Fishman Haygood stands as one of the top Louisiana shops for litigation as demonstrated by its track record of steadfast representation and ability to contend well beyond its mid-size weight class. Highly recommended for the legal acuity of its litigators in an array of practice areas, the firm maintains the ability to represent either side, plaintiff or defendant, in complex, high-stakes cases.
Distinguished as one of Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation,
Lori Mince of New Orleans has developed a unique mélange of practices and is revered for the rigor of her representation in commercial, tax, media, and mass tort litigation. As lead litigator on the Fishman team, Mince represented Louisiana Children’s Medical Center in a putative class action alleging the hospital’s relocated helipad constitutes a nuisance under Louisiana statutes. Through aggressive and strategic motion practice, she removed the case to federal court and succeeded on a motion to strike the class allegations, leading to another favorable ruling that time-barred the claims. The series of successes has led to the plaintiffs’ decision to stay the litigation and pursue a settlement.
Securities litigator Benjamin Reichard continues to make waves as a burgeoning investor fraud authority. Reichard is presently working alongside multi-disciplined litigator
James “Jim” Swanson as lead counsel to the Official Stanford Investors Committee and six individual Stanford investors as intervenors and plaintiffs, respectively, in a federal lawsuit filed in Houston in connection with the notorious Stanford International Bank Ponzi scheme, the second largest Ponzi in history. The lawsuit was filed against numerous banks that serviced Stanford International Bank. Following full discovery and dispositive briefing, Trustmark and Credit Suisse settled in January 2023 and the remaining banks settled on the eve of trial the following month. Reicher and Swanson recuperated over $1.6 billion from the named banks, and in total, the Stanford Receivership has recovered over $2.7 billion.
Brent Barriere has, over the course of 35 years, cemented his status as a preeminent commercial and bankruptcy force in Louisiana’s litigation landscape. He acts as the Chief Counsel to the Receiver of the estates of Arthur Lamar Adams and Madison Timber Properties, the two parties charged with operating the $100 million Ponzi scheme, referred to as one of the largest in Mississippi history. Barriere has filed lawsuits against UPS, multiple banks, and two law firms – one of which settled for $9.5 million. The other actions remain pending.
Jason Burge is known for his financial misconduct prowess both within the firm and throughout the region. Leveraging his economics background, Burge represents clients in single plaintiff and class actions against financial institutions. Barriere and Burge were set for trial in May 2023, prosecuting securities fraud claims against underwriter of over $30 million of public finance municipal bonds, Raymond James. The bonds were used to construct a wood pellet manufacturing facility that entered bankruptcy. Burge, in another case with Barriere, argued before the Fifth Circuit in a WARN Act case, representing 300 former employees of Bayou Steel against the company’s owners and, hedge fund, Black Diamond Capital Management, a co-owner and overseer of the company’s bankruptcy filing. Burge and Barriere defeated the defendants’ initial motion for summary judgment on parent entity liability and secured class certification, but the district court granted a renewed motion on the parent entity liability claims.
Lance McCardle has developed an admirable practice encompassing expertise in securities, environmental, oil and gas, and general commercial litigation. On the environmental side of his practice, he represents Louisiana Wetlands, an owner of property located in the Franklin Oilfield, which has had oil and gas operations since the 1940s. Recently, the oil and gas operations have drilled close to 20 wells and, in turn, produced large volumes of saltwater which they disposed into illegally used pits, resulting in contaminated groundwater supplies on the client’s property. On behalf of Louisiana Wetlands, McCardle filed suit alleging the oil and gas operations violated their duty to act as prudent operators and failed to adhere to state and local regulations.
