Kean Miller is pleased to announce that 12 lawyers, formerly in the Admiralty & Maritime, Construction, and Energy practice areas with Lemle & Kelleher, LLP, have joined the firm in the New Orleans office.

“We are very excited to welcome these distinguished attorneys to our law firm. They are an outstanding resource for our clients. Our offices are located in Louisiana’s major port cities — New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lake Charles — and this esteemed group brings over 150 years of combined experience in maritime issues, admiralty law, marine insurance, oil & gas, drilling and exploration, pipelines, construction, and energy law to our clients.” said Gary A. Bezet, managing partner of the 121-lawyer firm.

The new group from Lemle & Kelleher nearly triples the size of Kean Miller’s New Orleans office from 7 attorneys to 19 attorneys. The strategic acquisition builds on Kean Miller’s position as the largest law firm in the Capital Region, and strengthens Kean Miller’s regional presence. The firm now has 121 lawyers in Louisiana. “New Orleans and her port have been a vital part of commerce in the United States for almost 300 years. The recent hurricanes did not change that. The Admiralty and Maritime practice in south Louisiana remains strong. And, oil and gas exploration is going to play a huge role in the future of New Orleans – and Louisiana – and we are very proud to play a part in that future. We at Kean Miller believe that Louisiana’s future is very much linked to New Orleans’ recovery. This addition is evidence of Kean Miller’s commitment to the future of New Orleans and Louisiana,” added Bezet.

Michael A. McGlone, Charles R. Talley, Glenn P. Orgeron, Lisa A. Easterling, Bradley J. Schlotterer, and Lawrence J. Hand, Jr. join the firm as partners in the New Orleans office. The firm also welcomes Karen Waters Shipman, Stephen C. Hanemann, Jamie Domilise Henry, Kelly B. Green, and Michael J. O’Brien as associates. Heather Ashman Johnson joins the firm as of counsel. All were formerly with Lemle & Kelleher, LLP of New Orleans.

About the New Partners:

Michael A. “Mike” McGlone joins the firm as a partner in the New Orleans office. He is the senior-most Admiralty and Maritime lawyer in the firm. He has extensive experience in admiralty and maritime law, maritime litigation, marine insurance, personal injury defense, allisions, collisions, and appeals. Mr. McGlone, a native of New Orleans, received his J.D. from Loyola University Law School in 1975 where he was a member of the Loyola Law Review. He earned his B.A. in Business Administration, cum laude, from Loyola University in 1972. Upon graduation from law school, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Herbert W. Christenberry of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Charles R. “Chuck” Talley joins the firm as a partner in the New Orleans office. He practices in the Admiralty and Maritime and Oil & Gas practice groups. He has particular experience in admiralty and maritime law, personal injury defense, property damage claims, appeals, Corbello litigation, and oil & gas law. Mr. Talley received his J.D. from Florida State University in 1981 where he was a member of the Florida State University Law Review and served as Articles and Notes Editor. He earned B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University in 1978.

Glenn P. Orgeron joins the firm as a partner in the New Orleans office. A native of New Orleans, he practices in the Admiralty and Maritime and Construction practice groups. He has particular experience in construction law, consumer credit issues, and product liability litigation. Mr. Orgeron is a Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) in the United States Marine Corps. He has served in a variety of legal positions for the United States Marine Corps, including assignments as Deputy General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, and General Counsel in wide range of jurisdictions including Hawaii, Japan, the Indian Ocean, Washington, D.C., California, and Panama. During his military career, Mr. Orgeron handled all aspects of felony criminal trials and administrative law litigation matters and advised the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and major operational commanders on worldwide international and operational law. Prior to his 20-year military career, he served as an electrical engineer with the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston on the Apollo XI Lunar mission and on the Apollo Lunar Rover development team. Mr. Orgeron received his J.D. from the Tulane University Law School in 1978 and his Master of Legal Letters in International Law from The George Washington University in 1983. He earned his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1970 and his Masters of Science in Administration from The George Washington University in 1975. Mr. Orgeron earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University in 1968.

Lisa A. Easterling joins the firm as a partner in the New Orleans office. She practices in Construction and Litigation groups. Ms. Easterling has extensive experience in complex commercial construction matters, construction defect cases, mold litigation, and Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation. Ms. Easterling received her J.D. from the University of Mississippi Law School in 1992 where she was a member of the Mississippi Law Review. After law school, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. George Arceneaux, Jr. , the Hon. Henry A. Mentz, Jr. and the Hon. Veronica D. Wicker, all of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She earned her B.S. in Journalism, with honors, from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1988.

Bradley J. Schlotterer, a native of New Orleans, joins the firm as a partner in the New Orleans office. He practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. Following law school, Mr. Schlotterer served as a federal law clerk to the Hon. G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Mr. Schlotterer received his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1995. He earned his B.S. in Finance from Louisiana State University in 1991.

Lawrence J. Hand, Jr. joins the firm as a partner in the New Orleans office. He practices in the Energy, Pipeline and Toxic Tort practice groups. Mr. Hand has extensive experience in energy law, regulation and litigation, insurance coverage and litigation, toxic tort litigation, contract litigation, and complex commercial disputes. He has particular experience in complex legal representation of interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines, natural gas gathering companies, crude pipelines, natural gas processors, power generators, marketers and distributors, oil and gas producers, chemical manufacturers, and aluminum manufacturers. Mr. Hand also represents life insurers, regional banks, malpractice insurers, and general liability insurers. Mr. Hand received his J.D., cum laude, from the Loyola University School of Law in 1995 where he was a member of the Loyola Law Review. He earned his B.A. in Secondary Speech and Communication Education from the University of New Orleans in 1991.

About the New Attorneys:

Karen W. Shipman joins the firm as an associate in the New Orleans office. She practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. She has particular experience in admiralty issues involving a wide variety of admiralty and oil & gas issues, including Jones Act, personal injury, oil and gas exploration, well blowouts, cargo damage, vessel collisions, and barge damage. She also has experience in construction law, consumer credit reporting, and general personal injury litigation. Following law school, Ms. Shipman served as a contact attorney in New York City. Upon her return to New Orleans, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Fredericka H. Wicker of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson. Karen received her J.D., cum laude, from the Tulane University School of Law in 1998 with a Certificate of Specialization in Admiralty Law. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Human and Natural Ecology from Emory University in 1993.

Stephen C. Hanemann joins the New Orleans office as an associate attorney. He practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. He has extensive experience in a wide variety of admiralty issues, including Jones Act, personal injury, oil and gas exploration, pipeline spills, drilling accidents, well blowouts, cargo damage, ship collisions, ship allisions, vessel groundings, lift boat and jack-up rig accidents, vessel liens, sunken barges, vessel mortgage filings, product liability, redhibition, commercial lease agreements, and other commercial litigation issues. Mr. Hanemann received his J.D. from the Loyola University School of Law in 2002. He earned his B.A. in French from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999.

Jamie Domilise Henry joins the New Orleans office as an associate attorney. She is a native of New Orleans and practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. Ms. Henry received her J.D. and her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Law from the LSU Law Center in 2002. She earned her B.A. in Biology (1998) and English (1999) from the University of Mississippi.

Kelly B. Green joins the New Orleans office as an associate attorney. She practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. Ms. Green received her J.D. from the Tulane University School of Law in 2003. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Mary Baldwin College in 2000.

Michael J. O’Brien joins the New Orleans office as an associate attorney. A native of New Orleans, he practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. He has extensive experience in a wide variety of admiralty issues, including Jones Act and personal injury defense, maritime litigation, oil and gas exploration, drilling accidents, well blowouts, cargo damage, ship collisions, ship allisions, vessel groundings, lift boat and jack-up rig accidents, vessel mortgage filings, product liability, redhibition, as well as premesis liability, construction defect litigation and appeals. Michael received his J.D. from Loyola University in 2001 where he received the Joseph Rault Award for excellence in Admiralty and Maritime Law. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Iowa State University in 1998. He attended Iowa State on a NCAA football scholarship.

Heather Ashman Johnson joins the New Orleans office as of counsel. A native of New Orleans, Ms. Johnson practices in the Admiralty and Maritime practice group. She has served as Counsel for Brown & Root, Inc. in Houston, Texas and as a General Attorney with the Saudi Arabian Oil Company in Saudi Arabia. She has particular experience in complex commercial maritime issues including all aspects of international sales contract negotiations, chartering activities, downstream joint ventures, and in the negotiation of multi-million dollar cargo damage claims. Ms. Johnson received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1981 and a Master of Laws, with distinction, from the Tulane University School of Law in 1983. She earned her B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Newcomb College in New Orleans in 1977.

About the Admiralty and Maritime, Construction and Energy Law Groups:

Kean Miller represents a wide range of clients in admiralty and maritime issues in Louisiana. Our lawyers have extensive experience in the shipping, marine insurance, tugs and towage, drilling rigs, and oil & gas exploration. Our offices are located in major port cities throughout Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Our Admiralty and Maritime team has significant experience in personal injury defense, property damage claims, appeals, and oil & gas law. We offer clients detailed admiralty experience with regard to activities in the “oil patch” involving the exploration, development, production and transportation of oil and gas. We represent numerous clients in “brownwater” and deepwater (or “bluewater”) matters throughout the Gulf Coast region. Many members of the team are involved at a leadership level in the Maritime Law Association, the Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association, the Marine Index Bureau, Mariners Club Port of New Orleans, and the maritime and admiralty sections of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. We represent our clients before all state and federal courts, governmental regulatory and administrative bodies, and in complex litigation. We serve as counsel to local, national and international oil and gas producers, vessel owners and operators, shipyards, drilling contractors, service companies, brokers, barge lines, and underwriters.

Kean Miller represents many of Louisiana’s most successful construction businesses and Fortune 500 companies in construction law matters. We handle legal issues in connection with contract interpretation, including drawings, specifications, change orders and back charges, lien rights and remedies, contract disputes and litigation. In addition, we have substantial experience in the Private Works Act, the Public Works Act and the Miller Act. Our lawyers assist industry clients with issues involving performance and payment, bid and retainage bond rights, liability and responsibility. On behalf of our clients, we have negotiated with owners, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, laborers, material men, bond companies, suppliers, architects, attorneys, bankruptcy trustees, bankers, and public officials.

We also represent clients in lawsuits, arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Recently, we have represented clients in lawsuits involving insurers of engineers and building owners, and suits for and against sub-contractors and architects.

Kean Miller has represented the Louisiana energy industry since its earliest presence in the state. Many of the firm’s national and international chemical and refining clients came to our predecessor firm in the 1920s for assistance in the acquisition of land for their first Louisiana sites. As these companies expanded in Louisiana, so did the variety and complexity of their legal needs. Today, these energy clients continue to rely on Kean Miller for their legal services based on our understanding of the complex needs of their industry, our knowledge of their business, and our Louisiana know-how.

Kean Miller has extensive experience in energy law, regulation and litigation. We have particular experience in complex legal representation of interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines, natural gas gathering companies, crude pipelines, natural gas processors, power generators, marketers and distributors, oil and gas producers, chemical manufacturers, and aluminum manufacturers.

About Kean Miller:

With more than 120 lawyers, Kean Miller serves the legal needs of Louisiana businesses and Fortune 500 companies. The firm maintains two offices in Baton Rouge, and full service offices in New Orleans, Lake Charles and Plaquemine, Louisiana. Kean Miller is the largest law firm in the Greater Baton Rouge region. The firm serves clients in numerous industries including energy, petrochemical and chemical, technology and telecommunications, shipping and transportation, drilling and exploration, pipelines, media and advertising, financial services, insurance, gaming, government and education, health care, manufacturing, real estate, retail, construction and leasing. The firm combines the talent and expertise of its lawyers into multi-disciplinary client and industry teams. These teams are comprised of seasoned legal professionals from a variety of disciplines who are equipped to identify legal and business needs and to develop superior service strategies that provide unmatched support to the client.

For more information, contact Steve Boutwell at 225.389.3736, or steve.boutwell@keanmiller.com