David W. Leefe

Stephen Brooks joined Pugh Accardo as a Special Partner. He has been practicing law since 1994 in Louisiana. He is an experienced insurance casualty and workers’ compensation defense attorney. He is trial counsel for multiple insurance companies, risk retention groups, self-insurers’ funds, insurance agencies and agents and corporate employers involved in litigation throughout the Southeast Region of the United States. Mr. Brooks has also been extensively employed by the insurance...

David J. Topping is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law. David J., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Rick Shelby is an experienced attorney who specializes in bankruptcy, restructuring, oil and gas litigation, commercial litigation and corporate governance. His representation includes secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, committees, and debtors. Mr. Shelby has handled virtually all aspects of bankruptcy work from complex chapter 11 cases representing debtors, creditors’ committees and secured creditors to consumer bankruptcy cases in chapter 7 and 13. He has recently represented ...

Michael L. Eckstein is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law and Tax Law. Michael L., who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic...

Leann Opotowsky Moses is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Leann Opotowsky, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leann Opotowsky is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Soren E. Gisleson is a partner of Herman, Herman & Katz , L.L.C. Mr. Gisleson attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he earned a bachelor of arts in Philosophy in 1993. After receiving his B.A. from the University of Colorado, Mr. Gisleson attended Loyola University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate in May of 1999. While at Loyola Law School, Mr. Gisleson became a member of Law Review in 1998 and published his casenote, Graham v. Willis-Knighton Medical C...

Joe Lowenthal is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He has extensive experience in the fields of healthcare, insurance coverage, contracts, and environmental and toxic torts. Joe provides broad-based advice and focused litigation counsel for a variety of clients. Leader of the firm’s healthcare team, his representative matters include litigation on behalf of a managed service organization in multiple federal and state district courts across the United States, with responsibilit...

Mr. Murov devotes his practice to advising clients and litigating in the areas of commercial litigation, restrictive covenants, intellectual property, and labor and employment law. He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Louisiana, the Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He also has an administrative law practice before the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Labor, Wage...

Bill Backstrom is a partner and leader of the firm’s Tax Practice Group. For more than 35 years, he has focused on state and local tax matters in Louisiana and on a multistate basis. Bill provides comprehensive, practical, and solution-focused tax guidance to a broad range of business enterprises. Known for the quality of his counsel, his commitment to client service, and his ability to explain sophisticated issues in clear terms — particularly with respect to Louisiana’s hi...

Allison Bell is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and co-chairs the firm’s Healthcare Industry Team. She focuses on merger and acquisition transactions. Allison represents a wide variety of organizations in a number of key industries, including healthcare, insurance, transportation, and energy. Allison has extensive experience advising public and private companies in acquisition and divestiture transactions, joint ventures, and other complex business transactions. Allison also r...