He is a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Louisiana State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is past President of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel. In 1973 he was elected to and served as a member of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention, the body which drafted the new Constitution for the State of Louisiana. He has been a guest lecturer at the Louisiana State University and Tulane University Law Schools’ Continuing Legal Education programs and has planned and spoken at seminars before the International Association of Drilling Contractors, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Safety Engineers of Louisiana and Louisiana Independent Insurance Agents on topics of products, environmental, maritime and professional liability litigation. He has also served on the faculty of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Program and the Louisiana State University Trial Advocacy Program. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. In 1996 he was awarded the Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award by the Louisiana Bar Foundation. He was also designated the 2006 LSU Law Center Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. During his trial practice, he has tried in excess of one hundred (100) civil jury cases to a conclusion. For his work in the field of personal injury defense litigation, he has been recognized in all editions of “The Best Lawyers in America” published by Woodward/White. 

 

Mediation and Special Master Experience 

 

He has served as the mediator in over four thousand (4,000) cases. The mediated cases have been in various states and have involved both state and federal court actions. He has been appointed the designated mediator by federal and state courts and has also served as the court appointed Special Master in numerous federal and state cases including the following complex and multi-party matters: 

 

In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon,” U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana – MDL 

Massive settlement class action involving thousands of claims. 

In Re: Toyota Motor Corp., Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court, Central District of California – MDL 

Nationwide class action involving thousands of claims. 

In Re: Avandia Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Pennsylvania – MDL 

Massive product liability action involving thousands of claims. 

In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana – MDL 

Nationwide product liability action involving over 80,000 claims. 

In Re: Guidant Corp. Implantable Defibrillators Product Liability Litigation, MDL, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota 

Nationwide product liability action involving over 5,000 claimants. 

In Re: Educational Testing Services Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching, MDL, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana 

Nationwide settlement class involving over 3,000 claimants. 

Juanita Thibodeaux, et al v. Conoco Phillips Company, et al, 14th Judicial District Court, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana 

Toxic tort litigation involving over 18,000 claimants. 

Icon Class Action, 27th Judicial District Court, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana 

Product liability claim involving the crawfish industry. 

In Re: Eunice Train Derailment, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana 

Toxic tort litigation involving over 11,000 claimants. 

In Re: Propulsid Product Liability Litigation, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana 

Product liability claims involving thousands of claimants throughout the United States. 

In Re: Bayou Sorrel Class Action., U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana 

Toxic tort action involving over 3,500 claimants. 

Mary Self, et al v. Illinois Central Railroad, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana 

Toxic tort litigation involving over 2,800 claimants. 

Colonial Pipeline Litigation, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana 

Sub-surface release involving 5,600 claimants. 

In Re: Chemical Release at Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana 

Toxic chemical litigation involving approximately 18,000 claimants. 

In Re: New Iberia Train Leakage Litigation, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana 

Toxic tort litigation involving over 3,300 claimants. 

In Re: Silicone Gel Breast Implant Products Liability Litigation 

Louisiana Breast Implant Litigation. 

In Re: New Orleans Train Car Leakage Fire Litigation, Orleans Parish, Louisiana 

Toxic tort litigation involving 9,300 claimants. 

In Re: Combustion, Inc. U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana 

Toxic tort litigation involving 10,800 claimants. 

He is qualified as a civil mediator and is listed on the Register of Qualified Civil Mediators under the provisions of Louisiana Revised Statute 9:4106. He is also a charter member of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters.