Biz New Orleans May 2017

solar struggles Louisiana industry fights for the future P. 66

the science of saving babies Sunyoung Kim is Breaking Ground and Winning Awards P. 60

may 2017

The Healing Sole

Flip-flops that relieve foot pain

Rising Mortgage Rates

How will they affect our housing market?

BizNewOrleans.com 1

2 Biz May 2017

Publisher Todd Matherne

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Kimberley Singletary Art Director Sarah George Web Editor Kelly Massicot Assoc. Multimedia News Editor Leslie T. Snadowsky

Contributors Benjamin Boyce, Steven Ellis, Frank Etheridge, Rebecca Friedman, Pamela Marquis, Allison Plyer, Chris Price, Peter Reichard, Kim Roberts, Jennifer Gibson Schecter, Keith Twitchell, Melanie Warner Spencer

Advertising Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan (504) 830-7215 Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com Sales Manager Maegan O’Brien (504) 830-7219 Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com Senior Account Executive Caitlin Sistrunk (504) 830-7252 Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com Account Executive Carly Goldman (504) 830-7225 Carly@BizNewOrleans.com

Marketing Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine Event Coordinator Whitney Weathers Digital Media Associate Mallary Matherne For event information, call (504) 830-7264

Production Production Designers Monique DiPietro, Demi Schaffer, Molly Tullier Traffic Coordinator Terra Durio

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 Award of Excellence Bronze: Best Feature Layout 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 2016 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 self-addressed 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.

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BizNewOrleans.com 5

features top stories this month

60 Chosen Diagnostics Founder, Sunyoung Kim On the heels of multiple award wins for the company’s biomarker test, Kim discusses how her innovation has the potential to save thousands of preterm babies.

66

Solar Struggles With the loss of state tax credits last year, solar has taken a hit, but industry insiders say there’s still hope.

71

Best Lawyers + Three lawyers share their toughest cases

BizNewOrleans.com 7

contents may 2017 | Volume 3 | Issue 8

10 | Editor’s note

32 | tourism

Time to run.

Small Batch, Big Flavor: Ice Cream 504

12 | publisher’s note My Youngest Daughter’s Next Journey: And then

greets you with two scoops of delicious.

there was one.

16 | Calendar

perspectives

18 | industry news 20 | recent openings 22 | Events

in the biz 28 | NOLa by the numbers We Need to Prioritize Our Coast: Giving to environmental causes falls far short in the Super Region.

46 | maritime & ports 34 | sports

Full Steam Ahead: The latest

Get Your Kicks New Orleans: Jesters

news from the ports

soccer team set to start 15th season

36 | entertainment The Carver Rises Again: Armed with a

50 | banking & finance Rising Mortgage Rates: How much will they affect the New Orleans housing market and what other factors play a role?

104 | great workspaces

new staff, renovated space and aggressive live music schedule, The Historic Carver Theater is returning to its roots.

Designing Women: Logan Killen Interiors shop and studio showcases the work and lifestyle of its designers.

110 | why didn’t i think of that?

Healing with Every Step: Local orthopedic surgeon Dr.

38 | entrepreneurship

Elizabeth Warner is successfully treating plantar fasciitis with her own brand of high tech flip-flops.

Equity Crowdfunding: Helping small investors get into the entrepreneurial game

40 | etiquette (Don’t) Just Say No:

30 | dining Magazine’s Magnifique Miles: A trip down the multicultural culinary abundance of Magazine Street.

8 Biz May 2017

Strategic word choice can help you draw boundaries and avoid burnout.

42 | tech Is Slack the Future?

An assessment of the “Email Killer”

from the lens

114 | making a match: business and nonprofits 54 | real estate & construction Neighborhoods Reinvented: More than a decade after Hurricane Katrina, three New Orleans neighborhoods have gone from desolate to highly desirable.

58 | guest perspective Digital Marketing Musts: In today’s online-driven environment, digital marketing is an absolute requirement for any business.

Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans: Concerned about crime in New Orleans? Partnering with this nonprofit can make you part of the solution.

120 | behind the scenes Derby Pottery & Tile

on the cover Chosen Diagnostics Founder, Sunyoung Kim. Photo by David Joshua Jennings.

BizNewOrleans.com 9

Editor’s Note

BizNewOrleans.com

Beyond the magazine But wait, there’s more! Visit BizNewOrleans.com to watch videos from this month’s issue, including:

Time to Run

I

’d call myself a runner in the same way that I’d call myself a driver or a dishwasher — it’s something I do not because I think, “Boy, do I feel like going for a run right now,” but more because it’s a necessary action for my life to function in a productive way. Basically, it’s another feature of my weekly “to do” list.

I never thought I’d be a runner, but right now my life demands a stress relieving outlet that is flexible to my constantly changing schedule, available to me wherever I may be traveling and requires nothing more of me than putting on some shoes and heading out the door. That, essentially, leaves out every other activity I can think of.

Thanks to podcasts like “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me,” and, more recently, “S-Town” (if you haven’t jumped into this latest NPR jewel, then trust me, hesitate no longer) running has become quite a bit less painful.

Due to all the running, however, the same cannot be said of my right foot. Like so many runners, I am struggling with some plantar fasciitis, which made it extra exciting to talk to Dr. Elizabeth Warner, a Baton Rouge orthopedic surgeon that’s developed flip-flops that treat this condition. As summer gets into full swing, I may be heading down to Varsity Sports to purchase a pair.

With each issue of Biz we try to strike a balance between celebrating our accomplishments — like the work being done by bioinnovation pioneer Chosen Diagnostics, the reinvention of New Orleans neighborhoods post-Katrina and local businesses that take an old school approach, like Ice Cream 504 and Derby Pottery & Tile — with bringing some of our state’s struggles to light, such as our dismal ranking in efficiency, and our low level of giving to our coastline, compared to other similarly threatened states.

Our region is always a work in progress. To those doing the necessary work, whether enjoyable or not, to help us find our healthy stride, I salute you.

Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com

Bioinnovation Standout Behind the scenes at the photo shoot and Q&A with Chosen Diagnostics Founder, Sunyoung Kim.

A healthier commute The 6th Annual NOLA Bike to Work Day kicked off April 12.

10 Biz May 2017

BizNewOrleans.com 11

Publisher’s Note

My Youngest Daughter’s Next Journey And then there was one.

O

n Saturday, May 20, my youngest daughter will graduate from Tulane University with a master’s of architecture. Malayne (pronounced Muh-lane-E) has been working towards this degree through the university’s five-year masters program, and if you ask her, she would say it seems like she put in six years. I have never seen someone work so hard. There were many late nights dedicated to “pin-ups” and “reviews” at one of the most prestigious architecture fast track programs in the country. We are two unbelievably proud parents.

Of all my daughters she is the one we thought for sure would leave the region to adventure to college, the one that wanted to see the world.

When she toured Tulane’s architecture school though, she fell in love with the program’s offerings.

Malayne was able to see the world and have a great college experience, living in dorms and an apartment, despite the fact that we live only four blocks from campus. She even spent a semester taking advantage of Tulane’s Rome Study Abroad Program and would spend weekends traveling Europe. She found a way to stay in New Orleans and still explore the world.

Malayne has always had a call to art and she has turned that talent into an impressive degree for a future career.

We are so proud of what she has accomplished, and we know her next chapter will be an exciting one.

Congratulations Malayne - L.U.B.B.B.E. Todd Matherne

12 Biz May 2017

Meet the Sales Team

Maegan O’Brien Sales Manager (504) 830-7219 Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com

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

Carly Goldman Account Executive (504) 830-7225 Carly@BizNewOrleans.com

Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com

14 Biz May 2017

Calendar

May 2-4

12

Collision Conference Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Collisionconf.com

Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Business & Breakfast 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Holiday Inn New Orleans Westbank 275 Whitney Ave., Gretna JeffersonChamber.org

4 Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Women’s Business Symposium 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Sheraton Metairie – New Orleans Hotel 4 Galleria Blvd., Metairie HCCL.biz

9 New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Power Breakfast sponsored by First NBC Bank 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

1515 Poydras St. 5th Floor Auditorium NewOrleansChamber.org

10 Women’s Business Alliance 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Vessel NOLA 3835 Iberville St. NewOrleansChamber.org

10 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Small Business Champions Award Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Airport Hilton 901 Airline Dr., Kenner JeffersonChamber.org

11 ABWA Crescent City Connections Monthly Luncheon featuring Brandy Christian 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ralph Brennan’s Heritage Grill 111 Veterans Blvd.

ABWANewOrleans.org

12 Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Spring Job Fair & Community Expo 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hispanic Resource Center 4312 Florida Ave., Kenner HCCL.biz

13 New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce Designed to Dine fundraiser luncheon 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Tracy Center Ballroom 1800 Acadian Thruway Baton Rouge NORBChamber.org

16 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Day at the Legislature 2017 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

State Capitol, Ellender Room Baton Rouge JeffersonChamber.org

17 10th Annual ACG Louisiana Awards 6 pm reception followed by seated dinner The Roosevelt New Orleans acg.org/louisiana

19 Connect With Google: Free Digital Marketing Workshop 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Hyatt Regency New Orleans 601 Loyola Ave. NewOrleansChamber.org

24 New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Educational Seminar: Building a Social Media 6-pack For Your Biz 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

1515 Poydras St. 5th Floor Auditorium NewOrleansChamber.org

For a more complete list of events visit our website at bizneworleans.com.

We’d love to include your business-related event in next month’s calendar.

Please email details to Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.

16 Biz May 2017

ADVERTISEMENT

Close your next deal at one of these business-friendly bistros.

Desi Vega’s Steakhouse

Tommy’s Cuisine

628 St. Charles Ave. • (504) 523-7600 desivegasteaks.com

746 Tchoupitoulas St. • (504) 581-1103 tommysneworleans.com

Our spectacular dining rooms boast views of the historic St. Charles Avenue streetcar line and our Prime Room is the elegant setting for your private events needs. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch, a private party, or a dinner to remember, Desi Vega’s Steakhouse is the place for you!

Tommy’s Cuisine is a locally-owned and operated restaurant located in the Warehouse District. Famous for its inspired upscale Creole-Italian cuisine, all perfectly served in an old-world atmosphere, Tommy’s has been the place to meet, eat, and drink for over a decade. Experience a world-class wine menu along with the finest dishes in the city at Tommy’s Cuisine.

Cornet

Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak

700 Bourbon St. • (504) 523-1485 cornetnola.com

215 Bourbon St. • (504) 335-3932 galatoires33barandsteak.com

Born from the family who gave Louis Armstrong his first horn, Cornet Restaurant celebrates the sounds and savors the flavors of New Orleans. Located on the corner of Bourbon and St. Peters, Cornet serves authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine inspired by the cradle of Jazz. Boasting the largest balcony on Bourbon Street & private dining rooms, Cornet is the perfect venue to host your next meeting or private event.

Galatoire’s “33” Bar & Steak provides an unparalleled dining experience just steps off of Bourbon Street. Sip classic, hand-crafted cocktails in our bar or when the mood strikes, enjoy classic steakhouse creations including prime-aged beef and fresh Louisiana seafood or lighter fare including our jumbo lump crab cake and gourmet burger.

BizNewOrleans.com 17

Industry News

awards

Winners of Jefferson Chamber’s 2017 Business Leadership Awards Awards will be presented at a luncheon on May 10.

Entrepreneur of the Year – Title Management Small Business of the Year – Merchant Security Services Large Business of the Year – Zito Companies Woman Owned Business of the Year – Beary Cherry Tree

business abroad

GNO, Inc. Leading Group to London in June Following the start of direct service by British Airways from New Orleans to London, GNO, Inc., will lead approximately 80 executives, elected officials and community leaders on a business mission and international summit to London June 10-14. During the trip, the delegation will engage with local experts from multiple sectors, including energy, tourism and hospitality, advanced manufacturing, and digital/tech and creative. Information on tickets and sponsorships is available at GNOInc.org.

money

CBNO Launches Big Easy Budget Game Think you could do a better job with the city’s budget? Now you can give it a try with an interactive website launched by the Committee for a Better New Orleans (CBNO). The Big Easy Budget Game allows anyone to “play mayor for a day” by creating their own version of New Orleans’ city budget. Players can learn more about how departments work and spend their money before allocating funds in a game that averages 11 minutes to play. Data from each budget will be compiled to form a meta-budget, The People’s Budget, which will be released to media and city leaders along with the city’s proposed budget for 2018 in the fall.

This is the second year the game will be available. Last year 650 residents participated in every neighborhood of the city. To play, go to BigEasyBudgetGame.com.

18 Biz May 2017

awards

education

ACG Louisiana Named Chapter of the Year

NORLI Accepting Applications Through May 15

Just in time to start its annual Spring Membership Drive, the Louisiana chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth was named 2016 Chapter of the Year by ACG Global.

The 10th Annual ACG Louisiana Awards will take place May 17.

The New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) is accepting applications for its 2018 class through May 15. The premier leadership program fosters connections across the 10-parish region through a ninemonth program (September – May) designed to enhance personal leadership skills by examining issues central to advancement of the region. For more information, visit NORLI.org.

Louisiana has long been recognized as a U.S. leader in trade and foreign direct investment.

Using the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, we connect the world to more than twothirds of the continental U.S…Without question, Louisiana delivers an essential connection to the global economy.

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson, speaking about the importance of trade in Louisiana in advance of his role as a panelist at the World Trade Center’s Future of Trade Summit May 9 at Hilton Capitol Center in Baton Rouge.

Family Owned Business of the Year – Riccobono’s Innovator of the Year – Ochsner Innovation Center Business Progress Award – Buisson Creative Community Leader of the Year – Carol Solomon Community Advancement Award – Laurel Outdoor

awards

ABWA Woman of the Year Amy Landry, founder of Fuel Success Academy and president elect of ABWA Crescent City Connections Chapter, was named the organization’s Woman of the Year on March 9. Fuel Success Academy is a unique workforce development firm based in New Orleans whose clients include NOLA Motorsports Park and Children’s Hospital. A charter member of ABWA Crescent City Connections, Landry developed both its DRIVE Leadership Conference and Equal Pay Day Celebration Event.

Recent Openings

bluefrog Plumbing + Drain

Colmex Construction

DoubleTree by Hilton New Orleans Double Tree by Hilton New Orleans has unveiled the results of its $25 million renovation, which encompassed its lobby, pool, guest rooms and meeting spaces. The hotel now features 367 guestrooms and 16,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space that offers bird-eye views of the city.

General contractor Colmex Construction has announced the opening of its new headquarters at 4334 Earhart Blvd., in New Orleans. Founded in 2008, the company specializes in building energy efficient homes for both nonprofits and private homeowners. In 2016 Colmex received Entergy’s “Power of the People Award,” and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Excelencia Award.

Local business owner Manny Mitten has opened the first Louisiana location of national franchise bluefrog Plumbing + Drain at 2211 Engineers Rd., in Belle Chasse. A construction plumber for 15 years, Mitten opened the home service plumbing company “to give residents in New Orleans a rare, customeroriented plumbing company that focuses on timeliness, safety, professionalism, consideration and transparent value.”

Cox Solutions Store What was formerly the Pei Wei restaurant in Metairie is now home to a Cox Solutions Store, which opened April 24 at 4852 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite C. The new store includes interactive elements like a “Home Theater” — comprised of four HD combo tvs — a tech wall of gadgets to try out and the ability to test out Cox’s New Contour and Cox Homelife products.

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

Wahlburgers

Palmisano Headquarters

Growing restaurant chain Wahlburgers — founded in Massachusetts by Executive Chef Paul Wahlberg with his celebrity brothers Mark and Donnie in 2011— will be opening two restaurants in the Greater New Orleans region at locations to be determined.

The restaurants feature burgers, sandwiches, salads and home-style side dishes. A specialty burger inspired by the city is expected to be included on the menu of the New Orleans locations.

(Photo courtesy of Eric Luciano of SOUSA design Architects)

Now nearing 100 employees, commercial and civil construction firm Palmisano will complete construction on a larger space on the New Orleans riverfront later this year. The new headquarters at 1730 Tchoupitoulas St. will be a two-story office space spanning 30,200 square feet that will feature an open workflow concept along with a string of amenities including an employee lounge and café leading to a large outdoor terrace, green space, an in-house gym and yoga studio, as well as a separate area for cross fit.

20 Biz May 2017

Savor Public Relations firm the Spears Group launched its first installment of Savor, “an exclusive dining opportunity for adventurous consumers,” on March 25 at Crescent Park. The sold-out event hosted more than 220 diners who enjoyed a six-course menu by Master Pastry Chef and Founder of Sucre, Tariq Hann and Chef Philip Lopez of Root, Part & Parcel, Petit Lion and Monkey Board in the Troubadour Hotel. The next Savor is scheduled for sometime this summer.

Events 1

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New Orleans Chamber 1st Quarter Luncheon

Crimestoppers GNO’s 32nd Annual Awards Luncheon

Wednesday, March 15 | Sheraton New Orleans Hotel

Thursday, March 16 | Hyatt Regency

The New Orleans Chamber of Commerce’s 1st Quarter Luncheon welcomed keynote speaker Stephen Waguespack, president of LABI. Waguespack provided a briefing on the upcoming 2017 legislative session.

Members of the New Orleans community and local law enforcement came together at Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans’ annual awards luncheon to celebrate individuals that have made a difference in the safety of their community.

1. Chuck Mutz, Sandra Brown, Gabrielle Sanchez and Jeremy Hunnewell 2. Stephen Waguespack 3. Walter Leger III, Marcelle Beaulieu, Karen Clark and Dana Henry

1. Stephanie Miles, Jeff Adams, Charlotte Synigal and George Ansardi 2.

Greg Rusovich 3. Chris Goodly, Genny May and Ronnie Stevens

22 Biz May 2017

photographs by cheryl gerber

BizNewOrleans.com 23

Events 1

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The JEDCO Challenge (powered by First NBC Bank)

24th Annual CID Achievement Awards

Monday, March 20 | Southport Hall

Friday, April 7 | Audubon Tea Room

Hosted during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, the JEDCO Challenge brought five top local startups together to vie for a $20,000 prize. Each had seven minutes to win over the audience and a panel of business leaders.

The Commercial Investment Division (CID) of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR) held their annual awards April 7. Commercial industry leaders were recognized for their accomplishments in real estate in 2016.

1. Winner Sunyoung Kim, Chosen Diagnostics 2. Mike Hoss 3. Phil Taylor, Lilach Taylor & Garrett Forruerette

1. Top commercial real estate producers of 2016 2. Paul Richard, Jennifer Lanasa Evans, Matt Eaton & Ryan Pearce 3. Rob Stevens, Emily Murphy & Bob Stevens

24 Biz May 2017

photographs by cheryl gerber and jeff strout

special promotion

Cox Business’ “Get Started NOLA” Pitch Competition Instapath Biopics LLC claims this year’s big prize.

On March 22, 2017 Cox Business, in partnership with Inc. Magazine, hosted the “Get Started NOLA” Pitch Competition at The Chicory (610 South Peters Street) during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.

Similar to the hit show “Shark Tank,” five finalists pitched their business ideas to both a live audience and a panel of judges that included Leigh King, vice president of Cox Business Louisiana; Susan Cox, president and founder of LogoJET; Tom Cox, CEO and founder of Golfballs.com; and Louis Freeman Jr., CEO of Innovation Catalyst Inc. Ken Kraft, senior vice president of marketing for Cox Business, was the moderator.

This year’s winner of $10,000 and a Cox technology package was Instapath Biopics LLC, a company whose imaging system rapidly displays important biopsy features used to diagnose conditions, allowing patients to avoid having to wait the standard two weeks for a diagnosis.

“Cox has been helping us connect with investors and people who can help us move forward,” said Mei Wang of Instapath Biopics.

King said supporting local entrepreneurs and providing them with tools to help them succeed is exactly what the competition is all about.

“We’re excited to work with Get Started Louisiana winner Instapath Biopics as they continue to grow their business.” photographs by cheryl gerber

in the biz Biz columnists speak out

NOLA BY THE NUMBERS • DINING • TOURISM • SPORTS • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTREPRENEURSHIP • ETIQUETTE • TECH

dining

Global Feast Magazine Street offers exotic masterpieces from around the world — no passport required.

More on page 30

In the Biz NOLa by the numbers

We Need to Prioritize Our Coast Giving to environmental causes falls far short in the Super Region.

L

ouisiana has the most miles of vulnerable coastline per capita of any state in the country. We are also the only state with a master plan for protecting our coast.

With more than $8 billion of federal investment in the pipeline for coastal restoration and urban water management, thousands of jobs will soon be created in these industries in Southeast Louisiana.

Philanthropic investment can leverage these billions of federal dollars to ensure they do more than fortify our coast. It can help connect marginalized communities to these jobs, so that we are building social resilience at the same time that we build environmental resilience.

Government watchdogging and advocacy will be essential to ensure that these dollars are not diverted to other state interests.

Unfortunately, in 2012, just 5.3 percent of total grant giving by foundations in the Southeast Louisiana Super Region went to environmental causes. In contrast, national foundations gave 7.1 percent of all their nationwide grants to environmental causes.

All total, foundations based in the Southeast Louisiana Super Region give $2.94 per capita to environmental causes.

Foundations nationwide give $4.62 per capita to environmental causes.

Greater national and local philanthropic investment will be needed to ensure we have the critical inputs needed to support the restoration of our coast and the development of a sustainable water management industry.

Among the 17 states with highly vulnerable coastlines, Louisiana currently ranks No. 10 in per capita grant receiving for environmental causes. n

28 Biz May 2017

Allison Plyer is executive director and chief demographer of The Data Center in New Orleans. Dr. Plyer is author of The New Orleans Index series, developed in collaboration with the Brookings Institution to track the region’s progress toward prosperity, and she leads The Data Center’s research on the development of the water management cluster in Southeast Louisiana as published in The Coastal Index series.

did you know?

Louisiana can do better How 17 states with highly vulnerable coastlines rank in per capita grant-receiving for environmental causes: 1. Virginia $13.82 2. California $11 3. New York $7.25 4. Georgia $5.25 5. Massachusetts $6.51 6. Washington $4.67 7. Oregon $3.11 8. Maryland $2.24 9. Delaware $2.06 10. Louisiana $1.79 11. Texas $1.64 12. North Carolina $1.46 13. New Jersey $1.36 14. Florida $0.89 15. South Carolina $0.49 16. Alabama $0.41 17. Mississippi $0.21

TOP: the state of the coast in 1932.

BOTTOM: a satellite image from 2011 of the same area. 1,900 square miles of Louisiana’s coastal land has erroded since the 1930s.

courtesy NOAA Climate.gov

BizNewOrleans.com 29

In the Biz dining

Magazine’s Magnifique Miles

there’s more

Dining Options include:

A trip down the multicultural culinary abundance of Magazine Street

Indian

Mexican

Vietnamese

Caribbean

Japanese

Colombian

Chinese

Italian

Korean

Hawaiian

Latin

I

t’s hard to believe now, but Magazine Street was not always known for restaurants. Sure, there are the old standbys such as Bon Ton Café downtown, which dates to the 1950s, and the century-old Casamento’s off Louisiana Avenue, along with the odd pizzeria or poor-boy joint.

But today, Bon Ton and Casamento’s are joined by an extraordinary list of restaurants.

Magazine’s culinary offerings are not only numerous, they’re wide-ranging. In fact, Magazine Street showcases almost every type of cuisine imaginable. You can travel the culinary world in the distance between Canal Street and Audubon Park.

Naturally, Magazine has its share of New Orleans-style fine-dining establishments. Some of them rank among the city’s most celebrated.

They include Chophouse in the CBD, Peche in the Warehouse District, the multi-course specialist Square Root in the Lower Garden District and Coquette in the Garden District. Farther Uptown, there’s La Petite Grocery, Lilette, Apolline, Bistro Daisy and the bourbonthemed Kenton’s.

Others fit into a more casual category, including the American Sector at the National World War II Museum, the Red Dog Diner, Basin Seafood and Joey K’s in the Garden District. Uptown, there’s Slim Goodies and Saucy’s barbeque.

No other street in New Orleans is as well represented at breakfast time. Surrey’s has both ends of the 30 Biz May 2017

street covered, with locations at both 1418 and 4807 Magazine. Ditto the Ruby Slipper, with locations at both 200 and 2802. Just a little farther lies Another Broken Egg and GG’s Dine O Rama.

Traveling up Magazine, you cross the continent of Asia. Nirvana, near Louisiana, represents India, while SukhoThai covers Thailand. Several restaurants represent Vietnam, including Lilly’s Café and Pho Noi Viet in the Lower Garden District, and Magasin’s, whose name gives you a clue as to its location. Sake Café in the Garden District, Haiku Sushi, and Noodle and Pie Uptown represent Japan. Little Korea occupies a spot just down the street.

Also nearby, veteran Jung’s Golden Dragon represents China.

Pho Noi Viet in the Lower Garden District is one of many restaurants offering Vietnamese delicacies.

At the fine-dining end of the Middle East category is Israeli restaurant Shaya. On a more casual note is Mona’s across the street and Tal’s Hummus at the intersection with Bordeaux. At the fast-food end of the category is the Pita Pit at Nashville.

Magazine houses a big batch of mainly new Latin restaurants. In the Lower Garden District alone there’s Rosa Mezcal and Mayas Nuevo Latino Cocina. In the burrito category are Juan’s Flying Burrito and Izzo’s. Also along the way Uptown are the Caribbean-themed

Rum House, Arana Taqueria, Taqueria Corona, Del Fuego Taqueria and the Colombian tapas place Baru.

Baru’s owner, by the way, has also opened a more New Orleans-esque place on Magazine called Basin Seafood.

All of a sudden Magazine street has a couple of Italian places: Amici Ristorante near Louisiana Avenue and Avo — where the beloved Martinique used to be — between Nashville and State.

On an island of its own at Louisiana Avenue is Hawaiian restaurant Poke Loa. Burger joints? Check. There’s Charcoal’s, Smashburger and Bayou Burger. For good measure, there’s a Dat Dog, too. And to complete every child’s dream diet, there’s a large collection of pizzerias: Magazine Pizza, Theo’s Pizza, New York Pizza, Slice, Pizza Domenica and Reginelli’s (twice).

On Magazine, even vegan and raw foodies get their refuge at Superfood Bar and Fresh Bar Uptown.

Finally, Mahony’s off Louisiana joins the proud poor-boy tradition of old-timers such as Guy’s near Jefferson.

How many streets in New Orleans compete with all of that? Which is to ask: How many streets in the world? n Peter Reichard is a native New Orleanian who has written about the life and times of the city for more than 20 years, including as a former newspaper editor and business journalist. photograph by jeffery johnston

BizNewOrleans.com 31

In The Biz tourism

Small Batch, Big Flavor Ice Cream 504 greets you with two scoops of delicious.

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.

o

ne of the most interesting aspects of the business landscape in New Orleans is how independent, small businesses dominate the field. While we do have national chains, our locally owned shops and restaurants win our hearts.

Visitors to NOLA have the opportunity to learn about our culture and community firsthand when they patronize a locally owned business. One of my favorites as the weather heats up is Ice Cream 504.

Located at 2511 Jena Street, just off Freret Street in Uptown New Orleans, the ice cream shop is in a charming blue shotgun building with a little patio in front. Upon entering the store the smell of the homemade, freshly baked waffle cones immediately envelops you with sugar and the not-so-secret ingredient of cinnamon.

What sets this ice cream apart are its handmade process and flavors, and how those came to be in the first place.

Proprietor Michael Southall, with longtime friend and business partner James Comeaux, was inspired by his Aunt Ruby’s recipes. It was she who taught him how to churn ice cream using fresh milk and cream, often incorporating ripe fruit from the trees in her backyard in Napoleonville, Louisiana. Southall brings those recipes and new creations to life in a churn inside his shop, much like he grew up doing on Aunt Ruby’s porch on Sunday afternoons.

Southall’s process and flavors are truly acts of artistic expression.

He excels at handmade, without the fussy modern connotation of “artisanal.” He shared that his

32 Biz May 2017

inspiration can come from a flower on the side of the road, or even a scene in a movie.

“I love coming up with new flavors,” said Southall. “We did a ‘ginger and tomato’ flavor, surprising people with a savory flavor rather than sweet. I get a kick out of that kind of thing.”

The subtle flavors whisper “lovingly homemade” instead of screaming “artificial ingredients from a factory.” The colors are understated as well, deriving their shades naturally instead of synthetic sources.

Some of Ice Cream 504’s flavors change with the seasonal availability of ingredients, while the more popular flavors like peppermint, coffee, chocolate and Cherries James (named for his business partner) are craveable staples.

The flavors that most impressed when I visited the store in April

The basics

Ice Cream 504 Ice Cream 504 is open Wednesday through Sunday, and closed on Monday and Tuesday. It also serves traditional New Orleans sno-balls, as well as sorbet. The ice cream has no added preservatives, fillers or gums, and most flavors are gluten-free. For more information, visit icecream504.com.

were his newest creations: “OPP” is orange, pecan and praline with a nod to a risqué song with the same name; “All Shook Up” combines banana and peanut butter with a swirl of honey a la Elvis; and the “Almond Peach Petit Four” would be at home at both a fancy afternoon tea and a rowdy family picnic.

The six-table shop opened in 2014 and feels comfortable and welcoming.

More often than not, it will be Southall himself who greets you when you walk in, accompanied by his mother, Ms. Roberta (Southall), sitting on a chair behind the counter listening to Motown on the radio. If you are really lucky, the neighborhood black cat, Jynx, will also be there to say hello before you enter.

“I get a kick out of serving people,” explained Michael Southall.

“My customers understand it’s all about fun. I think everyone wants to laugh. And I think when people taste my ice cream, they understand it’s fresh. They understand it and appreciate it.”

Just as Southall finished his statement, six patrons who were listening to our conversation (a very common occurrence in New Orleans) chimed in to confirm their approval and laud Ice Cream 504’s status in their minds.

Henrique Timoteo, a New Orleans resident for 18 months who is originally from Brazil, said, “In Brazil it’s so hot they have many ice creams.

But this is the best I’ve ever had.”

Timoteo is such a fan of Ice Cream 504 that he brought his friend visiting from Brazil into the store that day. His friend nodded in agreement with the other customers in the store. Ice cream has no language barriers. n

BizNewOrleans.com 33

In The Biz sports

Get Your Kicks New Orleans Jesters soccer team set to start 15th season 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.

I

n 2003, Irishman Kenny Farrell took a big gamble when he founded a semi-pro soccer team in New Orleans.

At the time, soccer was on the margins of popular American sports, but it was at a turning point. The game was still feeling momentum from the United States playing host to the 1994 World Cup, and, after a contentious launch, Major League Soccer began to establish stability and expand, with teams building soccer-specific stadiums throughout the league.

Today, it’s not uncommon to see as many, if not more, youngsters wearing soccer jerseys from national teams and international clubs as those wearing NFL, NBA, or MLB jerseys combined.

Fifteen years after launching his team, with the sport reaching heights in the United States unimaginable just two decades ago, the New Orleans Jesters are poised to be one of the city’s fastestgrowing sports franchises.

The Jesters, who played as the Shell Shockers before a 2008 rebrand, play in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), generally considered to be at the fourth tier of competition in the U.S. soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American Soccer League (NASL), and the United Soccer League (USL), and roughly equal with the Premier Development League (PDL).

The NPSL is expanding and seems to be getting stronger. It has grown from 45 teams in 2012 to 96 in 2017,

34 Biz May 2017

2017 schedule

New Orleans Jesters and has seen its one-time franchise fee rise from $5,000 in 2007 to $15,000 in 2016 and annual league fee increase from $1,800 to $5,250. The PDL, by comparison, has a $75,000 franchise fee for teams to join.

The Jesters plays home games at Pan American Stadium in City Park, a 3,500-seat facility with room for an additional 1,000 fans in standingroom-only areas. Their NPSL Southeast Conference West Division rivals include the Birmingham Hammers, Chattanooga Football Club, Inter Nashville FC, and Memphis City FC. Local sponsors include Adams and Reese, Louisiana CAT, and Entergy. Sponsorships support the team and help keep ticket prices family and group friendly. Individual adult tickets are priced at $10, $5 for youth 6 to 12, and free for kids under 6. The club also offers a family pack of two adult tickets and two youth tickets for $25 and a group package of 12 adult and eight child tickets for $144, with each additional adult or child ticket at $5.

A major focus of the club is young player talent development initiatives, including programming, clinics and a partnership with Carrollton Boosters that provides skills training to players as young as 3 years old.

Patrick Mullins, a striker with MLS’ D.C. United, is the most recognizable player to ever wear a Jesters uniform. The New Orleans native, who starred at Jesuit High School and was two-time winner of the Hermann Trophy — college soccer’s Heisman — scored 12 goals in 21 appearances for the Jesters in 2011 and 2012 while a player at the University of Maryland. Mullins was selected 11th overall by the New England Revolution in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. He was signed

by New York City FC in 2015 and traded to D.C. United last season.

The New Orleans Jesters will kick off their 2017 season on the road against Shreveport Rafters FC on Wednesday, May 10, before returning home to Pan American Stadium in City Park to take on Chattanooga FC on Saturday, May 13. n

The New Orleans Jesters will play eight home games in the 2017 regular season.

The team starts on the road against Shreveport Rafters FC on Wednesday, May 10, before returning home to Pan American Stadium in City Park to take on Chattanooga FC on Saturday, May 13. All home games (in bold) begin at 7 p.m.

Wed., May 10 @ Shreveport Rafters FC Sat., May 13 vs. Chattanooga FC Tues., May 16 vs. Shreveport Rafters FC Sat., May 20 vs. Atlanta Silverbacks Sat., May 27 vs. Georgia Revolution Sat., June 3 vs. Houston Hurricanes Thurs., June 8 @ Inter Nashville FC Sat., June 10 @ Birmingham Hammers Thurs., June 15 @ Chattanooga FC Sat., June 17 @ Memphis City FC Thurs., June 22 vs. Inter Nashville FC Sat., June 24 vs. Memphis City FC Thurs., June 29 @ Georgia Revolution Sat., July 1 @ Atlanta Silverbacks Sat., July 8 vs. Birmingham Hammers

BizNewOrleans.com 35

In The Biz entertainment

The Carver Rises Again Armed with a new staff, renovated space and aggressive live music schedule, The Historic Carver Theater is returning to its roots.

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.

F

irst, a quick history on the Carver: Situated smack dab in the middle of Treme, The Historic Carver Theater was built in 1950 as a state-of-the-art theater for African Americans. For 30 years it served as a hub for cultural activity in the neighborhood.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the theater’s current owner, Dr. Eugene Oppman, operated an eye clinic out of the space. After extensive Katrina damage, he spent 10 years and $8 million on renovations to bring it back to its former glory. The Carver reopened in 2014 as a rental facility, primarily booking not music, but events and private parties.

Last summer, the theater went up for sale for $5.5 million. That’s when Chicago native turned New Orleans transplant Chris Ritter stepped in. Having operated a similar theater in Chicago for 10 years, Ritter persuaded Oppman not to sell, and instead let Ritter make some changes.

Operating as general manager since last August, Ritter renovated the upstairs of the theater into an intimate music space now called the Carver Club, revamped the website, hired about 40 employees, including personnel for in-house ticketing, a box office manager, and security staff.

36 Biz May 2017

All this work was to preface the launch of the theater’s use again as a live music venue. Since January, the Carver Theater has been hopping every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with shows in the 100-seat Carver Club; on weekends larger shows like Tank and the Bangas come very close to selling out the 925-seat main theater, Ritter says.

In March, Ritter made his most recent hire, bringing in Paul Cheene as artistic director.

“Paul is one of the most multitalented people I’ve ever met,” he says. “He’s a saxophone player with

Mark Your Calendar

Coming Soon @ the Carver Sat. May 6 at 10:30 p.m. (doors open at 9 p.m.) — Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters, Honey Island Swamp Band, with special guest John Mooney and more!

Tickets $20-$35. CarverTheater.org

To Be Continued Brass Band and the former manager of Maison Bourbon.”

Ritter says the shows so far have been “hit or miss,” but that overall the reception has been good.

“We have a very supportive local market and 8 million tourists coming in [to the city] a year,” he says. “And here we offer great live music, plenty of safe and secure parking, a dance floor for days and a sound system considered to be one of the best in the state.”

Ritter is far from done with implementing changes at the Carver.

In the next three to six months he expects to be launching the Carver Theater Foundation, which will do business as the Treme Arts Center, a venture dedicated to providing free arts education and performance opportunities to Treme area youth age 6 to 18.

“We’re board building now, and then the capital campaign will begin for the new facility,” Ritter says.

“We own a couple of properties on the block that we’ll be renovating into a new space for the arts center.

Realistically, I’d say programming would start next summer.”

Noting the theater’s abundance of space and land, Ritter says the Carver will also be launching its own musical festival sometime in mid November. “The details for that are still T.B.D.,” he says. n

photograph by Brian Jarreau

BizNewOrleans.com 37

In The Biz entrepreneurship

Equity Crowdfunding Helping small investors get into the entrepreneurial game 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.

M

ost entrepreneurs need investors, and investing in startup businesses is, when you think of it, kind of an entrepreneurial activity.

By definition, investing in new businesses is risky, and not everyone has a ton of money to put into high-risk ventures. However, a five-year-old fundraising option for new business owners also offers an opportunity for small investors to get into the entrepreneurial game.

Called “equity crowdfunding,” this option allows individuals to put up amounts as low as a few hundred dollars to purchase shares in business startups. These shares are not truly public offerings as found in the stock markets; instead they are available through licensed, regulated brokers.

These brokers operate websites — portals in the language of the trade — that are similar to typical crowdfunding sites.

The difference is that instead of making a donation to support a product, person or cause as is typical of standard crowdfunding sites — and getting non-monetary rewards for your support — you are actually purchasing an interest in the business itself.

There are multiple equity crowdfunding portals, each offering the opportunity to invest in a variety of startups. While there are clear differences among them, virtually all the portals provide a good deal of information about each of their featured new ventures, including financials, business plan, investment details, etc.

Each offering also includes a capital goal for the business, and the owner only receives the funds if that goal is achieved. When you choose 38 Biz May 2017

to invest in a specific venture, you must provide the funds immediately, but they are held in escrow until the financial goal is reached.

There are quite a few regulations related to equity crowdfunding, including caps on how much you can invest and restrictions on selling your ownership shares. These have been put in place by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission, not Southeastern Conference) in recognition of the fact that startup investing is indeed risky business.

So if you pick a winner, how do you get a return on your investment?

One way is through dividends: If the company you choose is successful, it can return some of its profits to its investors on a percentage basis, just like traditional shareholders receive

returns. Or if the company is sold, you can expect to receive a proportional share of the proceeds of the sale. Finally, if the company decides to go public through the regular stock exchanges, the value of your shares should increase (and possibly become more liquid in the process).

Before you let the frustrated entrepreneur in you run wild, keep in mind that a large percentage of new businesses never get off the ground, while only a small percentage are successful on a significant scale.

Also, while the equity crowdfunding portals do provide a lot of information on the companies they offer, you have much less knowledge about individual(s) behind these ventures.

This might suggest that doing some additional research on their previous

business history, if available, could be helpful in your decision-making.

On a related note, although most equity crowdfunding investors are going to make their investing decisions based on their evaluation of which ventures are most likely to succeed, there are other factors you might want to consider. For example, you might want to support businesses in our region, or those whose products or services seem likely to produce social benefits.

As with any other type of investing, get as much information as you possibly can and be mindful of the risks. That said, if you don’t have the time to build a better mousetrap yourself, equity crowdfunding at least offers you to chance to join with someone who has. n

The Basics

Breaking it Down For as little as a few hundred dollars, investors can use equity crowdfunding to purchase shares in startups through a broker. As with typical crowdfunding, each startup has a capital goal and the owner only receives the funds if that goal is achieved. If the fundraising goal is achieved, an investor’s money is pulled out of escrow and given to the startup in exchange for an interest in the business.

Examples include websites like AngelList, Fundable and Crowdfunder.

BizNewOrleans.com 39

In The Biz etiquet te

(Don’t) Just Say No Strategic word choice can help you draw boundaries and avoid burnout.

A

s children, we are admonished for saying “no.” Perhaps this is what sets the pattern for many of us later in life of saying “yes” to everything thrown our way. In the workplace this can translate to being too busy, exhausted and burned out to say “yes” to the fun and important activities we want to do outside of work.

Learning to say “no” is a difficult, but not impossible habit to develop.

The good news for those of us who feel guilty or riddled with anxiety over the thought of saying “no” is that not only can you give a “no” without ever actually saying the word, but there is an even more effective word choice. Researchers at Boston College and the University of Houston discovered in a 2013 study that saying “I don’t” rather than “I can’t” or even “no,” is a useful strategy for achieving success.

Dr. Heidi Grant, social psychologist, associate director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia Business School and senior scientist for the Neuroleadership Institute, writes on her blog, “… even seemingly subtle differences in language can have very powerful effects on our thoughts, feelings and behavior. ‘I don’t’ is experienced as

Eti-quips

Top Priorities Warren Buffett’s advice for setting boundaries and saying no

40 Biz May 2017

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.

a choice, so it feels empowering. It’s an affirmation of your determination and willpower.”

This simple change in wording can help you better manage your time and workload, freeing you up to focus on the tasks that will put you closer to achieving long-term projects, career and life goals. The

We could all likely do better to take a page from the playbook of one of the most wealthy and successful business people in the world, Warren Buffett. One of many quotes attributed to the ever-quotable Buffett is, “The difference between successful

key is enacting a few tried-and-true steps and practicing the “I don’t” strategy until it becomes second nature, so you can use it in business without burning bridges.

Over the past few years, in my own quest to learn to say no, I’ve developed the acronym AHAH: Assessment, Honesty,

people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” In an oft-repeated story, Buffett is said to have told his long-term pilot this two-step rule to setting boundaries and saying no:

• Write down 25 career goals and circle the five most important.

• Eliminate the other 20 goals.

This takes keeping it simple to a whole new level.

Acknowledgement and Help. I consider the request and assess whether it’s something I find exciting and engaging, as well as asking myself if there is time on my plate to do it. I may also inquire as to the scope of the project and the timeline.

Next, I will respond with diplomatic honesty and say something like, “Thank you for thinking of me for this project. It really sounds exciting, but I simply don’t have space for it in my schedule at this time.” It’s important at this stage to listen to and acknowledge feedback or pushback from the other party.

Finally, offer another form of help by recommending another person who might be a good fit or some other solution. This could even come in the form of a yes, but only if they can wait for it until after you come up for air from a current project.

Being firm with your “don’t” and providing another option is a good way to maintain your boundaries, while at the same time not seeming uncooperative. There will of course be times when a request comes from your superior and even the most strategic word choice isn’t going to save you from the task at hand. For the other times, however, perfect the art of the “I don’t.” n

BizNewOrleans.com 41

In The Biz tech

Is Slack the Future?

An assessment of the “Email Killer”

I

n August 2014, tech news website The Verge published an article titled “Slack is killing email.” Soon after, The New York Times came out with “Slack, the Office Messaging App That May Finally Sink Email,” and TIME released “How E-Mail Killer Slack Will Change the Future of Work.” The catchy headlines did their job, and I decided at the time to see what Slack was all about. I quickly concluded that Slack was an internet fad that would come and go like so many others.

Since then, Slack’s growth rate has been extraordinary, even by internet standards. After the official launch in early 2014, the number of active Slack users per day surpassed 2 million in 2015 and 4 million in 2016.

Then this past November, Microsoft announced a new Office 365 component called Teams, which everyone compared to Slack, followed

by Google’s recent announcement of Hangouts Chat, which everyone also compared to Slack.

Maybe it’s time to reassess my opinion.

The concept The concept of Slack and its imitators is simple enough. It’s a group chat platform with messages organized into teams and channels, where a team is a group of people and a channel is a topic. Other typical features include personto-person direct messaging, file sharing and integration with other applications that can be configured to post messages automatically.

Access is via a website, mobile app, or Windows/Mac/Linux application.

The promise Slack promises to alleviate the burden of keeping up with email by 42 Biz May 2017

Steven Ellis has spent the last 16 years working at the intersection of business and technology for Bellwether Technology in New Orleans, where he serves as the company’s vice president.

seems that some of Slack’s advantages are offset by the fact that chat is fundamentally a real-time form of communication that can spin out of control in its own way.

Also note that there are other ways to deal with email overload. By using a spam filter that tags solicited bulk mail as “graymail” and taking the time to create various inbox rules, I have been able to drastically limit the number of messages that hit my inbox. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s manageable.

My new take

providing better control over when and how you converse through channels and configurable notifications you can use to decide what to see and when to see it. Recognizing that much of the email that fills up our inbox is neither urgent nor important, the Slack model would make those communications available for review, but keeps them out of your real-time stream (if they migrate to Slack at all). Slack’s website says users see an average of 48.6 percent reduction in internal email.

Slack’s touted benefits also include more transparency and better availability of information. Since messages are archived and indexed, anyone on a team can review all of the team’s

messages at any time. Proponents argue that this openness leads to a more effective organization.

The flip side On the other hand, Slack skeptics cite “chat fatigue” that develops as the volume of Slack activity picks up. It

Did you know?

A bit about slack Created by Slack Technologies A free app that works on any device

The idea that Slack will replace email for most people anytime soon is just silly. I’m also not sure that I’m ready to pay attention to yet another application regularly. My regular list already includes a traditional instant messaging platform and various other collaboration apps. If email is your only form of online business communication, then you may want to get with the times.

Slack (or Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts Chat) could very well be worth adding to your toolkit. n

Promises “team communication for the 21st Century” Organizes email conversations and related documents into topics or projects that every member of a group can access

Promises to help reduce your internal email Users include NASA, Samsung, LinkedIn, TIME magazine, Airbnb and Ticketmaster

BizNewOrleans.com 43

perspectives hot topics in three southeast Louisiana industries

MARITIME & PORTS • BANKING & FINANCE • REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION • GUEST VIEWPOINT

real estate & construction

Neighborhoods Reinvented Back from Katrina, these three communities are stronger than ever.

More on page 54

Perspectives MARITIME AND PORTs

Full Steam Ahead The latest news from the ports.

By Frank Etheridge

B

oth the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana have experienced good news of late. Yet, even with the promise of newly inked deals and attention from international accolades, a great challenge — or, given the right perspective, a cause to champion — remains.

Two new agreements look to bring an immediate bump in activity and potentially hundreds of millions in total economic impact for the city’s port system.

Port of New Orleans: MOU with St. Louis During a recent interview with Biz New Orleans, Port of New Orleans President and CEO, Brandy Christian, explained that months of in-depth conversations with Dennis Wilmsmeyer, executive director of America’s Central Port (one of three public ports operating in greater St. Louis), identified “synergies” in terms of what cargo flows through both cities and where opportunities for new cargo exist.

Identifying untapped opportunities in coordinating the two regions’ supply chain led to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on Feb. 23 between the Port of New Orleans and the St. Louis Regional Freightway — a year-old, public/private entity encompassing the region’s myriad shipping interests. The MOU seeks, in largely symbolic fashion, to bolster trade between the two historically and commercially connected cities, essentially, tapping into New Orleans’ strength as an export market and St. Louis’ import-container 46 Biz May 2017

market and its access by rail and interstate to a large population.

“Absolutely it is beneficial to us,” Christian says of the MOU, heralded by the St. Louis Business Journal as a “major milestone” for the new Freightway. “It’s always good to utilize more of the Mississippi River, and this agreement opens up a largepopulation area and thus more customers. We see strong potential for shipping auto parts and rubber, given the Ford and General Motors factories in the [St. Louis] area.”

Celebrity Equinox Sets Records Not as traditional, but certainly still profitable, the Port of New Orleans’ stature as a hub for the cruise ship industry got a big (literally) boost when the Celebrity Equinox sailed into town over Mardi Gras.

Christened in 2008 and built to host 2,850 passengers, the ship’s maiden voyage to New Orleans bought the longest boat to ever dock in the city at 1,041 feet. More important to local coffers, however, are these numbers: The Port of New Orleans saw 4.5 percent growth in cruise ship activity for 2016, welcoming more than 1 million passengers for an estimated economic impact of $400 million.

“Celebrity is a higher-end cruise line, and we’re starting to see more luxury lines, the European lines, coming here,” Christian says, noting the local market’s diversification beyond Carnival Cruise Line and recent capital investments at its Erato and Julia Street terminals to meet current cruise ship needs. “New Orleans is a great attraction as both a destination and as a port of call.”

Port of South Louisiana For Port of South Louisiana Executive Director, Paul Aucoin, the acceptance in March of the “Job Creation Project of the Year” award at the 10th annual Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum was not a time to celebrate, it was a call to action.

Hot Topic

Maritime Law The Jones Act Has to Stay.

By Cayce C. Peterson, Esq. The Lambert Firm, PLC The Jones Act is not merely a set of laws that allows maritime workers to sue their employers. In fact, that is actually a very small part of what it does. The Jones Act is responsible, in large part, for keeping the maritime industry in New Orleans as healthy as it is.

Without the Jones Act setting the standard for maritime transportation to and from locations within the United States, companies would quickly outsource their transportation and shipping needs to foreign companies who are able to provide cheaper services by skirting safety, using unseaworthy vessels and not hiring trained, securityscreened American workers.

The Jones Act keeps good jobs in Louisiana, protects our borders and homeland, and ultimately keeps our maritime workers safe.

Certain lawmakers from other states have recently attempted to repeal the Jones Act as “archaic” and “costly,” but their viewpoint ignores the importance of the Jones Act to the Gulf states’ oil and gas industry, to the maritime industry, to homeland security and to the United States economy as a whole, all for the selfish intent of shipping their non-petroleum products at a cheaper cost.

“It’s my crusade now,” Aucoin said in a recent interview of the reason behind the Job Creation Project award, the result of his dogged efforts to secure federal funding for the Mississippi River Shipping Channel Dredging Project. “It’s important for the state of Louisiana, it’s important for the 31 states connected to us by the nation’s largest waterway and it’s important for the entire United States.”

Congress authorized a channel depth of 50 feet in 1985, but inadequate funding through federal bureaucracies — namely the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — has allowed parts of the river’s shipping channel, particularly at the mouth of the river where silt BizNewOrleans.com 47

Name Game Turn Services christens flagship vessel, the M/V American Pharoah.

An independent company founded in 1990, Turn Services in February christened its 23rd tugboat, the M/V American Pharoah “When our company got started, we thought, ‘What should we name our vessels after?’” says Mario Munoz, president of New Orleans-based fleeting and shifting company Turn Services. “When we decided long ago to name them after Triple Crown winners, there were 11 Triple Crown winners. We never thought we’d have more than 11 vessels.”

accumulates, to stay above the 50-foot threshold. With that level cited as crucial to grant passage for today’s large deep-draft vessels, a study conducted by the Big River Coalition and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development estimates 17,000 new, permanent jobs would be created in the state with the channel’s deepening to 50 feet.

Aucoin seemed to have his dream fulfilled in the first weeks of President Trump’s administration, when $1 billion for the project was listed as No. 7 on the list of the nation’s infrastructure needs.

However, the shipping-channel’s champion at the White House, Ohio businessman Daniel M. Slane, ultimately didn’t land the position of special assistant to the president for infrastructure.

“D.J. Gribbin got the job,” Aucoin says of the former general counsel for 48 Biz May 2017

Munoz describes the new tugboat’s namesake as “a very historic 2015 winner of the Triple Crown, as he went on to win the Breeder’s Cup and become the first-ever winner of the American Grand Slam of racing. We knew we had a special opportunity for naming our flagship vessel.”

Built in 1977, the refurbished boat measures 120 feet long by 34 feet wide with 4,000 horsepower. Operating on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and Myrtle Grove, Turn Services is now capable of moving commodities larger than its typical 12 to 15 barge tows.

The vessel is also dedicated to Turn Services Senior Vice President of Sales and Customer Service, Jim Buky, a 52-year veteran of the industry.

the U.S. Department of Transportation. “I’m working to impress on him the necessity of this issue.”

Aucoin has some numbers to back his argument. He says it would cost an estimated $140 million annually to keep the river dredged to 50 feet. Balance that against a grain-elevator operator who, when shipping grain by the ton, can lose $1 million when the river’s depth sits at 45 feet. Multiply his loss by the 59,000 barges annually using the Port of South Louisiana.

“With all these restrictions we have based on the water level, we’re becoming unreliable,” he explains.

“If we don’t fix this, these barges are going to find somewhere else to go. That’s why I’m not giving up until there’s money to have the river dredged to 50 feet — 50 feet all day, every day. And make sure the money is allocated to keep it that way.” n

BizNewOrleans.com 49

Perspectives BANKING & FINANCE

Rising Mortgage Rates How much will they affect the New Orleans housing market and what other factors play a role?

By Pamela Marquis

B

uying a home is one of the revered goals of obtaining and living the American dream.

On any given weekend, potential homeowners wander through open houses looking for their perfect “forever” home. It is, however, a decision fraught with many steps.

And, many experts agree that shopping for a mortgage should be a buyer’s very first step.

“Having someone who understands the complications of the various loan options and who keeps their eyes on the constantly changing market and interests rates is important,” says Ross Miller, president of Miller Home Mortgage, who has 19 years of experience in the business. “Monitoring interest rates is an important thing to do and an informed broker or banker monitors it minute by minute.”

“Mortgage News Daily” is one of the sources he uses and recommends.

The online service tracks such things as secondary markets.

“Though stocks are one of the most commonly traded securities, there are also other types of secondary markets,” said Miller.

“Investment banks also buy and sell mutual funds and bonds on secondary markets. For example, Fannie Mae also purchases mortgages on a secondary market. It buys from banks, mortgage brokers, and credit unions. That gives banks money to make more loans.”

For some background, Fannie Mae is the Federal National Mortgage 50 Biz May 2017

Association (FNMA) and was one of the players in the subprime mortgage crisis. According to a 2008 CCH Mortgage Compliance Guide, the crisis came to the public’s attention when a steep rise in home foreclosures in 2006 spiraled

seemingly out of control in 2007, triggering a national financial crisis that went global within the year.

“Before the crisis, Fannie Mae stimulated the housing market, which made up 10 percent of the economy,” says Kimberly Amadeo,

president of World Money Watch. “That created wealth for homeowners who could then afford higher-priced homes. Fannie Mae also allowed low and moderate income families to get a financial cushion beneath them, and a higher

standard of living, in the form of home ownership.”

After the subprime mortgage crisis, the housing market has been steadily righting its ship. According to data from Zillow, an online real estate database company, it is expected that a 30-year fixed mortgage rate will near 4.75 percent by the end of 2017.

The whole process starts with The Federal Reserve System (FED), the central banking system of the United States. It began in 1913 in response to a series of financial panics. Today one of the things it does is to raise or lower interest in efforts to create a healthier economy.

The Fed uses the Fed funds rate as a tool to control U.S. economic growth. That makes it the most important interest rate in the world.

According to the Federal Reserve System’s website: “Movements in the federal funds rate are passed on to other short-term interest rates that influence borrowing costs for firms and households.

Movements in short-term interest rates also influence long-term interest rates — such as corporate bond rates and residential mortgage rates — because those rates reflect, among other factors, the current and expected future values of short-term rates. In addition, shifts in long-term interest rates affect other asset prices, most notably equity prices and the foreign exchange value of the dollar.

For example, all else being equal, lower interest rates tend to raise equity prices as investors discount the future cash flows associated with equity investments at a lower rate.”

At its March 15 meeting, the Federal Reserve’s Monetary Policy Committee raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point.

According to a March 17 article in Kiplinger, the Federal Open Market Committee meeting was significant because it appears that the Fed is now committed to a path of steady rate hikes.

That means an era of historic low rates appears to be ending, and the actual cost of buying a home is set

to rise, as millennials or members of Generation Y begin to enter into their prime home-buying years.

“Rising mortgage rates, inventory shortages and demographic shifts will be the main drivers of the U.S. housing economy this year,” says Zillow Chief Economist, Svenja Gudell, in a news release. “Buyers will have to spend more and more on their monthly payments.”

Local financial advisors, investors and real estate experts are also accessing how these higher interest rates and the economy will influence the New Orleans market.

“First off, rising interest rates are only part of the overall picture when it comes to the housing market,” says Jean Paul Lagarde, portfolio manager partner with Faubourg Private Wealth. “Permits are required before building and are thus seen as a “leading indicator.”

In general, depending on the time period, as rates rise, measured by the 10-year treasury yield, building permits and housing start to decline.”

Lagarde explains that there are other periods where housing starts actually increase as rates increase.

“Which is somewhat counterintuitive, if you are only looking at the housing market through the lens of mortgage rates,” he says.

“These periods where housing starts increase as rates increase, economic growth, which is measured by Gross Domestic Product, is accelerating.

Rates rising is a function of economic growth and the rising prospect of inflation.”

Lagarde believes, however, that the decision to purchase a house is not just one of interest rates or affordability.

“Confidence is another major component to that decision,” he says. “One has to ‘feel’ optimistic and confident in their ability to enter into a 30-year mortgage contract. Much of this confidence comes from wage growth that, in turn, affects disposable income.

Currently, we are in a period of accelerating economic growth, and consumer and business confidence BizNewOrleans.com 51

data

New Orleans Housing Inventory Supply “The red line represents a balanced market according to some housing analysts. Given that supply is below the balanced line, housing is in short supply,” explains Jean Paul Lagarde, portfolio manager partner with Faubourg Private Wealth.

MONTH’S SUPPLY

YEAR

At a current level of 3.8, factoring the current pace of existing home sales, it would take 3.8 months to clear the supply of homes on the market. New Orleans is thus considered a supply constrained market.

source bloomberg

are at or near historic highs. For example, consumer confidence is the highest it has been in 196 months.”

One of the problems, however, is that some real estate agents, such as Rachel Wulff, who, along with her husband Kurt, has flipped 25 houses over the past nine years, believes that houses are now staying on market longer.

“Some buyers are worried that because interest rates are going up they may become too high and they won’t be able to make their monthly mortgage payments,” she said. “But even if rates were to raise two or three points, they will still be well below the rates in the ’80s. It’s still a good time to buy a house.”

Lagarde agrees that one thing to consider about the New Orleans housing market is the level of housing supply. He believes that currently there is a relative dearth of housing available. “New Orleans takes the limited supply problem to a new level, particularly in Uptown where there is no room for expansion,” he says.

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Wulff sees the loss of Hollywood South as having a big impact on the local real estate market.

“When Hollywood South was thriving it drove up the demand,” she says. “There were productions that bought housing for their whole crew.

Uptown was really hot. But I’ve seen a leveling off with that industry now that it’s moving to Atlanta. There’s certainly been an exodus of people in the film industry.”

Largarde believes that it is true that increasing rates, with all other factors being equal, can cause a temporary slow-down in housing, particularly if rates rise rapidly.

“However, once rates stabilize at the new higher level, housing will more likely than not start accelerating again,” he says. “This is due to expectations and how we are conditioned to feel about a certain rate. Our perception of rates are formed by our observation of them in recent history.” n

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BizNewOrleans.com 53

Perspectives REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Neighborhoods Reinvented More than a decade after Hurricane Katrina, three New Orleans neighborhoods have gone from desolate to highly desirable.

By Kim Roberts

I

t has been 12 years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged many New Orleans neighborhoods, and it has taken nearly that long for many neighborhoods to completely rebound and rebuild. Among the many neighborhoods touched by the storm, St.Claude/St. Roch, Arabi and Algiers are currently in the midst of their own transformations — all years in the making.

St. Claude/St. Roch Anchored by the area’s first big defining businesses post-Katrina —the New Orleans Healing Center (opened August 28, 2011) and the St. Roch Market (opened April 10, 2015) — along with the highly anticipated opening of a 26,000-square-foot grocery store, Robert Fresh Market, later this year, business is booming in St. Claude/St. Roch. Old houses are being repurposed into new businesses and new life is being breathed into the community known for its burgeoning artistic community and bohemian flair.

“The St. Claude area is becoming a new art community for our city,” says Paul Richard, an agent and broker with Latter and Blum.

“It is raw and edgy and cultural, experimenting with mixed media and engraining itself into the fabric of the neighborhood. You see spaces

54 Biz May 2017

St. Roch Market is one of the anchors of the renovated St. Claude/St. Roch neighborhood.

that were once a former metal shop being repurposed and transformed into a totally new space. You can still see what the space originally was but it is functioning as a restaurant or art gallery now.”

On the site of what was formerly an open-air market that was severely damaged by Katrina, The St. Roch Market houses fresh produce and food items from 13 vendors, along with a variety of food and beverages from local chefs.

“The Market is an anchor in this new Marigny area,” says Al Palumbo, Latter and Blum branch manager. “Prior to now, this area was discovered by people who couldn’t afford the Marigny or Bywater. You can look across St. Claude and can get a nice single, residential home in the mid $300,000s to low $200,000s on the average. The developers have

found the neighborhood, but there is still an inventory of shotgun houses and creole cottages that were built in the 1900s.

“The millennials and young professionals have discovered this area as well and have started creating art galleries and small restaurants have been popping up because of the affordability of the location,” Palumbo adds. “There is plenty of energy and people around. If you want a hip neighborhood with the flavor of old New Orleans, it’s still there in this neighborhood.”

Faubourg Wines (2805 St. Claude Ave.) is one example of a business that has added to the transformation of the St. Claude neighborhood.

Located in a former hydroponic gardening center, this business totally renovated the space and built it to suit their needs.

“We opened in 2012 and have become a stakeholder in the St. Claude corridor,” says Owner Catherine Markel. “We built the business to service the neighborhood

which is a diverse demographic of age, race and socioeconomics and we have been well embraced by the community. We are like the neighborhood water cooler, where people gather to discuss the events of the day — only with wine.”

Arabi Arabi and old Arabi were an in-demand area even before Katrina due to their close proximity to the French Quarter and the CBD. The area’s recent transformation has come about mostly because of the abundance of commercial buildings being brought back to life.

“It has been unbelievable what has been happening in Arabi,” says Claudette Reuther, an agent for Mauti Meredith Scoggin Properties.

“Everything has been rebuilt since Katrina and there has been so much development in the commercial district. Arabi has an arts district that houses artists, galleries and the Valiant Theater. The St. Bernard

Parish School recently re-opened the Maumus Center, which was originally built in 1929 and destroyed

by Katrina. It has one of the largest dome planetariums for a school.

Additionally, the city has recently opened a brewery, marketplace and several restaurants all totally rebuilt and transformed after the hurricane.”

Homes in Arabi neighborhoods rage from $200,000 and up with square foot prices averaging $130 to $160. According to Reuther, properties are going fast and lots are becoming available new construction.

Existing construction can still be found in the $130,000 range with new construction being priced between $225,000 to $350,000.

“I think the attraction of Arabi is its location; It is as close to the city as Lakeview, also it is safe, family friendly and has plenty of affordable housing with plenty of amenities,” Reuther says.

Feeling like gentrification pushed him out of the Bywater, Mitchell Gaudet, owner of Studio Inferno,

40 Arpent Brewing Company opened in Arabi in 2014, one of many companies drawn to the growing neighborhood.

moved his business to Arabi in 2012.

Along with his wife Erica, Gaudet also operates several properties with the Mereaux Foundation called Studio Arabi for local artists.

“The handwriting was on the wall, it was time for us to move and my wife and I decided to make the move to Arabi. It was cheap, like the Bywater was in the day. It was like deja vu’,” Gaudet says. “I grew up in the Ninth Ward and I knew this would be good for us. These are salt of the earth people and it is affordable. It’s just a really cool place to be right now. There is development everywhere. Plus, we are literally 250 feet from the Orleans parish line, so it’s real convenient to get to the city.”

BizNewOrleans.com 55

“Some would say that Arabi is the last bastion of potential development,” Richard says. “The rows of track malls that were vacant are now booming businesses.”

Algiers Founded in 1719, Algiers is the second oldest neighborhood in New Orleans. This small, tight-knit community is experiencing a dynamic transformation as new development and construction dot the landscape.

“I haven’t seen this kind of development in 25 years and this is the early stages of transformation and the proximity to downtown can’t be beat,” Richard says. “Right now there are at least six to seven new constructions on General de Gaulle alone. It is very exciting to see this type of growth and expansion over here.”

Local developer Joshua Bruno has been a strong driving force in Algiers, investing close to $75 million in the city that he says had property that was underperforming.

Seeing the potential for transformation, he invested in the Oakmont Apartments, which went through three phases of drastic renovation, and purchased land along General de Gaulle, which he developed into a retail office center. He currently has plans to develop another 30 acres of property.

“Algiers is hands down poised to be the best city in the metro area in the next five years,” Bruno says. “We are hyper-focused on this area and further development. Before Katrina I would drive through this no man’s land to get to English Turn and see all the land and the opportunity for development and knew what could be done and now I am helping to make it happen. We are building affordable, safe housing that is about an eight-minute driving distance to downtown New Orleans.”

According to Latter and Blum Branch Manager, Evelyn Wolford, the price per square foot in Algiers is gently increasing on resale homes in English Turn and Tall Timbers.

This can be attributed to new renovations.

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“Historic Algiers Point, while always popular because of its Victorian homes, moves in sync to a degree with Uptown,” Wolford says.

“When the Uptown market is very hot, Algiers Point becomes popular with those who cannot afford the higher prices. It tends to slow when Uptown does.”

Overall, the 70114 zip code of Algiers has shown insignificant change year over year from March 2015 to Feb. 2016 and March 2016 to Feb. 2017. Closed sales in units have increased 2.1 percent, but closed sales in dollar volume increased 0.1 percent.

“Current inventory on the market is down 3.3 percent from the previous year,” Wolford says.

“Interestingly, however, prices of current inventory have increased 46.3 percent in that time. This is a reflection of the popularity of Algiers Point. There is little new construction except for a few starts in the Algiers Riverpoint subdivision.”

“In the 70131 zip code — which begins at the mid-point (Holiday Drive of the Algiers area) and extends through English Turn —has seen some significant growth in the past year.

While new construction is sparse, with a few homes under construction in English Turn, closed sales in units in the past year have increased 13.5 percent and in sales volume by 20.8 percent.

Available properties on the market are currently down 13.1 percent,” she adds.

In addition to the residential and commercial development, where industrial sheds once lined the Algiers riverfront now lies three miles of newly renovated levee area open for walking, biking and picnics. There is a community-feel that has returned to this quant village that includes corner stores, recording studios, glassblowing workshops, specialty stores, community parks and Victorian cottages. n

BizNewOrleans.com 57

Perspectives guest VIEWPOINT

Digital Marketing Musts In today’s online-driven environment, digital marketing is an absolute requirement for any business.

By Ben Boyce

A

ccording to a Nielsen audience report released last year, American adults spent an average of 10 hours and 39 minutes of each day staring at a screen during the first quarter of 2016 — a one hour increase over the same time period just one year prior. Since marketing is all about being at the right place and the right time to meet your customers, present times dictate that as a marketer, you have to meet the customers where they are spending most of their time, and that is online.

The pervasive nature of digital marketing means that consumers can access information anytime, anywhere.

The days when customers used to know only the information businesses wanted them to know are long gone.

Digital media has provided a platform for entertainment, socializing and shopping. This means that customers not only get to know what you say about your brand or products, but also what the media and their friends and relatives say about it as well.

Customers want brands that personally relate to them, and this can only be enhanced through relevant and personalized communication that is tailored to suit the needs and preferences of the consumer. The importance of digital marketing can therefore not be understated. This is exactly why as a business, you need to have a digital marketing team with the relevant skills to target an increasingly informed audience.

58 Biz May 2017

SEO and Content Marketing Any business looking to carve out an online niche for itself has to make use of search engine optimization.

SEO is the best way to improve your business rankings when specific keywords are searched by potential clients. However, filling your website with a host of keywords is not sufficient. Content marketing is required for you to take full advantage of the way search engines track SEO.

Content marketing can be defined as the regular updating of a website with relevant information targeting a specific audience with the aim of retaining and increasing that audience. Knowing the content that resonates well with your audience is the first step to making full use of content marketing.

It helps not only in keeping the customers you already have, but also targets new ones through a diverse online content startegy that include articles, eBooks, PowerPoint and many others.

Because your business or organization will be the main agenda, the targeted keywords will be seamlessly featured throughout your content, which will significantly drive your SEO capital.

Maximizing Results In order to fully utilize SEO and content marketing, it is important to write content that gives you a solid foundation, is easily understandable to your targeted audience and helps them understand your products

better. Desperate businesses will hurriedly craft poor content stuffed with keywords just to fill the SEO quota. This is one blunder to avoid at all costs. Keyword stuffing is detected by search engines, and it can significantly hurt the chances of your website earning top rankings.

The Power of Retargeting/ Remarketing We often see products “following” us online. You may notice these products every time you log in to your Facebook page. Many people in fact end up buying those products, possibly believing it is fate that brought them together. This is actually the power of “remarketing.”

Many people are unfamiliar with how remarketing works. In simple terms, users are “cookied” when they visit a website. A code is placed on that page, and it triggers ads to follow the ‘cookied’ user on the web — be it on social media or any other online page with advertisements.

This allows users to see the ads on sidebars or top banners of other sites. Remarketing can be used to target all visitors or visitors who open specific pages of your website.

Either way, it is one of the best ways of retaining your audience.

Facebook Remarketing Facebook remarketing, on the other hand, works in a similar fashion as remarketing, but only targets Facebook users. Remarketing in Facebook is often referred to as “Custom Audiences” but is basically a similar concept to remarketing.

Every time a user clicks on a page or comes into contact with a brand, a code is implemented that allows the business to follow them. Every time they log in to their Facebook pages, your ad will pop up, reminding them about your products.

In the end, remarketing works because consumers are always comfortable with a brand they have had prior interactions with. It is sort

Takeaways

The Breakdown Content marketing is the regular updating of a website with relevant information that targets a specific audience.

The aim is to retain and increase an organization’s audience.

For effective SEO you need: • correct subject matter • smart use of keywords and phrases • regularly updated content that will easily retain and grow your business.

Why use Facebook remarketing?

• Facebook’s monthly user base is larger than the population of China.

• With over 20 billion ad clicks per year, it presents an invaluable opportunity for a business to grow.

• It has been shown to result in three times the consumer engagement than regular Facebook ads.

of like dating, where the first date is normally awkward and intimidating, but the second date is usually more comfortable, especially if you enjoyed the first date. The same goes for remarketing. A user who has had a prior interaction with your website and has clicked on your ads before stands a higher chance of purchasing your products than a person seeing them for the first time. n

Ben Boyce is the owner of NOLA Graphics Design and Digital Marketing, located in the Central Business District of New Orleans.

BizNewOrleans.com 59

SAVING

BABIES Winner of last year’s BioChallenge Startup Competition and this year’s JEDCO Challenge, Chosen Diagnostics Founder Sunyoung Kim is bringing new hope to families of preterm infants.

By Rebecca Friedman Photographs by David Joshua Jennings

60 Biz May 2017

BizNewOrleans.com 61

62 Biz May 2017

Biz: Did you ever imagine you’d be running a startup enterprise?

Following an academic career spanning two continents and multiple research topics, Sunyoung Kim, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at LSU Health Sciences Center, took on a position she never anticipated — corporate executive. In addition to her academic role, Dr. Kim founded Chosen Diagnostics Inc., which seeks to improve and personalize patient care through products such as a biomarker test that offers earlier detection of a severe bowel disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) that affects 6,000 infants in the United States each year.

Early clinical trials for the test have been highly encouraging, and the results have generated a wave of excitement in the medical community.

Kim’s accomplishment has also been raking in awards on the local level.

In November, Chosen Diagnostics won the $25,000 grand prize at the 2016 BioChallenge Startup Competition, an annual event organized by the New Orleans BioInnovation Center to identify and support local life sciences startups. She is the first woman to win the award.

On the heels of that success, the company took top honors in the 2017 JEDCO Challenge, held this past March during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. The win included a $60,000 prize package. Judging panels weren’t the only ones who recognized the company’s merit — in both competitions, Chosen Diagnostics won the “crowd favorite” prizes as well.

As she adjusts to this unexpected spotlight, Dr. Kim reflects on what it takes to build a healthcare startup (hint: a lot of late nights) and why Louisiana is the right place for it to take shape. This interview was edited for length.

Kim: Never. My day job is that I’m an associate professor here at LSU Health. I got my PhD from the University of Michigan, and I’ve been in several other academic institutions — Minnesota, Virginia, Harvard, and also in Italy for nine months. As an academic, I’ve been traveling quite a bit for professional reasons. You get invested in your research program, you get invested in your students and teaching, and I never thought that I would become an entrepreneur later in life.

Chosen Diagnostics really came from a project that was initiated by neonatologists in our community.

They asked me about a year and a half ago to create this test for them. I was quite astonished at their passion about making a change for their patients. As I became more educated by them about what they needed, it finally dawned on me that the only way it was actually going to be put into use was to commercialize it. That’s what really triggered me to form a startup company.

Biz: How much of your time do you spend wearing your president hat vs. your professor hat?

Kim: That allocation keeps changing. The university is a state institution, so it’s important that I don’t violate any state laws and follow the requirements. The university and the state do allow 20 percent of my time to be used for other activities, and so right now I probably do use 20 percent of my time, but it depends on the week.

With the pitches, it was a lot of late nights and working on weekends.

I run my own research group that’s quite large, so that requires an extensive amount of time. What suffers the most is sleep. During the

NSF (National Science Foundation) program, because that was a formal academic activity, I could devote more than 20 percent of my time, but it wasn’t for the company. I couldn’t talk to people about my diagnostic test. I’m not allowed to sell or pitch anything. But it opened up a lot more dialogue and data for me to collect about what the needs were within the medical community.

You do have to devote a lot of time to it. I actually asked my children if it was OK last summer – because that’s when it all started nucleating in my mind. I said ‘OK, I’ve got this kind of crazy idea, and I think I need to try it and see how it works out.’ I had to do a pitch for them – to explain what the test was, that it was going to help potentially 2,000 infants not die a year, how it would save them from chronic medical care for the rest of their lives. I wasn’t sure if at the end I would be completely successful, but I felt that it was important that I try. But it also was realistically a situation which I would spend less time with my kids. And, like investors, they kind of looked and took an estimate, and they were like, ‘OK, how much time do you need?

How long is this going to last? And what am I going to get out of it?’

So there’s negotiations all the way around for time, energy and whatnot.

Biz: There are a lot of good ideas in the life sciences arena, and you’ve now had two big ‘wins’ in challenge competitions. What is it about your venture that speaks to people?

Kim: I wish I knew — if we could bottle that up, then all enterprises would be successful! With all the different kinds of technologies, it’s exciting to be in New Orleans and watch that growing and have bioinnovation be a commercial, viable enterprise in our city.

But there are different ways to think about those opportunities [bioinnovation]. The first is to look at opportunities within your scientific or medical specialty — so you might care about cancer or neurology or orthopedics. The second way is to think about the type of technique you’re using — a surgical device, big data or digital health and computation.

But the third way to think about it — and I guess the way that really resonated with me — is to consider what is unique about us here in Louisiana and New Orleans. What are our medical challenges, and what do we need here that maybe California or Boston or Illinois doesn’t? We have a really high rate of preterm birth – it’s one of the highest in the country. So when the neonatologists told me that these preterm infants needed this assistance, it made sense that it was actually born and conceived here. That was my final thought process in terms of why to go ahead and launch this.

In terms of why the crowd cares, that surprised me, too. My scientific specialty before was more cancer and cancer drugs – I’d never really worked in pediatrics or neonatology. But there’s a fierce drive to protect our young, and I think the thing that has been the most interesting is seeing businessmen coming up to me and telling me they want to take care of their grandbabies, and what can I do to help them? It’s a very emotional and psychological response that we have, and it’s really deep-seated for all of us, so maybe that’s why?

doing. I’m heading out with one of my postdocs to California for the first meeting for this disease, and we’re there to meet with all the key opinion leaders in the area, so it’s exciting. It’s really important in terms of moving forward with the disease — not just here but elsewhere in the country. So I’m grateful for all the press.

Biz: How has all the recognition boosted your efforts?

Biz: What do you envision as possible avenues for growth for Chosen Diagnostics?

Kim: It’s just tremendous. After the BioChallenge in November – at midnight – I was reached out to by parents who had lost their children.

Two of them found me. Then, also by midnight, I had the leaders of patient advocacy groups – from both the East and West coasts – contact me, and I’m thinking, “How do they know about this already?” They immediately wanted to engage in discussions about what we were

Biz: How are you building the company – are you planning to staff up?

Kim: Right now, I have one and a half volunteers. They’ve been working with me and helping me understand and develop the business as well as the operational aspect.

The winnings aren’t sufficient to really pay reasonable salaries, and the money for the prizes is being allocated to helping us enroll more clinical sites for our current trial as well as getting that FDA approval, which is necessary for other hospitals to use the test themselves. So we’re looking for investors, grants and also partnerships with other companies to help us generate more revenue to hire more people here in our community.

It’s surprising [to some] that we do that in academics. We do. Most people in the public think that we are teachers, and it’s true, but we also have to bring in our own revenue for our research programs, so I’m accustomed to bringing in million-dollar budgets to hire people here and have them work on science questions to help push forward our advancement. It’s just a different group, is the way I view it.

Kim: Right now, our goal is to complete our second clinical trial that we’re in. We know our test already has a really high rate of identifying true positives (93 percent) as well as true negatives (95 percent) because of our pilot – the first in human clinical trial. That’s double what the prior diagnostic can do, which is about 44 percent.

If you think about it – and it took

a businessperson to point this out to me – you’re better off flipping a coin than running a test to tell you what’s going to happen to your baby and whether or not they’re going to get the disease and die. So, our test is much more robust in that way.

In terms of moving it forward to other hospitals, that’s where enrolling other hospital sites in our clinical trial is important. Right now, we have four hospitals in Louisiana. Two out in California are considering it, and we’re also reaching out to a major hospital in Cincinnati. If they like what they see, and we can reproduce our results, they’re going to be our first customers.

After that, you have to figure out the channels to get faster adoption across the community. We were fortunate with a program through the National Science Foundation. We got a grant to interview 110 people in the medical ecosystem around the country in five weeks – a blistering pace. But some of the folks that we talked to are at ARUP Laboratories, which are in Salt Lake City. They are the third-largest reference laboratory in the country (after LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics). They have the largest percentage of the market for perinatal, neonatal and pediatric diagnostic tests, and so they are very interested in talking to us and licensing. If we get that type of traction, they have 3,000 hospitals in their catalog, so they can help send the word out to other clinics and say, “Hey, this is a test you can use.”

It’s not a classic type of marketing strategy where I’m asking each person in the public to buy my product. I’m asking the hospitals to buy, so they need their own forms of validation to know that this is a real thing.

Biz: How has LSU supported this journey?

Kim: They’ve been super. I spend quite a bit of time talking to vice chancellors and deans and the office for economic strategic development.

I talk to tech transfer quite a bit in terms of intellectual property, and also my own department. At first,

it’s a strange ostrich that just kind of shows up in the middle of the room, but the more they have heard about it, the more I talk about it, it’s really a very natural extension of what we do. We’re used to discovery. We’re used to intersecting more than one discipline together and creating something out of it that wasn’t there before. It’s just not thinking about it in commercial terms. But in the end, I think the support has really been overwhelming because, fundamentally, it’s an orphan disease.

I’m not pretending it’s going to be a billion-dollar company. But I do think it’s definitely going to be a million-dollar company.

But the important thing for us is not that, it’s that we’re helping people, we’re taking care of people.

Our discoveries are being used for people, and so that always has just undying support here in our halls.

It’s been wonderful to watch.

Biz: Do you think your experience might open doors for others in the life sciences sector locally to bring their ideas to market?

Kim: I don’t think of myself as a pioneer. I think of myself as just a working mom who’s trying to get through the day. Most days are not perfect. You hope for some traction by the end of the day, and then you try it again the next day.

In terms of inspiring others, that’s up to them. Someone pointed out to me that I was the first woman to win one of these pitch competitions in the area, and I guess that surprised me. Then it was pointed out that I’m making a case for LSU in health, and I really haven’t thought of it that way.

And yes, I guess I’m making inroads in a new medical area that hadn’t been appreciated before. So, I guess that’s the definition of a pioneer?

But that’s mostly for a rearview mirror to make those decisions. At the end, if you look back, then you can see the distance you covered, but you don’t think about it actively when you’re going forward.

FAVORITES Favorite book? “All the Pretty Horses,” “All’s Fair,” and “Gone with the Wind” Favorite TV shows? “The Big Bang Theory” and “Seinfield” Who do you look up to? My mother, my father and Frida Kahlo Biggest life lessons learned?

A ship at harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.

Best advice ever received?

Work harder than everybody.

Hobbies? Watching youth soccer and baking (although I have not done much lately.)

Daily habits? Drink two cups of hot water and eat chocolate all day long.

Pet peeve(s)? When someone does not offer their seat for an elderly person What would you say is our region’s biggest strength and weakness? Our weakness is that our citizens do not realize and respect how smart they are. Our strength is the community’s spirit and perseverance.

Saving Lives and Money

What is NEC? Chosen Diagnostics’ biomarker test provides earlier detection of a condition called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

The most common and serious gastrointestinalrelated cause of death in premature infants, NEC affects primarily preemies, including an estimated 12 percent of premature infants who weigh less than 3.3 pounds at birth. Of those cases, approximately 30 percent will result in death.

The disease typically appears in the first two weeks of life and is characterized by the death of intestinal tissue, which allows in bacteria that causes infection.

Treatment typically includes antibiotics, IV fluids or surgery.

The cost of treating NEC accounts for 19 percent of NICU costs annually and an estimated $5 billion per year in hospitalizations in the U.S. alone.

Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Did you know?

Louisiana has the second-highest preterm birth rate in the country.

Mississippi – 13% Louisiana – 12.3% Alabama – 11.7% Lowest is Vermont at 7.3%.

SOURCE: March of Dimes 2016 Premature Birth Report Card

BizNewOrleans.com 65

Down But Not Out With last year’s loss of the state solar tax credit, Louisiana’s alternative energy companies took a big hit, but industry leaders say there’s still hope.

By Chris Price

66 Biz May 2017

a

decade ago, as the Gulf Coast rebuilt following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, South Louisiana found itself a laboratory for the latest energy-efficient technology.

Highlighted by programs like actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right organization, neighborhoods across the region were reconstructed with homes that featured solar panels, foam insulation in walls and attics, Energy Star appliances, insulated windows and other efforts to make the homes as energy efficient, and thus cost effective, as possible.

Today, the energy efficiency industry in Southeast Louisiana isn’t nearly as robust as it was even two years ago, just before the cessation of the state’s solar tax credit caused serious damage to the marketplace.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently ranked New Orleans and Louisiana among the least energy-efficient cities and states in the country. But remaining leaders in the sector are hopeful that by diversifying their businesses they can meet the needs of local commercial and residential customers looking to improve their bottom lines through energy savings.

Dismal Ranking Last year New Orleans and Louisiana ranked among the five worst cities and states in the country for energy efficiency, according to the ACEEE’s 2016 energy efficiency scorecards. The council included all 50 states and the District of Columbia in its state rankings and 51 of the largest American cities. Both the city and state ranked 47 out of 51.

ACEEE, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments and behaviors. It developed the rankings by studying various energy efficiency policies and procedures in six categories, including utility programs, transportation, building energy codes, combined heat and power, state initiatives, and appliance standards.

Out of a possible 100-point total, New Orleans scored a 20, while Louisiana earned a 6.5 out of a possible 50-point total. The state was cited for lack of financial incentives and inefficient transportation. The council said New Orleans does not have an overarching plan for improving energy efficiency, but that they will be undertaking a planning process that may entail the development of a strategy as part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Initiative.

The Good News on Solar While the state’s generous 50 percent solar tax credit was discontinued at the beginning of last year, the federal government still offers a 30 percent tax credit. Plus, costs for solar systems continues to drop.

In nine years in business, Jeff Cantin of Solar Alternatives, a New Orleans-based solar and energy management firm, has installed more than 800 solar power systems in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. He said costs for solar power systems have dropped for four straight years. It’s now cheaper to build a unit than an individual solar panel cost in 2012.

“Energy efficiency has numerous benefits,” Cantin said, “including lowering expenses — which helps the bottom line — potential tax incentives, long-term investment in your business or home at a relatively lower cost, the elimination of price changes when commodities fluctuate, and, as a bonus, it’s PR positive.”

LED Lighting the Way 85% — the drop in energy usage from the latest high-quality LED light bulbs, which illuminate just as well as traditional incandescent and fluorescent bulbs and last 10 to 25 times longer.

“By converting traditional lighting to LED lights, companies cannot only drastically cut electricity costs, but will also eliminate routine maintenance costs because of a much longer lifespan than traditional bulbs, and reduce HVAC costs because of the low heat emitted by LED’s,” said Jerry Hymel, owner of New Orleansbased LED lighting company Lumenergy.

“Depending on the lighting application, companies can usually see paybacks between 3 months to 3 years and up to an 80 percent savings in energy costs.”

BizNewOrleans.com 67

Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a New Orleans-based consumer watchdog and environmental advocacy organization, wasn’t surprised by the scorecards’ rankings.

“Louisiana has long been at the very bottom of the list for energy efficient programs, and as a result, has really high energy burdens,” said Burke, whose organization partners with other advocacy groups, including the AARP and Sierra Club, to help promote energy efficiency matters within their member groups.

“Louisiana uses more electricity per customer than any other state in the country. An enormous percentage of our citizens’ income goes to energy bills.”

“Louisiana uses more electricity per customer than any other state in the country.

An enormous percentage of our citizens’ income goes to energy bills.”

Inefficiencies Burke said there is an unusual regulatory setup within our borders as it relates to energy policy.

“Most states have a single body that is a state-level agency that regulates the monopoly utility,” she said. “Louisiana has two — the state Public Service Commission and the New Orleans City Council that regulates Entergy New Orleans.”

Robert Schmidt, co-founder and president of Joule Energy, a Mid-City New Orleans-based alternative energy equipment supplier, said local rate structures affect the city’s and state’s efficiency rankings.

“The Northeast and West Coast have rate structures that penalize more consumption, especially during peak demand,” Schmidt said. “If it costs more to produce at peak times, those end users should be charged more. Here in Louisiana, it’s the opposite. As you consume more, it’s less expensive. So, we’re almost disincentivizing being more efficient, because the more you use, the cheaper it is per unit.

“We have some of the cheapest electricity in the country (to produce), but if you look at how much each customer is spending on electricity it’s on the opposite end of that spectrum because we’re so inefficient here.”

Do What You Can While the idea of wrangling energy output can seem daunting, experts say there are easy and relatively inexpensive ways to improve energy efficiency.

With the number of old homes and land settling issues in this region, many structures have cracks and openings where cool or warm air can escape.

Some really beneficial and low cost efficiency changes can be made via

68 Biz May 2017

SOLAR SAVINGS Energy efficiency has become big business and dollars spent are expected to increase as energy-saving products become more efficient and set higher quality standards.

$7.7 billion

Spent by U.S. utilities on efficiency programs nationwide in 2015, up from approximately $7.3 billion in 2014.

States Rank State

1 California 1 Massachusetts 3 Vermont 4 Rhode Island 5 New York 5 Connecticut 47 Louisiana 48 Kansas 49 South Dakota 50 Wyoming 51 North Dakota Cities

$23 billion

Total business utility bill savings from standards reached in 2015.

$500

Most and Least Efficient

Amount the average American family saved in 2015 thanks to energy-saving standards for appliances, lighting and plumbing products.

Rank State

1 Boston 2 New York City 3 Washington, D.C. 4 San Francisco 5 Seattle 47 New Orleans 48 Detroit 49 Raleigh 50 Birmingham 51 Oklahoma City, Source: ACEEE

basic weatherization, which includes making sure windows, doors and HVAC systems are properly sealed.

conditioning their attics and spending lots of money cooling their front yards in the summer.

“So much of our air conditioning systems, if they’re not properly maintained — just like a car — they become less and less efficient,” said Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a New Orleans-based consumer watchdog and environmental advocacy organization.

“We don’t want people to be air

“These [suggestions] apply commercially, as well. Business retrofits often go much further than home conversions in terms of an energy audit of usage, energy management and benchmarking usage over the course of a year to see where you can tighten the belt, add insulation, new systems, etc.”

Total Eclipse As part of the nationwide economic stimulus early in President Obama’s term, investments in solar electricity triggered a 30 percent tax rebate. The state set up a generous 50 percent credit to match, and the sight of solar panels on roofs became common.

But when Louisiana went into financial crisis in 2015 every cut was considered, and the solar tax credit, which was supposed to run through 2018, was eliminated January 1, 2016.

“At the end of 2015 the solar market in Louisiana was, for all intents and purposes, done,” Schmidt said.

Jeff Haag, owner of Diversified Energy — a company with locations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge that evaluates homes to help owners increase efficiency — said government incentive programs usually drive movement in energy efficiency.

“If you take utility program funding away, unfortunately, sadly, it dies. That’s what happened here with solar,” Haag said.

“When we had great tax credits everybody was looking to add solar. We were adding energy efficient items all across town because there was a market for it. That has diminished since the state credit went away.”

Diversification Solar in Louisiana essentially disappeared overnight, said Jerry Hymel, who left the solar industry as a result to start Lumenergy, a New Orleans-based LED lighting retrofit solutions company serving the commercial, industrial, government and educational markets across the Gulf Coast.

“When the tax credit went away a lot of consistent business dried up,” Hymel said. “[Solar] companies realigned their business model and either diversified, packed up and left the state to chase incentive programs in other states, or folded.”

The solar tax credit cancellation caused massive shifts for companies like Joule Energy that previously focused almost entirely on solar power.

“We had been building up a commercial LED division to be more diversified, but we didn’t expect that we would have to rely on that division in 2016,” Schmidt said. “We went from 10 percent of our revenue coming from the LED side and 90 percent of that from solar to, in 2016, 90 percent LED lighting and 10 percent solar.”

In an effort to move forward, Joule changed its focus and started looking for business opportunities outside of Louisiana.

With a limited solar market in the Pelican State, Joule had to diversify to survive. In August 2016, the company expanded into utility-scale solar, in which thousands of solar panels are added to acreage to collect, transform, store, and transmit power. Joule won contracts with Georgia Power, an Atlanta-based electric utility that is currently a utility-scale solar pioneer in the South, to supply solar panels to the company’s solar farms.

Joule has 14 utility-scale solar projects lined up with Georgia Power for the beginning of 2017. Schmidt says the scale and costs of utility-scale solar are becoming more and more competitive with traditional forms of power.

“We can deliver pricing that is competitive today with natural gas,” he says. “Twelve months ago we couldn’t say that, but the cost of the materials continues to drop, as does our installation.”

Between 2009 and 2015, Joule installed solar power systems totaling 10 megawatts and Schmidt expects to eclipse 75 megawatts in 2017. As a result, the company’s revenue is once again expected to return to 90 percent from solar projects and 10 percent from LED business.

Schmidt says he’s also expecting continued growth from the company’s LED division, which he says has been increasing at 50 percent each year thanks to commercial and industrial business. Joule has a satellite LED office in St. Louis, and Schmidt expects to open two new lighting offices in the fourth quarter of this year.

“We’re going to do about two and a half times the business that we did in the last six years in the next six months,” he added.

As the company continues to grow out of state, Schmidt says he wishes his home state would follow suit.

“The states around us have interest in utility scale solar, but there hasn’t been any action taken in Louisiana that is similar to what we’re seeing in the states surrounding us,” he says.

Still, there is hope that the solar industry will soon return to Louisiana.

“There’s a lot of funding in other states that we’re not seeing,” Diversified Energy’s Haag said. “Some of our leaders’ eyes are being opened to the possibilities of the economic benefits of energy efficiency. We’re behind right now, but eventually we’ll catch up.”

“When we had great tax credits everybody was looking to add solar.

We were adding energy efficient items all across town because there was a market for it.

Now that has diminished since the state credit went away.”

BizNewOrleans.com 69

70 Biz May 2017

BEST LAWYERS Methodology This list is excerpted from the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, the pre-eminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States.

As explained by Best Lawyers in America: Published since 1983, Best Lawyers lists attorneys in 140 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 2017 edition of Best Lawyers is based on more than 7.3 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 2017 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

in 106 categories

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.

Credit The Best Lawyers in America© is published by Woodward/White Inc., 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.

An online subscription to Best Lawyers® is available at bestlawyers.com.

Disclaimer and Copyright Woodward/White Inc. 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, 2016, 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 2016 by Woodward/ White Inc., 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 Woodward/White Inc. 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 Woodward/White Inc.

BEST LAWYERS Administrative / Regulatory Law

Alan G. Brackett Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett › 504-595-3000

Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

John J. Broders Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Robert E. Holden Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Michael M. Butterworth Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

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

David L. Carrigee Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Bertrand M. Cass Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

J. Kelly Duncan Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Robert R. Johnston Fowler Rodriguez 504-523-2600

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

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

Delos E. Flint Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 Thomas D. Forbes Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 George J. Fowler Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600

Admiralty & Maritime Law

Charles A. Cerise Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Donald R. Abaunza Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Kathleen K. Charvet Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802

Robert B. Acomb Johnson Yacoubian & Paysse › 504-528-3001

Alanson T. Chenault Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600

A. Gordon Grant Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

Robert C. Clotworthy Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

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

Michael H. Bagot Wagner, Bagot & Rayer › 504-525-2141 Robert J. Barbier Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 E. Gregg Barrios Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

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

John E. Galloway Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802 Glenn G. Goodier Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Gary A. Hemphill Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Russ M. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892

Edward J. Koehl Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Patricia A. Krebs King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800 Edwin C. Laizer Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Kevin J. LaVie Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 David B. Lawton Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 J. Dwight LeBlanc Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Edward F. LeBreton Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 Charles E. Leche Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 David W. Leefe Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Stewart F. Peck Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard › 504-568-1990

Peter M. Thomson Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

William J. Riviere Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Jefferson R. Tillery Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Antonio J. Rodriguez Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600

Joseph P. Tynan Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

James T. Rogers Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Brian D. Wallace Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

James H. Roussel Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Kent B. Ryan Miller Law Firm › 504-684-5044 William B. Schwartz Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 James R. Silverstein Kean Miller › 504-585-3050 Stephanie D. Skinner Miller Law Firm › 504-684-5044 Mark J. Spansel Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Robert T. Lemon Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Paul M. Sterbcow Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson › 504-588-1500

Francis V. Liantonio Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Norman C. Sullivan Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600

Conrad S.P. Williams Williams Law Group › 504-200-0000 James E. Wright Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Antitrust Law Craig L. Caesar Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Charles W. Lane Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Francis J. Barry Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Laurence R. DeBuys Patrick Miller › 504-527-5400

Peter L. Hilbert Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Richard D. Bertram Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Scott E. Delacroix Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Robert P. McCleskey Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Dean A. Sutherland Jeansonne & Remondet › 504-524-7333

Alexander M. McIntyre Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

John A. Bolles Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Thomas P. Diaz Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

R. Keith Jarrett Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Micheal A. McGlone Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Charles R. Talley Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

David G. Radlauer Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

72 Biz May 2017

Appellate Practice Barry W. Ashe Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235 Thomas M. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235 Michael R. Fontham Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Harry Simms Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Russ M. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892

Martin A. Stern Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

William H. Hines Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Sterling Scott Willis Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Arbitration

Henry A. King King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800

John D. Wogan Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

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

Bennet S. Koren McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

E. Phelps Gay Christovich & Kearney › 504-561-5700

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

William R. Pitts William R. Pitts › 504-831-5050

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

Ronald J. Sholes Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Daniel T. Pancamo Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

H. Bruce Shreves Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030

Leon J. Reymond Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Banking & Finance Law

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

Rudy J. Cerone McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Lee R. Adler Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

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

Robin B. Cheatham Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

James A. Stuckey Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Douglas S. Draper Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Dabney › 504-299-3300

Wm. Blake Bennett Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Robin B. Cheatham Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Philip deV. Claverie Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Susan G. Talley Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Edward H. Arnold Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Brent B. Barriere Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Jan M. Hayden Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Sessions Ault Hootsell Butler Snow › 504-299-7700 Patrick Johnson Akerman › 504-586-1241 Philip K. Jones Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Marguerite K. Kingsmill Kingsmill Riess › 504-581-3300

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

J. David Forsyth Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500

Joseph L. McReynolds Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Susan M. Tyler Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Elizabeth J. Futrell Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Brent B. Barriere Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252 Edward Hart Bergin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

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

David J. Messina Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Stewart F. Peck Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard › 504-568-1990

Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Barry W. Ashe Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

R. Lewis McHenry Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Bet-the-Company Litigation

James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

William H. Patrick Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Dabney › 504-299-3300

E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Michael Q. Walshe Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Omer F. Kuebel Locke Lord › 504-558-5100

John M. Duck Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Frank A. Tessier Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700

Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454

Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Ewell E. Eagan Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Larry Feldman McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Thomas M. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235

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

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

BizNewOrleans.com 73

BEST LAWYERS MY TOUGHEST CASE

A Sinking Grocery Store by maria clark // Portrait by jeffery johnston

There is a grocery store in Shreveport that attorney Keith Bergeron can’t drive by without remembering one of the most challenging cases in his legal career. At one point, half the store had fallen by 15 inches.

“You could let go of your basket from one end of the store and it would slide all the way down to the other end of the store,” Bergeron said.

“Instead of a slip-and-fall, we called it a slideand-fall. We had a building sitting on top of the problem; eventually we were able to resolve and correct the issue.”

The case was one of the more challenging types in Bergeron’s field of construction law, one that

74 Biz May 2017

required an in-depth understanding of design and aspects of technical engineering.

Bergeron earned his undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of New Orleans.

After graduation, he worked at Chevron for about 10 years as a mechanical engineer in its pipeline company, responsible for delivering crude oil and natural gas to refineries onshore. During that time he decided to go to law school.

“When I left Chevron, I left the technical world,” Bergeron said. “However, I always wanted to remain involved in some way. I didn’t want to be doing the calculations on the technical side but instead help those individuals understand how

they should, or should not behave in the business world. There is value to helping people along and make them realize that most mistakes can be corrected.”

It was while taking a class in construction law at Loyola University taught by his current boss, Terry Brennan, that Bergeron began to learn the legal side of engineering.

“As a degreed engineer, I realized that it is always nice to go into somebody’s office who is also an engineer,” he said. “I think it helps my clients because we have similar backgrounds, and I have done this type of work and understand it.”

With new construction so prevalent throughout Louisiana, and in New Orleans in particular, Bergeron has no shortage of work.

“Look at the city — we have all brand-new public schools, a new medical center with the VA (Veterans Administration) hospital,” he said.

“There are so many buildings being renovated in the Warehouse District. All of that activity has a pretty good chance of coming across my desk, especially on the public work side.”

Although he will quickly cite the case involving the grocery store in Shreveport as one of the more complex and prolonged cases in his 18-year career, Bergeron said that some of the most challenging cases arise when the client hasn’t done anything wrong to cause the problem.

“Getting a lawsuit brought against you brings the stigma that you did something wrong, [but] sometimes that is not the true statement. I find myself in situations that once you do the investigation, you can see that the client really didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.

Another struggle Bergeron faces is when a case involves someone who has been injured on a job site.

“I worked offshore. Sometimes things happen around you that you can’t control. My biggest challenge is looking at cases where people get injured or killed with the respect they deserve while trying to determine what happened,” he said. “Those cases are difficult. The money doesn’t replace the person.”

Keith J. Bergeron Construction Law Partner Deutsch Kerrigan L.L.P.

18 years of practice B.S. Engineering University of New Orleans 1991 J.D. Loyola University New Orleans 1998

BizNewOrleans.com 75

BEST LAWYERS Robert S. Glass Glass & Reed › 504-581-9083 Harry Simms Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Pauline F. Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Daniel Lund Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Joseph Maselli Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 John Wilson Reed Glass & Reed › 504-581-9083 Harry Rosenberg Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 James H. Roussel Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Kyle Schonekas Schonekas, Evans, McGoey & McEachin › 504-680-6050 Danny G. Shaw Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400

76 Biz May 2017

Richard T. Simmons Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale › 504-836-6500 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 Charles L. Stern Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199 James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

William F. Grace Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 William H. Langenstein Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Jerome J. Reso Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Walter C. Thompson Barkley & Thompson › 504-595-3350

John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

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

Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 John M. Wilson Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Civil Rights Law Susan F. Desmond Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755

Closely Held Companies & Family Businesses Law

Biotechnology Law

William F. Grace Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Daniel T. Pancamo Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

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

Business Organizations (including LLCs & Partnerships) E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Edward N. George Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Robert A. Kutcher Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais › 504-830-3838 William H. Langenstein Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Laura Walker Plunkett Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Jerome J. Reso Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

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

John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Brent B. Barriere Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Commercial Finance Law Robert M. Steeg Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199

Commercial Litigation Ryan Acomb Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson › 504-581-3838 Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Jack M. Alltmont Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500 John C. Anjier Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Raymond G. Areaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Barry W. Ashe Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 John T. Balhoff Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Robert E. Barkley Barkley & Thompson › 504-595-3350

Walter F. Becker Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Mark R. Beebe Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Thomas M. Benjamin Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454 Edward Hart Bergin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Carmelite M. Bertaut Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Kim M. Boyle Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 C. Wm. Bradley Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Sean P. Brady Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Stephen G. Bullock Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Craig L. Caesar Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 David L. Carrigee Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Thomas A. Casey Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Charles A. Cerise Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Steven W. Copley Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Thomas J. Cortazzo Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Donna Phillips Currault Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 M. Taylor Darden Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 George Denegre Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Mary L. Dumestre Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Ewell E. Eagan Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Matt J. Farley Krebs Farley › 504-299-3570 John P. Farnsworth Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Larry Feldman McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 William T. Finn Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235 Thomas M. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235 Delos E. Flint Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 George J. Fowler Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 George C. Freeman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700

Edward N. George Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Richard A. Goins Sutterfield & Webb › 504-598-2715 Tim Gray Forman Watkins & Krutz › 504-799-4383 A. Gregory Grimsal Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 James C. Gulotta Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Alida C. Hainkel Jones Walker 504-582-8000 Harry Simms Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Pauline F. Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Fred L. Herman Fred Herman Law Firm › 504-541-9034 Maury A. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Peter L. Hilbert Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 L. Eades Hogue McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Douglas R. Holmes Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

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

Shannon Skelton Holtzman Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Covert J. Geary Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

James K. Irvin Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 Robert E. Kerrigan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Harvey C. Koch Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Cheryl Mollere Kornick Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Keith A. Kornman Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 David J. Krebs Krebs Farley › 504-299-3570 Patricia A. Krebs King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800 Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Robert A. Kutcher Wagar Richard Kutcher Tygier & Luminais › 504-830-3838 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Kent A. Lambert Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Martin E. Landrieu Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Charles W. Lane Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Allen C. Miller Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Katie E. Lasky Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison › 504-523-2500

Loretta G. Mince Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Joseph F. Lavigne Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Andrew R. Lee Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Joseph W. Looney Joseph W. Looney, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3468 Joseph J. Lowenthal Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Daniel Lund Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Thomas J. Lutkewitte Favret, Demarest, Russo & Lutkewitte › 504-561-1006 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Joseph Maselli Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 Paul J. Masinter Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Donald C. Massey Couhig Partners › 504-588-1288 Patrick McGoey Schonekas, Evans, McGoey & McEachin › 504-680-6050 Don S. McKinney Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Corinne A. Morrison Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 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 Joe B. Norman Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Eric Nowak Harrell Nowak › 504-522-7885 John F. Olinde Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Thomas P. Owen Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 G. Bruce Parkerson Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 Richard G. Passler Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454 David L. Patrón Phelps Dunbar 504-566-1311 Dwight C. Paulsen Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

Joseph C. Peiffer Peiffer Rosca Wolf Abdullah Carr & Kane › 504-523-2434 Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo › 504-799-4500 H. Minor Pipes Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Andrea M. Price Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Christopher K. Ralston Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Kirk Reasonover Reasonover & Associates › 504-526-2921 David E. Redmann Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Carol W. Reisman Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Bryan C. Reuter Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 Thomas A. Roberts Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Antonio J. Rodriguez Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 Robert S. Rooth Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Harry Rosenberg Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

BizNewOrleans.com 77

BEST LAWYERS MY TOUGHEST CASE

Defending Jefferson Parish’s Voting District by maria clark // Portrait by jeffery johnston

A passion for the legal process has defined Kim Boyle’s extensive legal career. Although her focus is in labor and employment law, much of Boyle’s work is in litigation involving race discrimination claims, disability claims and other civil rights issues.

This year, Boyle is almost shocked to say, will mark her 30th year of practice.

“I love the mixture of my practice; it allows me to concentrate on other issues outside of simply labor and employment law,” she said.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Boyle was heavily inspired by the work of both of her parents. As early as high school, Boyle considered 78 Biz May 2017

pursuing a career in law, inspired in part by her mother, who was an English teacher and taught speech and debate in public schools. Her father was a postal worker who died this past December at the age of 85.

“I am very proud of my mother. Both of my parents’ influence has impacted me enormously in what I do in life, in civic and in nonprofit work,” she said.

Boyle always appreciated the fact that lawyers are advocates, which is why she wanted to litigate.

“I truly like the advocacy side of things, going to court, and articulating my point to a judge or a jury,” she said. “I believe that lawyers have the capability to advocate for change in our society.

We would not have had the changes with the laws that impact civil rights, women’s rights, the rights of the disabled, without attorneys,” she said.

She particularly recalls a challenging case where she defended Jefferson Parish against a lawsuit that claimed the parish’s existing majorityminority voting district violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. The court ruled in favor of Jefferson Parish and Boyle would go on to argue in favor of the rule at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“This was a time period when these voting districts were being challenged throughout the U.S. I am very proud of the ruling in this case,” she said.

Boyle has always tried to maintain an active involvement in nonprofit groups that speak to one of her core beliefs that attorneys provide a critical service to society.

She joined Phelps Dunbar in 2001 as a lateral partner and would go on to continue breaking barriers, becoming the first African American president elected to the New Orleans Bar Association in 2003. In 2009 she became the first female African-American president of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Playing a small role in addressing diversity issues in these legal organizations has been a tremendous honor and privilege, said Boyle.

“One thing that I always remembered from the time I was a young lawyer was Justice Revius Ortique’s constant reminder to young minority attorneys that “we stand on the shoulders of giants,” she said. “Therefore, while I may have been the first African-American president of the New Orleans Bar Association and the first African-American female president of the Louisiana State Bar Association, I stood on the shoulders of trailblazers such as Justice Revius Ortique, Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, Judge Israel Augustine, Mayor Dutch Morial, A. P. Tureaud, Wayne Lee (the first African American president of the Louisiana State Bar Association), and so many others who paved the way for me and many others.”

Kim Boyle

Labor and Employment Law Partner Phelps Dunbar 30 years in practice A.B. Politics — Princeton University 1984 Teaching Certificate 1984 J.D.University of Virginia 1987

BizNewOrleans.com 79

BEST LAWYERS William M. Ross Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 Deborah B. Rouen Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Elizabeth Roussel Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 James H. Roussel Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Kyle Schonekas Schonekas, Evans, McGoey & McEachin › 504-680-6050 Danny G. Shaw Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Howard E. Sinor Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241 Randall A. Smith Smith & Fawer › 504-525-2200 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580

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Robert S. Stassi Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Robert J. Stefani King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800 Charles L. Stern Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199 James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252 Lynn Swanson Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison › 504-523-2500 Brent A. Talbot Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Walter C. Thompson Barkley & Thompson › 504-595-3350 Jennifer L. Thornton Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580

Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Communications Law

John M. Wilson Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Janet S. Boles The Boles Law Firm › 504-861-0882

Gerard E. Wimberly McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Construction Law

Rachel Wendt Wisdom Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Anne Derbes Wittmann Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Matthew A. Woolf Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

William D. Treeby Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann 504-581-3200

William E. Wright Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

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

Commercial Transactions / UCC Law

R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Robert A. Vosbein Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 David F. Waguespack Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Edward H. Arnold Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Michael E. Botnick Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Terrence L. Brennan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Jimmy A. Castex Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Marc L. Domres Krebs Farley › 504-299-3570 Mark W. Frilot Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Scott J. Hedlund Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Jay H. Kern Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030

Gerald Melchiode Melchiode Marks King › 504-336-2880

Copyright Law

Mark W. Mercante Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400

Charles C. Garvey Garvey, Smith, Nehrbass & North › 504-835-2000

Paul L. Peyronnin Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Corporate Compliance Law

Denise C. Puente Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030 Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Gary J. Rouse Couhig Partners › 504-588-1288 Michael R. Schneider Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Charles F. Seemann Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Danny G. Shaw Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400 Lloyd N. Shields Shields Mott › 504-581-4445

Walter F. Becker Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 F. Rivers Lelong Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Corporate Governance Law F. Rivers Lelong Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Corporate Law Joseph L. Caverly Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

David Kurtz Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Howard E. Sinor Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Keith M. Landry Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Kelly E. Theard Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Anthony M. DiLeo Anthony M. DiLeo › 504-274-0087

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

Daniel Lund Coats Rose › 504-299-3070

Richard J. Tyler Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Edward N. George Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Carl C. Hanemann Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Curtis R. Hearn Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 William H. Hines Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 William H. Langenstein Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 F. Rivers Lelong Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Kenneth J. Najder Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 William N. Norton Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 J. Marshall Page Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Leon J. Reymond Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 David C. Rieveschl Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Leon H. Rittenberg Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Robert M. Walmsley Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252 Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 John D. Wogan Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Richard P. Wolfe Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Criminal Defense: General Practice Robert S. Glass Glass & Reed › 504-581-9083 John Wilson Reed Glass & Reed › 504-581-9083 Harry Rosenberg Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Richard T. Simmons Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale › 504-836-6500

Criminal Defense: White-Collar Walter F. Becker Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Robert S. Glass Glass & Reed › 504-581-9083

Harry Rosenberg Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Richard T. Simmons Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale › 504-836-6500

Education Law Scott D. Schneider Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303

Elder Law Joel A. Mendler Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Patrick K. Reso Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes › 504-833-5600 John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Kenneth A. Weiss McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Pauline F. Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

John Wilson Reed Glass & Reed › 504-581-9083

Jane E. Armstrong Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Hilton S. Bell Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 Timothy P. Brechtel Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Susan K. Chambers Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Katherine Conklin McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Sandra Mills Feingerts Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Michael E. Guarisco Guarisco, Cordes & Lala › 504-587-7007 Rudolph R. Ramelli Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Charles F. Seemann Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755 Randye C. Snyder Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 René E. Thorne Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755

Employment Law Individuals Donna Phillips Currault Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 I. Harold Koretzky Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

William H. Reinhardt Blue Williams › 504-831-4091 Louis L. Robein Robein, Urann, Spencer, Picard & Cangemi › 504-885-9994 Michael T. Tusa Sutton, Alker & Rather › 985-727-7501 David M. Whitaker Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Employment Law Management H. Mark Adams Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 M. Nan Alessandra Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Stephen P. Beiser McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Kim M. Boyle Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Walter W. Christy Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 Donna Phillips Currault Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Susan F. Desmond Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755

Monique Gougisha Doucette Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Steven F. Griffith Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Greg Guidry Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Edward F. Harold Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Steven Hymowitz Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Clyde H. Jacob Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 Tracy E. Kern Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 S. Mark Klyza The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 I. Harold Koretzky Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Leslie A. Lanusse Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Anthony M. DiLeo Anthony M. DiLeo › 504-274-0087

Sidney F. Lewis Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Brooke Duncan Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Julie D. Livaudais Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

BizNewOrleans.com 81

BEST LAWYERS MY TOUGHEST CASE

Deepwater Horizon by maria clark // Portrait by jeffery johnston

“I was very aware of crime and became interested in the police and criminal justice when I was very young,” said Walter F. Becker Jr., a native of New Orleans.

Becker now heads the law firm’s Criminal Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense Section. In his 34 years of practice he has handled both criminal and civil litigation, representing individuals and companies under federal and state criminal investigation.

He spent four and a half years working as an assistant district attorney with Orleans Parish right out of law school before launching into a 14-year career as an assistant United States

82 Biz May 2017

attorney in the Eastern District of Louisiana, during which he tried more than 100 jury cases.

Becker then transitioned to his current position as a criminal defense attorney.

In that role, Becker represented Kurt Mix, a BP engineer and one of the defendants in the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Becker refers to this as one of the more challenging cases in his career. Mix was brought in shortly after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon well on April 20, 2010 to plug the spill.

“He was instrumental in that aspect of it. A few weeks after the well had been plugged he deleted two text messages off his iPhone. He was indicted

for two felony counts of obstructing justice. It took us three years to work on his case,” said Becker. “It was all-consuming.”

Becker and his team were up against all the resources the U.S. Justice Department had brought to bear, he said.

Mix ended up being given a misdemeanor offense which carries no sentence.

“He was made a scapegoat for deleting two text messages. For three years this guy had to live his life fighting this. Ultimately he was one of the engineers who came up with the solution to plug the spill,” said Becker.

Reflecting on the transition from prosecutor to defense attorney, Becker said, “You have to believe in our justice system. You have to have ethical and competent lawyers on both sides. I have always believed in our system.”

He added, “The stakes are very high in my line of work. We have to keep in mind a client’s freedom and reputation in this work. What else do we have if we don’t have that? My clients are meeting me in the worst times of their lives.”

“As a defense attorney you are defending them during the nightmare they are facing, and helping them get through the nightmare,” he added. “It has been a tremendous privilege being able to represent the state and country as a prosecutor, and a privilege representing individuals and companies in the private sector.”

Walter F. Becker Jr. Criminal Law Partner Chaffe McCall

34 years in practice J.D. Tulane University Law School, 1982 B.A. Tulane University, political science, 1978 Native of New Orleans

BizNewOrleans.com 83

BEST LAWYERS Mark N. Mallery Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Ernest R. Malone The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162 Thomas J. McGoey Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Michael S. Mitchell Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Christopher E. Moore Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Ellis B. Murov Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Foster P. Nash Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 Keith M. Pyburn Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 William H. Reinhardt Blue Williams › 504-831-4091 Elizabeth Roussel Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Robert F. Spencer The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162

Francis V. Liantonio Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

René E. Thorne Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755

Charles D. Marshall Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000

Michael T. Tusa Sutton, Alker & Rather › 985-727-7501 David M. Whitaker Kean Miller › 504-585-3050 Christine M. White Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Energy Law

Cynthia A. Nicholson Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Joe B. Norman Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Edward B. Poitevent Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Suzette Toledano Becker Becker Entertainment & New Media Law › 504-525-2552

Entertainment Law - Music Suzette Toledano Becker Becker Entertainment & New Media Law › 504-525-2552

Environmental Law

Miles P. Clements Frilot › 504-599-8000

Jane C. Raiford Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Louis E. Buatt Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Ewell E. Eagan Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Gerald F. Slattery Slattery, Marino & Roberts › 504-585-7800

Robert E. Holden Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Ernest L. Edwards Akerman › 504-586-1241

Jefferson D. Stewart Jefferson D. Stewart, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3445

Michael R. Fontham Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Alan C. Wolf Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Scott D. Schneider Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303

C. Peck Hayne Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Paul L. Zimmering Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Timothy H. Scott Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303

Aimee W. Hebert Kelly Hart & Hallman › 504-343-7768

Charles F. Seemann Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755

Jonathan A. Hunter Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Adam Zuckerman Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Howard Shapiro Proskauer Rose › 504-310-4088

Cheryl Mollere Kornick Liskow & Lewis 504-581-7979

G. Phillip Shuler Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

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

84 Biz May 2017

Entertainment Law Motion Pictures & Television

Eric E. Jarrell King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800 Greg L. Johnson Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Terrence K. Knister Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Robert B. McNeal Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Stanley A. Millan Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Energy Regulatory Law

Jane C. Raiford Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Noel J. Darce Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700

Ronald J. Sholes Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Philip R. Riegel Riegel Law Firm › 504-834-5345

Patrick A. Talley Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Frank P. Tranchina Tranchina & Mansfield › 985-892-1313

Equipment Finance Law

Financial Services Regulation Law

Edward H. Arnold Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

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

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

Robin B. Cheatham Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

James A. Stuckey Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

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

Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Frank A. Tessier Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Susan M. Tyler Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Sterling Scott Willis Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Ethics & Professional Responsibility Law William M. Ross Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580

Family Law Steven J. Lane Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Robert C. Lowe Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver › 504-581-2450

Franchise Law Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Gaming Law Wm. Blake Bennett Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 J. Kelly Duncan Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

BizNewOrleans.com 85

BEST LAWYERS Deborah Duplechin Harkins Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister › 504-566-1801 C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Brian D. Wallace Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Government Relations Practice Donna D. Fraiche Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Deborah Duplechin Harkins Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister › 504-566-1801 E. Paige Sensenbrenner Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Health Care Law Philip O. Bergeron Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Anthony M. DiLeo Anthony M. DiLeo › 504-274-0087 Donna D. Fraiche Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Monica A. Frois Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

86 Biz May 2017

Cecile L. Gordon Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Normand F. Pizza Milling Benson Woodward › 985-871-3924

Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235

E. Paige Sensenbrenner Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Margaret M. Silverstein Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

Peter E. Sperling Frilot › 504-599-8000

Gus A. Fritchie Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100

Danielle L. Trostorff Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Monica A. Frois Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Immigration Law

A. Kirk Gasperecz Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Malvern C. Burnett Law Offices of Malvern C. Burnett › 504-586-1922

George B. Hall Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

David A. M. Ware Ware Immigration › 504-830-5900

Insurance Law Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Sidney W. Degan Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 Richard N. Dicharry Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 George D. Fagan Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500

Stephen P. Hall Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 William H. Hines Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Warren Horn Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Dabney › 504-299-3300 James K. Irvin Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Harvey C. Koch Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

Keith A. Kornman Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 Leslie A. Lanusse Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Edward F. LeBreton Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Kim E. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Philip D. Nizialek Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 David W. O’Quinn Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 H. Minor Pipes Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Andrew L. Plauché Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 Katherine K. Quirk Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 David A. Strauss King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800 Dean A. Sutherland Jeansonne & Remondet › 504-524-7333 Quentin F. Urquhart Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100

Steven W. Usdin Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Patrick Wartelle Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500 Matthew A. Woolf Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Scott T. Zander Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Labor Law Management H. Mark Adams Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Stephen P. Beiser McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

International Arbitration Commercial

Magdalen Blessey Bickford McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Thomas K. Foutz TomFoutzADR › 504-237-3183

Walter W. Christy Coats Rose › 504-299-3070

International Arbitration Governmental

Donna Phillips Currault Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Thomas K. Foutz TomFoutzADR › 504-237-3183

International Mergers & Acquisitions John M. Duck Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

International Trade & Finance Law

Susan F. Desmond Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755 Brooke Duncan Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Greg Guidry Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Edward F. Harold Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303

William H. Hines Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Steven Hymowitz Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840

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

Clyde H. Jacob Coats Rose › 504-299-3070

Richard P. Wolfe Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

S. Mark Klyza The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162

BizNewOrleans.com 87

BEST LAWYERS Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 I. Harold Koretzky Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Sidney F. Lewis Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Julie D. Livaudais Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Mark N. Mallery Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840

Charles F. Seemann Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755 G. Phillip Shuler Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Robert F. Spencer The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162 Michael T. Tusa Sutton, Alker & Rather › 985-727-7501 David M. Whitaker Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Labor Law - Union

Ernest R. Malone The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162

I. Harold Koretzky Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Thomas J. McGoey Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

David M. Whitaker Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Michael S. Mitchell Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303

Land Use & Zoning Law

Christopher E. Moore Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840

David J. Halpern Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Ellis B. Murov Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Karen T. Holzenthal Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Keith M. Pyburn Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 William H. Reinhardt Blue Williams › 504-831-4091 Scott D. Schneider Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Timothy H. Scott Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303

88 Biz May 2017

David A. Marcello Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Deborah J. Moench Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Marie A. Moore 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

Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants Robert B. Acomb Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 W. Paul Andersson Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Gus A. Fritchie Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Harvey C. Koch Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Daniel Lund Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Ernest L. O’Bannon Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O’Bannon › 504-322-1375 C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 William E. Wright Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Litigation - Antitrust Mark R. Beebe Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Craig L. Caesar Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 John M. Landis Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Alexander M. McIntyre Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 David G. Radlauer Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Bruce V. Schewe Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580

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

Litigation Bankruptcy Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Edward H. Arnold Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Christopher T. Caplinger Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard › 504-568-1990 Matt J. Farley Krebs Farley › 504-299-3570 J. David Forsyth Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500 Elizabeth J. Futrell Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Jan M. Hayden Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Sessions Ault Hootsell Butler Snow › 504-299-7700 Patrick Johnson Akerman › 504-586-1241 Philip K. Jones Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 John M. Landis Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 William H. Patrick Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Dabney › 504-299-3300

BizNewOrleans.com 89

BEST LAWYERS Charles L. Stern Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199 R. Patrick Vance Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 David F. Waguespack Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800

Litigation Construction W. Raley Alford, III Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 Keith J. Bergeron Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Darnell Bludworth Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Terrence L. Brennan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Larry G. Canada Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802 Jimmy A. Castex Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Elizabeth L. Gordon Shields Mott › 504-581-4445 Steven F. Griffith Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Lambert J. Hassinger Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802 Peter L. Hilbert Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Jay H. Kern Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030 Harvey C. Koch Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 David J. Krebs Krebs Farley › 504-299-3570

Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892

David Kurtz Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Marc L. Domres Krebs Farley › 504-299-3570

Daniel Lund Coats Rose › 504-299-3070

Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235

Gerald Melchiode Melchiode Marks King › 504-336-2880

Mark W. Frilot Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400

Mark W. Mercante Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400

90 Biz May 2017

Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo › 504-799-4500 Paul L. Peyronnin Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 H. Minor Pipes Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700

Litigation Environmental Charles A. Cerise Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Denise C. Puente Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030

Miles P. Clements Frilot › 504-599-8000

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

Emma Daschbach Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison › 504-523-2500

Gary J. Rouse Couhig Partners › 504-588-1288

Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892

Charles F. Seemann Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Scott E. Delacroix Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Danny G. Shaw Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400

Kathleen F. Drew Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Lloyd N. Shields Shields Mott › 504-581-4445 H. Bruce Shreves Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030 Howard E. Sinor Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Kelly E. Theard Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 James C. Gulotta Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Peter L. Hilbert Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Robert E. Holden Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Mary S. Johnson Johnson Gray McNamara › 985-246-6544 Robert E. Kerrigan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Robert B. McNeal Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Glen M. Pilié Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Loulan J. Pitre Kelly Hart & Hallman › 504-343-7768 Andrew L. Plauché Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 Jane C. Raiford Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Elizabeth Haecker Ryan Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 Howard E. Sinor Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241 Mark J. Spansel Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Jefferson D. Stewart Jefferson D. Stewart, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3445 A. Wendel Stout Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Richard J. Tyler Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Kevin E. Huddell Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison › 504-523-2500

Mark C. Surprenant Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Greg L. Johnson Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Patrick A. Talley Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

William D. Treeby Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Quentin F. Urquhart Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore 504-310-2100 John M. Wilson Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Litigation - ERISA Stacey C.S. Cerrone Proskauer Rose › 504-310-4088 Nicole Eichberger Proskauer Rose › 504-310-4088 Covert J. Geary Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Keith M. Pyburn Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Howard Shapiro Proskauer Rose › 504-310-4088 René E. Thorne Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755

Litigation - First Amendment Mary Ellen Roy Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580

BizNewOrleans.com 91

BEST LAWYERS Litigation Health Care

Harry Simms Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Don S. McKinney Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Joseph W. Looney Joseph W. Looney, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3468

Litigation - Insurance Larry G. Canada Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802 Sidney W. Degan Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 Stephen P. Hall Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 John W. Joyce Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Katherine K. Quirk Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Quentin F. Urquhart Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Steven W. Usdin Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700

Litigation Intellectual Property Raymond G. Areaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Stephen G. Bullock Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

92 Biz May 2017

David L. Patrón Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Mary Ellen Roy Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Litigation - Labor & Employment H. Mark Adams Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 M. Nan Alessandra Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Stephen P. Beiser McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Kim M. Boyle Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Walter W. Christy Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 Donna Phillips Currault Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Susan F. Desmond Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755 Leslie W. Ehret Frilot › 504-599-8000 George D. Fagan Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500

Steven F. Griffith Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Greg Guidry Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Edward F. Harold Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Thomas P. Hubert Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Joseph R. Hugg Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454 Steven Hymowitz Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Clyde H. Jacob Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 Tracy E. Kern Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 S. Mark Klyza The Kullman Firm › 504-524-4162 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 I. Harold Koretzky Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Leslie A. Lanusse Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Frederic Theodore LeClercq Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Julie D. Livaudais Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

David M. Whitaker Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Eve B. Masinter Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454

Rachel Wendt Wisdom Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Thomas J. McGoey Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Michael S. Mitchell Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Christopher E. Moore Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart › 504-648-3840 Stephen G.A. Myers Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo › 504-799-4500 Keith M. Pyburn Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 William H. Reinhardt Blue Williams › 504-831-4091 Timothy H. Scott Fisher Phillips › 504-522-3303 Charles F. Seemann Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755 Howard Shapiro Proskauer Rose › 504-310-4088 G. Phillip Shuler Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 René E. Thorne Jackson Lewis › 504-208-1755 Michael T. Tusa Sutton, Alker & Rather › 985-727-7501

Litigation - Land Use & Zoning Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Howard E. Sinor Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Robert B. Bieck Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Mark A. Cunningham Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Litigation - Municipal

Litigation - Patent Seth M. Nehrbass Garvey, Smith, Nehrbass & North › 504-835-2000

Litigation - Real Estate Ricardo A. Aguilar McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Elwood F. Cahill Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Philip A. Franco Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454 A. Gregory Grimsal Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Harry Simms Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

William D. Aaron Aaron & Gianna › 504-569-1800

Neal J. Kling Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

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

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

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BEST LAWYERS Rose McCabe LeBreton Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard › 504-568-1990 Alvin C. Miester Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Randy Opotowsky Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199 Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Richard C. Stanley Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580 Charles L. Stern Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199 Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Litigation Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) Edward Hart Bergin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Robert B. Bieck Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

94 Biz May 2017

Litigation - Securities John C. Anjier Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Mark R. Beebe Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Thomas M. Benjamin Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454 Robert B. Bieck Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Nancy Scott Degan Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 George Denegre Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 George C. Freeman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Stephen H. Kupperman Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Lance C. McCardle Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252 C. Lawrence Orlansky Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Kirk Reasonover Reasonover & Associates › 504-526-2921

Litigation & Controversy - Tax

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

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

James R. Swanson Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

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

William M. Backstrom Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Hilton S. Bell Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 Andre B. Burvant Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Michael E. Guarisco Guarisco, Cordes & Lala › 504-587-7007 James K. Irvin Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Cheryl Mollere Kornick Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 F. Kelleher Riess Hickey & Riess, Attorneys at Law › 504-525-1120 Alex P. Trostorff Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Paul H. Waldman Paul H. Waldman, Attorney at Law › 504-220-2576 Edward Dirk Wegmann Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 John J. Weiler Weiler & Rees › 504-524-2944

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions Defendants Barbara L. Arras Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Tim Gray Forman Watkins & Krutz › 504-799-4383 James C. Gulotta Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Kay Baxter Cosmich, Simmons & Brown › 504-262-0040

Warren Horn Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn & Dabney › 504-299-3300

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

William H. Howard Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

C. Wm. Bradley Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Scott E. Delacroix Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Mark C. Dodart Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Robert S. Emmett Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 William B. Gaudet Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

James B. Irwin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Mary S. Johnson Johnson Gray McNamara › 985-246-6544 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Harvey C. Koch Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Keith A. Kornman Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 Allen J. Krouse Frilot › 504-599-8000 Francis V. Liantonio Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Jill T. Losch Johnson Gray McNamara › 985-246-6544 Lynn Luker Stanley, Reuter, Ross, Thornton & Alford › 504-523-1580

Kerry J. Miller Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Chad J. Mollere Johnson Gray McNamara › 504-525-4649 Kim E. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 John F. Olinde Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Dwight C. Paulsen Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Maura Z. Pelleteri Pugh Accardo › 504-799-4500 Michael R. Phillips Kean Miller › 504-585-3050 Charles M. Pisano Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister › 504-566-1801 Brian P. Quirk Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 David E. Redmann Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Jeffrey E. Richardson Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 James H. Roussel Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Ronald J. Sholes Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Lea Ann Smith Butler Snow › 504-299-7700 Martin A. Stern Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 A. Wendel Stout Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Max Swetman Manion Gaynor & Manning › 504-535-2880 Quentin F. Urquhart Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Roland M. Vandenweghe Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 David M. Whitaker Kean Miller › 504-585-3050 Forrest Ren Wilkes Cosmich, Simmons & Brown › 504-262-0040 Charles B. Wilmore Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Rachel Wendt Wisdom Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions Plaintiffs

Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241

Mediation John T. Balhoff Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Christopher T. Chocheles Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Leonard A. Davis Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Ernest L. Edwards Akerman › 504-586-1241 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 M. H. Gertler Gertler Law Firm › 504-581-6411 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454

M. Nan Alessandra Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 J. Gregg Collins Gregg Collins Mediation Arbitration › 504-616-7535 Thomas K. Foutz TomFoutzADR › 504-237-3183 E. Phelps Gay Christovich & Kearney › 504-561-5700 C. Joseph Murray Charles J. Murray, Attorney at Law › 504-723-6719

Guice A. Giambrone Blue Williams › 504-831-4091

Scott D. Chenevert Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Susan E. Henning Curry & Friend › 504-524-8556

Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Stephen M. Pizzo Blue Williams › 504-831-4091

Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

E. Paige Sensenbrenner Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454

Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs

Kurt S. Blankenship Blue Williams › 504-831-4091

Anthony D. Irpino Irpino, Alvin & Hawkins › 504-525-1500

C. Wm. Bradley Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Joy Goldberg Braun Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500 Richard S. Crisler Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

Mergers & Acquisitions Law Joseph L. Caverly Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

H. Bruce Shreves Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn › 504-569-2030

Stephen J. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892

Harry T. Widmann Harry T. Widmann & Associates › 504-834-2799

Charles F. Gay Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Peter E. Sperling Frilot › 504-599-8000

Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Gerald E. Meunier Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer › 504-522-2304

Monica A. Frois Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

William R. Pitts William R. Pitts › 504-831-5050

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

Gladstone N. Jones Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison › 504-523-2500

Guy C. Curry Curry & Friend › 504-524-8556

Robert J. David Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer › 504-522-2304 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 James C. Klick Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Lawrence S. Kullman Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson › 504-588-1500 Jeffrey A. Mitchell The Cochran Firm › 504-309-5000

Curtis R. Hearn Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 William N. Norton Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Leon J. Reymond Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Karl J. Zimmermann Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Mining Law John Y. Pearce Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

BizNewOrleans.com 95

BEST LAWYERS Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law John T. Balhoff Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 G. Wogan Bernard Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 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 Aaron & Gianna › 504-569-1800 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 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Charles D. Marshall Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 John Y. Pearce Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

96 Biz May 2017

Jefferson D. Stewart Jefferson D. Stewart, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3445

Non-Profit / Charities Law Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Thomas B. Lemann Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Joel A. Mendler Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Max Nathan Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500 Carole Cukell Neff Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500 Jerome J. Reso Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Leon H. Rittenberg Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Kenneth A. Weiss McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

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

Katharine R. Colletta Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

David L. Patrón Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

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

John Y. Pearce Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

Ernest L. Edwards Akerman › 504-586-1241 Harold J. Flanagan Flanagan Partners › 504-569-0235 C. Peck Hayne Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Aimee W. Hebert Kelly Hart & Hallman › 504-343-7768 Jonathan A. Hunter Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Gene W. Lafitte Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Charles D. Marshall Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 Robert B. McNeal Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Cynthia A. Nicholson Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Robert B. Nolan Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Loulan J. Pitre Kelly Hart & Hallman › 504-343-7768 Edward B. Poitevent Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Carl D. Rosenblum Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 James H. Roussel Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Gerald F. Slattery Slattery, Marino & Roberts › 504-585-7800 Jefferson D. Stewart Jefferson D. Stewart, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3445

Personal Injury Litigation Defendants Robert B. Acomb Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Ryan Acomb Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson › 504-581-3838 Michael R. Allweiss Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver › 504-581-2450 John G. Alsobrook Ostendorf, Tate, Barnett & Tagtmeyer › 504-527-0700 W. Paul Andersson Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500 Adrianne L. Baumgartner Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson › 504-581-3838 Mark N. Bodin McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Charles R. Talley Kean Miller › 504-585-3050

Frederick R. Bott Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Patrick A. Talley Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

C. Wm. Bradley Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

Patent Law

Bertrand M. Cass Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Joe B. Norman Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Charles C. Garvey Garvey, Smith, Nehrbass & North › 504-835-2000

Kathleen K. Charvet Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith 504-525-6802

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

Seth M. Nehrbass Garvey, Smith, Nehrbass & North › 504-835-2000

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

Sidney W. Degan Degan, Blanchard & Nash › 504-529-3333 Ewell E. Eagan Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Richard B. Eason Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Dow Michael Edwards Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 S. Gene Fendler Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Debra J. Fischman Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Gus A. Fritchie Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 William B. Gaudet Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Charles F. Gay Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Terry Christovich Gay Christovich & Kearney › 504-561-5700 Joseph I. Giarrusso Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 John Jerry Glas Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

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

Daniel Lund Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

Deborah B. Rouen Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Laurence E. Best Best Law firm › 504-523-2378

M. H. Gertler Gertler Law Firm › 504-581-6411

Peter L. Hilbert Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

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

Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

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

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

Kent B. Ryan Miller Law Firm › 504-684-5044

Darnell Bludworth Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Kathleen A. Manning McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

William B. Schwartz Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Grady S. Hurley Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 James B. Irwin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 C. Gordon Johnson Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson › 504-581-3838 Mary S. Johnson Johnson Gray McNamara › 985-246-6544 George B. Jurgens King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800

Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Joseph Maselli Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 Douglas J. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100

Charles F. Seemann Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Scott C. Seiler Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Ronald J. Sholes Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Charles C. Bourque St. Martin & Bourque › 985-876-3891 Kathleen K. Charvet Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802 Christopher T. Chocheles Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Martha Young Curtis Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Robert B. Nolan Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241

Colvin Norwood McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Mark C. Surprenant Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Robert E. Kerrigan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Ernest L. O’Bannon Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan & O’Bannon › 504-322-1375

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

Edwin C. Laizer Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Erin Fury Parkinson McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

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

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

Charles E. Leche Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

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

Phillip A. Wittmann Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Joshua S. Force Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

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

Marc J. Yellin Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

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

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

Wayne J. Lee Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 David W. Leefe Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Edward J. Rice Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

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

Jeffrey E. Richardson Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs John T. Balhoff Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Robert J. David Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer › 504-522-2304 Stevan C. Dittman Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer › 504-522-2304

Thomas A. Gennusa Gennusa Law Firm › 504-455-0442 Louis L. Gertler Gertler Law Firm › 504-581-6411

Mark P. Glago Glago Law Firm › 504-599-8666 Fred L. Herman Fred Herman Law Firm › 504-541-9034 Russ M. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Stephen J. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Peter L. Hilbert Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Anthony D. Irpino Irpino, Alvin & Hawkins › 504-525-1500 Brian D. Katz Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Lawrence S. Kullman Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson › 504-588-1500 Frank E. Lamothe Lamothe Law Firm › 504-704-1414 Ryan O. Luminais Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Gerald E. Meunier Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer › 504-522-2304 Stephen B. Murray Murray Law Firm › 504-525-8100 Louis L. Plotkin Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe › 504-267-6191 Amanda Russo Schenck Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Rodney P. Vincent Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe › 504-267-6191 Irving J. Warshauer Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer › 504-522-2304 Lawrence D. Wiedemann Wiedemann Law Firm › 985-785-7788

Product Liability Litigation Defendants Francis P. Accardo Pugh Accardo › 504-799-4500 Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Kay Baxter Cosmich, Simmons & Brown › 504-262-0040

Thomas J. Madigan Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

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

Kevin M. McGlone Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

C. Wm. Bradley Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

BizNewOrleans.com 97

BEST LAWYERS Joy Goldberg Braun Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500

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

David L. Carrigee Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Charles F. Gay Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Charles A. Cerise Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Steven W. Copley Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111 Richard S. Crisler Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Scott E. Delacroix Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Kathleen F. Drew Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Richard B. Eason Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Dow Michael Edwards Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Robert S. Emmett Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Madeleine Fischer Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Darryl J. Foster Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

98 Biz May 2017

Terry Christovich Gay Christovich & Kearney › 504-561-5700 Alan H. Goodman Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454 James B. Irwin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Kenneth M. Klemm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Harvey C. Koch Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200

Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Elizabeth Haecker Ryan Coats Rose › 504-299-3070

Joseph Maselli Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142

Isaac H. Ryan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Joseph L. McReynolds Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Kim E. Moore Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Robert B. Nolan Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Colvin Norwood McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 John F. Olinde Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 David W. O’Quinn Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 G. Bruce Parkerson Plauché Maselli Parkerson › 504-582-1142 Dwight C. Paulsen Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300

Edwin C. Laizer Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Brian P. Quirk Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100

Arthur W. Landry Arthur W. Landry & Jeanne Andry Landry › 504-581-4334

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

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

Edward J. Rice Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Kathleen A. Manning McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200

Deborah B. Rouen Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Richard E. Sarver Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700 Scott C. Seiler Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Stanton E. Shuler Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500 James R. Silverstein Kean Miller › 504-585-3050 John W. Sinnott Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241 Norman C. Sullivan Fowler Rodriguez › 504-523-2600 Mark C. Surprenant Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Max Swetman Manion Gaynor & Manning › 504-535-2880 Brent A. Talbot Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Quentin F. Urquhart Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100

Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs James M. Garner Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 M. H. Gertler Gertler Law Firm › 504-581-6411 Stephen J. Herman Herman Herman & Katz › 504-581-4892 Louis L. Plotkin Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe › 504-267-6191 Rodney P. Vincent Plotkin, Vincent & Jaffe › 504-267-6191

Professional Malpractice Law Defendants C. Wm. Bradley Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Terrence L. Brennan Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 James A. Brown Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Roy C. Cheatwood Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Amelia Williams Koch Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Nancy J. Marshall Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141 Elizabeth Haecker Ryan Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 Danny G. Shaw Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 985-819-8400 Edward W. Trapolin Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 William E. Wright Deutsch Kerrigan › 504-581-5141

Professional Malpractice Law Plaintiffs Donald E. McKay Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500

Project Finance Law E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Gus A. Fritchie Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100

William H. Hines Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

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

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

Public Finance Law Susan Weeks Foley & Judell › 504-568-1249 David M. Wolf Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

Railroad Law Robert B. Acomb Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Alissa J. Allison Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 Thomas Louis Colletta Akerman › 504-586-1241 Timothy F. Daniels Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Dow Michael Edwards Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore › 504-310-2100 Harry Simms Hardin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 William H. Howard Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 David S. Kelly Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea › 504-596-6300 Joseph M. Miller Davis, Saunders, Miller & Oden Law Firm › 985-612-3070 C. Perrin Rome Rome, Arata, Baxley & Stelly › 504-521-7946

Benjamin B. Saunders Davis, Saunders, Miller & Oden Law Firm › 985-612-3070 Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241 Brent A. Talbot Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Patrick A. Talley Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Real Estate Law Marguerite L. Adams Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Lee R. Adler Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 G. Wogan Bernard Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Roy E. Blossman Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Elwood F. Cahill Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Philip deV. Claverie Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 R. Keith Colvin Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 James R. Conway James R Conway III, Attorney at Law › 504-838-0093 E. Howell Crosby Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000 Victoria M. de Lisle Locke Lord › 504-558-5100

Gary J. Elkins Elkins › 504-529-3600

R. Lewis McHenry Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Steven C. Serio Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Securities / Capital Markets Law

Lillian E. Eyrich Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199

Conrad Meyer Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes › 504-833-5600

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

John C. Anjier Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Philip B. Sherman Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

Thomas M. Benjamin Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson › 504-584-5454

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

Scott D. Chenevert Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

James A. Stuckey Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Louis Y. Fishman Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

William H. Hines Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Karen T. Holzenthal Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

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

Paul C. Kitziger Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Deborah J. Moench Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

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

Marie A. Moore Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Neal J. Kling Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Chad P. Morrow Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100

Charles A. Landry Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Randy Opotowsky Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199

Rose McCabe LeBreton Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard › 504-568-1990

Louis S. Quinn Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

F. Rivers Lelong Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Anne E. Raymond Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Jon F. Leyens Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200 A. Kelton Longwell Coats Rose › 504-299-3070 David A. Martinez Steeg Law Firm › 504-582-1199 Heather Begneaud McGowan Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Leon J. Reymond Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Richard P. Richter Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Megan C. Riess Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252 Michael R. Schneider Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Susan G. Talley Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Robert Paul Thibeaux Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux › 504-585-3800 Peter S. Title Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500

Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Carl C. Hanemann Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Curtis R. Hearn Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Kenneth J. Najder Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Susan M. Tyler Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Thomas A. Roberts Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver › 504-589-9700

Sabrina C. Vickers Chaffe McCall › 504-585-7000

John D. Werner Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Emile A. Wagner Law Offices of Emile A. Wagner, III › 504-250-0895

Richard P. Wolfe Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Sterling Scott Willis Fishman Haygood › 504-586-5252

Securities Regulation Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Kenneth J. Najder Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

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BEST LAWYERS Richard P. Wolfe Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Securitization & Structured Finance Law Lee R. Adler Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Leopold Z. Sher Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Marion Welborn Weinstock Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan › 504-582-1111

Tax Law Jesse R. Adams Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Robert S. Angelico Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 William M. Backstrom Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Hilton S. Bell Milling Benson Woodward › 504-569-7000 Timothy P. Brechtel Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Andre B. Burvant Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Susan K. Chambers Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 John W. Colbert Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

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J. Grant Coleman King, Krebs, & Jurgens › 504-582-3800 Paul D. Cordes Guarisco, Cordes & Lala › 504-587-7007 Gary J. Elkins Elkins › 504-529-3600 Mark S. Embree Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 James C. Exnicios Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Michael E. Guarisco Guarisco, Cordes & Lala › 504-587-7007 Jonathan R. Katz Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Caroline D. Lafourcade Montgomery Barnett › 504-585-3200 Thomas B. Lemann Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Donald H. McDaniel Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams › 504-309-3848 Max Nathan Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500 Robert L. Perez Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams › 504-309-3848 Rudolph R. Ramelli Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Jerome J. Reso Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

John E. Galloway Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith › 504-525-6802

Carole Cukell Neff Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500

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

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

Robert L. Perez Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams › 504-309-3848

John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Benjamin Slater Akerman › 504-586-1241

David R. Sherman Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes › 504-833-5600 Mark S. Stein Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver › 504-581-2450 Alex P. Trostorff Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 John J. Weiler Weiler & Rees › 504-524-2944 Kenneth A. Weiss McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 Karl J. Zimmermann Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Trademark Law Keith M. Landry Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

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

Trusts & Estates Hirschel T. Abbott Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Marguerite L. Adams Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 David F. Edwards Jones Walker › 504-582-8000 Mark S. Embree Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234

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

Venture Capital Law Joseph L. Caverly Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200 Mark A. Fullmer Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311 Curtis R. Hearn Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

Jerome J. Reso Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

William N. Norton Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz › 504-566-5200

Patrick K. Reso Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Stakelum & Hayes › 504-833-5600

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

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

Scott T. Whittaker Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann › 504-581-3200

Water Law

Deborah C. Faust Perez, McDaniel, Faust & Adams › 504-309-3848

Leon H. Rittenberg Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Jefferson D. Stewart Jefferson D. Stewart, Attorney at Law › 504-299-3445

Miriam Wogan Henry Jones Walker › 504-582-8000

John A. Rouchell Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900

Workers’ Compensation Law Employers

Steven I. Klein Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert › 504-299-2100 Thomas B. Lemann Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979 Joel A. Mendler Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer › 504-569-2900 Max Nathan Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel › 504-582-1500

Kenneth A. Weiss McGlinchey Stafford › 504-586-1200 John D. Wogan Liskow & Lewis › 504-581-7979

Utilities Law Alan C. Wolf Phelps Dunbar › 504-566-1311

Richard B. Eason Adams & Reese › 504-581-3234 Donald E. McKay Leake & Andersson › 504-585-7500

BizNewOrleans.com 101

102 Biz May 2017

from the lens Southeast louisiana businesses in full color

GREAT WORKSPACES • WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? • NONPROFIT MATCHMAKER • BEHIND THE SCENES

great workspaces

Just Like Home Logan Killen Interiors’ studding Sunday Shop.

More on page 104

From the Lens great workspaces

Designing Women Logan Killen Interiors shop and studio showcases the work and lifestyle of its designers.

By Melanie Warner Spencer Photos by Sara Essex Bradley

I

t’s not unusual for designers to open showrooms. From a practical business standpoint, a showroom serves as a portfolio for the designer’s work, a studio and another source of income in the way of retail sales. Sunday Shop, the new retail venture of Katie Logan Leblanc and Jensen Killen of Logan Killen Interiors, however, is a bit different than the typical designer showroom; it’s a glimpse into the bespoke yet unpretentious world of the designers.

“We named it Sunday Shop to give it its own identity,” says Killen.

“People are sometimes intimidated to go into a design studio. Approachable is one of our top [philosophies], not just with our shop, but with our spaces and clients too.”

Housed in a circa-1870s building in the Lower Garden District, the light-flooded shop is set up like a home, complete with a doorbell at the entrance. Customers and clients enter through the “living room,” which is arranged in signature Logan Killen Interiors style — inviting, eclectic, a little modern and multilayered. The walls are decorated with colorful collages by New Orleans artist Mark Bercier, which are on display from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

To the right of the front door, on an antique butcher’s presentation table that was sourced at Fireside Antiques in Baton Rouge, stainless steel buckets are filled with single seasonal florals, grasses and branches by local floral designer Emily Eberwine of Pick-A-Petal Floral Design.

104 Biz May 2017

Designers Jensen Killen and Katie Logan Leblanc moved their design studio and new retail space, Sunday Shop, into a circa-1870s, Lower Garden District, two-story building in November 2016. The upstairs studio has an open workspace for the duo and their staff, as well as a private office, kitchenette and dining nook.

Sunday Shop is set up like a home.

The “living room� entrance currently features artwork by New Orleans artist Mark Bercier and a mix of antiques, custom pieces designed by Killen and Logan Leblanc, as well as textiles and decorative items available for sale.

BizNewOrleans.com 105

The back “courtyard room� is an oasis of bath, body and home products, as well as Turkish towels and other fine home accessories. The water closet is adjacent to an outdoor courtyard, currently under design. Killen and Logan Leblanc are working with landscape designer and master gardener, Niki Epstein, who specializes in container and porch gardens and small herb and vegetable gardens.

106 Biz May 2017

The marble top “kitchen” buffet was made by New Orleans furniture maker Chip Martinson of MonkeyWid-A-Fez. A stocked refrigerator drawer and the center island ensure the designers are ready for a party at all times. Kitchen accessories and products with form and function to spare are on display.

at a glance

Sunday Shop and Logan Killen Interiors Company Name: Sunday Shop and Logan Killen Interiors Address: 2025 Magazine St. Office completed: November 2016 Architect: Albert Architecture Interior Designer: Katie Logan Leblanc and Jensen Killen Furnishings: Sunday Shop: Butcher’s presentation table, Fireside Antiques; green velvet sofa, custom; Ralph Lauren leather and wood side table, vintage; striped lamp with linen shade, vintage; custom coffee table, LKI Studio; rattan settee, vintage; custom island, LKI Studio; custom dining table, Fireside Antiques; upholstered bed, custom; cherry storage cabinet with brass and glass shelving, custom. Upstairs Studio: White storage and work table, custom. Upstairs private office: Desk 51, ivory, Modern Market.

Square footage: 2,300 square feet Main Goal: The primary goal was to use the first floor for retail and second floor for studio space.

The goal was to maximize square footage by utilizing every room and integrating smart storage solutions where possible. The retail space was built out to feel like a home, while showcasing the design aesthetic of Logan Killen Interiors.

“There are a lot of people in New Orleans who do antiques well, so we didn’t want to get too heavy into that,” says Logan Leblanc. “We’ll go to Baton Rouge and hand select a few pieces to layer in.”

A custom designed island is the centerpiece in the “kitchen” area.

It is complemented by a buffet

made by local furniture maker Chip Martinson of Monkey-Wid-A-Fez. The buffet has a hidden refrigerator drawer that houses beer, LaCroix sparkling water and other beverages.

Atop the buffet an espresso machine is at the ready. Custom glass shelving is home to a variety of kitchen essentials and products.

The “bedroom” is a study in textiles, including rugs sourced at Texas’ popular Round Top Antiques Fair and NOLA Rugs, lighting by Lambert et Fils (which is found throughout the shop), a custom bed and an upholstered sofa. Everything is layered to comfy completion with toss pillows and throws.

Biggest Challenge: “Working with an old building is always challenging. Every day you discover new things and have to be able to make decisions on the fly based on your specific needs, the overall design intent, and the architectural integrity of the building,” notes interior designer Jensen Killen.

BizNewOrleans.com 107

An antique butcher’s presentation table in the “living room” — sourced at Fireside Antiques in Baton Rouge — is topped with stainless steel buckets filled with single seasonal florals, grasses and branches by local floral designer Emily Eberwine of Pick-A-Petal Floral Design.

“We’re really heavy into textiles, layers,” says Logan Leblanc. “We wanted people who come in or hire us to have a little taste of what we do.”

Home fragrance and body products fill the airy back “courtyard room” with the heady scents of the Caribbean, via the Coqui Coqui line of fragrances. Logan Leblanc and Killen are working with landscape designer and master gardener Niki Epstein for the outdoor courtyard.

Epstein specializes in container and porch gardens and small herb and vegetable gardens.

Upstairs, the studio offers a refuge from the shop floor, where the designers can meet with clients and focus on design projects.

“Because of the separation, it makes it fairly easy to separate ourselves and get some work done,” says Logan Leblanc. “We have a few people that we’ve brought on that help with both the store and the studio, and we have some people that just help with the store.”

Sunlight streams into the sprawling studio through the expanse of windows in the front of the building. Each has a window box overflowing with flowers and foliage.

A materials library, custom, white work-and-storage table, as well as a vast table and desks for the company’s nine employees fill the main studio area. The designers share a private office, which is off a cozy eating nook and flanked by a kitchenette.

Scented candles and incense afford the studio the same homey feeling as the downstairs shop.

“Now that we have the store, we physically can pull together some full-scale pieces and that’s nice,” says Logan Leblanc. “It has changed the way we work.”

Popping downstairs to the shop to play and rearrange; taking in the 108 Biz May 2017

wealth of places to eat and hang out in the neighborhood; and field trips to places like the New Orleans Museum of Art, Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Garden help fuel the designers’ and their employees’ creativity, so they can come back to the office and tap into a refilled and

refreshed creative well. But the shop and studio is the anchor.

“Katie and I are both — and I think everyone is — affected by their environment, whether at home or work,” says Killen. “I think it’s important that your space is comfortable.”

Truly living their brand is also at the forefront of what they do, hence the candles and comforts in the upstairs studio.

“It’s a fantastic space,” says Logan Leblanc. “It’s definitely a dream come true for us.” n

In the “bedroom” Killen and Logan Leblanc’s signature warm, eclectic and multi-layered style is in full effect.

Textiles, pillows and artwork complement the large bed with upholstered headboard.

BizNewOrleans.com 109

From the Lens why didn’t i think of that?

Healing With Every Step Local orthopedic surgeon Dr. Meredith Warner is successfully treating plantar fasciitis with her own brand of high tech flip-flops.

By Kim Singletary Photos by jeffery johnston

W

ho doesn’t love throwing on a pair of flip-flops on a warm day? Just slipping on this most casual form of footwear instantly conjures thoughts of vacation, relaxation and good times. They’re freeing.

They’re cool. They’re a summertime must-have.

They’re also horrible for your feet.

The total lack of support with flip-flops can lead to a host of issues, including tendinitis, over-pronation, stress fractures and even stubbed toes.

In 2010, the National Health Service in Britain estimated that flip-flop injuries and issues from long term use cost the nation $40 million a year For those with existing foot problems, like flat feet or high arches, flip-flops are particularly a bad idea.

This includes those with plantar fasciitis. The most common cause of heel pain, this condition is estimated to strike 10 percent of the population during their lifetime, amounting to about 2 million cases per year.

“I’ve had patients come to me whose doctor told them they can never wear flip-flops again,” says Dr. Meredith Warner, an orthopedic surgeon who has been serving

The lifted front toe and rocker bottom of The Healing Sole flip-flops are just a few of the features that set them apart from typical flip-flops.

110 Biz May 2017

After hearing many of her patients complain about not being allowed to wear flip-flops due to foot problems, Dr. Meredith Warner says she thought to herself, “What if I made the problem the treatment?�

BizNewOrleans.com 111

patients in Baton Rouge at her private practice, Warner Orthopedics & Wellness, since April 2013.

“Eventually I thought to myself, ‘What if I made the problem the treatment?’”

Dr. Warner has done just that with The Healing Sole, a patent pending flip-flop that “allows the mechanics of the foot to heal itself.”

The Healing Sole flip-flops hit the market in October of 2015, priced at $125 a pair (with a 30-day money back guarantee). They are available online, at other Baton Rouge-area physical therapy clinics and doctors offices — including Dr. Warner’s practice — along with specialty running stores. In all, the shoes are available in close to 20 locations, as well as online at TheHealingSole. com. In the first year, Warner sold nearly 5,000 units.

While the shoes have been shipped to New Orleans homes since The Healing Sole’s launch, in late 2016 they finally became available at a brick and mortar location — Varsity Sports on Magazine Street.

“I’m surprised at how many people come to a running store looking for relief,” says Jenni Peters, owner of Varsity Sports. “These shoes seem to be working for a lot of people.”

How They Work To understand how the flip-flops work, you have to first understand a bit about plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the name of the band of tissue that connects the heel to the front of the foot, supporting the arch. When that band becomes irritated it causes foot pain that can lead to someone changing the way they walk. That, in turn, can lead to knee, hip and back pain.

The key to providing relief from plantar fasciitis is to reduce the stress on this band. The Healing Sole shoe does this in a few notable ways. First, the big toe portion of the shoe is slightly raised. This helps strengthen the arch of the foot as a person walks. Second, the shoe has a raised arch, which supports and stabilizes the arch of the foot. Third, the shoe has a rocker bottom, a slight curve in

112 Biz May 2017

the bottom of the shoe that reduces stress when walking. Finally, the heel of the shoe compresses when you walk, reducing pressure on your heel where the pain of plantar fasciitis is commonly most pronounced.

Vision to Reality Dr. Warner says the process of turning the common flip-flop into a vehicle for healing was far from easy. “It took about six years to go from my first drawings to a finished product,” she says. “I spent

about a year and a half finding a manufacturer. The logistics aren’t easy — the shoe is made from six different molds that are put together by hand.

Performance Before putting the shoe on the market, Dr. Warner had to know it worked. She created her own clinical study, comprised of 22 patients who suffered from plantar fasciitis. “A vast majority of those had tried and failed other treatments,” she says. “We had

them wear the shoes for a few hours every day for a few months.”

At the end of the study, the average pain score for participants was cut more than half (6.14 to 3.05), and 94 percent said they would recommend the shoes to a friend.

Warner says she’s excited that the shoes are offering people a more natural treatment to plantar fasciitis.

“Typically, you’d start with home stretches, and if that doesn’t work, you’d go to steroid injections, but those can have terrible side effects,” she says. “Finally, there’s surgery,

did you know?

Flip-Flop Fun Facts Flip-flops are a $1.5 billion market in the U.S. alone (2014).

While there is evidence of flip-flop wearing as far back as ancient Egypt, today’s version as we know it gained popularity in the 1950s.

The oldest surviving flip flop dates to 1500 b.c. and is on display at the British Museum President Barack Obama was the first president to be photographed in flip-flops while in Hawaii in 2011.

One of the most popular brands in the world is Havaianas, out of Brazil.

In 2011 the company (whose name means Hawaiian in Portuguese) saw sales numbers increase 15.4 percent to approximately $1.27 billion.

Challenges

Available at close to 20 locations, as well as online, The Healing Sole sold nearly 5,000 units in its first year in business.

where you go in and clip the plantar fascia, but that destabilizes the whole foot. Essentially, with the flip-flop I thought about how I treat the condition and put all of those ideas into one thing.”

Dr. Warner says the entire process of creating the shoes was, “the most difficult thing she’s ever done,” but says a particularly challenging part was finding a manufacturer.

“I finally found a facility in Vietnam and I’ve actually been there and visited it,” she says. “They’ve been great, but the one issue we have is lag time. To make a change in an order takes about three months.”

Warner says she’d love to move the manufacturing to the U.S. but hasn’t found the right fit yet. “It’s a lot more expensive to manufacture here, but when you factor in the lag time and shipping costs, it could be conceivable.”

Future With the success of the flip-flops, Warner says customers have now been requesting a closed toed version of The Healing Sole.

“They want to have something they can wear to work,” she says. “That’s my No. 1 request. I’ve gone through 13 prototypes so far. Nothing yet, but I’m working on it.” n

BizNewOrleans.com 113

From the Lens making a match: business and nonprofits

Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans Concerned about crime in New Orleans? Partnering with this nonprofit will make you part of the solution.

By Kim Roberts Photos by jeffery johnston

W

hat TV newscast story about a violent crime would be complete without the disclaimer, “If you have any information about this crime, please call the Crimestoppers tip line at 822-1111,” Crimestoppers’ billboards and bus ads can be seen around the city, and the organization’s President and CEO, Darlene Cusanza, is a regular guest on the morning news shows discussing recent crime trends or providing safety tips to help keep citizens in and around New Orleans safe.

Most people think that Crimestoppers is run by law enforcement, but this nonprofit organization is not officially part of any one police department. Instead it is powered by civilians and volunteers whose primary purpose is to work in conjunction with law enforcement agencies to capture criminals and find much-needed closure for victims’ families.

When Cusanza joined the team 22 years ago, the organization was much smaller than it is today and was set up to primarily cover Greater New Orleans. Volunteers came from the Chamber of Commerce.

The organization has since grown to include three full-time and one part-time employee, as well 114 Biz May 2017

as a liaison officer from the New Orleans Police Department, and the nonprofit has taken on a more regional role over the years, covering a nine-parish area.

“When I first came onboard, the organization was run as a committee of the Chamber. As the potential grew for the organization, they looked for an executive director to grow the program. The focus of the

program then was to operate a crime tip hotline for citizens to report anonymously and followed a national Crimestoppers model,” Cusanza said.

“It has been my focus to move from only being reactive to crimes which have been committed, to being more proactive in the prevention of planned acts of violence. A more holistic approach has been our goal, and I feel it has increased the

Darlene Cusanza, president and CEO of Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans with Officer Juan Barnes of the NOPD, who serves as the law enforcement liaison to Crimestoppers.

A mix of JPSO, NOPD and U.S. Marshals that work daily, hand in hand with Crimestoppers to fight crime in the city.

organization’s footprint and value to the community.

“Today we not only provide resources to crime victims and their families, but we also educate youth about prevention and advocacy, as well as engage neighborhood and community organizations in crime prevention and community policing,” Cusanza added. “Through these efforts, we have also become more effective in working with victims’ families to help them navigate the criminal justice arena when seeking answers and justice.”

So how exactly does Crimestoppers work? A caller simply dials the 24/7 tip hotline and is connected to the command desk; an operator takes down the tip information about whatever crime is being reported. Most importantly, the entire call is anonymous: no identifying information is asked for or provided, such as name, phone number or address. After the tip is given, the operator assigns the caller a code number for identification. The caller has to remember the number and give it to Crimestoppers if they call back to check on the status of the tip they provided. Crimestoppers has no way of contacting the person who left the tip. All information that is called in to the organization is passed on to the appropriate law enforcement agency, to act on accordingly and to report any updates back to Crimestoppers, such as whether it helped solve or prevent a crime.

If the tip was useful in solving the crime, a cash reward is awarded.

Crimestoppers pays a reward of up to $2,500 on all felony crimes committed in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James,

St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Plaquemines and Washington parishes. Other reward money is sometimes added to Crimestoppers rewards by individuals.

“Even though Crimestoppers is primarily known for our rewards for anonymous tips, we are much more than just a hotline: we are a sounding board for victims’ families in their time of desperate need,” Cusanza said. “Many times, we are the only ones there for these families, and their pain is truly immense. Our focus and work with community partners and neighborhood groups also provides a network of additional ‘eyes and ears’ on the street for law enforcement to tap into, and allows citizens to become better educated to not become victims of a crime. Bringing the civic and neighborhood groups together with law enforcement helps bridge trust and build relationships, creating a safer community for everyone.”

Having been a victim of a crime herself shortly after going to work for Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans, Cusanza has a deep understanding of what a crime victim is going through, and a thirst for justice.

“Being a victim of an armed robbery taught me great empathy for victims’ families and gave me a greater understanding of the process,” she said. “I know what it feels like to be on the other side and go through court, and I know the system can work and that you can rely on the community for information on a crime. I also know what it means to have someone say, ‘I’m sorry this happened to you,’ and ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’

That is what Crimestoppers does—we let victims know that they have not been forgotten about and that we are here to help.”

Because Crimestoppers is a nonprofit organization, it relies on fundraisers and individual and corporate memberships to fund the various community efforts and

A Good Match

FOR COMPANIES WHO… Are concerned about local crime and interested in showing support for victims. Opportunities for individuals and groups exist in community outreach, helping with crime walks and school educational programs.

programs. The organization has two main fundraisers each year — an awards luncheon it has hosted for 32 years and a Blues Night that it has hosted since 2013.

“Our luncheon is a time where we say thank you to law enforcement, recognize community leaders as well as honor fallen heroes — those officers that lost their lives in the line of duty over the past year. This year we are expecting just under 700 people to attend,” Cusanza said. “Blues Night was initiated by some local musicians who wanted BizNewOrleans.com 115

stats

Since Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans’ Start in 1981:

16,300+

felony crimes it has helped solve

$2,201,000+ paid out in rewards

in 2016:

18,000+

calls received

7,300+

tips processed for investigation

141

arrests, as of 2/1/17

300

cases cleared

76

rewards paid totaling approximately $90,000

In 2016 Crimestoppers made more than:

67

school visits

30,000+

students reached

30+

families provided with the opportunity to have their loved ones’ cases aired on “Crimestoppers Most Wanted” radio spots

46

teen leaders graduated,

16

schools represented in its TAAC Leadership Program

116 Biz May 2017

tHE BASICS

Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans

H. Moffett Family Foundation, Robert E. Zetzmann Family Foundation, The Catholic Foundation, The Engraving Company, The Helis Foundation, Whitney Bank and more.

Founded 1981 by the late Mr. James Coleman Sr. (1915-2007)

Tip Hotline (504) 8221111 or 877-903-STOP

Mission Crimestoppers is a nonprofit organization whose primary goal is to provide citizens with a way to assist law enforcement to apprehend criminals and to make the community a safer place to live.

Annual Budget $400,000 Direct Program Services

A complete listing of partnerships can be found on the organization’s website.

Ongoing Partnerships/ Event Sponsors Postlethwaite & Netterville, Vinson Guard Service Inc., First NBC, Entergy New Orleans, Freeport McMoRan Foundation, Louise

Current Needs The Crimestoppers office operates with a small staff and always needs volunteers to work with its programs, as well as funding to bring initiatives to reality. Also, it

Website crimestoppersgno.org

needs additional manpower to assist with community outreach, fundraisers, crime walks and educational programs.

Organization Board of Trustees, Board of Directors and Executive Board 504-495-4423 For More Information Darlene Cusanza President and CEO (504) 837-8477 Darlene@crimestoppersgno.org

“It has been my focus to move from only being reactive to crimes which have been committed, to being more proactive in the prevention of planned acts of violence,” says CEO Darlene Cusanza, of the organization’s move toward educating youth and engaging neighborhood and community organizations in crime prevention and policing.

to take a stand against violence.

They approached me about doing a fundraiser as a way of uniting together for a common cause.

Violence is a part of life, but they did not want it to take away the way we live — we can still enjoy food and music.”

The organization has developed and oversees several community outreach programs.

The Crimestoppers Safe School Hotline was set up as a way for middle- and high-school students in

the nine-parish service area to have a safe environment for studying and learning by making their school campuses safer. The main goal of the hotline is to solve and prevent serious crimes by empowering students with a safe and anonymous way to report information about crimes on campus. Crimestoppers even makes presentations in schools, explains the process and fields questions from students. In a further effort to empower teenagers, the organization’s Teen Ambassadors

Against Crime (TAAC) Leadership Program strives to help students gain a better understanding of the criminal justice arena, including the role that students can and do play in community safety.

Another way the group reaches out to the community is through its yearly Night Out Against Crime, held each October as a way to bring citizens together in a fun environment to meet their neighbors and learn about crime prevention. This past October, the organization hosted more than 2,500

attendees at its community party at the Bonnabel Boat Launch.

Initiated this year by Crimestoppers, the Project Good Samaritan program encompasses a variety of local clergy partners who meet regularly to discuss the violence in the community and what tools can be employed to combat the problems.

“Crime affects people in all walks of life, and we work with all the neighborhoods in our nine-parish coverage area,” Cusanza said. “You don’t have to ask for our services, they are there for you. There is a manpower shortage in law enforcement, and it is imperative that citizens help to gather intelligence on the streets to stop and solve crimes. This is important for businesses to prosper and children to be safe — think of it as bread, water and public safety.

“I am very proud of the work that Crimestoppers has provided for the community and the dedication of our board members. Everyone comes to the table for the right reasons, wanting to make the community safer for everyone. We respect the work and public service that law enforcement provides and are honored to be a partner in this most important endeavor. This team is invincible, and we invite everyone to come along with us on this journey.” n

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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.

118 Biz May 2017

luxury

real estate

BizNewOrleans.com 119

From the Lens behind the scenes

Spelling It Out Photo by jeffery johnston

H

istory is alive at Derby Pottery & Tile, a familyowned shop at 2029 Magazine St. Here, Mark and Anne-Marie Derby use old-world tools and processes to create handmade tiles, clocks and tableware. The shop’s most popular sellers are reproductions of New Orleans street tiles used in the city since the 1880s. Both number and letter tiles are custom crafted for anyone who wants to bring a little NOLA into their home.

DerbyPottery.com. n

120 Biz May 2017