Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C.

Managing Partner: David N. Luder
Number of partners: 17 Number of other lawyers: 10
Offices: New Orleans, LA, and New York, NY

Firm Overview:
Barrasso Usdin’s lawyers have decades of experience litigating complex civil cases throughout the country. The firm provides the high-quality representation expected from large firms, together with the responsive and efficient services provided by top-tier small firms. More than 92% of the firm’s lawyers have served as members of law reviews and journals or clerked for federal judges, either at the appellate or district court levels.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Class Actions & Complex Litigation:
-Representation of Chairman of Board of publicly traded company in class action relating to acquisition
-Representation of financial services company in a class action involving a merger of the company and its disgruntled investors
-Representation of CEO in directors and officers liability action

Contact: Steven W Usdin
Tel: 504 589 9721
Email: [email protected]

Commercial Litigation:
-Representing COVID test kit manufacturer in multi-million dollar breach of distribution contract dispute
-Representing software provider in unfair competition litigation
-Representing Montana manufacturer of gun barrels in copyright/trademark litigation
-Representing large industrial gas manufacturer in multi-million contractual dispute with international chemical company
-Defense of refinery against multimillion-dollar claims of breach of contract, unfair trade practice, and misrepresentation
-Representation of various landowners of affordable housing units against assessors attempting to impose ad valorem taxes on the value of federal credits
-Representation of senior officer of publicly traded pharmaceutical company in derivative litigation
-Representation of major law firms in malpractice claims and employment claims
-Successfully represented public company in multi-million vessel construction dispute

Contact: John W. Joyce
Tel: 504 589 9752
Email: [email protected]

Environmental & Toxic Tort:
-The firm represents petrochemical, pipeline, and other companies in a variety of toxic tort and environmental litigation, including claims under the Clean Water Act and state environmental laws and regulations, private claims for injury resulting from alleged chemical exposures, and for property contamination from oil and gas or other industrial operations

Key Clients: CITGO Petroleum Corp., Hilcorp, Monsanto, Energy Transfer, Air Products, SWN Production Co.
Contact: Craig Isenberg | David N. Luder
Tels: 504 589 9753 | 504 589 9798
Emails: [email protected] | [email protected]

Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith:
-National counsel overseeing and defending COVID Business Interruption claims and lawsuits nationwide, including a putative nationwide class action brought in the Northern District of Illinois
-Representation of insurer in lawsuit brought by state attorney general regarding hurricane claims
-Representation of excess insurer in coverage litigation arising out of BP Oil Spill MDL litigation
-Representation of insurer in extensive coverage and liability disputes regarding sinkhole litigation
-Representation of healthcare professional liability insurer in suit brought by Insurer Commissioner against directors and officers of failed healthcare plan
-Representation of insurer in coverage litigation arising out of Hulk Hogan litigation

Key Clients: Ace Property Casualty Insurance Co., Allied World Assurance Co., Allstate, Berkshire Hathaway, Chubb, Colony Insurance, Hiscox, Ironshore Insurance Services LLC, Liberty Mutual, OIL, Certain Underwriters of Lloyds

Contact: Judy Y Barrasso | Michael A. Balascio
Tels: 504 589 9720 | 504 589 9773
Emails: [email protected] | [email protected]

Pharmaceutical & Medical Device:
-National trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson in pharmaceutical MDL; the firm tried the first and third MDL trials to defense verdicts; and was selected to try bellwether case in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
-National trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson in medical device cases in two separate MDLs and in Illinois consolidated proceeding; the firm tried the first MDL case to a defense verdict and the first case in the Illinois consolidated proceedings to a defense verdict. The firm also tried the first case in a separate MDL to a defense verdict and tried a four-plaintiff medical device case in Cook County
-Counsel for retailer in litigation involving talcum powder
-National trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson in knee litigation
-Local counsel for two global healthcare companies in opioid litigation

Key Clients: Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Contact: Richard E Sarver | Kyle W. Siegel
Tels: 504 589 9733 | 504 589 9797
Emails: [email protected] | [email protected]

Product Liability:
-Served as national trial counsel for manufacturers and distributors of welding consumables in MDL; the firm tried six separate cases to defense verdicts against all ten plaintiffs
-Counsel for Monsanto in Louisiana cases alleging personal injuries as a result of company-branded herbicides
-Representing international industrial gases company in litigation related to explosion

Contact: Kyle W. Siegel | Shaun P. McFall
Tel: 504 589 9797 | 504 589 9764
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

Securities Litigation & Regulation:
-Representing an international brokerage firm in over 375 cases arising out of the collapse of the Puerto Rican bond market
-Representation of Morgan Keegan in over 400 cases arising out of 2007-08 market meltdown
-Regularly represents the financial services industry, and brokerage and investment banking firms nationwide
-Represents firms and employees who are subjects of regulatory inquiries, investigations and actions

Key Clients: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Interactive Brokers, Raymond James, Morgan Stanley, Stifel Financial, UBS Financial Services, and Wells Fargo
Contacts: George C Freeman, III | Jamie L. Berger
Tels: 504 589 9732 | 504 589 9784
Emails: [email protected] | [email protected]