- Managing Partner: James R Swanson
- Number of partners: 8
- Number of other lawyers: 15
Firm Overview:
The firm was founded in the mid-1990s by leading business and litigation lawyers from three of the largest firms in Louisiana. National and regional publications have repeatedly recognized the firm’s lawyers as among the best. The firm’s business lawyers regularly represent public and private companies in a variety of matters including securities transactions and compliance, corporate, real estate, commercial finance, banking, bank regulation and general contractual matters. The firm’s litigators handle a variety of complex commercial matters, including securities litigation and arbitration, commercial litigation,media law, First Amendment law, and tax litigation.
Main Areas of Practice:
Corporate, Securities & M&A:
• Ongoing representation of Sanderson Farms, Inc. in financing and securities matters, including its recent $120,000,000 public equity offering
• Ongoing representation of SMG, manager of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans Arena, Baton Rouge Centroplex and other sports and entertainment facilities in Louisiana and Alabama
• Previously represented Rouses Supermarkets in its acquisition of 21 stores from A&P and continued representation in Rouses’ongoing expansion
Key Clients: Sanderson Farms, Inc., SMG, Home Bancorp, Inc.,Rouse’s Enterprises, LLC, Chaffe & Associates, Swire Oilfield Services, LLC, Chaffe Securities, Inc., Laitram LLC, Carbo-Chlorination Technologies LLC
Contact: Louis Y Fishman Tel: 504 586 5252
Email: lfishman@fishmanhaygood.com
Real Estate:
• $60,000,000 acquisition and financing of the Pan American Life Office Building in New Orleans; referenced in The Wall Street Journal on December 8, 2010 as “Deal of the Week”
• $30,000,000 acquisition and development by Stirling Properties of Mid City Market in New Orleans
• $20,000,000 acquisition and financing of four multifamily complexes in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana
• Ongoing representation of Equity Office, an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, in commercial office and retail leases for its New Orleans-area Class A office buildings
Key Clients: Stirling Properties, L.L.C., Rouses Supermarkets, Equity Office
Contact: Sterling Scott Willis Tel: 504 586 5264
Email: swillis@fishmanhaygood.com
Banking & Finance:
• $37,000,000 financing of a mixed-use residential and commercial building, the first in the country to combine federal and state new markets and historic tax credits with an FHA-insured loan
• $53,000,000 financing of the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, including new markets, federal, and state historic tax credits,Louisiana musical and theatrical production tax credits, community development grants, and bridge financing n Ongoing representation of the State of Louisiana in its investment of over $75,000,000 of Community Development Block Grants in real estate financings, including a $78,000,000 hospital and medical office complex in St.Bernard Parish
Key Clients: IberiaBank, Whitney Bank, State of Louisiana, AMCREF Community Capital, LLC
Contact: John D Werner Tel: 504 586 5265
Email: jwerner@fishmanhaygood.com
Litigation & Arbitration:
•Securities Arbitration & Litigation: Representation of municipal bond issuers against investment banks and underwriters that misrepresented and omitted material facts about the auction rate securities market
• Defense of public companies, including US Unwired and Amedisys, in securities class actions
• Representation of the Louisiana Firefighters’ Retirement System, as class representative, in class action litigation against Northern Trust Investments, N.A. and Northern Trust Company n Representation of hundreds of individual investors against their brokers or investment advisors (the firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars for these clients)
•First Amendment & Media Law: Representation of media outlets and individuals in defamation cases and public record and access disputes, including cases for The Times-Picayune, Cable News Network, The New York Times, ProPublica, Wick Communications, The Nation Institute, The Daily, and GateHouse Media
•Tax Litigation: Representation of the Louisiana Department of Revenue to recover corporate and franchise taxes from corporate taxpayers (the firm has recovered tens of millions of tax dollars, including a $26,000,000 jury award believed to be the largest award of taxes and penalties in Louisiana history)
•Commercial: General commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes of various kinds such as options,purchase agreements, leases, employment agreements, and insurance policies
Key Clients: The Times Picayune, L.L.C., Berk-Cohen Associates, L.L.C.,Wampold Companies, SMG, ASCO Group, Ltd., Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District, Louisiana Firefighters’ Retirement System, Municipal Employees’ Retirement System, Louisiana Department of Revenue, Wallace C. Drennan, Inc., JMH Realty, L.L.C.
Contact: James R Swanson Tel: 504 586 5267
Email: jswanson@fishmanhaygood.com
Areas of PracticeBanking & Finance
Corporate, Securities & M&A
Litigation & Arbitration
Real Estate