Chataignier Construction Lawyers

With offices in Lafayette and Opelousas, I have a statewide civil litigation practice and am admitted in all state and federal courts of Louisiana. I am proud to represent my clients, from Louisiana citizens to Fortune 1000 companies.

Benjamin G. Torian spent his early childhood on the Texas side of Toledo Bend Lake, and his teenage years in Cajun Country (Lafayette, Louisiana). Having a family full of legal minds, Ben always knew his career path. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. During the early years of Ben’s solo law practice, his focus was primarily on oil/gas and real estate transactional matters. In 2016, Ben joined a regional law firm where he refined his litigation skills, focusing on business...

Attorney J. Michael Veron is an active trial lawyer, litigating a variety of civil and criminal cases involving such diverse matters as personal injuries, securities fraud, toxic torts, breaches of trust, construction disputes, school board elections and civil rights claims.

I am a life-long Louisiana native admitted to practice in all Louisiana state and federal courts. For over 40 years I have handled trials and appeals on many different legal issues. Although my representation has involved many other matters, I have concentrated my current practice in the areas of bankruptcy cases (consumer and business, debtor and creditor); business law and litigation (forming, reorganizing, selling, and purchasing small businesses and handling business disputes); storm/hale damage insurance claims and litigation; successions, wills, and estate law; collections, foreclosures, and real estate litigation; and construction claims, arbitration, and litigation. Bar Admissions All Louisiana state courts U.S. District...

Trippe Hawthorne is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2004 and practices in the construction, ADR and business litigation groups. Trippe has experience in all phases of the construction industry and in a wide variety of commercial litigation, and general litigation matters, including design and construction contracting and dispute resolution across all sectors, including industrial, commercial, public, and residential; public bidding and procurement challenges; and public and private works lien laws. Trippe has experience with administrative law and occupational licensing law, having served as General Counsel for the Louisiana State Licensing...

In 1989, Jimmy began the firm of Simien & Simien, LLC with emphasis on Admiralty and Maritime, Class Actions, Constitutional Law, Criminal Defense, Mass Tort, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death and other major litigation. Other areas in which the firm has extensive experience include Insurance Bad Faith, Insurance Claims, Constitutional Law, Bankruptcy, Commercial Law and limited Criminal Defense matters. During his tenure with the firm, Jimmy was chosen by his peers to be section chief of the ATLA Litigation Committee involving CCA (Chromated Cooper Arsenate) Wood. The focus of that Committee was on litigation pertaining to CCA pressure treated wood,...

Benn Vincent is a partner at Kean Miller and practices in the firm's litigation group. He represents local, national and international energy and industrial clients in cases involving a wide variety of substantive areas such as tax litigation, oil and gas litigation, NORM, environmental litigation, toxic tort, breach of contract, construction and commercial litigation, and warranty and products liability suits.

Applying his litigation skills outside of the courtroom, Benn was part of a team that negotiated and drafted the contract for the creation of a new oil and gas exploration and production company for one of Louisiana's largest landowners.

Benn is listed...

Jessica Engler, CIPP/US, is an associate in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2013 and practices in the intellectual property, construction, and data security groups. Jessica has experience in the many aspects of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, trade dress, and copyrights.

Jessica’s experience in intellectual property matters spans a wide range of technologies including electronic devices, medical devices, electric power protection, and construction materials. As a registered patent attorney, Jessica drafts, files, and prosecutes patents before the United States Patent and Trademark Office in various technologies and industries including electronics and circuit...

Greg Anding is a litigation partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1995 and practices in the trial, toxic tort, expropriation, and commercial litigation groups. Greg represents clients in asbestos and benzene defense, other occupational and toxic tort litigation, hearing loss claims, expropriation (eminent domain) litigation, civil and business litigation, and construction law.

Greg has particular experience representing clients in cases involving premises liability, products liability, personal injury involving occupational and chemical exposures, and pipeline expropriation and expansion projects. He has specialized in asbestos and benzene litigation for over 20 years. Greg has handled...

25 years experience representing individuals, families, businesses and regulatory agencies on a local, state, multi-state and federal level. Come to your location for Construction/Corporate Law and others on a case by case basis. Serve GBR and surrounding towns for Family Law needs.

Beau Bourgeois is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2016 and practices in the commercial litigation and construction litigation groups. Beau has represented and counseled owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in the industrial and commercial markets and in both the private and public sectors. He has drafted construction contracts for owners, drafted and filed numerous Private Works Act liens, assisted clients with obtaining contractor’s licenses in multiple states, and represented clients in Public Bid Law disputes.

Prior to joining Kean Miller, Beau served as an Issue Editor for the Louisiana Law Review...

Mallory McKnight Fuller is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2014 and practices in the utilities regulation and construction groups.

Mallory earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University School of Architecture in 2011, where she received the AIA Henry Adams Medal. She earned her J.D./D.C.L., cum laude, from the LSU Law Center in 2014, where she was named to the Chancellor's list and earned the CALI award for Business Associations, International Environmental Law and UCC Security Devices.

John Funderburk is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller and practices in the litigation and construction groups. He represents clients in energy, commercial, environmental, transportation, and construction litigation in both state and federal courts. Prior to joining the firm, John practiced with a global law firm from its Houston, Texas office.

John has represented both individuals and corporations in complex environmental litigation, contract disputes, maritime actions, personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, deceptive trade practices claims, and oilfield contamination litigation. In addition, he coordinates with clients and experts to respond quickly to accidents and incidents across the...

John M. Madison, Jr. was a founding member of Wiener, Weiss & Madison and has practiced law continually with the firm since 1975. His practice includes commercial litigation, construction law, oil and gas law, with emphasis on representation of mineral owners, business law and employment law. His experience ranges from the representation of the owners of small businesses to national corporations.

Ted Laperouse serves as the Firm’s Managing Shareholder.

For more than twenty years, Ted’s law practice has been primarily focused on construction litigation and commercial law, and he routinely handles litigation, transactional and contract matters in these areas on behalf of his clients. Ted also serves as a mediator in the field of construction law.

Prior to founding LAPEROUSE, APLC in 2018, Ted was a partner with Taylor Porter Brooks & Phillips in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for 14 years, and, prior to that, practiced law in Dallas, Texas, for an “Am Law 200” law firm.

Ted is admitted to practice before...

Jack E. Morris provides professional legal services to clients throughout Louisiana. Engaged in civil litigation and counseling in the areas of appellate law, insurance law, real estate and property law, construction law, business and commercial law, and intellectual property law, Mr. Morris represents a diverse clientele including large and small businesses as well as individuals. Mr. Morris has represented clients before state and federal courts at every level, including the Louisiana Supreme Court and United States Supreme Court, and also before various arbitration and mediation forums. Practice Areas: Appeals and writ applications* Property and liability insurance claims and litigation Real estate and property transactions...

Ciolino & Onstott provides high-quality, cost-effective outside general counsel services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in Louisiana and across the United States. We represent clients across various industries, including niche areas such as real estate, construction, entertainment, medical marijuana, and non-profit.

Karen Waters Shields is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. Karen is an experienced litigator with particular experience in a wide variety of admiralty and oil & gas casualty issues, including Jones Act, personal injury, oil and gas exploration, well blowouts, cargo damage, vessel collisions, vessel damage, platform damage and barge damage. Her experience with oil and gas casualties is both offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and on land. Karen also has experience in construction law, consumer credit reporting, products liability, and general personal injury litigation. Following law school, she served for one year as...