Akers Estate Planning Lawyers

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...

My name is Anton Martynenko, and I am a proud member of the Scott Vicknair team. My journey to becoming a lawyer started from humble beginnings in the former USSR during some of the most fascinating but challenging times. Today, I am oddly thankful for facing poverty and hardship from an early age because those struggles instilled in me a strong work ethic, a drive to succeed, and compassion for folks from all walks of life. At the age of 15, I had a rare opportunity to come to the United States as an exchange student. Three years later, I...

My legal career began long before I went to law school. As a daughter of a prominent New Orleans litigator, I have been around the Law my whole life. I have worked for a law firm in one capacity or another since I was an intern in high school. After getting my bachelors at LSU, I went from a legal assistant and paralegal to an associate attorney in October, 2014. I began attending and assisting at trials in my teens, coming to understand the degree of preparation and attention to detail that marks me as a lawyer today.

In...

My practice is primarily focused on estate and probate litigation as well as wrongful death litigation. My team and I represent families and clients throughout the country and internationally with legal matters in Louisiana. We handle a wide range of estate matters; from the simple transfer of assets from parents to kids to multimillion-dollar estate battles over rights of inheritance, we have handled it and everything in between. I was born and raised in Lafourche Parish, La., in a small community where I was related to almost everyone. My great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all lived there as well. We...

I am a lifelong resident of New Orleans. I attended Benjamin Franklin Senior High School, graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and returned home to attend Loyola Law School. As a third-year law student, I worked as a student-practitioner in what is now known as the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice. My experience as a student-practitioner allowed me to give back to my community while developing legal skills with on-the-ground experience. After graduating from Loyola Law School, I worked briefly for a solo practitioner who had a general civil practice. I represented a...

J. Douglas Sunseri is founding partner of Nicaud & Sunseri Law Firm, LLC . Since his admission to the Louisiana Bar in 1988, J. Douglas Sunseri has practiced in diverse areas of the law. From 1990-1994, J. Douglas Sunseri worked under Attorney J. William Becknell, the legal counsel for Mr. John Mecom, Jr., the initial owner of the New Orleans Saints. As a result, Mr. Sunseri was fully educated in broad areas of law and business. Also, Mr. Sunseri served as outside counsel for Mr. Tom Benson, former owner of New Orleans Saints, for special projects. Mr. Sunseri’s practice encompasses...

I was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana and am a proud graduate of Lafayette High School. After earning my undergraduate degree from Tulane University in 2013, I spent two years serving in the Phoenix Corps of Teach for America. I returned to my hometown in 2015 and spent a year working as a legal assistant to Attorneys Marc W. Judice and Daniel C. Palmintier at Judice & Adley law firm. These early lessons on best practices in a legal career were formative for me, and I carry them with me to this day. After enrolling at LSU Law in 2016, I was...

I really enjoy working with clients and handling the delicate legal issues that are incredibly important to the families I represent. My background and experience in real estate, successions, wills, and estate planning, partitions, and property litigation are learning experiences that I believe help bring value and results to our clients. Before joining Scott Vicknair, I owned and operated a successful real estate closing company and law firm for many years. In that role as a business owner and operator, I further developed my skills in successions and real estate. Working in the title industry provided me with a lot of...

The Law Office of Cougle Law, LLC is managed by David J. Cougle, Attorney at Law.

Mr. Cougle graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2003 with a B.S. in Computer Science. He then spent 1 year as a C.A.S.A., providing volunteer representation for children in troubled homes. Realizing that he could do more as a licensed attorney, Mr. Cougle decided to attend Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge from August 2005 until his graduation in May of 2008. Upon passage of the July 2008 Louisiana State Bar Examination, Mr. Cougle was sworn in as an attorney before...

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.

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.

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 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...

Robert T. Weimer is a partner of the firm and oversees its estate/succession litigation division. He holds in-depth experience with mental health disputes and family law matters, offering clients his expertise on complicated successions as well as conflicts among executors, legatees, and heirs. With extensive experience in family law, Robert is a reliable attorney who has successfully represented clients on numerous issues including but not limited to custody, visitation, divorce, tutorship and curatorship. Moreover, he regularly speaks at conferences related to estate matters in Louisiana. Licensed by both Texas and Louisiana Bar Associations as well as being an active member...

Oskar is originally from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish. He has been practicing law in the New Orleans metro area since 2005. He has a diversified background in law, engineering, finance, marketing and accounting. Oskar has a BS in International Relations and Electrical Engineering from Boston University, graduated Magna Cum Laude and as a Crowe Scholar from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and has a Master of Health Administration in Health System Management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. During his time at Loyola, Oskar was the Managing Editor of the Loyola...

Gissel is originally from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish. She has been practicing law in the New Orleans metro area since 2004. After working as an Assistant District Attorney for Orleans Parish and as an Associate at a local insurance defense firm, she joined her husband, Oskar Pérez, in 2011 and founded Ferriol Pérez, LLC, a Hispanic-owned, full service law firm specializing in client-focused legal representation for the local community. Gissel has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Classics from the University of Arizona, and a law degree, with a Certificate in International Law, from Loyola University School of...

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...

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.

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...

Ms. Casteix is Managing Partner of Barrios Kingsdorf & Casteix LLP. Her practice primarily focuses on business and real estate transactions as well as estate planning and administration (successions). She is a native and lifelong resident of New Orleans. After receiving her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law, Ms. Casteix began her legal career as a law clerk for the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. In 1980 she became a partner in the firm of Cleveland, Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix where she remained a partner until 1995 when Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix was founded....

Armand Roos is Of Counsel for the firm of Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. He has been in private practice for more than 40 years. Armand is certified as a specialist in estate planning and estate administration by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).

Linda S. Melancon is an attorney practicing in the areas of Estate Planning,
Elder Law, Medicaid and VA benefit’s planning, Special Needs Planning, and Estate
Administration (Probate, Successions and Trust Administration).
Linda is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist, certified by the
Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. She is also accredited by the Veterans Administration to
give advice regarding veterans’ benefits.

Linda graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University with a double major in business
administration and history and then attended Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law
Center where she graduated with her law degree in 1997.

While in law school, Linda received the Order...

Chip's emphasis in his law practice is probate, wills, estate planning, interdictions, powers of attorney, living wills and trusts. He has also been appointed by the Court in complex matters to represent the interest of individuals in many differing areas of law. Martindale-Hubbell has given Chip an AV® Preeminent rating as an attorney, which is the pinnacle of excellence awarded by the Bar and the Judiciary to any individual attorney, recognizing that Chip has the highest possible rating available in legal ability and ethical standards. Chip was named by New Orleans Magazine as one of the "Top Lawyers" in...

In 2005, Gregory S. Marsiglia joined Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver, LLP, having practiced law in New Orleans since 1997 in a variety of commercial, corporate, and general civil litigation, and in a variety of corporate, real estate, and business transactions. Mr. Marsiglia also advises corporate and commercial clients on formation and planning issues, internal governance, in a variety of contractual matters. His construction litigation and contracting practice has been a steady and significant portion of the practice during the past ten years, as has general commercial litigation for clients in other industries. Mr. Marsiglia also has...

James Graham has worked as an educator in New Orleans. He then served in executive positions in real estate and education. After earning a degree from Loyola Law School, Mr. Graham sought to use his real world experience to benefit clients in his community. He is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. Graham is admitted to practice before state and district courts in Louisiana.

A shining moment for Mr. Graham came when he assisted his first client to secure incorporation papers so that he could legally operate his new business in Louisiana. Another...

Trenton A. Grand, a native of Baton Rouge practices law in areas of consumer and commercial bankruptcy, debt reorganization, estate planning-wills and trusts, personal injury, and residential and commercial real estate transactions.

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.

Bob Hawthorne is of counsel to the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He is one of the founding members of the firm and practices in the estate planning and probate, business and corporate, and real estate groups. Bob represents clients in the finance, acquisition, construction, purchase, refinancing, management, leasing and sale of various types of real estate developments, both commercial and residential, including office buildings, shopping malls, manufacturing facilities, retail centers, industrial facilities, and commercial developments.

Bob advises business and corporate clients with regard to commercial lending transactions, financings, and the structure and formation of corporate entities. He has extensive...

Dana Brent Brown is the Managing Attorney of The Law Offices of Ossie Brown. He was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he is the son of former East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Ossie and Faye Brown, a retired teacher. Dana has managed The Law Offices of Ossie Brown since his father’s retirement in 2000.

Jeffrey W. Weiss attended high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, from which he graduated with honors, and college at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, from which he received a B.A. degree in 1983, graduating magna cum laude, with honors in economics. Upon graduation from Claremont McKenna College, Jeff was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa.

Jeff obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane School of Law in 1986, from which he graduated summa cum laude. At Tulane, Jeff served as a member of the Tulane Law Review, and was admitted to the Order of the Coif honor society.

Jeff has...

Since founding Field Law in 2012, I have helped hundreds of people with their legal problems from all walks of life and from all corners of our great state. I enjoy working everyday to make a difference in the lives of my clients.

Every client, every person, deserves to be treated with respect and care. That is core to our mission at Field Law. Our clients are people, not big corporations, not large agencies, but everyday people. My former clients include people from every walk of life, from farmers and first responders to former professional athletes and stay-at-home moms.

At Field Law,...

Personal experience with racial injustice infused with an awareness of the judicial system motivates Mr. Christopher Szeto. Mr. Szeto recognized law as his calling from an early age. This internal drive led him to volunteer for numerous courts across the country. Mr. Szeto’s dedication to courts in Louisiana, New York, and Massachusetts showed him the endless caseloads lawyers face. Inspired by Charles Houston, who was key in disrupting the Jim Crow era, Mr. Szeto set off for law school.

Mr. Szeto graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He majored in Philosophy, Political Science, and History. Mr....

Mr. Douglas obtained his Juris Doctor with a certification in taxation from Loyola University College of Law in 2011. While studying for his degree, he interned at Lowe Stein, joining as an attorney in 2012. Mr. Douglas’ practice areas include commercial transactions and litigation, with a majority of his practice devoted to trust and estate planning and administration, tax exempt organizations, and tax planning and controversy. Mr. Douglas has successfully settled a contested succession with $1 Million paid to Lowe Stein’s clients, organized a regional magazine and obtained a 501(c)(3) for an American fundraising arm of a Thai nonprofit organization....

Adam Young grew up in Abbeville, Louisiana and attended Tulane University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2005. Following graduation, Adam worked for law firms and companies in the Oil & Gas industry in Louisiana, gaining business law experience that he has transferred to his own practice. He has experience in bankruptcy law, in which he focuses on complex bankruptcy situations. Adam is a member of the Bankruptcy Section of the Louisiana Bar Association, as well as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing clients in divorce and family law cases,...