opening night film, the 22nd French Film Festival will host a champagne toast at a private residence a few blocks from the Prytania Theatre.

Individual tickets to films (all of which are screened with English subtitles) went on sale to festival passholders and New Orleans Film Society members Jan. 29, and will go on sale Feb. 5 to the general public. Tickets are $10 for New Orleans Film Society members and $13 for non-members.

For more information, including descriptions of all the films and shorts at this year’s festival, as well as lectures and musical performances, visit NewOrleansFilmSociety.org/french-film-festival. n

i llust rat i o n by To n y H e a l e y

Kimberley Singletary is the managing editor of Biz New Orleans magazine. A 20-year Southern California veteran, she has been surrounded by the film industry for most of her life.

From Feb. 15-21, the Prytania Theatre will

host the 22nd French Film Festival — an event that continues to grow every year.

“The audience for the festival has grown dramatically over the years, says John Desplas, artistic director emeritus of the New Orleans Film Society and co-programmer of the French Film Festival.

“Last year we reached a record attendance of around 4,000 people and we expect to beat that this year.”

While the festival has traditionally focused on French films from France, over the past few years the focus has broadened in scope to include other French speaking countries like Canada, Belgium and Switzerland. This year, the festival will have a specific focus on New Orleans’ cultural and language ties with Haiti.

“We’re collaborating with Krewe du Kanaval (a Haitian Mardi Gras krewe that held its first parade in 2017) and they will be performing at five of our events this year,” said Clint Bowie, artistic director of the New Orleans Film Society, who added that this is the fifth year the festival has integrated a music component to its festivities.

One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be the world premiere of “On Va Continuer! A Cajun Rockumentary” a film that chronicles the efforts of Grammywinning Cajun group the Lost Bayou Ramblers (who also scored the music for the four-time Oscar-nominated film, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”) to keep Cajun French language and culture alive in Louisiana. The group will perform live following the film’s screening.

Other highlights of this year’s festival include two retro films — “Donkey Skin” a 1970 French musical that is an update of a classic fairytale starring Catherine Deneuve and directed by Jacques Demy, and “The Nun” by Jacques Rivette. When it was released in 1966, this film — about a young woman committed against her will to a convent because her parents were unmarried — is described as “part erotic memoir, part melodrama” and was banned during its release.

“The 1960s and ’70s was the height of popularity of foreign films in America, the majority of which were French,” said

bizneworleans.com / 27

In The Biz en t r epr en eu r s h i p

A Look Back Inventions that changed our world. by keith twitchell

28 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

inventor with being an entrepreneur – after all, how many brilliant ideas have each of us had and done nothing about? That said, invention is the mother of entrepreneurship.

With that in mind, let’s consider some of history’s greatest inventions.

It’s a cliché to start with the wheel, but where else to begin? The common wisdom is that the wheel was invented around 4000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. Equally important to the advance of early civilization was the invention – or at least mastery – of fire. This apparently took place in Africa around 1.4 million years ago.

A few millennia later, these advancements combined to produce the combustion engine and hence the automobile, paving, traffic jams and smog … but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Another key early invention was human language, thought to have emerged in several cultures about 100,000 years ago. This greatly enhanced the ability of early mankind to collaborate on food and shelter, and is considered critical to our ascent to the top of the evolutionary ladder. About 99,999 years ago, early mankind discovered arguing about food and shelter, not to mention everything else under the sun, which nearly kicked that ladder out from under our species.

Linguists estimate that today approximately 5,000 languages are spoken worldwide (about one-third of them in Africa alone), yet amazingly, you cannot get accurate directions from a stranger standing on the corner in any one of them.

In a similar vein, the first evidence for the use of numbers and counting shows up in central Africa no more than 20,000 years ago. As this skill was further developed, it led to the development of architecture, trade, taxes, and speed limits and speeding tickets (see combustion engine, above).

While music is older than math (and a lot more fun), with the oldest-known musical instrument dating from approximately 35,000 B.C., the spread of numbers accelerated the advancement and complexity of music. Written music would not be possible without numbers.

Two other major major civilizing inventions were wine, which shows up in multiple global locations between 7000 and 6000 B.C.; and beer, which seems

first to appear among the Egyptians in approximately 5000 B.C. Over the eons, alcohol has had substantial impacts on both war and peace, as well as the propagation of our species. This lineage can be followed to the invention of craft brewing in the United States in the mid-1970s, which many experts consider to be the greatest advance in American culture in the last half of the 20th century.

Moving to more recent times, gunpowder was invented in the late 9th century in China. While the downsides of war and violence are obvious, July 4th celebrations would be a lot less celebratory without gunpowder. And ultimately, satellites, space travel and the GPS giving you bad directions in your car evolved from it (see combustion engines and language, above).

Few inventions since the wheel have had a greater global impact than the steam engine. Various sources credit various inventors with this discovery; the general time frame is the late 1500s, with the first industrial applications showing up in the late 1600s. The industrial revolution followed a couple centuries later, fundamentally creating the modern world in all its glory and disasters.

As an example of the difference between inventors and entrepreneurs, Benjamin Franklin supposedly “discovered” electricity, though in reality he simply established the connection between electricity and lightning. Researchers in Europe began identifying and understanding electricity starting around 1600. However, it wasn’t until more entrepreneurial inventors in the 19th century began harnessing this natural force for a variety of devices – and marketing them successfully – that electricity became an economic force as well.

Electricity of course led to lights, new forms of power, television, computers, the internet, and the Information Age (along with the Misinformation Age).

A key lesson here is that inventions seem often to have both positive and negative consequences. That is on all of us. A more modest invention is the hammer – and you can use a hammer to build a house or to kill someone. Inventions as a rule are inherently neutral; what humanity does with them determines whether they benefit and/or damage mankind. n

i llust rat i o n by To n y H e a l e y

Keith Twitchell spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.

We should never conflate being an

bizneworleans.com / 29

In The Biz e t i q u e tt e

Talk is Cheap Avoiding the gossip mill at work

by Melanie Warner Spencer

30 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

both religious and non-religious people can agree on is that gossip is bad. Most (though I believe it’s all) religious traditions outright condemn the act. For example, in a 2013 homily, Pope Francis echoed the words of Jesus in the gospel reading from Matthew 7: 3-5: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” The pope went on to warn, “Gossip always has a criminal side to it. There is no such thing as innocent gossip.”

In Buddhism, gossip is addressed under “right speech” or “virtuous speech.” Right speech is included in the core principles of Buddhism and is a practice deeply ingrained in the daily lives of its practitioners. Before speaking, practitioners are encouraged to ask: Is what I’m about to say true?; Is it necessary?; and is it kind?

In the world of etiquette, gossip is also widely discouraged both socially and in business and the research backs it up. In a 2008 survey of more than 2,000 executives by TheLadders.com, gossip was listed as one of the top five office etiquette offenses to avoid.

Daniel Senning of the Emily Post Institute writes, “Gossip can change the quality of a work environment and distract employees.”

But how can we avoid gossip? Especially if we are present when someone or a group begins gossiping?

“Let your co-workers know that you won’t engage in gossip,” Senning writes. “If you find yourself in a position where others are gossiping, change the conversation or exit the room.”

If being explicit or leaving the room feels a little too confrontational, consider the following advice from Cynthia Kane, author, speaker, certified meditation and mindfulness instructor and founder of The Intentional Communication Institute.

• Prepare yourself before meeting those you know who speak this way — remind yourself that you don’t have to engage, that they will be speaking negatively, and that you have options for how you respond.

• Don’t engage when others are speaking negatively about others. You can let them finish and then change the subject.

• If you can, limit your time around those who are speaking this way.

That said, there is a pro-gossip camp.

According to a 2016 Entrepreneur.com article, not all gossip (in contrast to what Pope Francis said) has a criminal side and sometimes it can even be a good thing. The piece states, “Harmless gossip between colleagues can build stronger workplace relationships and boost overall morale.”

The keyword here is harmless. It goes on to say that to prevent gossip from getting toxic, it’s important that the company promotes a culture of transparency and accountability; that peer-to-peer feedback should be encouraged; and that it’s important to bring teams together when possible to foster strong relationships. In so doing, employees will harbor less resentment overall and will be less likely to engage in harmful chitchat.

Good leaders know that good behavior starts at the top.

“The best way to keep employees from participating in gossip that hurts individual and overall morale and productivity is to lead by example,” the Entrepreneur.com article says. “Employers need to model the behavior they want to see in their employees.”

Personally, when the subject of gossip arises, I’m often reminded of Eleanor Roosevelt, who suffered greatly at the sharp, ever-turning blades of the gossip mill. According to a commentary by Cynthia Koch on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foundation website, Eleanor Roosevelt’s biographer Blanche Wiesen Cook said, “There are those who focus on her teeth and voice and other cartoon characteristics, long before they reveal how much they despise her politics, most notably her interest in civil rights and racial justice or in civil liberties and world peace.” It seems Eleanor Roosevelt gets the last words however, as she is often credited with the following cutting response to the subject of gossip, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” n

i llust rat i o n by To n y H e a l e y

Melanie Warner Spencer is editor of New Orleans Bride and New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles and managing editor of Louisiana Life and Acadiana Profile. Spencer’s ever-expanding library of etiquette books is rivaled only by her ever-ready stash of blank thank-you notes. Submit business etiquette questions to Melanie@MyNewOrleans.com.

One of those universal concepts that

In The Biz marketing

Top of the Pyramid How do you create a brand that consumers need, not just want?

by Julia carcamo

Familiarity is a driving force in purchasing.

According to Nielsen’s Global New Product Innovation Survey, almost 60 percent of respondents preferred to purchase new products from brands that are familiar to them. Almost a quarter said they purchased because it was from a brand they like. Look around, and there is no denying that we are generally brand consumers.

Branding is more than a logo.

Understanding the role your company can play in the mind and heart of your consumer is essential to creating your brand.

In her book Branding is Sex, author Deb Gabor notes, “The best brands in the world are the ones that say something about their users. In other words, branding is about how a product or service contributes to the story you are creating for your own life and how you articulate that to other people.”

Branding Starts with the Consumer

32 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

i llu st r at i o n by To n y H e a l e y

Julia Carcamo is president and chief brand strategist at J Carcamo & Associates, specializing in brand and marketing strategy. She is also the co-founder of espNOLA, a Hispanic marketing and engagement agency. Learn more at jcarcamoassociates.com and espnola.com.

There are marketers who believe branding starts with the company — specifically what the company does or produces and how it wants to be perceived. But although the company may control the image of the brand, the truth of the brand lives in the needs and desires of the customer.

Therefore, the customer must always be at the center of your brand strategy, whether you’re managing a B2C or a B2B brand.

Way back in my days at the University of New Orleans, my professors introduced me to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If you look at branding as an inside-out process, you’ll see how it falls exactly into the pyramid. Brands have to meet an individual’s functional needs (bottom of the pyramid) even to be considered. In the casino industry, we call that “table stakes.”

As brands fulfill the emotional needs of the consumer, you see the brand moving up the pyramid. Once a brand is at the top, it is supporting the customer’s need for self-actualization much in the way brands like Nike and Apple do.

In her book, Gabor uses automobiles as an example. The baseline requirements — tires, engine, AC, etc. — put practically any automobile at the bottom of the pyramid. For any of those auto brands to move up in a consumer’s pyramid, the features have to make them feel a certain way — a way that is unique to each driver,

be that comfortable, secure, cool, etc. The car they eventually purchase is the one that allows them to bring their self-image somewhat to life, i.e., “When I drive ____, I am _____.”

Brands at the top of the pyramid are bonded to their customers, rather than fighting for a share of the market. When that bond is reached, you have repeat customers.

Online recipe site Allrecipes.com, for example, is in a highly competitive space.

But while publications and websites like Food and Wine and Epicurious.com, for example, create dreams of putting a fivestar meal on the table every night, that is not the reality for a large portion of the population on an average Wednesday night. By asking users why they loved Allrecipes.com and understanding what the brand could indeed be proud of, the team ultimately focused on helping home cooks deliver great meals on a busy weeknight.

Every element of Allrecipes’ brand story is designed to give each site visitor selfconfidence in the kitchen. Each decision, even the smallest, is taken into account so visitors can feel they can easily accomplish their goals. This level of attention to detail allows Allrecipes.com to differentiate itself.

Undertaking this level of examination will help you start to form your brand story —one that tells the story of the user and how your brand deserves a spot at the top of their pyramid. n

bizneworleans.com / 33

hot topics in southe ast Louisiana industries

perspectives education / healthcare / maritime & ports

Xavier University’s president shares his thoughts on the rising cost of education.

Perspectives ed u c at i o n

As forecast by the Georgetown Center for

Education and Workforce, more than 60 percent of jobs and careers in the United States in the coming decade will require a college education.

Yet, the cost of college education is becoming unaffordable to greater numbers of American families.

Competitiveness on the national and global scale and capacity to attract industry depends heavily on the percentage of the workforce with college degrees. For our common good as a nation and society, we need these college-educated women and men and must find ways to make their education and development affordable.

Tuition Increases Equaling Enrollment Drops

The average tuition of public colleges is now $9,970, a greater-than-threefold increase over the last 30 years. For private college, average tuition of $35,000 represents more than twice that of 1988. With the added cost of housing, food, books, clothing and transportation, is it surprising that many young people dismiss the possibility of college? Even after grants and discounts, the annual cost of college attendance, according to the U.S. Department of Education, exceeds the annual incomes of many American families.

As such, more parents and prospective students are eliminating college from consideration or forgoing enrolling in their top choices. Cost is a major cause of declining enrollment as tuition inches up each year while family income stagnates.

Talent and genius have never been distributed according to socioeconomic status in any society, yet, for families at the bottom of the income scale, the cost of college is eliminating them from the market. As a result, society is deprived of its talented minds, as many never have the opportunity for college. Loss of this talent pool – much of it minority – weakens the country as it seeks to compete in the global marketplace and to remain a leader among the nations.

Value Must Be Maintained

Safeguarding a Pathway to Opportunity Xavier University of Louisiana President Reynold Verret shares his thoughts on the challenges, and potential solutions, to the rising cost of higher education.

By reynold verret

36 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

With so much attention paid to cost, value and quality of education — meaning degrees that create a real prospect of good jobs and satisfying careers — can often become secondary. Value must be balanced with affordability over the long run. Good education does cost, but the cost must be affordable to the many, not just to a few.

Colleges and universities must invest in faculty, capable and committed to success of their students.

They must pay for robust academic support, counseling, technology and other infrastructure in support of student learning and development.

And, in spite of these costs, they must remain affordable. Indeed, schools that provide high-quality education at an affordable price and supports

bizneworleans.com / 37

students toward degree completion and good jobs repay the cost of attendance many times over a student’s lifetime.

As a result of this struggle, many students are taking non-traditional paths through higher education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly seven in 10 undergraduates are “nontraditional” students, meaning they delayed starting college, have a job or children, or are attending school part-time. Many students are working while in college, maybe juggling a full-time job and family. Higher education, accustomed to students in their late teens and early 20s, is now learning to adapt to and support more mature scholars.

What Can Be Done?

The solution to the affordability challenge will call for many approaches and many hands.

A number of traditional approaches can be expanded, such as government forgiving student loans over an extended time span — especially in fields of special need — businesses providing competitive salaries and wages to recent graduates, and institutions pursuing philanthropic funding for scholarships to students in need.

There is a need for more imagination through innovative approaches by higher education leaders that can explore cooperation among institutions that offer greater learning opportunity and reduce cost and time-to-degree completion. Technology can allow students to take classes online at cooperating universities.

The academic calendar can be revisited to facilitate students attending classes year-round and to expedite completion and entry into the workforce.

Presently, the average time nationwide to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree is five-and-a-half years. With every extra year of college increasing the cost of attendance and indebtedness by roughly 25 percent, efforts must be made to lower the time-to-degree. One way to do this is with greater integration of colleges with secondary education — allowing students to earn college credit before graduating high school. This will serve to both better prepare students for their college courses and reduce failing grades and the need to repeat courses once they are enrolled. Other tools include credit by examination programs for skills acquired in the workplace.

Final Thoughts

The affordability challenge is not solely the responsibility of higher education; it calls for engagement of educators, business leaders, government entities and grantors working together. We are mistaken to think that a college degree is a benefit only to the individual recipient. The entire society benefits when we engage and unleash the genius and talent in the minds of young and old. n

38 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Dr. Reynold Verret was unanimously elected Xavier University of Louisiana’s president by its board of trustees, taking office on July 1, 2016. Prior to his appointment as president, he served as provost and chief administrative officer at Savannah State, Georgia’s first public historically black university. Dr. Verret holds an undergraduate degree with honors from Columbia University, a doctorate in biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Howard Hughes Institute for Immunology at Yale University and the Center for Cancer Research at MIT.

bizneworleans.com / 39

Perspectives h e a lth c a r e

Take Stress To Heart With February being American Heart Health Month, West Jefferson Heart Clinic of Louisiana’s Dr. Edmund Kerut, MD, shares tips on how to keep your ticker in top shape.

By dr. edmund kerut, md

Stress is a normal part of life and is often

by physical causes, such as not getting enough sleep or having an illness. Another cause of stress can be emotional, such as worrying about not having enough money or grieving the loss of a loved one. Even everyday obligations and pressures have the ability to make you feel anxious or overwhelmed at times.

Your body’s natural response to stress is to protect you. However, if stress is constant, it can eventually harm you. In response to stressors, your body releases the hormone cortisol. Studies suggest that high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure — all risk factors for heart disease.

Short-term stress can potentially trigger heart problems, such as poor blood flow to the heart muscle – restricting oxygen and blood to one of your most important organs. Long-term stress can be associated with blood clot formation, making the blood stickier and increasing risk of stroke.

Everyone reacts to stress differently. In fact, people with the most stress tend to manage stress in unhealthy ways, such as smoking or overeating.

Some common responses to stress include: • aches and pains; • decreased energy and sleep; • feelings of anxiety, anger and depression; • impatience; and • forgetfulness.

While some react strongly to a stressful situation, others are more relaxed or unconcerned.

Fortunately, you can decrease the effect of stress ignited

40 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

bizneworleans.com / 41

on your body with a few simple steps. Try the following tips to manage stress and keep your heart healthy.

1

Get plenty of exercise. Exercise can help

counteract the harmful effects of stress.

For heart health, aim for at least 30 to 40 minutes, four to five days a week. Exercise can improve cardiovascular health by controlling weight, improving lipid levels (blood fats), and lowering blood pressure. People who exercise tend to have a reduced physical response to stress. Their blood pressure and heart rates don’t go up as high as people under stress who don’t exercise. Regular exercise can also reduce the risk of depression, another risk factor for heart disease.

2

Build a strong support system. Having a strong support network, such as having someone you can talk to and trust or belonging to organizations, can reduce your stress level and risk of heart disease. Having at least one person you can rely on takes a heavy burden off you and provides comfort.

A strong support system also helps you take better care of yourself. A lack of social support increases the chance of engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, eating a high-fat diet and drinking too much alcohol.

3

Seek treatment for constant depression

or anxiety. Depression and anxiety can increase your risk of heart disease. To reduce anxiety levels, try activities that lower stress, such as yoga, walking meditation, traditional meditation and guided imagery. Look for classes in your area. Talk with your health care provider if you have feelings of depression or anxiety and ask for remedies that can help.

4

Reduce stress from work. Studies have shown that a demanding job with few opportunities for decision making and little reward increases one’s risk of heart disease.

Work stress may become more of a problem when you don’t have a strong support system.

Do what you can to gain control over your work environment. Try to take a little time out of the day to do something that is relaxing and that you enjoy. This may be reading, walking or deep breathing. Your employer may offer an employee assistance program (EAP) to help you manage stress. A counselor can help recommend strategies to help you lower your work-related stress.

If you think you are at an increased risk for heart disease because of stress in your life, speak with your health care provider. He or she may recommend counseling, classes or other programs to help you lower your stress level and decrease your risk for heart disease. n 42 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases, and echocardiography, Dr. Edmund K. Kerut is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography. He is a diplomat in Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, as well as Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiography. He subspecializes in non-invasive heart testing (echo and CT) and is the senior editor for “Echocardiography,” a medical journal with worldwide distribution.

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Perspectives m a r i t i m e & p o r ts

Full Steam Ahead New programs, new money and ambitious goals: Senior Director Rick Schwab shares the latest news at the Delgado Maritime and Industrial Training Center.

by Rick Schwab

According to the United States

Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of water transportation workers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2016 to 2026. The Delgado Maritime and Industrial Training Center has every intention of keeping up with this growth, meeting mariners’ training needs in ways that will keep them employable.

The vision of the Delgado Maritime and Industrial Training Center is to provide quality training programs at affordable costs to our region and beyond, and to meet market and labor demands, with the ever-present bottom line of customizing training to fulfill the dynamic needs of the maritime industry.

I’m proud to say we were recently cited in Marine News magazine as one of the 100 best organizations in the international maritime industry. This

44 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

is not a designation that we take lightly. This training center has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the late 1970s by focusing on training for inland and coastal waterways and expanding programs over the years to include gap closure courses that mariners need to keep their licenses current.

The center’s 2019-2020 strategic goals begin with maintaining connected relationships with maritime industry partners. The goal is to train, retrain and advance mariners to comply with new and existing regulations as required by an everevolving industry, always willing to customize training to assist individual companies in keeping a competitive edge on their marketplace.

An excellent example of this is our brand-new deckhand training program, which came to fruition

in response to companies’ desires for quality programs to introduce younger generations to the maritime workforce. The deckhand program, as an example, was realized by getting industry input, having instructors create the concept and program curriculum, and finally utilizing a variety of funding sources and donations to bring a vision to reality.

We feel this deckhand program was a much-needed resource to train the industry newcomers that will fill employment demand. The Delgado center has run two successful deckhand sessions, complete with continued industry input and ongoing tweaking as needed, to meet with industry standards.

A second example is the recent addition of engineering programs such as MEECE (Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment), Engine Room Resource Management, and QMED-Oiler. We feel these are effective additions that address training for engine room personnel on vessels.

Our strategic plan will branch out further with alternate funding, capital outlay projects and additional training programs that will be steered by our industry advisory boards to keep us ahead of the times.

On the financial track, Delgado recently secured a Louisiana Rapid Response grant, a grant specifically designed to provide training to an aging workforce and greenhorns, and to cross-train positions. This Rapid Response Grant will also afford us the opportunity to train mariners, old and new, in expanded safety, navigational, wheelhouse simulation, radar, virtual reality and dynamic positioning assessment. We are especially excited about adding this last component to our training list. We are currently working with the Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA) to complete all the necessary steps in order to make this program happen within the next six months.

Looking for high-tech solutions is also a “must-do” on our goals list. We

are currently utilizing XVR Virtual Reality Simulation for a variety of programs and a host of scenarios, each customized by an instructor to meet industry needs.

Virtual reality has also found its practical application in our newly approved U.S. Coast Guard fourday Advanced Fire Fighting course, specifically designed for command and control training for licensed mariners. This course will open for enrollment in March 2019.

We continue to look at expansion opportunities. Both the Maritime and Industrial Training Center and the Advanced Manufacturing River City site will look at eventually combining resources to provide complete, allencompassing training programs.

Looming on the near horizon is our intent to apply for the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Federal Center of Excellence as a candidate for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. We are confident that we will be selected as a Center of Excellence, opening doors for additional resources. In turn, this will allow us to assist even more companies and individuals to meet the ever-growing demand for competent mariners. n

Rick Schwab has been the senior director of the Delgado Community College Maritime and Industrial Training Center for 24 years, with more than 30 years of business management experience overall. In November 2018, he was selected to be the interim executive director of Delgado’s new Advanced Manufacturing and Technical Center at the River City site.

bizneworleans.com / 45

By Chris Price portraits by greg miles

Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero talks about the multibillion-dollar impact the organization has had in the state and region and why the next five years, leading up to New Orleans’ 11th time as Super Bowl host city, will bring some of the biggest challenges GNOSF has faced in its 30 years.

Not All

& 46 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Biggest life lesson learned? In 2003, after losing a bid to host the NCAA Men’s Final Four (three months after successfully hosting). You can’t take it for granted that major events will come to New Orleans because we have the French Quarter, the Superdome, walking distance hotels and the best food on the planet.

The competition had become fierce. Therefore, we re-dedicated ourselves to creative and aggressive bids that put everything financially feasible on the table. We may be disappointed by the outcome of losing a bid (including two Super Bowl bids), but we can take pride in knowing we did everything possible to put the state and city in position to win.

Best advice ever received? Knowing when to keep your mouth shut is as essential as knowing when to say something important, so know and read your audience. This came from one of the founders of the GNOSF, the late Ron Gardner.

48 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

How does GNOSF identify and bring a big event to New Orleans? We use all of our collec-

In its 30-year history, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) has brought hundreds of events to the city and turned a $40 million public investment into an estimated economic impact of over $3 billion.

A nonprofit organization that bids on and manages sporting events designed to bring economic impact and positive media exposure to the state and the city, GNOSF serves as the lead organization with the NBA, the NFL, the NCAA, SEC, and other national governing bodies or owners of events to evaluate events that are up for bid.

The Super Bowl, College Football National Championship, Final Four, All-Star Game, Wrestlemania, Junior Olympic Games, Bassmaster Classic and Olympic trial events — GNOSF is responsible for drawing them all to the city and making sure they are successful.

Over the next five years, the city will play host to the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship, 2020 Women’s Final Four, 2022 Men’s Final Four and the 2024 NFL Super Bowl. By then it will have raised $100 million in private fundraising in support of the major events hosted. This private fundraising, combined with a projected $50 million in public fund investment, will have created over $3.44 billion economic impact for the state of Louisiana and Greater New Orleans.

Recently, Jay Cicero, the organization’s president and CEO sat down with Biz New Orleans to discuss GNOSF’s impact and the excitement it brings to the Big Easy.

tive experience, creativity and resources to put together a business plan for that event, and then make the actual in-person bids with our sports community partners – the Saints, the Pelicans, Tulane, SMG, UNO and others. If the bids are successful, the Sports Foundation signs a contract with the event owners that obligates us to create a host community and raise the funds necessary to pay for everything that was committed to. The foundation staff then serves as the day-to-day staff for each of the major events.

What was the first event the Sports Foundation brought to New Orleans? The 1992 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. It was awarded in December 1990. We only had 18 months to completely renovate Tad Gormley Stadium, create a host committee, hire a staff, raise funds and successfully host the event. It was a pretty daunting task for us, but what that event did show was the potential of the organization, and it gave us the confidence that we could actually do this, do it well, and, hopefully, be a leader in the industry.

What goes into preparing for the marquee sporting events? Well, it’s a lot more than people understand or know. Preparing for those events is as important as executing them. It’s a lot of planning, fundraising and operational execution.

A business plan has to be presented to these organizations, and they vote on whether or not they believe in it. Certainly having hosted these events in the past helps with the understanding and the trust level that is created between our organization and our partners here in the city and the event owner, whether that be the NBA, the NFL or NCAA.

Favorite book?

“Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday Favorite TV Show?

Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” Who do you look up to?

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Hobbies?

Golf Daily habits?

Reading industry stories; the Dan Patrick Show; praying for my family; reviewing strategy, goals and budget numbers; listening to music and comedy.

Pet peeve?

Not returning phone calls or emails.

While the GNOSF does use public money, you also rely on private funding. How do you raise those funds and what types of businesses do you try to recruit to give to the foundation? We have annual corporate sponsorships, like we have with Chevron and Hancock Whitney Bank, as well as a growing membership program – about 400 to 500 members – that includes a broad range of individuals, small businesses, hotels and major corporations. We want to grow that over the next five years with this incredible lineup of events. It’s not going to get less expensive for us to operate, so private fundraising is certainly something that is very important to us.

The city was awarded its recordtying 11th Super Bowl in 2024. What does an event of that magnitude mean for the city and state? It’s huge for the state and the city. There is simply no event like the Super Bowl for New Orleans: It is by far the largest and the most challenging event to host. It also comes with a larger reward for the state and the city

bizneworleans.com / 49

in regard to economic impact and immediate exposure. In 2013, the Super Bowl in New Orleans generated about $480 million in economic impact and brought over 5,200 credentialed members of the media here for seven or eight days. That positive media exposure from media being here that entire week may be worth more than the $480 million in economic impact.

But, 11 years later, in 2024, it will be even larger. It’s the epitome of all sporting events. It has the most focus, the most media attention, and, certainly, the biggest economic impact.

Gayle Benson led the bidding for Super Bowl LVIII. What was it like to work with her? We really had the honor of working with Mrs. Benson and Mr. Benson, when he was still alive, Dennis Lauscha and Ben Hales on all aspects of that bid. In leading the final pitch to the owners, Mrs. Benson really brought the Super Bowl back where it belongs. She was incredible. She actually practiced like Drew Brees to make it perfect. It was really admirable. She’s really as genuine as she seems and a pleasure to work with. We love partnering with the Saints and the Pelicans to bid on events.

Now that the NFL doesn’t restrict the draft to New York, is there or has there been any discussion of trying to get New Orleans to host the event?

gigantic number, but $250 million is still fantastic.

We’ll learn a lot by hosting the College Football National Championship game, and hopefully we’ll be in a position to bid on that again.

What are some of the added benefits for the city/state provided by media coverage of big sporting events, especially multiple-day events like Final Fours? Media coverage is something that we used to really not pay attention to as much, but it has become nearly as important as the economic impact. It’s several days of almost nonstop coverage and positive information about our city. That is invaluable.

Social media has made it more so. Exposure associated with an event like Wrestlemania is through the roof. The Rock has maybe 100 million followers who are seeing his posts about New Orleans. How valuable is that? It’s something that, maybe, you didn’t account for five years ago, but now it is one of the main aspects of why we attract an event like Wrestlemania. The social media exposure and the ability to promote something positive about New Orleans and Louisiana is very high.

For many, WWE’s Wrestlemania might not seem like a significant event, but it has been very successful in two recent trips to New Orleans.

What has professional wrestling’s biggest annual event meant for the region? The first time we

The NFL Draft falls on the same weekend as Jazz Fest and the Zurich Classic. We really simply don’t have the space for it. We have to have hotel rooms available. We have to have venues available. We have to have the ability to raise the funds necessary.

We really have never even evaluated it because we’ve never had the opportunity to even think about hosting it, but that would be intriguing.

If the NFL ever changes dates, we’ll put in a bid.

hosted it, it shocked me how many people actually attended the event. In 2014, we had people from all 50 states and 34 countries. In 2018, it was even bigger, with all 50 states and, I believe, 64 or 65 countries. The economic impact rose from $143 million in 2014 to $175 million in 2018. It takes a lot to get the event, but it has a big payoff in the long run, too.

How do the Super Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship compare in regard to benefiting the area? The early estimates for

We hosted an unprecedented three NBA All-Star Games in nine years, so we kind of feel like the NBA All-Star Game is always on our horizon.

It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when. It’s currently not on calendar, but that relationship is so strong that it really makes it easy to say we’re going to target 2023, or something like that, if that becomes available.

the College Football Championship game are in the $250 million economic impact range where the Super Bowl was $480 million. If you take a look at the specifics of the people who come for each event, you can understand the difference.

For the College Championship, the majority of people coming in have a relationship with one of the two teams, whereas with the Super Bowl, the majority of the people who come are a corporate crowd that travels to the game no matter who’s playing or where it is. It’s a very high-spending event with people entertaining their top clients or their board of directors as part of their business operation. The Super Bowl, at $480 million, is a

50 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Is another NBA All-Star Game on the horizon?

The Sports Foundation was responsible for launching the New Orleans Bowl. Can you describe how it has become part of the city’s special event landscape and what it has brought to the region?

When the Sports Foundation started in 1988, we wanted an annual event that was significant

and had national exposure for the state and city.

It wasn’t until 2001 that we were able to add it to our calendar. It represents $20 million in economic impact annually. R+L Carriers is our title sponsor. ESPN is the national broadcast partner.

The Sports Foundation serves as the staff of the host committee. We’re able to use our resources and knowledge we’ve gained from hosting other events and apply it to the New Orleans Bowl.

Big, season-opening matchups have become the trend in recent years in college football. Is there any talk of establishing an annual game in New Orleans? We worked with UL (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and SMG to move UL’s 2019 home game versus Mississippi State to the Dome next Labor Day weekend. But currently, there’s no plans for a consistent, annual game to be held. However, I know the Sugar Bowl has been working on an SEC/ACC matchup for 2022.

Bringing two large, major conference foes to New Orleans for a neutral site game would require a significant financial investment, and in the evaluation of that financial investment versus the return on that investment, it’s something we’ll all be looking at.

While professional and collegiate events garner the most attention, the Sports Foundation is also involved in recruiting amateur events to the region, too. How important are they to the organization’s mission? Like I said before, our first major event was an amateur sporting event, the Olympic Track and Field Trials back in 1992. Our objective is to book the larger events, Super Bowls, Men’s Final Fours, Women’s Final Fours, Wrestlemanias, and book them out as far out as we possibly can and then fill in between with quality midsize professional and amateur events. In March, we’ll have the 2019 SEC Gymnastics Championships. With LSU performing in the Top 5 in the country the last five years, we’re expecting a nice turnout for that. Amateur events are very important, because you can’t host the Super Bowl or the Final Four every year.

How does it feel to look back at the growth and importance of the Sports Foundation over 30 years?

It’s gratifying to think about how we are successfully carrying out the mission established 30 years ago and humbling to realize that over the next five years of major events ending with the Super Bowl in 2024 we’ll have some of the biggest challenges we’ve ever faced. It’s been an honor to learn from and serve with some really great board members who are incredibly talented community leaders.

“In leading the final pitch to the owners, Mrs. Benson really brought the Super Bowl back where it belongs.

She was incredible. She actually practiced like Drew Brees to make it perfect.”

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?

Working with the Sugar Bowl leading up to hosting the 2020 College Football Championship Game in January; working with Tulane, UNO and the Sugar Bowl on preparations to host the 2020 NCAA Women’s Final Four next April; putting the finishing touches on the Sports Foundation’s business plan leading up to hosting the 2024 Super Bowl; and potentially announcing a new major event coming to the state and city.

bizneworleans.com / 51

A critical force in New Orleans’ economy, the hospitality industry remains one of the top employers in the city, but it’s also one where a large portion of the jobs are low wage/low skill. In a city with a poverty rate of 27 percent (almost twice the national average of 15) multiple ventures are now starting to focus on the wellpaying careers that do exist in hospitality and move more people up the ladder.

Aiming Higher With Hospitality

BY KIM SINGLETARY PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY

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K

nown for food and culture that’s unlike any other in the world, along with the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, New Orleans has long been a favorite with tourists and transplants who flock to the city for its acclaimed Southern hospitality.

As such, it’s not surpising the hospitality and tourism industry is a critical sector of the New Orleans region’s economy, comprising about 12 percent of the 597,000 jobs in the region and 20 percent of the 200,000 jobs in the city.

With tourism numbers in New Orleans continuing to break records — reaching 17.74 million visitors and $8.7 billion in visitor spending in 2017, a 5.7 percent increase in visitors over 2016 — employment opportunities in the industry are also on the rise. According to a November 2018 study funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the accommodation and food service industry in Greater New Orleans is expected to increase by 11 percent regionally and 16 percent within the city itself by 2027, resulting in 8,400 new jobs in the region, including 6,400 in New Orleans.

That’s the good news.

54 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

A

ccording to the same study, however, 85 percent of the jobs in this industry are considered low wage/low skill, with threefourths requiring less than a month of on-the-job training and 74 percent not even requiring a high school diploma.

The top six most popular jobs in the industry (together accounting for just over 50 percent of all hospitality jobs) are waiters and waitresses, cooks, food preparation, bartenders, maids and hosts and hostesses. Among these professions, median wages in 2017 ranged from $8.81 to $10.42 per

hour according to the Hilton study — well below what is considered to be a living wage.

Mavis Early, the executive director of the Greater New Orleans Hospitality and Lodging Association (GNOHLA), acknowledges the abundance of low wage/low skill jobs, noting that hospitality is one of the few industries with a very low barrier to entry, but also one in which advancement is “probably faster than most industries.”

“There’s a high demand for talented people that is far greater than supply,” she says. “If you want to work your way up, there are so many

directions to do so, no matter your skill set or education level.”

In an effort to increase awareness of these opportunities, GNOHLA launched an online and interactive campaign last year called “Faces of Hospitality.”

“The website, FacesofHospitality.org, includes 10, 60-second-or-less videos where various professionals share their success stories and reasons why they love working in hospitality,” Early says.

“The nice thing about working in hospitality is that you don’t have to do the same thing forever,” says Brian McCallan, an engineering analyst with the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, during his interview. “You can change your job every six months to a year and continue to grow and understand different aspects of the hotel industry as you move up in the company.”

The website also links back to an area of the GNOHLA’s site, which highlights the range of career opportunities in hospitality.

“It’s so much more than what people typically realize,” Early says. “Human resources, property management, group sales, IT, financial management, convention and meeting services, all of those opportunities are there.”

In addition to offering a wide array of career options and opportunities to advance relatively quickly, Early says benefits offered by hospitality providers are good.

“Hotels offer health insurance at good rates, and dental, and some tack on life insurance,” she says. “There can be opportunities to travel at an amazing discount, and most DID YOU KNOW? hotels offer meals.”

More than 80 percent of jobs With so many jobs available in in the hospitality and tourism the industry, Early says GNOHLA industry in the New Orleans region require no previous work has made recruitment a major experience, and 74 percent have priority, especially with young no formal education requirements. people.

Source: “Hospitality and Tourism in the New Orleans Region: A Labor “My goal this year is to continue Market Snapshot” by JFF to work on workforce development,” says Early. “Right now, we work with Delgado on a program called YOST (Youth Occupational Skills Training) that’s designed for 18-to-24-year-olds, where young people can get industry-based certified trainings in hospitality and tourism.” Trainings for the YOST program are free to qualified applicants and include job placement assistance, job-readiness seminars and supportive services like gas cards or bus passes. “My goal is to get involved with four other outlets this year that are working with opportunity youth. We want to create a pipeline into the industry for our young people.”

Early says GNOHLA is also working on addressing challenges faced by many individuals who work low wage/low skill positions, like transportation.

“Right now, we are working with Ride NOLA,” she says. “They are surveying our hospitality employees to determine where better transporta-

new orleans restaurants by the numbers

564

full-service restaurants employ

14,804

people, of which

5,720

are waiters and waitresses working in full-service restaurants.

Source: “Benchmarking New Orleans’ Tourism Economy: Hotel and FullService Restaurant Jobs.” Released Dec. 2018

by The Data Center.

bizneworleans.com / 55

tion is needed. Then we’ll work with RTA. A lot of our workers have been pushed to Marrero due to high housing costs and it DID YOU KNOW? Nearly 8,400 new currently takes three transfers to get into hospitality and tourism jobs Downtown. We want to get that changed.” are projected for the region, In a December 2018 study entitled including 6,400 in the city of New Orleans by 2027.

“Benchmarking New Orleans’ Tourism Source: “Hospitality and Economy: Hotel and Full-Service Tourism in the New Orleans Region: A Labor Market Restaurant Jobs,” The Data Center noted Snapshot” by JFF that 17 percent of total jobs in the tourism and hospitality cluster in the region are “good jobs,” which pay a living wage or provide pathways to jobs in other occupations that pay a living wage, noting that because the sector is relatively large, the number of “good jobs” is also large.

The question then becomes: How do you get more people into them?

I

n January — the same month as the opening of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Insitute (NOCHI) — Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business launched a program inside its new Stewart Center CBD — co-located with NOCHI — called Entrepreneurial Hospitality.

“We began with a one-week intensive, a deep dive into the hospitality industry, specifically aimed at having undergraduate and graduate students plan and present new hospitality concepts to industry professionals,” says John F. Clarke, Freeman’s associate dean of graduate programs, who is overseeing the new venture. “This program is different because it focuses on the entrepreneurial side of things and in understanding hospitality and really the customer experience. To that end, it’s relevant to people in any industry; everybody has customers, and everybody has employees, which are internal customers.”

This venture is Tulane’s first real step into hospitality. new orleans “We’ve had some courses in the past, but this is actually a concentration that can be Hotels by the used toward an MBA or a one-year master’s numbers in management program,” Clarke says.

“It’s actually such a perfect fit because New Orleans has a long history of innovation in hospitality and we have alums in every aspect of it that we can partner with.” hotels employ Many of these alums, Clarke says, are fairly recent graduates, including serial hospitality entrepreneur and now faculty people, equaling member A.J. Brooks, whose ventures include Simone’s Market and the Catahoula of the Hotel.

“The Catahoula Hotel was actually one of A.J.’s final projects in his MBA program total jobs with us,” says Clarke.

After six years spent talking to stakeholders both inside and outside the hospitality industry, Clarke says he’s excited to Source: “Benchmarking New Orleans’ Tourism see classes start this summer.

Economy: Hotel and FullService Restaurant “We are excited to create a differentiated Jobs.” Released Dec. 2018 experience for our students,” he says,

by The Data Center. “and strengthen our ties to this critically important industry.”

161

11,647

5.6 percent 207,863

Mark Your Calendar New Catering Conference Launches in New Orleans This Spring

A new national catering conference called CaterUp!, designed to help restaurant leaders grow their share of the $61.5 billion U.S. catering market, will take place April 29 to May 1 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.

Participants will learn the latest industry data, along with new strategies to drive revenue growth and operational efficiency through panels and guest speakers from brands like Corner Bakery, P.F. Chang’s and Red Robin. Session topics include the state of the catering industry, using technology to streamline business, staffing, building a catering brand, acquiring new customers and driving demand.

The conference is being run by ezCater, the largest online marketplace for business catering

in the world. More than 60,000 restaurants and caterers use the company’s tools to grow and manage their catering ventures.

“Catering makes up 5 to 6 percent of restaurant sales volume, and that number is growing,” says Jim Rand, catering practice leader at ezCater, who led content development for the conference. Rand says consumer shift to delivery and takeout driven by technology means restaurants have the potential to grow revenue in a way that is “typically more marginally profitable than inrestaurant transactions.”

“There’s no one restaurant or segment that owns the catering industry right now,” he says. “It’s wide open.

For more information, visit CaterUp2019.com.

bizneworleans.com / 57

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Helping companies handle, and preferably avoid, sexual harrassment cases in the #metoo era W i t h h i g h - p r o f i l e c a s e s o f s e xu al h a r a s s m e n t

making headlines recently, labor and employment attorney Monique Gougisha Doucette is a very busy woman. “[My specialty is] labor and employment law, with a focus on workplace misconduct and sexual harassment issues,” she says. “For most of my career, my practice has primarily involved litigating cases with discrimination, harassment and whistleblower claims. Over the last few years, though, my practice has seen a sharp increase in workplace advising such as anti-harassment trainings, internal investigations and policy/cultural assessments.

Of course, the #metoo movement created a surge in my training and employment advising.”

For Doucette, cases involving employees who engage in inappropriate behavior have become the toughest cases she takes on, with the impact felt not only by the individuals involved, but also by the company at large.

“Over the years, my toughest challenge has not been one specific case, but it has been one particular fact pattern,” she said. “[These] cases involve a company that has good intentions and promotes a respectful workplace, but then a rogue employee engages in abhorrent conduct, which sends everything into a tailspin with nasty litigation. Litigating sexual harassment cases is always challenging, but it is even more so when an employer has tried to do the right thing but still suffers financial and reputational harm when an employee willfully violates its policies.”

In an effort to stop a problem before it starts, Doucette offers dedicated consultations, policies and procedures for a wide variety of work environments.

“I’ve learned that this job is not just about defending lawsuits,” Doucette said. “I firmly believe that I can serve as both a management-side lawyer and a supporter of the #metoo movement, as these are not mutually exclusive concepts. I also assist my clients with their trainings and internal investigations. I advocate for robust policies addressing behavioral standards and accountability. Essentially, I approach my role as an employment lawyer from a big picture perspective and as a proactive advisor helping employers shape their workplace culture.”

New Orleans-born, Doucette follows in the footsteps of her father, who also graduated from Tulane Law School and moved her family to Washington, D.C., to pursue a career in the Senate.

It was her father’s passion that taught Doucette a love for the law, although that love briefly moved her away from her hometown, a point her childhood friends never let her forget.

“I always say that I am a New Orleans native with an asterisk because I did not graduate from high school in New Orleans,” she says. “Watching my parents relocate our family to pursue advancement in their respective careers taught me very valuable lessons, including not settling in your career and the importance of investing in yourself professionally.”— B y A s h l e y M c L e l l a n

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Labor and Employment Law C O M PA N Y

Shareholder, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. EXPERIENCE

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William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Frank A. Tessier Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252

Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Robin B. Cheatham Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 John M. Duck Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Lisa Merz Hedrick Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Patrick Johnson, Jr. Akerman 504-586-1241 Edward H. Arnold III Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Jan M. Hayden Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454

Joseph L. McReynolds Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Sterling Scott Willis Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252

Thomas M. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235

William H. Hines Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235

J. Marshall Page III Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Russ M. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892

Susan M. Tyler Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Harry Simms Hardin III Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Henry A. King King & Jurgens 504-582-3800

David F. Waguespack Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800

Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Robert J. Stefani King & Jurgens 504-582-3800

Fernand L. Laudumiey IV Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000

62 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Miles P. Clements, Esq. The case of Mossy Motos vs. the Sewerage and Water Board over business interruption and destruction of property

Alvin C. Miester III Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Robert M. Steeg Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199

Roy E. Blossman Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800

M y t o u ghest case

Sessions Ault Hootsell III Butler Snow 504-299-7700 William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800

I n M i l e s P. Cl e m e n t s ’ alm o s t f o u r- d e c ad e - lo n g

career he has been the lead trial attorney on more than 100 cases that have gone to judgment. A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Clements founded the firm of Frilot, L.L.C., with George A. Frilot III in 1995.

A self-proclaimed competitive person by nature, Clements is a sports lover who went from playing them in high school and college to representing the Sugar Bowl as an officer through the five formative years that led to the creation of the Bowl Championship Series, and the Sugar Bowl’s prominence as one of only four BCS bowls. His leadership in the Sugar Bowl also included serving as president in 2000, the year of its first BCS National Championship, as chairman of the executive committee, and on the organization’s board for 10 years.

With such an extensive and wide array of cases to pull from, Clements says many could qualify to be among his toughest; however, a few in particular stand out. Among them is a case in which he represented a company against a battery manufacturer for misappropriating trade secrets and engaging in unfair trade practices. After a 24thJudicial District Court judge dismissed the case, Clements won on appeal, resulting in a $30 million verdict for his client.

Another of his toughest cases involves two names that are very familiar to New Orleanians, Mossy Motors and the Sewerage and Water Board. In this case, Clements represented Mossy Motors, for which he filed a suit in Civil District Court for business interruption and physical destruction of property due to construction involving deep-well dewatering during the expansion of Drainage Pumping Station No. 1.

“The appointment of an ad hoc judge enabled the matter to proceed to trial against three defendants within two years of filing,” says Clements. “A six-week jury trial proceeded against two private defendants, with a bench trial against the S&WB. The ad hoc judge did not have his own courtroom, so the lawyers had to move to a new courtroom every few days, file materials and all. Much of the evidence was presented electronically, which was ‘cutting edge’ at the time.”

In the end, the jury awarded substantial damages against the private defendants, and the judge awarded a separate judgment for the full amount against the S&WB. Defendants appealed twice in the Louisiana Supreme Court. Both times Mossy prevailed.

— B y K i m S i n g l e ta r y

STATS

S P E C I A LT Y

Energy Law C O M PA N Y

Senior Member, Frilot, L.L.C. EXPERIENCE

39 years in practice STUDIES

B.A. Tulane University J.D. Tulane University Law School

bizneworleans.com / 63

STATS

S P E C I A LT Y

Commercial Litigation C O M PA N Y

Partner, Phelps Dunbar LLP EXPERIENCE

18 years in practice STUDIES

B.A. College of William & Mary

best law y ers

J.D. Tulane University Law School

64 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

About The List M y t o u ghest case

Christopher K. Ralston A multimillion-dollar patent infringement dispute over selfrelease parking boots

Credit The Best Lawyers in America© is published by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC, Aiken, S.C. and can be ordered directly from the publisher. For information call 803-648-0300; write 237 Park Ave., SW, Suite 101, Aiken, S.C. 29801; email info@bestlawyers. com; or visit bestlawyers.com.

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Disclaimer and Copyright

W e ll b e f o r e h e b e c am e a law y e r , C h r i s to p h e r

K. Ralston owned both a restaurant and a rental car company, and as a result, developed business skills that have helped him excel in his current area of legal expertise.

Ralston is a commercial litigator partner at Phelps Dunbar LLP – a law firm with 10 offices across the country, including one in Downtown New Orleans. He manages disputes between companies and advises multinational corporations and nascent businesses with disputes that may involve antitrust laws, business torts, trade secret litigation, contract disputes, tax litigation and intellectual property litigation.

As an appellate lawyer, Ralston also tries appeal cases.

“I felt like I could relate to a business owner, because I had been one,” said Ralston, explaining why he was attracted to commercial litigation.

After receiving a bachelor of arts in international relations from the College of William & Mary, Ralston earned a juris doctor from Tulane University Law School, and then worked as a law clerk for the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.

Although Ralston interned and clerked for Phelps Dunbar during his second summer of law school, he officially joined the firm in 2000.

He also serves as the president of the New Orleans Bar Association.

He says one of his toughest cases occurred in late 2017, during which Ralston and his Phelps Dunbar team scored a major legal victory for his client, SP Plus Corporation – a publicly traded corporation.

The corporation had been threatened with a patent infringement action by a New York-based entity in the parking industry because of its use of self-release parking boots in New Orleans.

Phelps successfully sought an order from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, declaring that the two patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office were invalid as a matter of law. The Federal Circuit later affirmed the ruling in favor of SP Plus Corporation.

“It was very intensive in terms of injunctions,” he says. “There were proceedings in multiple courts, and pretty high stakes.

We’re talking about millions of dollars.”

In the end, however, Ralston says the fast-paced case was challenging, but well worth the effort.

“It’s gratifying to feel like you’ve done a good job for the client, who you’ve gotten to know and appreciate over time,” he says.

Ralston was quick to credit his Phelps Dunbar crew for the win.

“We have a very strong pool of talent here,” he says. “I was the lead, but there were also a bunch of lawyers who were very capable, and who did high-level work for the client.” — By S u z a n n e

BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All listed attorneys have been verified as being members in good standing with their respective state bar associations as of July 1, 2018, where that information is publicly available. Consumers should contact their state bar association for verification and additional information prior to securing legal services of any attorney.

Copyright 2019 by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC, Aiken, S.C. All rights reserved.

This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of this list may be made without permission of BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of this list without permission.

“The Best Lawyers in America” and “Best Lawyers” are registered trademarks of BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC. Methodology for Best Lawyers® This list is excerpted from the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, the pre-eminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. Published since 1983, Best Lawyers lists attorneys in 145 specialties, representing all 50 states, who have been chosen through an exhaustive survey in which thousands of the nation’s top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The 2019 edition of Best Lawyers is based on more than 7.8 million evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

The method used to compile Best Lawyers remains unchanged since the first edition was compiled more than 30 years ago. Lawyers are chosen for inclusion based solely on the vote of their peers. Listings cannot be bought, and no purchase is required to be included. In this regard, Best Lawyers remains the gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings.

The nomination pool for the 2019 edition consisted of all lawyers whose names appeared in the previous edition of Best Lawyers, lawyers who were nominated since the previous survey, and new nominees solicited from listed attorneys.

In general, lawyers were asked to vote only on nominees in their own specialty in their own jurisdiction.

Lawyers in closely related specialties were asked to vote across specialties, as were lawyers in smaller jurisdictions. Where specialties are national or international in nature, lawyers were asked to vote nationally as well as locally. Voting lawyers were also given an opportunity to offer more detailed comments on nominees. Each year, half of the voting pool receives fax or email ballots; the other half is polled by phone.

Voting lawyers were provided this general guideline for determining if a nominee should be listed among “the best”: “If you had a close friend or relative who needed a real estate lawyer (for example), and you could not handle the case yourself, to whom would you refer them?” All votes and comments were solicited with a guarantee of confidentiality, a critical factor in the viability and validity of Best Lawyers’ surveys.

To ensure the rigor of the selection process, lawyers were urged to use only their highest standards when voting, and to evaluate each nominee based only on his or her individual merits. The additional comments were used to make more accurate comparisons between voting patterns and weight votes accordingly. Best Lawyers uses various methodological tools to identify and correct for anomalies in both the nomination and voting process.

Ultimately, of course, a lawyer’s inclusion is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow attorneys. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, the breadth of the survey, the candor of the respondents, and the sophistication of the polling methodology largely correct for any biases.

For all these reasons, Best Lawyers lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful guide to the best lawyers in the United States available anywhere.

P f e f f e r l e Ta f u r

bizneworleans.com / 65

David J. Messina Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Brent B. Barriere Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Douglas S. Draper Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 Tristan E. Manthey Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 Cherie Nobles Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 William H. Patrick III Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 Elizabeth J. Futrell Jones Walker 504-582-8000 R. Lewis McHenry Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Mark A. Mintz Jones Walker 504-582-8000 R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Patrick M. Shelby Kelly Hart & Hallman 504-522-1812 Marguerite K. Kingsmill Kingsmill Riess 504-581-3300 Philip K. Jones, Jr. Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Omer F. Kuebel III Locke Lord 504-558-5100 Christopher T. Caplinger Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990

best law y ers

Benjamin W. Kadden Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Stewart F. Peck Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Rudy J. Cerone McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 J. David Forsyth Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Michael Q. Walshe, Jr. Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700

Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580

George C. Freeman III Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700

Charles L. Stern, Jr. Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199

Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Steven W. Usdin Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Brent B. Barriere Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Thomas M. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235 John Wilson Reed Glass & Reed 504-581-9083 Ewell E. Eagan, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Daniel Lund Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Edward Hart Bergin Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Harry Simms Hardin III Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Pauline F. Hardin Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker 504-582-8000 R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker 504-582-8000 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 John M. Wilson Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Larry Feldman, Jr. McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Harry Rosenberg Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Barry W. Ashe Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Jerome J. Reso, Jr. Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Edward N. George Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 William H. Langenstein III Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Benjamin Woodruff Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Civil Rights Law

Susan Fahey Desmond Jackson Lewis 504-208-1755 Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

Jerome J. Reso, Jr. Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900

Bet-the-Company Litigation

Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Kyle Schonekas Schonekas, Evans, McGoey & McEachin 504-680-6050

Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Danny G. Shaw ShawADR 985-789-0701

Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Laura Walker Plunkett Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

66 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Suzette Toledano Jumping into the cannabis industry, beginning with representing Willy Nelson

Daniel T. Pancamo Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Joseph Maselli, Jr. Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142

Walter C. Thompson, Jr. Barkley & Thompson 504-595-3350

M y t o u ghest case

William H. Langenstein III Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000

W i t h a c l i e n t e l e t h at i n c lu d e s r a p p e r s a n d

musicians, Suzette Toledano has received a sort of “street cred” in the entertainment industry in her four decades of practicing intellectual property and entertainment law – which includes copyright, trademark and licensing.

During one unexpected phone call four years ago, however, Toledano was launched into a new, unexpected arena – the cannabis industry.

“I’m sitting in my office by myself minding my own business,” she says, “and I get a phone call from a lawyer in Colorado.” For two hours this lawyer spoke with Toledano about her background in copyright and trademark that ended with one question Toledano will never forget; “Well, would you be interested in licensing everything to do with cannabis from Willie Nelson?”

It was an opportunity Toledano described as dropping from heaven.

Given the nature of the subject, her new client, a Coloradoand Washington-based cannabis branding company [owned by Willie Nelson?], threw Toledano into a situation that had many moving parts. “It was extremely challenging because cannabis is still a federally controlled substance,” says Toledano. “I had to take great care not to inadvertently draft an illegal contract.”

Worried not only about the legality of the contract, Toledano says additional attention to detail had to be administered when including internal state laws, defined territories, party waivers of rights and boilerplate provisions.

“The agreement had to be extremely flexible because the internal state laws on cannabis are ever-evolving,” she says. “Cannabis cannot cross state lines, but the licensing of brands, trademarks, and know-how can. Creative contractual accommodations had to be made. For example, something usually as clear as specifying a territory as ‘worldwide’ had to be painstakingly defined as a territory rolling out in stages as state and country laws on legality, product types, and forms of use, etc. changed. Essentially, I had to turn every clause upside down and shake it out.”

Though challenging, the step into this new industry has opened many doors for Toledano by widening her network of associates.

She now represents and provides legal services to companies invested in the cannabis industry, speaks at cannabis-related events and conferences, and serves as an area representative for the National Cannabis Bar Association.

The one thing she says doesn’t change about this burgeoning industry is that there’s always more to learn.

“The more knowledgeable a lawyer is about her client’s industry,” she says, “the more effectively she can serve her clients.” — B y K e l ly M a s s i c ot

STATS

S P E C I A LT Y

Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law C O M PA N Y

Toledano Entertainment and Arts Law EXPERIENCE

40 years in practice STUDIES

J.D. Tulane University Law School

bizneworleans.com / 67

STATS

S P E C I A LT Y

Admiralty and Maritime Law C O M PA N Y

Managing Member, Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson E xperience

31 years in practice STUDIES

B.S. Tulane University

best law y ers

J.D. Tulane University Law School

68 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Robert A. Kutcher Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais 504-830-3838

M y t o u ghest case

Paul Sterbcow Working for almost six years on the Deepwater Horizon disaster — a case involving more than 200,000 claims A t h i r d - g e n e r at i o n N e w O r l e a n i a n , Pa u l St e r b c o w has always loved the water, but his first intention for a career was actually to become a doctor.

“When I started in undergrad at Tulane it was with the idea that I would go to medical school, but then I took an entry-level political science class and I found that, by far and away, the most interesting,” he says. “From there it just seemed natural to get my degree in law. There’s so much involved in the evolution of law — from the Greeks and Romans to now.”

During the first semester of his second year in law school, Sterbcow found his path leading back to the water.

“When I took Admiralty 1 with Robert Force it just caught me immediately,” he says. “Maritime law is one of the few areas of law that is truly national while state laws apply at the core. It is based on the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes and created over time by the judiciary. There’s so many unique principles when it comes to the law of the sea.”

Sterbcow says his toughest case, in terms of size and complexity, was his work representing the plaintiff side of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The largest oil spill in U.S. history, the case involved 11 deaths and numerous injuries.

“I was honored to act as co-lead of the liability trial team with my friend, Bobo Cunningham, of the Cunningham Bounds firm in Moblie,” he says. “We reviewed and used over 1 million documents, oversaw and participated in 300 depositions in 12 months, including 30 in London that included BP’s corporate leadership, held weekly discovery/status conferences with Judge Sally Shushan and tried the case with our team of 12 outstanding trial lawyers for three months before Judge Barbier.”

Sterbcow’s worked on the case from October 2010 to April 2016.

“It was so huge that we basically set up a new law business on an entire floor downtown, hired clerks and associates, document reviewers, had security systems and technology to prevent against hacking.”

He adds that he’s proud of the outcome of the case, which involved over 200,000 claims.

“If you look at the efforts that were made objectively, from the perspective of efficiency and the quality of lawyering given the sheer size of this case, I think it was extraordinary,” he says.

“It was an amazing professional experience and one in which I learned a tremendous amount from lawyers on all sides about litigating complex matters.” — B y K i m S i n g l e ta r y

Commercial Finance Law

Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Robert M. Steeg Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Commercial Litigation

Mark R. Beebe Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Charles A. Cerise, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Johnny L. Domiano, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Don S. McKinney Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Deborah B. Rouen Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Elizabeth A. Roussel Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Mark C. Surprenant Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Robert A. Vosbein Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241 Gerard Wimberly, Jr. Akerman 504-586-1241 Craig L. Caesar Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Kent A. Lambert Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Anne Derbes Wittmann Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Matthew A. Woolf Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 David L. Carrigee Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Lawrence R. DeMarcay III Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Robert E. Barkley, Jr. Barkley & Thompson 504-595-3350

Walter C. Thompson, Jr. Barkley & Thompson 504-595-3350 Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Celeste Coco-Ewing Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 George C. Freeman III Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Craig Isenberg Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 H. Minor Pipes III Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Andrea Mahady Price Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Steven W. Usdin Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Charles Zerner Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 C. Wm. Bradley, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Dwight C. Paulsen III Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 David E. Redmann, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Thomas M. Benjamin Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Peter J. Butler, Jr. Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Richard G. Passler Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Raymond G. Areaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 M. Taylor Darden Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Leann Opotowsky Moses Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800

Philip D. Nizialek Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Robert S. Stassi Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 David F. Waguespack Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Walter F. Becker, Jr. Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Edward N. George Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Douglas R. Holmes Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Charles D. Marshall III Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Corinne A. Morrison Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 John F. Olinde Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Robert S. Rooth Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Brent A. Talbot Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Donald C. Massey Couhig Partners 504-588-1288 Keith A. Kornman Degan, Blanchard & Nash 504-529-3333 Robert E. Kerrigan, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 William E. Wright, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Thomas J. Lutkewitte Favret, Demarest, Russo, Lutkewitte & Schaumburg 504-561-1006 Brent B. Barriere Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Jason W. Burge Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Lance C. McCardle Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Loretta G. Mince Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Sean P. Brady Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235 Thomas M. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235 bizneworleans.com / 69

Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235

Harry Simms Hardin III Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Larry Feldman, Jr. McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200

Ann Koppel Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235

Pauline F. Hardin Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Stephen W. Rider McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200

Tim Gray Forman Watkins & Krutz 504-799-4383

Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker 504-582-8000

George J. Fowler III Fowler Rodriguez 504-523-2600

Andrew R. Lee Jones Walker 504-582-8000

James K. Irvin Milling Benson Woodward 504-569-7000

Antonio J. Rodriguez Fowler Rodriguez 504-523-2600

Joseph J. Lowenthal, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Fred L. Herman Fred Herman Law Firm 504-581-7068 Steven W. Copley Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Donna Phillips Currault Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

best law y ers

Allen C. Miller Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker 504-582-8000

David L. Patrón Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Lynn E. Swanson Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison 504-523-2500 Joseph W. Looney Joseph W. Looney Attorney at Law 504-299-3468 Matt J. Farley Krebs Farley 504-299-3570

A. Gregory Grimsal Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Lara E. White Lara E. White 504-491-7911

Daniel Lund Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Howard E. Sinor, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Eric R Nowak Harrell Nowak 504-522-7885 Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Maury A. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Edward Hart Bergin Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Thomas A. Casey, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Kim M. Boyle Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Ewell E. Eagan, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Martin E. Landrieu Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Joseph C. Peiffer Peiffer Wolf Carr & Kane 504-523-2434

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bizneworleans.com / 71

Joseph L. Caverly Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Michael D. Landry Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

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72 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

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bizneworleans.com / 73

Deborah Duplechin Harkins Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister 504-566-1801 C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Government Relations Practice

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74 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

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Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Ernest L. O’Bannon Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O’Bannon 504-322-1375 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 William E. Wright, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 David S. Daly Frilot 504-599-8000 Daniel Lund Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Gus A. Fritchie III Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 W. Paul Andersson Leake & Andersson 504-585-7500 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Leisure and Hospitality Law

Michael R. Schneider Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Litigation - Antitrust

Mark R. Beebe Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Craig L. Caesar Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Alexander M. McIntyre, Jr. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker 504-582-8000 David G. Radlauer Jones Walker 504-582-8000 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Bruce V. Schewe Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 John M. Landis Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Litigation - Banking and Finance

Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Frank A. Tessier Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Robert S. Rooth Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 A. Gregory Grimsal Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Robert B. Bieck, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Litigation Bankruptcy

Patrick Johnson, Jr. Akerman 504-586-1241 Edward H. Arnold III Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Jan M. Hayden Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Sessions Ault Hootsell III Butler Snow 504-299-7700

bizneworleans.com / 75

David F. Waguespack Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Tristan E. Manthey Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 Cherie Nobles Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 William H. Patrick III Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300 Elizabeth J. Futrell Jones Walker 504-582-8000 R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Matt J. Farley Krebs Farley 504-299-3570 Philip K. Jones, Jr. Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Christopher T. Caplinger Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Benjamin W. Kadden Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Stewart F. Peck Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 J. David Forsyth Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Charles L. Stern, Jr. Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 John M. Landis Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

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Litigation Construction

Mark W. Frilot Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 985-819-8400 Steven F. Griffith, Jr. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 David Kurtz Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Mark W. Mercante Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 985-819-8400 H. Minor Pipes III Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 John W. Waters, Jr. Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O’Bannon 504-322-1375

Richard Vale Blue Williams 504-831-4091

Jeffrey K. Prattini Shields Mott 504-581-4445

A. Wendel Stout III Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Stacey C. S. Cerrone Proskauer Rose 504-310-4088

Katherine Karam Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Ellis B. Murov Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Gary J. Rouse Couhig Partners 504-588-1288

Lloyd N. Shields Shields Mott 504-581-4445

Miles P. Clements Frilot 504-599-8000

Nicole A. Eichberger Proskauer Rose 504-310-4088

Walter W. Christy Fisher Phillips 504-522-3303

Keith J. Bergeron Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Daniel J. Caruso Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030

Howard E. Sinor, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Howard Shapiro Proskauer Rose 504-310-4088

Ryan Acomb Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson 504-581-3838

Terrence L. Brennan Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Jimmy A. Castex, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Joseph L. McReynolds Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Charles F. Seemann, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Kelly E. Theard Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235 Lambert J. Hassinger, Jr. Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith 504-525-6802 Howard E. Sinor, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Brian D. Katz Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Richard J. Tyler Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker 504-582-8000 David J. Krebs Krebs Farley 504-299-3570 Gerald A. Melchiode Melchiode Marks King 504-336-2880 Paul L. Peyronnin Paul L. Peyronnin 504-895-3143 Daniel Lund III Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo 504-799-4500 Danny G. Shaw ShawADR 985-789-0701 Darnell Bludworth Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Peter L. Hilbert, Jr. Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Elizabeth L. Gordon Shields Mott 504-581-4445

76 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Benjamin Grau Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 Jay H. Kern Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 Denise C. Puente Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 H. Bruce Shreves Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 Douglass Wynne Jr. Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 W. Raley Alford III Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 Bryan C. Reuter Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 Michael H. Bagot, Jr. Wagner, Bagot & Rayer 504-525-2141 Litigation Environmental

Charles A. Cerise, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Kathleen F. Drew Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Glen M. Pilié Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Jane C. Raiford Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Mark J. Spansel Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Mark C. Surprenant Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Kerry J. Miller Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Quentin F. Urquhart, Jr. Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Mary S. Johnson Johnson Gray McNamara 985-246-6544 Bessie Antin Daschbach Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison 504-523-2500 Kevin E. Huddell Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison 504-523-2500 Loulan J. Pitre, Jr. Kelly Hart & Hallman 504-522-1812 Greg L. Johnson Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Robert B. McNeal Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 John M. Wilson Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Patrick A. Talley, Jr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Andrew L. Plauché, Jr. Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Peter L. Hilbert, Jr. Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 James C. Gulotta, Jr. Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 William D. Treeby Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Litigation - ERISA

Keith M. Pyburn Jr. Fisher Phillips 504-522-3303

Litigation - First Amendment

James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Mary Ellen Roy Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 Litigation Health Care

Don S. McKinney Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Litigation - Insurance

James R. Nieset, Jr. Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson 504-581-3838

Keith M. Pyburn Jr. Fisher Phillips 504-522-3303

Litigation Intellectual Property

Timothy H. Scott Fisher Phillips 504-522-3303

Raymond G. Areaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Harry Simms Hardin III Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Joseph W. Looney Joseph W. Looney Attorney at Law 504-299-3468

Stephen G.A. Myers Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

John W. Joyce Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700

David L. Patrón Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Sidney W. Degan III Degan, Blanchard & Nash 504-529-3333 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Sean P. Mount Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Robert I. Siegel Gieger, Laborde & Laperouse 504-561-0400 Quentin F. Urquhart, Jr. Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Robert L. Bonnaffons Leake & Andersson 504-585-7500 Seth A. Schmeeckle Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Deirdre C. McGlinchey McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200

Elizabeth Haecker Ryan Coats Rose 504-299-3070

Robert W. Rachal Holifield Janich Rachal Ferrera 504-301-1248

Scott E. Delacroix Delacroix Law Firm 985-630-8040

René E. Thorne Jackson Lewis 504-208-1755

George B. Hall, Jr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Robert E. Kerrigan, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Covert J. Geary Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Stephen P. Hall Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Joseph B. Morton III Mitchell & Associates 504-291-3364

Leslie W. Ehret Frilot 504-599-8000 Donna Phillips Currault Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Len R. Brignac King & Jurgens 504-582-3800

Leah Nunn Engelhardt Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000

Clyde H. Jacob III Fisher Phillips 504-522-3303

David F. Bienvenu Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030

Jaimmé A. Collins Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

Steven W. Usdin Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700

Edward F. Harold Fisher Phillips 504-522-3303

Mary Ellen Roy Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Stephen G. Bullock Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Litigation - Labor and Employment

Leslie A. Lanusse Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Steven F. Griffith, Jr. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 William H. Reinhardt, Jr. Blue Williams 504-831-4091 Eve B. Masinter Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 I. Harold Koretzky Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 H. Michael Bush Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Julie D. Livaudais Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 G. Phillip Shuler III Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Frederic Theodore Le Clercq Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Susan Fahey Desmond Jackson Lewis 504-208-1755 Charles F. Seemann III Jackson Lewis 504-208-1755 René E. Thorne Jackson Lewis 504-208-1755 H. Mark Adams Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Thomas P. Hubert Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Tracy E. Kern Jones Walker 504-582-8000 David M. Whitaker Kean Miller 504-585-3050 George D. Fagan Leake & Andersson 504-585-7500 Thomas J. McGoey II Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Stephen P. Beiser McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Magdalen Blessey Bickford McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Greg Guidry Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart 504-648-3840 Steven Hymowitz Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart 504-648-3840 Christopher E. Moore Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart 504-648-3840 M. Nan Alessandra Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Kim M. Boyle Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 David M. Korn Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

bizneworleans.com / 77

Howard Shapiro Proskauer Rose 504-310-4088 Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo 504-799-4500 Kathryn M. Knight Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Rachel Wendt Wisdom Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 S. Mark Klyza The Kullman Firm 504-524-4162 Christopher Williams Williams Litigation 504-308-1438

Harry Simms Hardin III Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Ashley Belleau Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Rose McCabe LeBreton Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990

Litigation - Land Use and Zoning

Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200

Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Elwood F. Cahill, Jr. Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions

Robert B. Bieck, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Litigation - Municipal

William D. Aaron, Jr. Aaron & Gianna 504-569-1800 James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

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A. Gregory Grimsal Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Litigation - Patent

Seth M. Nehrbass Garvey, Smith & Nehrbass, Patent Attorneys 504-835-2000 Litigation Real Estate

Philip A. Franco Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 William H. Langenstein III Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000

Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Neal J. Kling Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Alvin C. Miester III Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 George C. Freeman III Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Thomas M. Benjamin Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Lance C. McCardle Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Robert B. Bieck, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 John C. Anjier Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 George Denegre, Jr. Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Kirk Reasonover Reasonover & Berg 504-526-2921

Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580

Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Paul J. Masinter Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580

C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Randy Opotowsky Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Charles L. Stern, Jr. Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Robert A. Kutcher Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais 504-830-3838 Litigation Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)

Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Edward Hart Bergin Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Robert B. Bieck, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Litigation - Securities

Mark R. Beebe Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

78 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

Litigation - Trusts and Estates

F. Kelleher Riess Hickey & Riess, Attorneys at Law 504-525-1120 David F. Edwards Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Miriam Wogan Henry Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker 504-582-8000 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Hirschel T. Abbott, Jr. Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Litigation and Controversy - Tax

Michael E. Guarisco Guarisco, Cordes & Lala 504-587-7007 F. Kelleher Riess Hickey & Riess, Attorneys at Law 504-525-1120 Jesse R. Adams III Jones Walker 504-582-8000 William M. Backstrom, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Andre B. Burvant Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Jaye A. Calhoun Kean Miller 504-585-3050 Cheryl M. Kornick Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Hilton S. Bell Milling Benson Woodward 504-569-7000 James K. Irvin Milling Benson Woodward 504-569-7000 Paul H. Waldman Paul H. Waldman, Attorney at Law 504-220-2576 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 John J. Weiler Weiler & Rees 504-524-2944 Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

William B. Gaudet Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Francis V. Liantonio, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Jeffrey E. Richardson Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Ronald J. Sholes Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Martin A. Stern Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Roland M. Vandenweghe, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Robert S. Emmett Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 William H. Howard III Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Kent A. Lambert Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Kerry J. Miller Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Celeste Coco-Ewing Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 John W. Waters, Jr. Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O’Bannon 504-322-1375 C. Wm. Bradley, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Dwight C. Paulsen III Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 David E. Redmann, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Lea Ann Smith Butler Snow 504-299-7700 John F. Olinde Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Peter J. Rotolo Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Forrest Ren Wilkes Cosmich Simmons & Brown 504-262-0040 Keith A. Kornman Degan, Blanchard & Nash 504-529-3333 Scott E. Delacroix Delacroix Law Firm 985-630-8040 William C. Harrison, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 A. Wendel Stout III Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Kay Baxter Foley & Mansfield 504-302-4800 Tim Gray Forman Watkins & Krutz 504-799-4383

Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Susan B. Kohn Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030

James B. Irwin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Lynn M. Luker Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580

Kim E. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Thomas P. Owen, Jr. Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580

Stephen G.A. Myers Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Carmelite M. Bertaut Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Quentin F. Urquhart, Jr. Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

James C. Gulotta, Jr. Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Mary S. Johnson Johnson Gray McNamara 985-246-6544 Jill T. Losch Johnson Gray McNamara 985-246-6544 Chad J. Mollere Johnson Gray McNamara 504-525-4649 Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Michael R. Phillips Kean Miller 504-585-3050 David M. Whitaker Kean Miller 504-585-3050 Charles B. Wilmore Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Seth A. Schmeeckle Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Chris O. Massenburg Manning Gross + Massenburg 504-535-2880 Max Swetman Manning Gross + Massenburg 504-535-2880 Joseph B. Morton III Mitchell & Associates 504-291-3364 Barbara L. Arras Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Mark C. Dodart Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Patrick A. Talley, Jr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 James K. Ordeneaux Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142

Rachel Wendt Wisdom Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs

Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241 Allan Berger Allan Berger & Associates 504-526-2222 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Robert E. Couhig III Couhig Partners 504-588-1288 Ernest L. Edwards, Jr. Ernest L. Edwards Jr., Attorney at Law 504-450-4226 Gerald E. Meunier Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 M. H. Gertler Gertler Law Firm 504-581-6411 Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Soren E. Gisleson Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Russ M. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Stephen J. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Anthony D. Irpino Irpino Law Firm 504-525-1500 Gladstone N. Jones III Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison 504-523-2500

Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo 504-799-4500

John T. Balhoff II Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Robert I. Siegel Gieger, Laborde & Laperouse 504-561-0400

Charles M. Pisano Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister 504-566-1801

Christopher T. Chocheles Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Warren Horn Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Manthey 504-299-3300

James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Allen J. Krouse III Frilot 504-599-8000

bizneworleans.com / 79

Media Law

Mary Ellen Roy Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Mediation

Charles J. Murray Charles J. Murray, Attorney at Law 504-723-6719 E. Phelps Gay Christovich & Kearney 504-561-5700 J. Gregg Collins Gregg Collins Mediation 504-616-7535 M. Nan Alessandra Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 H. Bruce Shreves Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 Thomas K. Foutz TomFoutzADR 504-237-3183 William R. Pitts William R. Pitts 504-831-5050 Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Charles F. Gay, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 E. Paige Sensenbrenner Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Monica A. Frois Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Kurt S. Blankenship Blue Williams 504-831-4091 Guice A. Giambrone III Blue Williams 504-831-4091 Stephen M. Pizzo Blue Williams 504-831-4091

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C. Wm. Bradley, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Richard S. Crisler Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Guy C. Curry Curry, Caviness & Webb 504-524-8556 Peter E. Sperling Frilot 504-599-8000 Joy Goldberg Braun Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs

Jeffrey A. Mitchell Cochran Firm Metairie 504-309-5000 Robert J. David Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 Michael J. Ecuyer Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304

Richard Gallagher Gallagher & Westholz 504-887-2220 Harry T. Widmann Harry T. Widmann & Associates 504-834-2799 James C. Klick Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Nelson Wagar Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais 504-830-3838 Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Karl J. Zimmermann Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Curtis R. Hearn Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Leon J. Reymond III Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Joseph L. Caverly Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Mining Law

John Y. Pearce Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law

G. Wogan Bernard Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 John T. Balhoff II Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Municipal Law

William D. Aaron, Jr. Aaron & Gianna 504-569-1800

80 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

David A. Marcello Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Natural Resources Law

John Y. Pearce Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Charles D. Marshall, Jr. Milling Benson Woodward 504-569-7000 Nonprofit / Charities Law

Joel A. Mendler Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Jerome J. Reso, Jr. Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Leon H. Rittenberg III Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Max Nathan, Jr. Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Carole Cukell Neff Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Oil and Gas Law

Robert B. Nolan Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Kenneth M. Klemm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Adam Zuckerman Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Katharine R. Colletta Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000

Personal Injury Litigation Defendants

Ernest L. Edwards, Jr. Ernest L. Edwards Jr., Attorney at Law 504-450-4226

Richard B. Eason II Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners 504-569-0235 C. Peck Hayne, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

William B. Gaudet Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Charles F. Gay, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Matthew C. Guy Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

Cynthia A. Nicholson Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Edwin C. Laizer Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

Scott A. O’Connor Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Edward J. Rice, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

John Y. Pearce Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Carl D. Rosenblum Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Charles R. Talley Kean Miller 504-585-3050 Aimee W. Hebert Kelly Hart & Hallman 504-522-1812 Loulan J. Pitre, Jr. Kelly Hart & Hallman 504-522-1812 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Robert B. McNeal Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Joe B. Norman Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Charles D. Marshall, Jr. Milling Benson Woodward 504-569-7000 David L. Patrón Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Patrick A. Talley, Jr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Gerald F. Slattery, Jr. Slattery, Marino & Roberts 504-585-7800 Edward B. Poitevent II Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Patent Law

M. Hampton Carver Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800

Charles C. Garvey, Jr. Garvey, Smith & Nehrbass, Patent Attorneys 504-835-2000

M. Taylor Darden Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800

Seth M. Nehrbass Garvey, Smith & Nehrbass, Patent Attorneys 504-835-2000

Robert B. Nolan Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

Jeffrey E. Richardson Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Deborah B. Rouen Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Ronald J. Sholes Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Mark C. Surprenant Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241 William B. Schwartz Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Ernest L. O’Bannon Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O’Bannon 504-322-1375 Bradley R. Belsome Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 C. Wm. Bradley, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Dwight C. Paulsen III Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 David E. Redmann, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Terry Christovich Gay Christovich & Kearney 504-561-5700 Sidney W. Degan III Degan, Blanchard & Nash 504-529-3333 Frederick R. Bott Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Bertrand M. Cass, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

John Jerry Glas Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker 504-582-8000

William C. Harrison, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

George B. Jurgens III King & Jurgens 504-582-3800

Robert E. Kerrigan, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

W. Paul Andersson Leake & Andersson 504-585-7500

Charles E. Leche Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

S. Gene Fendler Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Raymond C. Lewis Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Don K. Haycraft Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Walter P. Maestri Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

David W. Leefe Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Scott C. Seiler Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Charles B. Wilmore Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Charles F. Seemann, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141

Michael R. Allweiss Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver 504-517-8160

Marc J. Yellin Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Kathleen K. Charvet Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith 504-525-6802 Ewell E. Eagan, Jr. Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Daniel Lund Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Gus A. Fritchie III Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 James B. Irwin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Douglas J. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Stephen G.A. Myers Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Quentin F. Urquhart, Jr. Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Stanley J. Cohn Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Seth A. Schmeeckle Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Kristopher T. Wilson Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Mark N. Bodin McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Kathleen A. Manning McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Colvin Norwood, Jr. McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Erin Fury Parkinson McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 John G. Alsobrook Ostendorf, Tate, Barnett, & Wells 504-324-2244 Joseph Maselli, Jr. Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142 James K. Ordeneaux Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142 Ryan Acomb Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson 504-581-3838

Janet L. MacDonell Janet L. MacDonell 985-867-9971

Adrianne L. Baumgartner Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson 985-893-4790

Mary S. Johnson Johnson Gray McNamara 985-246-6544

C. Gordon Johnson, Jr. Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson 504-581-3838

Jill T. Losch Johnson Gray McNamara 985-246-6544

Debra J. Fischman Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

S. Suzanne Mahoney Johnson Gray McNamara 504-525-4649

James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Peter L. Hilbert, Jr. Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 David F. Bienvenu Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 Susan B. Kohn Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 W. Raley Alford III Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Kent B. Ryan The Miller Law Firm 504-684-5044 Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr., Attorney at Law 504-524-3350 Allan Berger Allan Berger & Associates 504-526-2222 Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Fred L. Herman Fred Herman Law Firm 504-581-7068 Robert J. David Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 Stevan C. Dittman Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 Michael J. Ecuyer Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 Gerald E. Meunier Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 Irving J. Warshauer Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer 504-522-2304 Kathleen K. Charvet Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith 504-525-6802 Louis L. Gertler Gertler Law Firm 504-581-6411 M. H. Gertler Gertler Law Firm 504-581-6411 Mark P. Glago Glago Williams 504-599-8666

Russ M. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Maury A. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Stephen J. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Brian D. Katz Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892 Anthony D. Irpino Irpino Law Firm 504-525-1500 Frank E. Lamothe III Lamothe Law Firm 504-704-1414 Richard M. Martin Jr. Lamothe Law Firm 504-704-1414 Loyd J. Bourgeois Lousiana Disability Law, Loyd J. Bourgeois 985-441-3448 Stephen B. Murray, Sr. Murray Law Firm 504-525-8100 Louis L. Plotkin Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe 855-473-1833 Rodney P. Vincent Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe 855-473-1833 John T. Balhoff II Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Darnell Bludworth Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Christopher T. Chocheles Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Martha Young Curtis Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Debra J. Fischman Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Peter L. Hilbert, Jr. Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Ryan O. Luminais Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Thomas J. Madigan Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Kevin M. McGlone Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Glenn McGovern Glenn C. McGovern 504-456-3610

Amanda Russo Schenck Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

Soren E. Gisleson Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892

Charles C. Bourque Jr. St. Martin & Bourque 985-876-3891

Thomas A. Gennusa II Thomas A Gennusa, Attorney at Law 504-455-0442

Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300

Douglas J. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Product Liability Litigation Defendants

David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300

Kim E. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Dwight C. Paulsen III Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300

David W. O’Quinn Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

David E. Redmann, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300

John W. Sinnott Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Charles A. Cerise, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Kathleen F. Drew Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Richard B. Eason II Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Charles F. Gay, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Edwin C. Laizer Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Robert B. Nolan Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Edward J. Rice, Jr. Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Deborah B. Rouen Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Mark C. Surprenant Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241 Arthur W. Landry Arthur W. Landry and Jeanne Andry Landry 504-581-4334 Robert S. Emmett Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Kenneth M. Klemm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 David L. Carrigee Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Celeste Coco-Ewing Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver 504-589-9700 C. Wm. Bradley, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Richard S. Crisler Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300

Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 John F. Olinde Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Peter J. Rotolo Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Brent A. Talbot Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Terry Christovich Gay Christovich & Kearney 504-561-5700 Elizabeth Haecker Ryan Coats Rose 504-299-3070 Scott E. Delacroix Delacroix Law Firm 985-630-8040 Darrell K. Cherry Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Robert E. Kerrigan, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Joseph L. McReynolds Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Kay Baxter Foley & Mansfield 504-302-4800 Michael H. Abraham Forman Watkins & Krutz 504-799-4383 Norman C. Sullivan, Jr. Fowler Rodriguez 504-523-2600 Steven W. Copley Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Camala E. Capodice Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 James B. Irwin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Kelly G. Juneau Rookard Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Nelson Wagar Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais 504-830-3838 Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

Helen Babin Gertler Law Firm 504-581-6411 M. H. Gertler Gertler Law Firm 504-581-6411 Stephen J. Herman Herman Herman & Katz 504-581-4892

Meera Sossamon Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

John W. Redmann Law Office of John W. Redmann 504-433-5550

Quentin F. Urquhart, Jr. Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100

Louis L. Plotkin Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe 855-473-1833

Janet L. MacDonell Janet L. MacDonell 985-867-9971 Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker 504-582-8000 James R. Silverstein Kean Miller 504-585-3050 Stanton E. Shuler, Jr. Leake & Andersson 504-585-7500 Scott C. Seiler Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Max Swetman Manning Gross + Massenburg 504-535-2880 Kathleen A. Manning McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Colvin Norwood, Jr. McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Eric Shuman McGlinchey Stafford 504-586-1200 Joseph Maselli, Jr. Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142 G. Bruce Parkerson Plauché Maselli Parkerson 504-582-1142 Francis Philip Accardo Pugh Accardo 504-799-4500 Joy Goldberg Braun Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Lynn M. Luker Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford 504-523-1580 Carmelite M. Bertaut Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Bruce A. Cranner Talley, Anthony, Hughes & Knight 985-624-5010

Rodney P. Vincent Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe 855-473-1833 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants

Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 C. Wm. Bradley, Jr. Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Elizabeth Haecker Ryan Coats Rose 504-299-3070 Keith J. Bergeron Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Terrence L. Brennan Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Frederic Theodore Le Clercq Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 William E. Wright, Jr. Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Richard G. Duplantier, Jr. Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith 504-525-6802 Gus A. Fritchie III Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Edward W. Trapolin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Marshall M. Redmon Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Danny G. Shaw ShawADR 985-789-0701 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Professional Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs

Donald E. McKay, Jr. Leake & Andersson 504-585-7500 Project Finance Law

E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 William H. Hines Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Public Finance Law

Lisa E. Maurer Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 David M. Wolf Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Susan Weeks Foley & Judell 504-568-1249 Railroad Law

Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241 Alissa J. Allison Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 William H. Howard III Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea 504-596-6300 Brent A. Talbot Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Joseph M. Miller Davis, Saunders, Miller & Oden 985-612-3070 Benjamin B. Saunders Davis, Saunders, Miller & Oden 985-612-3070 Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 Harry Simms Hardin III Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Patrick A. Talley, Jr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Blake G. Arata, Jr. Rome, Arata, Baxley & Stelly 504-521-7946 C. Perrin Rome III Rome, Arata, Baxley & Stelly 504-521-7946 bizneworleans.com / 81

Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr., Attorney at Law 504-524-3350 Real Estate Law

Jon F. Leyens, Jr. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Anne E. Raymond Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200 Suzette Toledano Becker Entertainment & New Media Law 504-525-2552 Roy E. Blossman Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 G. Wogan Bernard Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Anthony Dunbar Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 William H. Langenstein III Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Philip B. Sherman Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Sabrina C. Vickers Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 Conrad Meyer IV Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes 504-217-2006

best law y ers

A. Kelton Longwell Coats Rose 504-299-3070 Richard B. Montgomery III Deutsch Kerrigan 504-581-5141 Gary J. Elkins Elkins 504-529-3600 Tyler Marquette Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Megan C. Riess Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Steven C. Serio Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Sterling Scott Willis Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 James R. Conway III James R Conway III, Attorney at Law 504-838-0093 R. Keith Colvin Jones Walker 504-582-8000 William H. Hines Jones Walker 504-582-8000

F. Rivers Lelong, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000 R. Lewis McHenry Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Susan M. Tyler Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Emile A. Wagner III Law Offices of Emile A. Wagner, III 504-250-0895 Marguerite L. Adams Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 James L. Breaux Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Paul C. Kitziger Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Leon J. Reymond, Jr. Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Victoria M. de Lisle Locke Lord 504-558-5100 Robert Mouton Locke Lord 504-558-5100 Rose McCabe LeBreton Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard 504-568-1990 Lee R. Adler Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Philip deV. Claverie, Sr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Philip deV. Claverie Jr. Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 James A. Stuckey Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Peter S. Title Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Elwood F. Cahill, Jr. Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Karen T. Holzenthal Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Neal J. Kling Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Alvin C. Miester III Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Marie A. Moore Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Chad P. Morrow Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

82 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

M. Claire Durio Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn 504-569-2030 Lillian E. Eyrich Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 David A. Martinez Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Randy Opotowsky Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Robert M. Steeg Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Charles L. Stern, Jr. Steeg Law Firm 504-582-1199 Michael R. Schneider Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Susan G. Talley Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Nicole S. Tygier Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais 504-830-3838 ReMarshall M. Redmon Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Securities / Capital Markets Law

Thomas M. Benjamin Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson 504-584-5454 Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 John D. Werner Fishman Haygood 504-586-5252 Curtis R. Hearn Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Kenneth J. Najder Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Richard P. Wolfe Jones Walker 504-582-8000 John C. Anjier Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 David C. Rieveschl Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Securities Regulation

Kenneth J. Najder Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Richard P. Wolfe Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Securitization and Structured Finance Law

Marion Welborn Weinstock Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111

Rudolph R. Ramelli Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Jaye A. Calhoun Kean Miller 504-585-3050 J. Grant Coleman King & Jurgens 504-582-3800

Lee R. Adler Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311

Robert S. Angelico Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100

James C. Exnicios Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

Tax Law

Mark S. Embree Adams and Reese 504-581-3234 Jerome J. Reso, Jr. Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Matthew A. Treuting Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Karl J. Zimmermann Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Mandy Mendoza Gagliardi Chaffe McCall 504-585-7000 David R. Sherman Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes 504-217-2006 Susan J. Burkenstock Elkins 504-529-3600 Gary J. Elkins Elkins 504-529-3600 Caroline D. Lafourcade Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan 504-582-1111 Paul D. Cordes, Jr. Guarisco, Cordes & Lala 504-587-7007 Michael E. Guarisco Guarisco, Cordes & Lala 504-587-7007 F. Kelleher Riess Hickey & Riess, Attorneys at Law 504-525-1120

Mark S. Stein Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver 504-517-8160 Hilton S. Bell Milling Benson Woodward 504-569-7000 Donald H. McDaniel Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams 504-309-3848 Robert L. Perez Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams 504-309-3848 Richard J. Roth III Roth Law Firm 504-525-7792 Carli Beckett Simpson Roth Law Firm 504-525-7792 Max Nathan, Jr. Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 John W. Colbert Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 John J. Weiler Weiler & Rees 504-524-2944 Technology Law

Raymond G. Areaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux 504-585-3800 Trademark Law

Keith M. Landry Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Transportation Law

Jesse R. Adams III Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Benjamin Slater III Akerman 504-586-1241

William M. Backstrom, Jr. Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Christopher O. Davis Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Timothy P. Brechtel Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Andre B. Burvant Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Susan K. Chambers Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Jonathan R. Katz Jones Walker 504-582-8000

Kenneth M. Klemm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz 504-566-5200

Joel A. Mendler Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Jerome J. Reso, Jr. Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 Leon H. Rittenberg III Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900 John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer 504-569-2900

J. Marshall Page III Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Joseph L. Caverly Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Workers’ Compensation Law - Claimants

Patrick K. Reso Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes 985-269-7220

Richard B. Eason II Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

Gary J. Elkins Elkins 504-529-3600

Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers

F. Kelleher Riess Hickey & Riess, Attorneys at Law 504-525-1120

Richard B. Eason II Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

David F. Edwards Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Miriam Wogan Henry Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Marguerite L. Adams Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 John D. Wogan Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979 Deborah C. Faust Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams 504-309-3848 Robert L. Perez Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams 504-309-3848 Brianne S. Rome Rome Law 504-432-9367 Max Nathan, Jr. Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Carole Cukell Neff Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel 504-582-1500 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert 504-299-2100 Hirschel T. Abbott, Jr. Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Laura Walker Plunkett Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200 Utilities Law

Alan C. Wolf Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Noel J. Darce Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

Trusts and Estates

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Mark S. Embree Adams and Reese 504-581-3234

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Southe ast louisiana businesses in full color

from the lens GREAT WORKSPACES / WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? / MAKING A MATCH / ON THE JOB

Beads mean jobs at ARC of Greater New Orleans.

From The Lens g r e at w o r k s pac e s

What’s Cookin’?

The New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute seeks to fast track career paths in high demand industries.

by Melanie Warner Spencer photos by sara essex bradley

84 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

On January 8, the non-profit New Orleans Culinary

& Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) flung open the front doors to welcome its first crop of culinary students.

The 90,000-square-foot, five-story, state-of-the-art facility, designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, is comprised of several buildings connected via a central courtyard.

With sponsorship dollars and support from industry partners and high-profile industry leaders — including the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, the McIlhenny Foundation, restaurateur and co-founder Ti Adelaide Martin, her cousin, restaurateur and co-founder Dickie Brennan, developer and co-founder George Brower (Brennan’s brother-inlaw) and chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse — the school is poised to make a sizeable impact on the New Orleans hospitality industry.

“The city of New Orleans has been at the forefront of the culinary and hospitality industry for nearly 300 years, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” says Executive Director Carol Markowitz. “NOCHI is an investment that builds on what we do best in this city while positioning us to do even better — for our industry, for our supporters and for our community.”

The building is owned by the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and leased by both NOCHI and Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman Business School.

NOCHI’s part of the campus includes two culinary labs, two baking labs, a beverage lab, dining lab and production lab with a terrace, various classrooms and an event space with a terrace. Gracious Bakery also opened a new location in the restaurant on the ground floor that is open to the public.

“We are setting a new standard for culinary training and education with certificate programs that provide the highest quality curricula, instruction and facilities in a world-renowned culinary city,” says Markowitz. “…

Our students will be able to jump-start their careers in a matter of 100 intensive days — instead of two to four years in a traditional college degree program — for a total cost of $14,775 — instead of $30,000, $50,000 or even $100,000 at much longer programs. This is all while receiving a comparable amount of hands-on instructional hours in the kitchen.”

Markowitz says that she strives to provide both structure and flexibility, while empowering and supporting the staff and fostering their “entrepreneurial energy.”

“I hope that by taking a service-oriented approach to leadership, by encouraging us to celebrate the team’s progress and achievements and by feeding everyone really well, NOCHI will become an employer of choice in the culinary education space and in this city.”

As a startup, Markowitz says there are myriad challenges ahead, but that she wants to be strategic about the institute’s goals (“enrollment, job placement,

At a Glance

New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute Location

725 Howard Ave. Date of opening

January 2019 Size

90,000 square feet Number of Employees

12

Person in Charge

Carol Markowitz, executive director

The 90,000-squarefoot New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, designed

by Eskew + Dumez + Ripple, is comprised of several buildings that connect via the Ecolab Courtyard.

The NOCHI Café by Gracious Bakery is located on the ground floor. The café, which offers pastries, desserts, breads, sandwiches and other light dishes, along with a full bar, is open to students and the public Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed on Sundays).

bizneworleans.com / 85

and career success for our students … establishing policies and procedures that will instill a spirit of hospitality and strong foundation of professionalism in our students”) and “map out our growth when there is so much enthusiasm and demand for everything we’ll be able to offer.”

As the inaugural class (six pastry and 15 culinary arts students from all over the U.S.) get settled in and begin their coursework, Markowitz hopes they are struck by the “wow factor” of the design, which is one of her favorite things about the building.

“That helps to enhance every person’s unique experience at NOCHI, whether you are a student, a guest, a partner, a staff member,” she says. “ ... I mentioned earlier that part of our mission is to inspire people and our physical space helps us do that in spades.” n

86 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

The inaugural class includes six pastry and 15 culinary arts students from throughout the U.S. The Republic National Distributing Company Beverage Lab (top right) will be used for wine and mixology classes and, like many of the spaces, is available for private events.

The two Emeril Lagasse Culinary Labs (bottom right and far right) have four, twoperson stations on each side and include video monitors to provide detailed shots of the instructor.

From The Lens w h y d i d n ’ t i th i n k o f th at ?

Sweet Success in Bitters El Guapo Bitters, Syrups and Tonics has become a fast favorite with home cocktail makers and James Beard Award-winning restaurants alike.

by Ashley McLellan photos by sara essex bradley

New Orleans and its residents have a long-

storied history with the cocktail, from its fabled first beginning in the Crescent City, to the overall population’s matter-of-fact rejection of Prohibition, to New Orleans women storming the Sazerac Bar in 1949.

We take our spirits seriously. Follow that local love affair to a new national resurgence in the craft of cocktail making, and the time is ripe in New Orleans (and beyond) for a local company looking to cash in on quality-made cocktail products.

That local company is El Guapo Bitters, Syrups and Tonics, a line of hand-crafted bitters, tonics and syrups inspired by New Orleans flavors and experiences and created

by Christa Cotton, CEO of New Orleans Beverage Group.

Cotton, a Leesburg, Georgia native, was born into the spirits business, and in college at Auburn University worked to help her family create 13th Colony Distillery, Georgia’s first craft distillery. She moved to New Orleans in 2010, where she married her public relations background with her love of craft cocktails. Cotton took on Trumpet Advertising’s Louisiana Office of Tourism account before establishing the New Orleans Beverage Group in 2017. She acquired the El Guapo brand that same year, with the goal of taking the already established bitters and tonics company to a new level of success.

“El Guapo started as a hobby,” she said.

“Our first commercial kitchen began production in 2014, and we’ve been developing award-winning products ever since.”

Since its 2014 launch, Cotton said the company has garnered national recognition within the specialty food and beverage community.

88 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

El Guapo Bitters, Syrups and Tonics features craft cocktail accessories inspired by New Orleans flavors such as “Creole Pecan,” “Crawfish Boil,” “Lemonade” and “Gumbo.”

“Our products have been recognized by the Good Food Awards. Our Chicory Pecan Bitters and Rose Cordial Syrup were both winners in 2018. El Guapo’s Sweet Potato Syrup and Tricentennial Bitters are finalists for the 2019 Good Food Awards as well,” she said.

The Good Food Awards is an annual small-batch, hand-crafted food and beverage product competition held by the Good Food Foundation in San Francisco.

Finalists are selected from more than 2,000 total entries from across the United

States, in more than 15 categories, such as spirits, elixirs, pantry, snacks and more.

Cotton said El Guapo’s mission is to fill the void between consumers looking to create a high-quality cocktail and the topnotch ingredients needed to create them.

“While consumers appreciate and are willing to pay more for the craftsmanship of well-made spirits, the same level of consideration isn’t always applied to the items needed to make quality libations,” she said. “We wanted to bring the same level of craftsmanship to bitters, syrups and pre-made drink mixers so that customers

“We have dozens of recipes that we produce exclusively in batches for private label clients, celebrity chefs and restaurant groups nationwide.”

Christa Cotton, CEO of New Orleans Beverage Group

could easily create quality cocktails, both at home and commercially behind the bar.”

El Guapo includes a modest team of two full-time employees and three part-time employees and is headquartered in Gretna.

“To date, our products have been manufactured in an old catering facility located on the West Bank in Gretna,” Cotton said.

“In spring 2019, we’ll more than double our square footage, 2,350 square feet to be exact, in order to quadruple our production capacity, and we’ll be adding event services and cocktail classes to our offerings. Our new office and production kitchen will be located in Uptown on Tchoupitoulas Street. The new location will also be home to our two mobile cocktail bars we use for weddings and events.”

Cotton stresses the importance of keeping the company’s batches of tonics and bitters small, using homegrown ingredients and businesses in the production of each El Guapo product.

“All El Guapo products are handmade, from the kitchen to the bottling line.

Our products are created with locally sourced seasonal ingredients whenever possible, each of which are traceable to the farm level,” Cotton said. “We work with regional farmers like Covey Rise and Inglewood Farm to create many of our most popular products. If any raw materials aren’t available locally, they’re procured from third-party organic sources.

Plus, every product is non-GMO, vegetarian, gluten-free and contains no added sugar.”

In addition to two dozen El Guapo products available in stores, Cotton works closely with restaurateurs, chefs and bartenders to produce custom orders or fulfill a special need.

“We have dozens of recipes that we produce exclusively in batches for privatelabel clients, celebrity chefs and restaurant groups nationwide,” Cotton said.

El Guapo’s target audience is split evenly between the home consumer and professional kitchens and bars, with a growing group of James Beard award-winning local establishments as fans, including Compere Lapin, Brennan’s, Arnaud’s, Cochon, Willa Jean and Saba, according to Cotton.

While sales remain strong from month to month, Cotton does see spikes during certain times of the year.

“There is some seasonality to our business as we batch several consumer variants monthly in addition to our private-client business,” she said. “We’re close to a 15 percent increase in sales year-over-year overall.”

With flavors such as “Creole Pecan,” “Crawfish Boil,” “Holiday Pie” and “Gumbo,” Cotton says the flavor makers at El Guapo are constantly inspired by the culinary landscape of south Louisiana, and beyond.

“We’re inspired primarily by our home of New Orleans,” she said. “The city has such a rich culture, history and incredible ingredients. El Guapo’s regionally inspired products have shown the most success, like our

did you know?

Two top-selling historic bitters brands Angostura Established in 1824 by Dr. Johann Siegert, who originally created the Angostura bitter tonic to help with digestive ailments, the cocktail bitters company that we recognize today as a cocktail and food accent came out of Trinidad in the 1870s.

Best known as an essential ingredient in the Manhattan cocktail.

Peychaud’s The locally born and beloved Peychaud’s bitters were created around 1793 by Antoine Amedie Peychaud, who added the flavor concoction to cognac potions he mixed up for friends and family.

Best known as essential to the Sazerac and the Old-Fashioned.

bizneworleans.com / 89

Carnival Libations

Since its launch in 2014, El Guapo has garnered national recognition, including at the Good Food Awards in 2018 which recognized the company’s “Chicory Pecan Bitters” and “Rose Cordial Syrup.”

Carnival Bloody Mary

(winner of the 2018 NOLA Bloody Mary Festival) 2ounces Vodka (We used St. Roch, but any quality vodka will do) 4ounces Bloody Mary mix El Guapo Crawfish Boil bitters Worcestershire sauce Hot sauce Fill a highball glass with ice. Add vodka and top with your favorite Bloody Mary mix.

Splash in El Guapo Crawfish Boil bitters, Worcestershire and hot sauce to taste.

Stir well. Garnish with pickled okra, olives, lemon zest and other savory lagniappe.

FYI

What are bitters…?

According to Merriam-Webster: Bitter, noun A usually alcoholic solution of bitter and often aromatic plant products used especially in preparing mixed drinks or as a mild tonic. …And how do I use them?

2018 Good Food Award-winning Chicory Pecan Bitters, which are made with freshly roasted chicory coffee from Congregation Coffee Roasters and organic pecans from Inglewood Farms. We’re also traveling constantly for various trade shows, meetings and events which gives us the opportunity to try drinks in other regions and familiarize ourselves with ingredients that aren’t as popular or even available in New Orleans.”

Cotton says she has been surprised by the input from top chefs and home cooks

90 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

alike who share their unconventional use of El Guapo products.

“Our favorites are cooking recipes. One of [New York celebrity chef] David Chang’s beverage managers makes a killer chocolate chip cookie with our Chicory Pecan bitters, and we now add a tablespoon of our Crawfish Boil bitters to pimento cheese after a customer raved about it and we decided to give it a try.”

In addition to a booming retail, private label and restaurant industry sales, El

According to cookbook author and cocktail expert Mark Bittman in a June 2016 article for Epicurious.com, bitters provide a unique accent to a cocktail, but should be used sparingly.

“Bitters are to cocktails as salt is to food,” Bittman says. “They improve and align flavors just like salt does; they help to accentuate flavor and they bring their own flavors.”

Guapo introduced on-site event cocktail preparation this past year, providing travelling bar service for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties and more. (Think taco trucks that dispense high-end cocktails and concoctions.)

“We’ve just started dipping our toes into the water with events and weddings,” Cotton said. “We are very excited about our mobile cocktail bars which are part of that [event] leg of the business. One of our bar carts is a 1971 Airstream with heart-pine herringbone floors, and another is a 1972 Citroen H-Van in mint condition. This is a beautiful addition to our business and will be a focus for our expansion in 2019.”

The company recently completed a re-branding, complete with a new logo and packaging.

“Last year, we were the only Louisiana company featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book,” said Cotton, “and we’re looking forward to furthering this momentum by expanding beyond the Gulf South region.”

El Guapo can be purchased nationwide, and in Australia and New Zealand, at select upscale liquor stores, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.

New Orleanians can purchase El Guapo products at Coutelier, Keife & Co., NOLA Boards, Martin Wine Cellar, Whole Foods and Rouses Markets.n

bizneworleans.com / 91

From The Lens m a k i n g a m atc h: b us i n e s s e s a n d n o n pr o f i ts

Turning Beads Into Jobs Arc of Greater New Orleans’ bead-recyling program has provided paid jobs for those in need for more than three decades.

by Pamela Marquis photos by cheryl gerber

For generations, New Orleans children have

learned a variety of life skills while catching Mardi Gras beads: improving their eye-hand coordination and reflexes while catching (or dodging) fiercely tossed plastic cigars and spears, and honing their negotiating skills by cajoling their way onto the tallest person’s shoulders and maybe even hiding their loot so they look as if they have yet to catch a thing.

For young adults with intellectual disabilities, however, Mardi Gras beads have meant valuable wage-earning jobs for more than 30 years.

At a huge warehouse in Metairie, Arc of Greater New Orleans (ArcGNO), employs individuals to collect, sort and repackage Mardi Gras throws.

Along the way, clients learn skills that help make them more employable and a bit more independent.

The first week after Mardi Gras 2018, the nonprofit organization took in almost 13 tons of beads. The organization’s warehouse is stacked floor-to-ceiling with huge boxes of beads. They also collect cups, costumes, stuffed animals and trinkets.

“The recycling center is one of the social enterprises we manage,” says Cathy Brown, manager of ArcGNO’s Mardi Gras Recycle Center and Retail Store. “Central to our mission are social enterprises that provide work and real incomes to individuals who might otherwise be unemployed.

Working here is a stimulating place for many of our clients. Last year we grossed $300,000. We turn beads into jobs.”

The organization’s retail store — located at 925 Labarre Road in Metairie — offers beads of every size and color in 30-pound crawfish sacks, as well as the ever-popular pearls and some krewe-specific beads. The store also sells vintage glass Mardi Gras beads and handcrafted jewelry. Items can be purchased year-round at the store or online.

92 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

“We are a family of recyclers, so the store is One of the most important components of Arc’s important to us,” says customer Kira Zoe Radtke services is outside employment. The organization Friedrich. “We also like supporting the Arc’s has crews for hire that perform lawn and janitorial programs and simply doing something for the work. Many clients also work at a variety of local community. We ride in several parades businesses, including Hilton hotels and and buying beads at Arc keeps our costs Rouses Markets.

“Working with Arc, I’ve been able to down so we can be more generous with “We turn beads give back to the community in a way I the beads we throw to you.” into jobs,” says Two years ago, Stephen Sauer took didn’t know I could,” says Ron Iafrate, Cathy Brown, manager of over as the executive director of ArcGNO owner/chef of Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop ArcGNO’s Mardi following the retirement of longtime on Causeway Boulevard in Metairie, who Gras Recycle director Cliff Doescher. employs individuals from ArcGNO. Center and Retail Store.

Iafrate says dishwasher Nick Razzo, 32, “After Katrina, all our efforts were just getting things up and running,” says is a valuable employee.

Sauer. “We lost so much. But since then we’ve “I really enjoy washing dishes and helping,” Razzo been building and improving our programming.” said. “I like talking to everyone and joking around.

The organization also assists nearly 600 indiI’ve been here six months. We have really good viduals in the five-parish Metro New Orleans region gumbo — everyone needs to come and try some.” with support that includes in-home assistance, Razzo’s parents are thankful for ArcGNO’s job coaching and placement, daytime community services. integration, and coordination of infant care and “Because of his employment with Chef Ron, Nick has some self-satisfaction and more self-worth,” therapies.

says his father, Bruce. “He’s contributing to the community and he earns a bit of income.”

ArcGNO supplies a job coach for up to six months for some of its clients and offers some companies tax credits.

“Our clients are kind, warm, conscientious, punctual and have great attitudes,” notes Sauer.

ArcGNO clients also volunteer at other nonprofits, including the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans, where they do wash laundry, clean bowls, separate newspapers used in kennels and socialize with the hundreds of dogs and cats housed at the shelters.

“We think it’s important for our clients to ‘give back,’” says Sauer. “The animal volunteer program is just one of the many opportunities Arc has created as a means of involving adults with disabilities in their communities as contributing citizens.”

ArcGNO also offers meaningful recreational and social opportunities for clients like horseback riding and Zumba dancing.

When Ann Christian, who helps market the organization, writes news releases she says she always references a person’s specific disability, such as Down syndrome, autism or cerebral palsy.

“It’s just a way of getting people to realize what I’m saying very clearly,” she says. “You wouldn’t believe how many people will say we work with people who have a mental illness or mental disability, but it’s an intellectual disability.

“Arc is always big A, little r and c – it’s not an acronym for anything,” she says. “It used to stand for the Associations for Retarded Children, but the word ‘retarded or mental retardation’ was removed from language decades ago. People knew the name “Arc” though, so it was left.”

by the numbers

SUCCESS OF SERVICES

100

individuals are supported at their homes and in the community.

600

children and adults are served in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and St. Tammany parishes.

300,000

beads were collected last year.

National Statistics: An estimated

4.6 million

Americans have an intellectual or developmental disability.

Of those, an estimated

1.5 million

individuals are affected by autism.

Down syndrome occurs in approximately

one in every 800

live births, making it the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder.

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years, says Sauer, is the organizations focus on serving its clients.

“Yes, the beads are a good deal for our customers,” he says, “but we are so much more than cheap beads. They just help us meet our mission. We want to accompany our clients throughout their life journeys so that, by following their own pathways, they can achieve their goals and dreams. We want them to reach their fullest potential within their homes and out in the community.” n

THE BASICS

arc of greater new orleans Mission

Arc of Greater New Orleans works to secure for all people with intellectual disabilities opportunities to develop, function, and live to their fullest potential.

Purpose

how to help

What Your Company Can Do Recycle Beads. For a list of community dropoff sites, or to learn how easy it is to host your own bead drive, visit ArcGNObeads.org/donate.

Volunteer. ArcGNO welcomes community members, professionals and skilled labor to help with everything from refrigeration to photography, fitness coaching to graphic design, as well as electricians, mechanics and carpenters, architects, artists, musicians and theater professionals.

Volunteer opportunities are available to work alongside ArcGNO clients to sort and package beads year-round.

Employ ArcGNO clients and hire Arc work crews for any lawn or janitorial needs.

Shop for beads at ArcGNO. Orders can be placed online or at the retail store (925 Labarre Road ) which is open weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The retail store will also be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. through Mardi Gras Day.

To create — through education, advocacy, and support — a Greater New Orleans community that includes, accepts and celebrates people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. info

arcgno.org (504) 837-5105 ArcGNO’s main campus is in Metairie at 925 Labarre Road. There are a total of five locations in the Greater New Orleans area, including community centers in Metairie, Uptown and Chalmette.

Annual Budget

$6 million annual budget. A lot of funding comes from Medicaid reimbursements.

Ongoing Partnerships

Include Associated Terminals, Shell Oil, Chalmette Refining, Valero, Rouses Markets, Whole Foods and the Young Leadership Council, to name a few.

Local residents with development disabilities receive paid employment collecting, sorting and repackaging Carnival beads year-round. The beads are then sold at ArcGNO’s retail store to benefit the services provided by the nonprofit.

bizneworleans.com / 93

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Ace and the Louisiana Open Housing Act, which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. For more information, call the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-273-5718.

94 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019

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bizneworleans.com / 95

From The Lens ON T H E J OB

Goddess of Glitter NOLA Costumes’ Jenny Campbell brings Carnival dreams to life. photo by cheryl gerber

Surrounded at All times by all things

sparkly, Baltimore, Maryland native Jenny Campbell has made a name for herself since opening NOLA Costumes in 2012 as the woman to turn to if you’re looking for a carnival costume that’s sure to stand out from the crowd. Out of her cozy Uptown studio, Campbell crafts unique creations for individual revelers as well as outfits the captains and officers for the Krewe of Iris.

Campbell’s costumes have been featured on commercials for companies including TurboTax, WWE and Bravo’s hit show, “Top Chef.”

“For the Top Chef commercial they featured my working snow globe head piece,” says Campbell.

“That one is definitely one of my favorites. I’m still not sure how I figured out how to do it.”

Campbell only sells her creations in New Orleans, which means residents need to think ahead.

“Right now I’m taking requests for 2020,” she says.

To see examples of work by NOLA Costumes, check out the company’s Instagram page. n

96 / Biz New Orleans / february 2019