GORDON ARATA MONTGOMERY BARNETT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member New Orleans
- Member VCard Ggrimsal@Gamb.Com New Orleans 504.569.1834 View Full Profile
Job Titles:
- Member in Gordon Arata Montgomery Barnett 's Houston
Adam J. Russ is a Member in Gordon Arata Montgomery Barnett's Houston office, where he advises clients in Texas and Ohio.
Throughout his career, Adam has helped individuals and businesses solve their most challenging problems. He often serves as an "outside general counsel" to guide them through complex business, employment, real estate, and regulatory issues across a variety of industries.
Having tried cases to verdict, Adam understands the heavy burden and expense of trials. Clients have come to value his practical and pragmatic solutions-including nuanced procedural and technical defenses- to achieve dismissal and summary judgment at early stages. Responsiveness, persistence, and command of the case at hand are hallmarks of his practice. His seasoned courtroom and appellate litigation experience helps clients cut to the heart of their dispute.
In addition to his work for clients, Adam has actively served his community as a member of charity boards and bar associations. He is a regular instructor in Notre Dame Law School's Intensive Trial Advocacy program, mentors law students, and is actively engaged with the Notre Dame Club of Houston, including leading its Lawyers Committee. Adam is a member of the Financial Poise webinar faculty that educates investors, business owners, executives, attorneys, and other seasoned professionals on legal and business matters.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel Lafayette
Bob Duplantis has dedicated his entire career to the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining the firm in 1982 and establishing its Lafayette office, Bob spent more than a decade serving in-house oil company legal departments, including six years as a lobbyist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Bob's law practice focuses on Louisiana oil and gas regulation and "meat-and-potato" legal issues. He routinely argues contract disputes affecting the oil and gas industry, including lease interpretation and operational issues, joint operating agreements, oil and gas marketing and sales issues and forced pooling issues. He regularly represents clients before the Louisiana Office of Mineral Resources and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (primarily the Office of Conservation), where he has handled more than a thousand adjudicatory hearings. He frequently addresses industry groups such as the annual Mineral Law Institute at LSU. He has also previously served on the board of directors for an independent oil company.
Bob is again ranked in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2022. The publication noted that "...he has a strong reputation in the oil and gas market, with longstanding experience in energy-related litigation." Chambers quotes a source as saying, "He is very experienced and smart."
Prior to practicing law, Bob spent 10 years working in exploration and production in various en gineering and management assignments throughout Louisiana, Texas, California, and New York.
Bryan Dupree serves clients in the areas of oil, gas and energy transactions and litigation. Bryan earned a Juris Doctor, Diploma in Comparative Law and Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy from Louisiana State University's Paul M. Hebert Law Center as well as an LL.M. in International and European Business Law from the Université Jean Moulin in Lyon, France.
While in law school, Bryan was twice recognized as a Dean's Scholar. He served as the Graduate Editor of the Journal of Civil Law Studies, JESSUP Moot Court Advisor and President of the International Law Society. He received CALI Awards in Energy Law and Regulation, International Petroleum Transactions, and Introduction to French Law as well as the John P. Laborde Endowed Scholarship and Chancellor's Scholarship.
Bryan graduated from Millsaps College in 2011 with a double major in Political Science and French Literature. Fluent in French, Bryan also earned a diplôme des études en langue française from Université Rennes II in Rennes, France.
languages
English, French
Job Titles:
- Director of Testing for the Louisiana Supreme Court 's Committee
Peck is the Director of Testing for the Louisiana Supreme Court's Committee on Bar Admission and had been its Examiner for Civil Code I on persons and property. Peck drafted the post-conviction habeas petition that ultimately led to the United States Supreme Court's setting aside the death penalty for Kevan Brumfield. Currently, Peck is busy trying to memorize all 48 preludes and fugues in the two books of Bach's piano masterpiece The Well-Tempered Clavier.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Tax Law Specialist
Caroline Lafourcade is a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist-as certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization-and has more than 25 years of experience advising individuals and businesses regarding federal taxation and Louisiana state and local taxes. She has significant experience in the resolution of federal tax controversies at all stages of examination, administrative appeals and litigation with the Internal Revenue Service. Caroline represents clients in state and local tax audits, in administrative appeals, in state and local tax litigation before the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and in state courts regarding income tax, sales and use tax, severance tax and ad valorem property tax. In addition to assisting clients with business formation and planning, Caroline helps clients devise estate plans to protect and preserve their assets and counsels clients in the administration of complex estates and successions.
Recently, Caroline was appointed to the 2021-2022 Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization Tax Law Advisory Commission. The board was established by the Louisiana Supreme Court and is charged with overseeing existing legal specialty areas and assisting consumers in finding a lawyer who has demonstrated ability and experience in specialized fields of law.
From 2020 to 2021, Caroline served as one of 13 members of the S.R. 22 Misclassification of Employees Task Force, established by the Legislature to study and make recommendations for changes to state laws to minimize worker misclassification in Louisiana. She previously served as chair of the Tax Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel New Orleans
Cynthia Nicholson's practice is centered on oil and gas transactions with respect to lands located within the State of Louisiana as well as those located on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). She regularly documents and negotiates acquisitions and divestitures of both onshore and offshore properties and has extensive experience with many types of transaction structures including mergers, asset and stock acquisitions and sales. She routinely counsels clients on a wide range of regulatory issues and has extensive experience counseling clients on issues arising under OCS regulations. Throughout her career, Cynthia has also advised clients on the drafting and interpretation of mineral leases, operating agreements, participation agreements, unitization agreements, servitude agreements and other agreements used in the oil and gas industry.
A significant portion of Cynthia's practice is also dedicated to the analysis and review of complex land and leasehold titles. She has rendered hundreds of title opinions based on her examination of complex petroleum titles, and she regularly assists clients in the financing of such onshore and offshore properties. Cynthia represents clients before the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). She has assisted clients in obtaining mineral leases and rights-of-way on the OCS and in the creation of units approved by the BSEE.
Cynthia has been ranked in the prestigious Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for several years. In 2022, Chambers noted, "Cynthia Nicholson has expertise handling onshore and Outer Continental Shelf regulatory and transactional matters." Clients have been quoted as saying, "Cynthia ensures our company's best interests are always kept in mind and her knowledge of the regulatory environment is invaluable." "Cynthia is an excellent title attorney who can render an opinion which is concise and to the point." "She is great at problem-solving."
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel New Orleans
Daniel Lund concentrates his practice in trial and appellate work in a broad range of commercial litigation matters, products liability, personal injury and insurance. Dan is well known for his defense of lawyers and law firms in professional liability litigation. Dan has previously served as Chair of the firm's Commercial Litigation Section. In 2018, after 55 years of continuous professional practice, Dan elected to limit his practice to selected discrete matters.
In addition to her work on behalf of clients, Francine is active in rescuing dogs from high-kill shelters in Texas and Louisiana and from severe animal abuse cases and owner surrender situations.
Before joining the firm, Alex clerked for the Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown of the Eastern District of Louisiana. While attending law school, Alex served as a Student Attorney for the Tulane Civil Litigation Clinic where he initiated a Sixth Amendment appeal challenging state law in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also clerked for the New Orleans City Attorney's Office. Alex was awarded the Dean's Scholarship and served as Senior Articles Editor of the Tulane Law Review. He also studied abroad in Greece in the summer of 2010.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel New Orleans
Howard Sinor has extensive trial and appellate experience spanning four decades. He has handled hundreds of cases at all levels of the federal and state judicial systems, up to and including the United States and Louisiana Supreme Courts. He is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.
Howard's experience in the practice of commercial litigation is broad and deep and includes class action, multi-district and other complex litigation. He has handled cases involving construction, environmental, corporate, securities, contract, technology, intellectual property, banking, health care, products liability and antitrust claims.
Howard has represented developers, contractors and subcontractors, as well as owners, in litigated and arbitrated construction disputes. He advises such parties, as well as design professionals, with respect to construction law issues and has experience in negotiating and drafting construction related documents.
Howard has experience representing corporate clients in environmental actions and advising them on compliance with federal and state environmental statutory and regulatory requirements. He has similarly advised clients, and defended them in litigation, with respect to employment and occupational safety issues.
Another area of concentration in Howard's practice has been the field of antitrust and trade regulation. He has handled numerous private actions arising under federal and state antitrust and unfair competition laws and has represented clients in antitrust investigations by federal and state regulatory agencies. Howard has successfully represented a number of clients before the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Reserve Board, as well as before state regulators, with respect to the competitive issues of proposed mergers and acquisitions. He is former Chairman of the Louisiana State Bar Section of Antitrust and Trade Regulation.
He has been ranked in the prestigious Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Litigation: General Commercial since 2008. In 2022, Chambers noted, "Howard Sinor is regularly called upon by clients for representation in complex litigation, including class action disputes. He offers particular expertise handling a full array of disputes arising from construction projects. 'He's a damn good lawyer.'"
Job Titles:
- Member New Orleans
- Member VCard Drhorer@Gamb.Com New Orleans 504.679.9807 View Full Profile
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Lafayette
John Pearce is engaged in general civil practice concentrating in energy (oil and gas) and environmental law for a variety of clients both corporate (international, national, regional and local) and individual. With extensive experience in civil litigation and corporate, partnership, environmental, banking, and contract law, including interpretation, negotiation and preparation of a wide variety of contracts, John has handled or participated in a broad range of matters including litigation before both state and federal courts, regulatory and administrative agencies, as well as matters resolved through ADR. He also has extensive real estate experience primarily involving abstract title examination for both major and independent oil companies and rendition of title opinions on numerous oil and gas properties.
A New Orleans native, John clerked at the Louisiana State Mineral Board from 1973-76. In 1998, he served as President of the New Orleans Bar Association (NOBA) and in 2008, received NOBA's Arceneaux Professionalism Award in recognition of his professionalism and dedication in practicing law with integrity, honor and civility.
Makala earned her J.D. in 2022 from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law where she was the president of the Black Law Students Association (Fall 2020 - Spring 2021), as well as case note and comment editor for the Loyola Law Review Editorial Board (Fall 2021-Spring 2022). She served as an education law research assistant for Professor Robert Garda, co-authoring a chapter for a textbook entitled Special Education for All. Makala also conducted research for Professor Mitchell Crusto on methods to improve diversity in the legal profession. She received an M.S. in Political Science with an International Relations minor from the University Nebraska of Omaha. While enrolled at the University, she was a part of the European Affairs Master's degree program at the University of Lille during a semester abroad. She earned a B.S. in Political Science with a Foreign and National Security Affairs minor from the University of Nebraska in 2017.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel New Orleans
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel Lafayette