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Alumni

Hon. Billy Ross Robinson ('57) retired district judge from Bossier City, LA, has been selected for induction consideration by The Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame Award's Selection Committee.  The Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame is sponsored by The Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum Foundation, and is one of the largest museums in the nation devoted to the study and preservation of corrections.

Judge Henry A. Politz ('59) - in remembrance and to honor Judge Henry A. Politz, YeKo Amin, established the Cheap Eats/Henry A. Politz Scholastic Award.  Last year, three students from the village of Kwahu-Tafo, were given this award which enabled them to attend the University of Ghana for one year.  This year, all three will return for an additional year to study, along with three new award winners.

Tim McNamara ('61) of the Onebane Law Firm in Lafayette, was recently notified by Martindale-Hubbell that his rating of 25 years of AV had been elevated to AV Preeminent commencing 2011.  Additionally, the LSBA recognized his 50 years of service to the Bar of Louisiana with a Certificate of Appreciation at its 2011 Mid-Winter meeting held recently in New Orleans.

Frank P. Simoneaux ('61) - of the firm Gordon Arata, was re-elected Chair of the Louisiana State  Board of Ethics.  He was elected to the Board in 2008 by the LA House of Representatives.

Gerald L. Walter, Jr. ('62) is an attorney with the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips. Mr. Walter's primary focus of work is in Environmental and Administrative Law.

Cyrus J. Greco ('63) of the firm Taylor Porter Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

William E. Shaddock, Jr. ('63) of the firm Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clement & Shaddock, in Lake Charles, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 for Trusts and Estates and in Louisiana Super Lawyers in 2011 for Estate Planning and Probate.

W. Shelby McKenzie ('64) of the firm Taylor Porter Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Richard Jerald "Jerry" Dodson ('66)  is currently serving as president of the Louisiana Association of Justice for the 2010-2011 term.  LAJ is a voluntary bar association whose statewide membership is composed mostly of lawyers who have a trial practice. Dodson is a partner with the firm Dodson, Hooks & Frederick.

James C. "Jam" Downs ('66) is currently employed as the Rapids Parish District Attorney.

Paul H. Due' ('66) of the firm Due', Price, Guidry, Piedrahita & Andrews, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 in the areas of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Product Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs, and Products Liability Litigation-Defendants, and in Super Lawyers 2011.

Edwin K. Hunter ('67) of the firm Hunter, Hunter & Sonnier of Lake Charles, will serve as Chair of the 39th Annual Private Foundation Trustees' Tax Conference sponsored by the Salk Institute at Torrey Pines, LaJolla, California on May 11-13, 2011.

Patrick W. Pendley ('67) of the firm Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, has been recognized as a Louisiana Super Lawyer each year since 2008.  His area of practice includes Class Action Litigation and Mass Joinder Cases.

Emmett C. Sole ('68) of the firm Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clement & Shaddock, in Lake Charles, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 for Construction Law and Professional Malpractice and in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011 for Construction/Surety Law.

W. Luther Wilson ('68) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

W. Arthur Abercrombie, Jr. ('69) of the firm Talyor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Eugene R. Groves ('70) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Richard T. Simmons, Jr. ('70) - a managing partner in the firm Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale, was named to Louisiana Super Lawyers of 2011.  Super Lawyers has recognized Simmons as among the top five percent of attorneys in Louisiana for five consecutive years.  Simmons specializes in complex criminal and civil litigation, internal corporate investigations, professional malpractice defense and environmental law.

Honorable Harmon Drew ('71) - recently taught an Evangeline Parish Law Officer Retrainer in Ville Platte.  The event was hosted by District Attorney Trent Brignac ('94) and Sheriff Eddie Soileau.  85 Evangeline Parish law officers were refreshed on criminal law Judge Drew and Jean T. Drew ('71).  Judge Drew also teaches basic cadets at the law officer academies in Caddo and Bossier Parishes.

Jean T. Drew ('71) - recently taught an Evangeline Parish Law Officer Retrainer in Ville Platte, along with Judge Harmon Drew ('71).  The event was hosted by DA Trent Brignac ('94) and Sheriff Eddie Soileau.  85 Evangeline Parish law officers were refreshed on criminal law by the Drews.  They have taught similar events in numerous other parishes as well.

Van R. Mayhall, Jr. ('71), a partner at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been elected President of the Board of Directors for the City Club of Baton Rouge.

David Willenzik ('71) -  Senior Counsel for the McGlinchey Staffor's New Orleans office, has received the prestigious Homer Kripke Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.  The preeminent award is the highest honor given to a practitioner or law professor in the field of commercial finance law and recognizes a lifetime of achievement and contributions to the field.

C. Stokes McConnell, Jr. ('72) - has joined the law firm of Adams and Reese with a lateral move from the Long Law Firm, where he was previously a partner.

Cyril E. Vetter ('72) of Vetter Communications Corp, is having his first novel, Dirtdobber Blues, released on March 21, 2011 by the LSU Press in both print and ebook versions.

Col. John Odom ('73) - of the Shreveport firm of Jones, Odom & Politz,  recieved a 2011 American Bar Association Grassroots Advocacy Award in April for his work in enforcing servicemembers' legal rights and protecting military families in custody disputes.  Odom is now retired from the U.S. Air Force.

John S. Bradford ('74) of the law firm Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clement & Shaddock, in Lake Charles, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 for Labor and Employment Law and Medical Malpractice Law and in Louisiana Super Lawyers in 2011 for Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice.

John deGravelles ('74) - of the firm deGravelles, Palmintier, Holthaus & Fruge recently returned from a trip to Ukraine where he gave a two week introduction of the American judicial system to law students at the Lugank State University of Internal Affairs in Lugansk, Ukraine.  The event was sponsored by the Center for International Legal Studies in Slazburg, Austria.

Alan Schulman ('74) recently retired from private practice after a 30 year career in which he specialized in complex class action litigation.  He joined the faculty of the University of San Diego Law School where he teaches Complex Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution.  He also serves by appointment as a private arbitrator of complex commercial disputes.

Bob Downing ('75)  has become associated "Of Counsel" with the law firm of Due', Price, Guidry, Piedrahita & Andrews.

Jeff C. Calmes ('78) is in private practive and semi-retired.  He is a personal injury attorney.

Dorothy J. Kyle ('78) is now of the law firm Kyle & Kyle Attorneys at Law in Las Vegas, NV, practicing in the areas of probate, trusts and estates.

Max C. Marx ('78) is currently the Vice President, Legal General Counsel of Pronto General Agency, Ltd. located in Brownsville, Texas.

John F. McDermott ('78) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Dolores M. Williams ('78) of the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, has been the Assistant City Attorney for the past 15 years.  She also maintains her Louisiana law license.

Robert S. Dampf ('79) of the firm Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clement & Shaddock, in Lake Charles, was  recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 and in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011 for Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Richard J. Arsenault ('80) of the firm Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, was selected for inclusion in 2011 Best Lawyers of America, Best of the US, Super Lawyers and Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys.  Mr. Arsenault, who enjoys an AV Rating from Martindale Hubbell, chaired the LSBA's Admiralty and Mass Tort Symposiums in New Orleans, as well as the Johnson & Johnson DePuy Hip Litigation Conference and the Darvon/Darvocet Recall Litigation Conference for HarrisMartin Publishing.  Arsenault plans to join the faculty at LSU Law Center this fall to teach Adanced Litigation.

Vicki M. Crochet ('80) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Warren A. Fleet ('80) of the firm  Jones Walker, has been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.

Lee Butler ('81) - a partner with the firm Adams and Reese in Houston, has been named Commissioner of the Memorial Villages Police Commission.  At Adams and Reese, he serves as a Litigation Practice Group Leader and is a former Executive Committee Chairman and Houston Office Partner in Charge at the firm.

William B. Monk ('81) of the firm Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clement & Shaddock, of Lake Charles, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 for Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort Litigation and in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011 for Business Litigation.

Katherine M. Loos ('82) has her own private pratice in the Lafayette area.

Thad Minaldi ('82) - a Lake Charles attorney, was elected Chairman of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Board of Directors at its Feb. 15th annual meeting.  He practices law in the areas of mineral rights, oil and gas exploration and production, landowner issues, business, banking and indigent criminal defense.

Michelle LaBorde Ghetti ('83) of Southern University Law Center, was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Louisiana State Advisory Committee.

Harry J. "Skip" Philips, Jr. ('83) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.
Mr. Philips has also been elected to serve as First Vice President for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.

 

George D. Ernest III ('85) announces that the name of his firm has changed from Hurlburt, Privat and Monrose to Hurlburt, Monrose, Dartez and Ernest.

David K. Nelson ('85) of the firm Kean, Miller, Hawthorne, D'Armond, McCowan, and Jarman, was recognized in the Best Lawyers in America 2011 in the area of Construction Law.  He was also recognized for inclusion in the Super Lawyers publication for 2011 in the fields of Construction Litigation, Construction/Surety, and Busines Litigation.

Brett P. Furr ('86) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Charles B. Adams ('87) is a District Judge in the 42nd Judicial District Court and has held this position from 1997 to present.

Stephen Dixon ('87) is a senior staff attorney at Children's Rights in New York.  Children's Rights is a legal advocacy group focused on protecting children in foster care and improving the foster care system in order to ensure healthy childhood development for all children.

Michael L. Hebert ('87) has a private practive in Baton Rouge, and practices in the areas of personal injury, workers compensation and social security disability.

Moni McCoy ('87) has moved from Singapore to Muscat, Oman and joined Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production as Legal Counsel.

Jude Bursavich ('88) a partner of the firm Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been elected to the Board of Directors for Louisiana Association of Business & Industry.

Mary L.  Meyer ('89) of the firm Adams & Reese, was listed among the "Top 25 Women" Super Lawyers in Louisiana 2011, who received the highest point totals in the nomination, research and blue ribbon review process.  Meyer is listed in the Personal Injury Defense-Products category.

Donald W. Price ('89) of the firm Due', Price, Guidry, Piedrahita & Andrews, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 in the areas of personal injury litigation and medical malpractice law, and in Super Lawyers 2011.

Robert Rabalais ('89) - has joined the new Houston, TX office of the firm Simpson Thacher.

H. Aubrey White ('90) of the firm Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clement & Shaddock, in Lake Charles, was recognized in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011 for Estate Planning and Probate.

David M. Bienvenu, Jr. ('91) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.  He has also been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.  Mr. Bienvenu practices in the area general litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, environmental and product liablity litigation in both federal and state court.

David M. Bienvenu, Jr. ('91) - of the firm Taylor Porter, Baton Rouge, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.  Mr. Bienvenu practices in the area general litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, environmental and product liablity litigation in both federal and state court.

Trent Oubre ('91) a partner at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Council For A Better Louisiana.

Joel P. Babineaux ('92) of the firm Babineaux, Poche', Anthony & Slavich, was elected Treasurer of the Federal Bar Association's Lafayette/Acadiana Chapter and previously served as the organization's Secretary and Board Member.

J. Patten Brown III ('92) announces the opening of his New York office at 110 Wall Street, 11th floor, NY, NY.  His area of practice include Criminal Defence, Federal and State Criminal Trials and Appeals, Court Martials and Civil Rights.  He is licensed in Connecticut, New York, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Nicole M. Duarte ('92) of the firm Jones Walker, has been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.

Trent Brignac ('94)  - currently serves as the District Attorney for Evangeline Parish.

Edmund J. Giering IV ('94) of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, was recently appointed by Chancellor Michael V. Martin to a 3 year term on the Board of Trustees of the LSU Rural Life Museum, where he currently serves as an at-large member of the Executive Committee.

Mary C. Hester ('94) of the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillps, has been selected for inclusion in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011.

Sherry Linville ('94) was apppointed as a Federal Administrative Judge for the Merit Systems Protection Board in Atlanta, Georgia.

Scott Andrews ('96) of the firm Due', Price, Guidry, Piedrahita & Andrews, is teaching Products Liability at the Southern University Law Center in the Spring 2011 semester.

Lane N. Bennett ('98) is a managing member of Bennett Law Firm .  The firm handles title work, real estate transactions in 19 eastern US states and Colorado.

Kimberly L. Robinson ('98) of the firm Jones Walker, has been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.

J. Christopher Alexander ('99) of the Alexander Law Firm of Baton Rouge, practices in the area of Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Civil Rights Litigation.

 

Cristy Corbino Edwards ('99) - of the firm Vinson & Elkins, Houston, TX, has been elected as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.  Cristy practices in the area of public finance/municipal bonds.

Michael A. Golemi ('99) - of the firm Liskow & Lewis in Houston, has been named a "Rising Star" in the 2011 edition of Texas Super Lawyers in the area of Transportation/Maritime.

Penelope Blackwell ('00) - of the firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, is serving as President for 2011 of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, representing over 2800 attorneys, and was also elevated to Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig.

Chris Criglow ('00) - of the firm Perkins Coie in Portland, has been promoted to Of Counsel in the firm's Real Estate and Lane Use group. Chris' practice is focused on real estate transactions and asset transactions involving real estate.  In 2010, Chris was recognized in Oregon Law & Politics as an "Oregon Rising Star".

Emily B. Grey ('00) - a partner at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, is one of only two attorneys nationwide selected to participate in the Leadership Development Program of the American Health Lawyers Association's Hospitals and Health Systems (HHS) Practice Group for the 2011-2012 Program Year.

As the firm's Healthcare Section Leader, Grey is responsible for all business development and strategic planning initiatives of the Healthcare Industry Team.  She also serves on the American Bar Association's House of Delegates on behalf of the Baton Rouge Bar Association.

Joseph I. Giarrusso III ('01) of the firm Liskow & Lewis, has been selected to New Orleans CityBusiness' Leadership in Law 2011.  He is a member of the firm's litigation practice, and focuses on Commercial and Energy-Related Issues.  Giarrusso also serves as President of the Young Leadership Council (YCL), a non-profit dedicated to developing leaders among the city's young professionals through civic projects and other programs.

Lee White ('01) - of the firm Jackson Walker in Dallas, was selected as a "Rising Star" by Thomson Reuters.

Michelle Craig ('02) of the firm Adams & Reese, was named partner.  She serves on the firm's labor and employment team, and practices in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Products Liability; and provides legal counsel for the National Association of African-Americans in Human Resources.

Katherine "Katy" Nance - ('02) has joined the law firm of Derren S. Johnson & Associates, APLC.  She has over eight years of experience and will serve their bankruptcy and Social Security Disability clients.

Joseph F. Lavigne ('02) of the firm Jones Walker, has been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.

Carey L. Menasco ('02) of the firm Liskow & Lewis, has been selected to New Orleans CityBusiness' Leadership in Law 2011.  She is a member of the firm's  Business Litigation and Bankruptcy Sections, and focuses her practice on complex litigation, including Banking and Contract Disputes, Professional Liability Litigation, Legal Malpractice Defense, and Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Litigation.  Menasco was recently elected a shareholder in the firm, as well as the Chair of the Young Lawyers Section of the New Orleans Bar Association.

Kyle M. Bacon ('03) has accepted a position with the firm Jones Walker in Lafayette, and practice will consist primarily of business transactional work, including Mergers and Acquisitions, General Business/Corporate Advice and Contracts, Commercial Real Estate, and Finance and Banking matters.  He will also be drafting oil and gas title opinions.

Shawn A. Carter ('03) was made a partner in the firm Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann, where he has an active litigation and general civil practice in various fields, including health care, professional liability, business, intellectual property and construction.

Heather Forrest ('03) of the Dallas law firm of Jackson Walker, has been elected to partner.  She is a member of the firm's bankruptcy practice group.  Her practice is concentrated in representing secured and unsecured creditors.  She has extensive experience in Bankruptcy Litigation including obtaining relief from the automatic stay, addressing adequate assurance issues for utility providers, and defending preferential and avoidable transfer actions.

Benn Vincent ('03) of the firm Kean, Miller, Hawthorne, D'Armond, McCowan & Jarman, was elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.  He practices in the firm's litigation group.  He represents energy, manufacturing and industrial clients in cases involving Commercial and Complex Litigation, Property and Environmental Litigation, Breach of Contract, Construction, Redhibition, Warranty and Products Liability suits.

Brian Hightower ('04) joined Catholic High School's faculty in August 2009.  He has recently been named Assistant Principal for Discipline, effective August 2011-2012.  Catholic High is located in Baton Rouge.

Lance M. Sannino ('04) of the firm Jones Walker, has been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.

Michael Arton ('05) - has accepted an in-house attorney position with Diageo in Norwalk, CT.  He is serving as the Director & Senior Counsel of Beverage Alcohol Law.

Katie D. Bell ('05) of the firm Kean, Miller, Hawthrorne, D'Armond, McCowan & Jarman, was elected to partnership effective Jaunary 1, 2011.  She practices in the firm's litigation group and represents clients in Civil Rights and Municipal Law, Toxic Tort Defense, Insurance Defense and Commercial and Business Litigation.

Kerry David Burns ('05) an instructor at University Cape Verde's School of Business and Governance in Praia, Cape Verde Islands, West Africa, was selected as an English Language Fellow with the U.S. State Department.

Kerrie S. Crockett ('05) of the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, has recently been promoted to the Organized Crime/Insurance Fraud specialization unit.

Willliam H. L. Kaufman ('05) has become a partner in the firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP.

T. Shane Sandefer ('05) of the firm Kean, Miller, Hawthorne, D'Armond, McCowan & Jarman, was elected to partnership effective January 1, 2011.  He practices in the Real Estate groups and Environmental groups and is a Registered Professional Engineer.   Mr. Sandefer represents local, regional and national clients in a variety of real estate and environmental matters including Industrial and Commercial Real Estate Transactions, Title Insurance Matters, General Contract Preparation and Negotiation, Regulatory Proceedings and State and Federal Environmental advice.

Margaret Grace Patton ('06) joined the firm Mayhall & Blaize, as an associate in January 2010.  She and her husband welcomed a son, Henry, in September 2010.

Scott Patton ('06) is an associate attorney with the firm Mayhall & Blaize. He and his wife Margaret welcomed a son, Henry, in September 2010.

Scott P. Ledet ('07) has recently joined the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal as a staff attorney.

Louis Layrisson III ('08) of the firm Baker Botts, has been named as an advisory board member of The Institute for Energy Law.  Founded in 1959, the IEL provides advanced education and membership activities for lawyers and other professionals in the energy industry.

Helena Wasey Abebe ('09) - has joined the Employment Law Group, P.C.,

Jarred P. Bradley ('09) of All Star Electric, Inc., has been the Risk Manager and General Counsel for the company in LaPlace, Louisiana since October 2010.

Andrew Lilly ('09) of the firm Montgomery Barnett, has recently been elected to the National Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association Young Lawyers' Division and will chair the YLD's National Committee on Law School Outreach.  He currently sits on the FBA New Orleans Chapter Board of Directors and he is a member of the FBA National Committee on Law School Outreach.

Loyd A. Thames ('09) of the law firm Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, was elected to the Young Lawyers Section Council of the Baton Rouge Bar Association.

Jenna Linn ('10) has accepted a position with Bankston & Associates, LLC.

Tara Segal McCook ('10) - has accepted a senior associate position with the Reznick Group, and will begin work upon graduation from her LLP program.

Richard Nelson ('10) has been recognized with the Diplomatic Security Training Director's Award for his top academic performance at graduation from Security Engineering Officer Class, and will be assigned to the Embassy in Frankfurt.

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