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Alumni

Ten LSU Law Center Alumni were selected to The Best Lawyers in America 2009 from the firm of Taylor Porter in Baton Rouge. Among those selected were John S. Campbell Jr. ('61), Gerald L. Walter Jr. ('62), W. Shelby McKenzie ('64), Eugene R. Groves ('70), John Michael "Mike" Parker ('78), Vicki M. Crochet ('80), Robert L. Coco ('88), David M. Bienvenu Jr. ('91), Mary C. Hester ('94), and Bonnie "Jeanne" Davis ('95).

Thirteen partners from Kean Miller in Baton Rouge were named to The Best Lawyers in America 2009, including Ben R. Miller Jr. ('61), Charles S. McCowan Jr. ('67), G. William "Bill" Jarman ('73), Leonard L. "Len" Kilgore III ('76), Carey J. Messina ('78), Gary A. Bezet ('79), Katherine W. King ('81), Vance A. Gibbs ('82), Isaac M. "Mack" Gregorie Jr. ('82), Maureen N. Harbourt ('82), G. Blane Clark Jr. ('84), John F. Jakuback ('92), and J. Randy Young ('92).

Michael Cavanaugh ('68) is a former military judge in the JAG corps. He has written a book titled Biotheology: A New Synthesis of Science and Religion and was president of The Institute on Religion in the Age of Science, the oldest and most prestigious organization in the world concentrating on Science and Religion. He would like to hear from old friends and may be contacted at MichaelCav@aol.com.

Henry T. Arrington ('70) is still married "to the same wonderful lady," Sandy, and still with the Kullman Firm. Forty-one years with the same lady and 38 with the same firm is a record, Arrington said, and he would not trade with anyone.

Gary Lindsay Newport ('74) is senior attorney for the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, Securities, and Regulation Division.

Kenny Murov ('75) has a practice on the Virginia Peninsula, which includes Newport News, Hampton, and Williamsburg. He has been a member of the Virginia State Bar since 1995 and he and his wife, Robin, have three children. They are expecting their first two grandchildren over the next several months.

Frank Auer ('76) is the CEO and founder of Praeses LLC – a company that provides information management services.

Charles J. Ballay ('76) was recently elected District Attorney of Plaquemines Parish. He will assume office Jan. 12, 2009. Ballay is also with the firm of Ballay, Braud & Colon in Belle Chasse, Louisiana.

Alton E. "Biff" Bayard III ('76) is a member of the Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC firm in Baton Rouge. He was recently selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2009.

Wiilam G. "Bill" Davis ('77) has joined the firm of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC in Baton Rouge.

Steven G. "Buzz" Durio ('77) was recently granted a Writ of Certiorari by unanimous vote from the Louisiana Supreme Court for his client in Cannon v. Bertand. Durio is a founding partner of Durio, McGoffin, Staff, and Ackermann in Lafayette.

William H. Patrick III ('77) is an attorney with the firm of Heller, Draper, Hayden, Patrick & Horn LLC in New Orleans. He was recently selected to The Best Lawyers in America 2009, as he has been for the last 10 years. Patrick was also selected to "Louisiana Super Lawyers."

Donald J. DeGabrielle ('78) is a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. He also serves on the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, chairs the Border and Immigration Law Enforcement Sub-Committee, and serves on the Terrorism and National Security Sub-Committee and the Regional Law Enforcement Information Sharing Working Group.

Jan M. Hayden ('79) is an attorney with the firm of Heller, Draper, Hayden, Patrick & Horn LLC in New Orleans. She was recently selected to The Best Lawyers in America 2009, as she has been for the last 10 years, and was also named one of the top 10 lawyers in Louisiana Super Lawyers for 2007 and 2008.

Elaine F. Clement ('84) has been with the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana since 1995 and is responsible for Community Outreach around the state. She is on the Executive Board of Louisiane-Acadie, Inc. and chairs the Acadian Heritage Week Committee. She was recently awarded the Acadian Culture Preservation Award for her work in the defense of the French Language of Louisiana.

Daniel "Danny" Atkinson Jr. ('87) is a senior partner in the firm of Perry, Atkinson, Balhoff, Mengis & Burns LLC. He is married to Lisa Bethea Atkinson. They have seven children, the oldest of which is attending the LSU Honors College.

Piper Griffin ('87) was re-elected without opposition as judge of the Civil District Court for Orleans Parish.

Gwendolyn K. Brown ('89) is a Special Assistant Parish Attorney in Baton Rouge's Office of the Parish Attorney. She is also a contract attorney with the Louisiana Appellate Project, where she serves as supervisor for the First and Fifth Circuits.

C. Kerry Anderson ('92) was recently elected to the bench in the 36th Judicial District Court, Division B, in Beauregard Parish. He is married to Erika F. Anderson ('97).

Mark Folse ('93) is president, chief executive officer, and founding board member of Coastal Commerce Bank in Houma, Louisiana.

J. Jeffrey Raborn ('93) has been promoted to Vice President – Assistant General Counsel at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching the middle school football feeder team for Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.

Maggie Trahan Simar ('98) is the Family Court Hearing Officer for the 16th Judicial District in Louisiana. She also serves on the LSBA Young Lawyers Section Council as Third District Representative.

Samira A. Salman ('99) transitioned from Shell Oil Co. to open a strategic planning and business development company, Salman Solutions. She was also a delegate of the 2008 City of Houston Business Development Mission to the Middle East and is serving on the Consular Forum Patrons Committee for the 2008 Consular Ball in Houston.

Barbara B. Ormsby ('01) is an attorney with Forman, Perry, Watkins, Krutz, & Tardy LLP in New Orleans.

Michael A. Villa Jr. ('04) will be speaking on "The Bank Secrecy Act: Currency Reporting Requirements, Civil Penalties, and Criminal Prosecutions" at the Louisiana Tax Conference on Dec. 15, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. He is an associate with Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins & Blau LLP in Dallas.

Kerrie S. Crockett ('05) was recently promoted to "A" level Felony Prosecutor in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office.

Brad E. Wilkerson ('05) is an associate with Lemie & Kelleher LLP, where he practices in the areas of business litigation, commercial transactions, and oil and gas law in the firm's Shreveport office.

Scott Ledet ('07) has joined the firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York, NY, as an associate in the litigation group.

Paul H. "Woody" Scott ('08) has joined the firm of Jeri Flynn & Associates APLC in Baton Rouge. Scott will practice removal (deportation) work, criminal defense, and small business law.

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