Louisiana Environmental Lawyers

Attorney Leonard Kilgore is an experienced advocate for local, national and international commercial, energy and industrial clients in litigation involving toxic tort claims, personal injury, property damage claims, and class actions.

Tyler Kostal is an associate attorney in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She practices in the energy and environmental litigation group, defending energy companies in lawsuits involving oil and gas, environmental, toxic tort exposure, wetlands loss, pipeline, and commercial litigation and appeals. She also assists clients with Medicare reporting and compliance obligations for toxic tort exposure claims.

Tyler is listed as a Rising Star by Louisiana Super Lawyers for 2019.

Tyler earned her B.B.A., cum laude, in economics and marketing in 2005 from the University of Mississippi. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University New Orleans College of...

Randy Young is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1992 and practices in the areas of energy, telecommunications, utility regulation, pilotage regulation, and also in environmental litigation. Randy has 25 years of experience in electric utility regulation and environmental law.

He has represented industrial manufacturing, refining, and related companies before the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He has represented independent generation companies and power marketers in matters before the LPSC and has represented a telecommunications company in multi-state regulatory complaint proceedings. Randy has also represented...

Chelsea Gomez Caswell is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2013 and practices in the labor and employment and litigation groups. She represents employers in a variety of labor and employment matters in state and federal courts and before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights (LCHR), including EEOC charges; discrimination, harassment, and retaliation litigation; litigation of disputes related to non-competition agreements; and wage and hour claims. Chelsea assists clients with employee handbooks, company policies, employment contracts, and in day-to-day counseling. She has...

Pam Mascari is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 1997 and practices in the litigation, toxic tort and pipeline defense group. She represents clients in general litigation, oil and gas litigation, intrastate pipeline regulatory matters, environmental litigation, products liability cases, complex pharmaceutical drug litigation, and state and local tax litigation. Pam has extensive experience in the Louisiana energy, petrochemical and manufacturing industry and advises clients with regard to litigation strategy and management in Louisiana courts and regulatory matters before the Louisiana Office of Conservation. Pam also has extensive experience handling complex...

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...

Jim Silverstein practices in the areas of admiralty and maritime, products liability, energy, construction and environmental law.

Jim has extensive litigation experience, and has successfully defended clients in cases involving various aspects of maritime, admiralty, energy, and oil and gas law. He also maintains an active practice successfully defending manufacturers in product liability cases. He has defended cases involving numerous products, including ladders, electrical motors, fans, table saws, radial arm saws, planers, power tools, cranes and pumps. He has also successfully defended and prosecuted cases in the commercial litigation field.

Jim is an accomplished trial lawyer and is listed in Louisiana Super...

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...

Lauren Rucinski is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2016 and practices in the environmental law and intellectual property group.

Lauren helps clients understand which environmental regulations apply to new facilities and processes. Her practice focuses on permitting, compliance, litigation and transactional issues, as well as rulemaking efforts at both the state and federal level. She advises a wide range of clients including petrochemical facilities, oil refineries, natural gas terminals, glass manufacturers, and commodity processing plants.

Lauren helps clients protect and maximize the value of their businesses' intellectual property by advising them on...

Richard McConnell is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He is trial counsel for energy and financial companies in high stakes lawsuits involving a wide variety of claims. Prior cases involved soil and groundwater contamination, wetlands loss, toxic tort exposure, lost mineral leasing opportunities, mineral lease cancellation, pipeline right-of-way claims, expropriation/condemnation, and commercial litigation. Richard also serves as appellate counsel arguing before state and federal appellate courts.

Richard’s recent experience includes obtaining a successful verdict as trial counsel for national pipeline companies in a wetlands loss lawsuit involving canals that widened over time, he was lead...

Scott Zimmer is a partner in the Shreveport office of Kean Miller and practices in the commercial litigation group. He assists clients in all manner of litigation, including commercial, environmental, transportation, gaming industry litigation, and complex personal injury matters.

Scott is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2018 - 2019.

Scott earned his B.S. from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1994. He earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1998.

Gayla Moncla is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller and practices in the areas of toxic tort and environmental litigation, premises liability, and commercial litigation. She has more than 25 years of experience in the chemical and petrochemical industries, defending workplace accidents, chemical exposure cases, products liability cases, as well as advising clients regarding workplace safety issues and OSHA regulations. Gayla also has experience in retail premises litigation having defended retail clients for over 25 years.

Gayla earned her B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1973. She earned her J.D. in 1989 from the LSU Law Center...

Claire Juneau is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2011 and practices in the litigation group, including energy and petrochemical, oil field legacy sites, and appeals.

Prior to joining the firm, Claire served as a Law Clerk to Supreme Court Associate Justice Jeffery Victory. She also served as a judicial intern to First Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Randolph Parro.

Claire received her B.A., summa cum laude, in 2007 from Louisiana State University. Claire received her J.D., magna cum laude, in 2010 from the LSU Law Center where she was a member of...

Kimberly Hymel is an attorney in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2004 and practices in the energy, oil and gas, pipeline and commercial litigation groups. Kimberly represents national and international energy and petrochemical clients in a wide variety of litigation, with particular experience in environmental property damage cases, commercial contractual disputes, and toxic tort litigation. She has also worked extensively on electronic discovery issues, including management of large-scale discovery efforts for multi-national companies and advising clients regarding development and implementation of workable strategies, procedures, and discovery software tools for the collection, review, and...

Lou Grossman is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller and practices in the environmental litigation, energy, and appellate groups. Since being admitted to practice in 2003, he has handled complex disputes involving the energy and petrochemical industries, including toxic tort claims, environmental damage claims, and commercial litigation. In addition, Lou has handled the appeals of numerous high-profile legal issues at the trial and appellate court level. He is listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for 2013 and 2014. Lou was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 2015, and was listed as a Rising...

Julie Silbert is special counsel in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 1994 and practices in the environmental law and commercial litigation groups. Julie has extensive experience in the Louisiana energy, petrochemical and manufacturing industry and works with clients regarding litigation strategy and litigation management. She has experience in litigation involving complex commercial matters, casualty, toxic mold, NORM litigation, and environmental contamination.

Julie earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Tulane University. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Tulane University Law School in 1984. Julie was a recipient of a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship...

Dorothy Thomas is special counsel to the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller and practices in the areas of energy and environmental litigation. She has more than 35 years of experience defending product liability matters, chemical exposure cases, railroad crossing accidents, FELA matters, workplace accidents and retail premises cases.

Dorothy earned her B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1975. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1979 where she was a member and Lead Articles Editor of the Loyola Law Review and a member of the winning Appellate Advocacy team.

Yuxian Wang is an associate attorney in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 1998 and practices in toxic tort litigation, oil and gas litigation, asbestos litigation and hearing loss litigation. Yuxian has extensive experience in defending the petrochemical and manufacturing industries in lawsuits claiming chemical exposure. She has particular expertise in litigation involving the vinyl chloride industry including litigation related to allegations of cancer and other injuries arising from vinyl chloride exposure, as well as litigation related to alleged exposure to ethylene dichloride. She represents industrial clients in defending asbestos and hearing loss claims....

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...

Jeff’s practice includes representing major international oil and gas companies in a broad range of high-stakes lawsuits, primarily involving allegations that soil, sediment, groundwater, drinking water, and other types of environmental contamination were caused by oil and gas exploration and production activities. He has extensive experience drafting motions and briefs in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels.

Prior to joining the firm in 2016, Jeff served as a law clerk for the Honorable Carl J. Barbier, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where he assisted in the disposition of numerous...