Lake Charles Lawyers

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...

Personal Injury Attorney practicing in the areas of Offshore & Serious Personal Injury. Personal Injury - All Types; Offshore/Jones Act; Construction Accidents; Automobile Accidents; 18-Wheeler Accidents; Wrongful Death, Paralysis, Burns, Amputations, Electrocutions, Head Neck and Back Injuries; Free Consultation - No Fees, Costs, or Expenses if No Recovery. W. Taylor Hale was selected by Super Lawyer magazine as a Rising Star in 2015-2020. W. Taylor Hale is a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum - The Top Trial Lawyers in America, which requires a settlement or verdict over one million dollars on behalf of...

Mark Simien graduated from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He began working in the chemical industry as an Operator/Processor. During his tenure with the chemical industry, Mark worked as both a relief supervisor, being placed in charge of several plant improvement projects, as well as relief supervisor for plant operations. Mark also worked as relief supervisor for the plant’s laboratory and was in charge of maintaining the scheduled and special testing necessary to maintain operations and shipments of the plant. Mark took this valuable experience with him to law school and then into practice when he...

James E. Sudduth, III is the founder and driving force behind Sudduth and Associates, LLC. As a Lake Charles native, he witnessed the lack of growth and direction present in his beloved city and decided to become the force of change the city needed. James knew that to accomplish this goal he would have to temporarily relocate to Baton Rouge. After law school, James returned home to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s office, and during his tenure he was promoted to Misdemeanor Section Chief. When offered a second promotion to the Felony Division,...

Upon leaving full-time status at the L.S.U Law Center, Eulis became a member of the Simien & Simien Law Firm. Eulis is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, Fifth and Eleventh Circuit United States Courts of Appeals, all federal district courts in Louisiana, the Louisiana Supreme Court and all inferior state courts. Eulis Simien maintains a general trial and appellate practice with emphasis on the areas of Personal Injury, Admiralty and Maritime, Class Actions, Complex Litigation and Criminal Defense. Speaking Engagements & Literary Works: Starting Your Own Practice (Panel Discussion), LSU Law Center, August, 2006...

In 1989, Jimmy began the firm of Simien & Simien, LLC with emphasis on Admiralty and Maritime, Class Actions, Constitutional Law, Criminal Defense, Mass Tort, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death and other major litigation. Other areas in which the firm has extensive experience include Insurance Bad Faith, Insurance Claims, Constitutional Law, Bankruptcy, Commercial Law and limited Criminal Defense matters. During his tenure with the firm, Jimmy was chosen by his peers to be section chief of the ATLA Litigation Committee involving CCA (Chromated Cooper Arsenate) Wood. The focus of that Committee was on litigation pertaining to CCA pressure treated wood,...

Randall is somewhat of a rarity among attorneys - one that brings a great deal of "real world" experience to the practice of law. Randall earned a living as a chemical engineer and a construction company owner before choosing the law as his third (and final) profession over 15 years ago. Randy graduated near the top of his chemical engineering class from Louisiana State University and worked as a process engineer with a major chemical company for several years. Randy's engineering background has proven valuable in the law practice time and time again, as having a firm grasp of mathematics...

Having handled thousands of immigration law cases including those involving family visas, agricultural immigration, business immigration, detainment, and removal proceedings, our team at Ashley Foret Dees, LLC has the experience to help you. When you come to our Lake Charles or Houston immigration attorneys, you can be sure that we put your needs first and work to provide a personalized case strategy based on your needs. We represent clients in serious immigration law matters and we know the various laws that can affect the outcome of your case. We want to help you. Call Ashley Foret Dees, LLC.

J. Lee Hoffoss, Jr. practices exclusively in the areas of personal injury, Jones Act, maritime law, and employment law in all state and federal courts in Louisiana and Texas.

Scott was recently selected as a 2018 Super Lawyers Rising Star, awarded to 2.5% of attorneys under 40. He was selected for the 2016 and 2017 “Top 10 under 40” award by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, as well as the 2016 and 2017 Louisiana “10 Best Attorneys” by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys for client satisfaction. He was also named as a Louisiana top 10 Attorney by Attorney and Practice Magazine for 2017.

Scott graduated cum laude from the Paul M. Hebert LSU Law center in 2015. During law school, Scott prepared for a career...

Kadence Rayne Haskett was born and raised in North Texas until she moved to Louisiana. She attended Louisiana State University where she graduated in 3.5 years an earned her degree in Political Science and a minor in Religious Studies in 2015. Kadence then attended LSU Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor and Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law in 2019.

Kadence’s parents divorced while she was still very young. She has a personal perspective of the different emotions and challenges that are result from divorced and blended families. Kadence understands how to help families navigate...

A former Louisiana Supreme Court clerk and practicing appellate attorney since 1992, Ms. Archer assists Louisiana trial attorneys with high stakes appeals. Visit her website at www.leeaarcher.com

Aaron is a life long resident of Sulphur, Louisiana. He graduated from Sulphur High School in 1998 and graduated from McNeese four years later. He attended Tulane Law School in New Orleans, and began practicing law at the age of 25. In law school, Aaron was a lead member of Tulane's National Moot Court Trial Team. He was also selected for Tulane's Law Clinic which allows senior students to represent real clients while still in school. Aaron dedicated his law clinic experience to assisting victims of domestic violence in New Orleans. He also graduated with a Certificate...

Rock graduated from LSU Law School in 1992 and from LSU with a bachelor's degree in 1987. While at LSU Law School he was selected to the Moot Court Board. He is a partner in the firm of Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson in Lake Charles. The firm handles serious personal injury and wrongful death cases particularly in the areas of maritime, petrochemical, products liability, medical malpractice and automobile negligence. He is a member of the Judge Albert Tate American Inn of Court, American Board of Trial Advocates, LSU Law Center Chancellor's Council, and the Louisiana Association for Justice. ...

Hello! My name is Tom Shea. I am a family law attorney practicing in Southwest Louisiana. In 2017, I started Tom Shea Family Law, LLC to help people with difficult family law issues. My practice is focused exclusively on family law: divorce, community property, child custody, child support, spousal support, relocations, modifications, contempt and other types of enforcement. I have handled several hundred family law cases at the district court level. I have also successfully litigated cases through the Third Circuit Court of Appeal and the Louisiana Supreme Court. I...

Over 20 years in general civil practice focusing primarily on real estate and business work but with experience in number of other legal fields including litigation , succession/probate, and oil and gas.

Allen Parish Wills & Successions Attorney

Jeffrey Simmons Sandoz graduated cum laude from Western Michigan's Cooley Law School in 2010. He is the 5th-generation Sandoz attorney, and is currently the junior partner at Sandoz Law Offices, practicing bankruptcy and debt-collection law with his father, Sim. Jeffrey also teaches the Business Law course at South Louisiana Community College. Sandoz Law Offices has three locations in south Louisiana: Opelousas, Lafayette, and Crowley.

Our firm specializes in taking the stress and worry away from our clients. When clients sign up with our firm, they can meet their medical appointments and eventually get back to their lives knowing that we will take care of them.

Attorney Walter Gabriel has recently been selected Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association and is peer-rated AV Preeminent for highest level of professional excellence. Millions of dollars have been recovered for clients of the Law Firm of Walter Gabriel.

Jeremy Bazile is a native of Alexandria, Louisiana and a new resident of Acadiana. He earned a B.A. from Louisiana State University, and subsequently received a J.D. from Southern University Law Center.

Upon graduating from law school, Jeremy was offered a judicial clerkship with the Honorable George C. Metoyer, Jr. at the 9th Judicial District Court in Alexandria. During his judicial clerkship, Jeremy performed extensive research on civil cases that came before Judge Metoyer, including the largest class action and toxic tort lawsuit filed in Rapides Parish history (Cynthia Paige, et al v. Dura-Wood, L.L.C., et al). While...

S. Christie Smith IV is the senior partner of SmithBush, LLP, a regional Louisiana law firm originally established in 1911 to represent laborers--and too often their widows and children--who were harmed by the burgeoning and unregulated timber industry in the rural South. Mr. Smith's work today is the modern extension of that century-old practice, in a broader, litigation-based platform. As a consumer advocate and lawyer-in-the-trenches, he has spent his career representing regular people in the fight for safer working conditions, reliable products, civil rights, and fair access to the courts. His practice focuses on litigating wrongful...

To say that Chris is passionate about the practice of immigration law would be an understatement. Chris thrives on helping those in destitute situations trying to make a better life for themselves. Chris's passion stems from his upbringing overseas. Chris was born in Thailand in 1978 close to the Cambodian border where he regularly saw refugees housed behind barbed wire fences as a result of the civil war in Cambodia.

After graduating from Auburn University in 2001, Chris moved to Cambodia where he spent two years teaching English at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and working at an internal displacement...

John P. Graf ("J.P.") was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and raised in Crowley, Louisiana. He graduated from Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish in 2009 and then attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he graduated Cum Laude in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law. J.P. went on to earn his Juris Doctor and Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

While at LSU Law, J.P. clerked for the Honorable Judge Patrick Hanna, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Louisiana and...

Blake R. David was raised in Lafayette and is a founding partner of Broussard & David, LLC. Mr. David focuses on personal injury and wrongful death litigation with an emphasis on offshore/maritime, trucking accident, aviation, products liability, industrial accident, and automobile claims. Mr. David is an "AV" rated attorney by Martindale-Hubble (highest rating possible). Mr. David is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Advocacy. Mr. David is also an Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

From 2012-2019, Mr. David has been recognized by Louisiana Super Lawyers in the field of personal injury...

The Bart Bernard Personal Injury Law Firm concentrates on cases related to Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, and Motorcycle Accidents including those involving 18-wheelers and other commercial trucks. Other areas of focus include Construction Accidents, Maritime Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Slip and Fall, Workers Compensation, Nursing Home Abuse, Accident Injuries, Personal Injury, Dangerous Drugs, Defective Medical Devices.

Bart Bernard opened his own personal injury law firm in 1997, and has been serving the community of Louisiana for over 20 years. Bart has won millions in settlements on behalf of his clients and continues doing so.

Bart is recognized as “Best of...

Born in Abbeville, Louisiana. 1994 Graduate of LSU Law Center. 20 years legal experience. Licensed to practice in all State and Federal Courts in Louisiana. Focus is on civil litigation and areas of practice include Maritime, Auto Accidents, Truck Crashes and Products Liability claims.