Independence Business Lawyers

With extensive experience in real estate and business management, Christie Tournet & Associates is the consummate business, estate planning, and successions/probate firm. Christie views legal issues through a unique lens and becomes a trusted legal and business adviser.

We do things differently from other lawyers. We don't just give you a stack of documents. We advise and guide you to the best possible outcome for your family when you can't be there for them yourself. Our firm represents Louisiana families and individuals on matters involving estate planning, succession, probate, wills, trusts, and long-term care planning. We help you make the best planning decisions for your family and ensure that the estate plan you create with us will work when your loved ones need it most. Our team includes an expert estate planning attorney with 20+ years of experience in wills, trusts...

I am a successful Louisiana Intellectual Property attorney. My practice includes comprehensive representation for Trademark, Patent, Copyright and Trade Secret matters. A Registered Patent Attorney, I am licensed to practice in the United States Patent & Trademark Office, as well as Louisiana, California and Hawaii courts.

I am committed to providing exceptional service and legal representation for IP matters across a broad range of technologies. I vigorously advocate for the rights and interests of my clients, intent on the best possible outcomes.

With extensive experience and knowledge, I teach Patent Law at Louisiana State University Law Center. I have been honored among...

Rich is a shareholder with Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He joined the firm in 2013 and advises businesses, families and individuals in the areas of Taxation, Corporate Law, Securities Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate Law, Estate Planning, Successions/Probate, Title Insurance and Nonprofit Law.

Trey McCowan is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1989 and practices in the litigation group. Trey represents local, regional and multi-national energy and petrochemical clients in a wide variety of litigation matters. He has specific experience representing clients in litigation involving complex commercial agreements and legacy site litigation in the energy industry. Trey also represents clients with regard to environmental litigation and toxic tort defense. He also advises clients on electronic discovery, e-discovery compliance, electronically stored information (ESI), electronic information management, and retention and destructive policies and procedures.

Trey is listed...

I am a CPA and attorney. I have been a CPA since 1994 and an Louisiana attorney since 2000. The Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization has designated me as a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist (since 2008), as well as a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist (also since 2008). My practice focuses strongly on the needs and issues particular to farmers, middle income clients and small business owners. These include issues such as estate tax reduction, medicaid long-term care planning, special needs planning, asset protection planning, and small business protection planning. Plans I regularly recommend and personally draft for...

Matt Smith is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2013 and practices in the commercial litigation, toxic tort defense, and environmental litigation groups. His work focuses on the representation of oil and gas exploration and production companies, mid-stream companies, and other industry companies in various litigation matters including property damage and contamination, property rights, and commercial and contractual disputes.

Matt has extensive experience guiding clients through claims related to soil contamination, groundwater contamination, air pollution, and the associated regulatory standards. His practice covers a wide range of commercial and litigation issues ranging...

Jason was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated Nicholls State University with a BS in Engineering Technology. He played varsity sports, was on the radio and involved in the performing arts. After a career in radio and television, he attended law school in New Orleans. He opened a private practice focusing on corporate, collection and consumer rights. He became a partner in the firm of Naccari, Deas and Pugh in 1992. His personal clients at the time included Benson Automotive World (owned by a well known local family), and most of the major hospitals and clinics in the...

Matthew Meiners is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2009 and practices in the business and corporate group. Matthew has experience in the drafting and negotiation of numerous industrial service and purchase agreements. He also has experience representing numerous individuals and small businesses in connection with acquisitions and divestitures of their respective businesses and with formation of new entities, including drafting organizational documents and planning of overall corporate structure.

Matthew earned his B.S. in International Trade and Finance with a minor in Economics from Louisiana State University in 1998. He earned his...

Before joining Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens LLC, Andrée Matherne Cullens was a partner for more than fifteen years at Taylor, Porter, Brooks, and Phillips, LLP, one of the largest defense firms in Louisiana. She represented creditors and trustees in bankruptcy proceedings, state agencies and businesses in commercial litigation, banks and financial institutions, and Insurance Receivers in regulatory proceedings. Some of her former clients include Chase Bank, State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Louisiana Office of Economic Development, LSU, and the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Ms. Cullens has considerable courtroom experience in both federal and state courts and has been...

Eric Lockridge enjoys helping clients solve problems that arise in their businesses. His practice includes business litigation, bankruptcy and business reorganization, commercial collections, and assisting clients with business transactions. He has tried commercial and tort cases to verdict in Louisiana and Texas, and has successfully defended judgments on appeal. Eric currently focuses on lender work-out agreements, bankruptcy-related litigation, negotiation and dispute resolution, and complex commercial cases for Kean Miller’s construction, energy, and financial sector clients. Eric also works with Kean Miller’s intellectual property team to litigate patent, trademark, and copyright claims.

Eric advises corporate clients, lenders, and distressed-asset investors in asset...

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...

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...

The Butler Law Firm is a minority-owned firm dedicated to providing high-quality and value-priced legal services to its individual, business and governmental clients in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, workers' compensation defense, debt collections, contracts and business development.

Alan Berteau is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1995 and practices in the legacy and commercial litigation defense groups. He represents clients in complex and class action litigation matters involving damage claims relating to oil and gas exploration and production operations, commercial disputes, chemical exposure claims, and industrial accidents.

Alan has particular experience representing clients in class action and mass tort cases involving, long-term exposure and groundwater or soil contamination, air releases, and in the use of computer technology, including mapping and litigation support software, in the management and prosecution of...

Attorney Caj Boatright grew up in Sweetwater, a small town in west Texas. He attended Southwestern University of Georgetown, and graduated cum laude with Honors as a double major in Political Science and History. He earned his J.D. from the University of Texas Law School, where he also met and became friends with Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin. Following law school, Attorney Boatright worked for the largest firm in Fort Worth, where he handled cases related to all types of litigation and appellate matters. In 2006, he joined Kurt and Jason at their small firm, Arnold & Itkin...

I was born in Lafayette, in the heart of Cajun country. My grandparents lived next door, and there was rarely a day without a visit to or from someone in the extended family. Growing up, the family indulgence was season tickets to Saints games in the fall. I played volleyball at LSU, the culmination of a childhood dream. I went to LSU law school. There I enrolled in a tax law course and discovered that I really am a numbers person, and thrived in a program that appealed to my logical brain. After graduating, I headed north to pursue a Master...

Allen P. Jones is a shareholder in Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. He practices in the areas of estate planning, tax law, succession and probate law, business and corporate law, and real estate. Allen represents individuals and families in all aspects of estate planning, including the preparation of wills, trusts, partnerships and limited liability companies. His work in the area of business and corporate law includes business succession planning, corporate reorganizations, and business sale transactions. He is Board Certified by the Louisiana State Bar in Estate Planning, and is licensed as a title insurance agent in the state...

Amanda Collura-Day is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2011 and practices in the litigation group. Amanda represents clients in toxic tort and mass tort actions, business and commercial litigation, civil rights and municipal law, and a wide variety of appellate matters. She has particular expertise in class action litigation involving chemical exposures and catastrophic accidents. Amanda also advises clients in the appellate arena.

Amanda is listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for 2015 - 2019.

Amanda received her J.D., magna cum laude, in 2011 from the LSU Law Center...

Mack Gregorie is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1984 and has extensive experience in all types of business and corporate transactions, including complex commercial and industrial real estate matters and finance. Mack represents major international petrochemical clients, worldwide energy producers, banks and financial institutions, buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants, and lenders. A Certified Public Accountant, Mack lectures frequently on real estate topics such as sales, leases, property law, purchase and sale agreements, and recent developments in real estate law. He is also a title agent for First American Title...

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...

Amanda Bourgeois is a partner in the Baton Rouge office. She joined the firm in 2012 and practices in the business and corporate group. Amanda has experience representing clients in connection with a variety of transactional matters, including asset and stock acquisitions and sales and the drafting and negotiating of industrial and construction procurement, purchase and service contracts. She has also assisted individuals and businesses with entity formation, structure and governance, including the drafting of organizational documents and planning of overall corporate structure.

Amanda received her J.D. in 2010 from the LSU Law Center where she was a member of the...