Attorneys

Julie M. Araujo was born in Passaic, New Jersey on September 20, 1970 and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University in 1992.  She received a  juris doctorate degree with a certificate in International and Comparative Law from Tulane Law School in 1999.  While in law school, she argued on to the Moot Court Board by winning the Chaffe McCall Junior Appellate Moot Court Competition and also served as a student-attorney with the Tulane Appellate Law Clinic.  Upon being admitted to the Louisiana Bar, she served a two year term as a state law clerk to the Honorable JoEllen Grant in the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court for the State of Louisiana.  She is a member of the Louisiana, American and Federal Bar Associations and practices primarily in the areas of maritime and government construction law and commercial litigation.  Click here to contact this attorney. 


David S. Bland's core practice is construction-related advices and litigation, complex commercial litigation, admiralty and insurance litigation.  This practice primarily includes representation of onshore and offshore energy and marine contractors, shipyards, marine and rig fabrication facilities, pipeline construction companies and engineering firms. 

Brian J. Comarda was born in Houston and received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University in May, 1999.  He received his juris doctorate and a Bachelor of Civil Law Studies from Louisiana State University in May, 2003, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society.  His primary practice area is commerical litigation, with an emphasis on construction and admiralty litigation.  He also has significant experience in the field of shipping and port regulation.  Brian is a member of the Louisiana, Texas, American and Federal Bar Associations and is admitted to practice before all Louisiana and Texas state and federal courts, as well as the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Click here to contact this attorney.



Matthew C. Guy is originally from London, England.  He has an M.A in Modern History from Magdalen College, Oxford University where he was an Exhibitioner Scholar.  He was also President of the Oxford Union in 1995.  He received a Diploma in Law from City University in London where he was a David Karmel Scholar and was called to the English Bar in 1999 by the Honorable Society of Gray’s Inn who awarded him the Lord Birkenhead Scholarship. Matt previously worked for the international law firm Clyde & Co. in London.  While at Clyde & Co., he specialized in marine insurance disputes, including hull, P&I, energy and reinsurance, advising on aspects of coverage, indemnity and subrogation rights and general transnational litigation.  He graduated from Tulane University School of Law with a Masters Degree in Admiralty Law and was a Maritime Fellow, the Henry Stiles Scholar in Maritime Law at Tulane and a member of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal.  Matt was the top ranked graduated student and received the Edward Dodd Prize in Admiralty Law. He primarily handles marine construction, maritime, marine insurance and oil and gas related disputes.  He drafts and advises on offshore service contracts and provides advice on US immigration law.  He is admitted to practice in Louisiana and Texas.  Click here to contact this attorney.

 

Beau E. LeBlanc was born in New Orleans on February 16, 1973.  He graduated from Georgetown University with honors in 1995, and in 1998, he received a juris doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law.  Upon being admitted to the Louisiana Bar, he served a one year term as a federal law clerk to the Honorable G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  He practices primarily  in the areas of commercial and business litigation, construction law, admiralty and maritime litigation, insurance law and commercial and business transactions.  He is a member of the Louisiana, Texas and American Bar Associations and is admitted to practice before all Louisiana and Texas state and federal courts, and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Click here to contact this attorney.  

 

Joseph E. LeBlanc, Jr. was born in New Orleans on August 11, 1947 and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1971.  He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and his juris doctorate degree in 1971 from LSU Law School, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review and the Order of the Coif.  Joe practices in the areas of oil and gas law, construction contract and commercial litigation, environmental law and regulation, and toxic tort and chemical exposure litigation.  He has been a frequent lecturer on environmental issues and was a former co-editor-in-chief of the Louisiana Environmental Handbook and author of Chapter 5 relating to “Reporting and Notification Requirements.”  He is a member of the New Orleans, Louisiana, Texas, American, and Federal Energy Bar Associations and is a Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation.  Click here to contact this attorney.

Meryl M. McLendon was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.  She received her juris doctorate and a Bachelor of Civil Law Studies from Louisiana State University where she was a member of the Moot Court Board, the Trial Advocacy Board, and Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity.  Meryl is admitted to practice in Louisiana and Texas and works primarily in the areas of oil and gas and environmental litigation, commerical litigation and construction law.  Click here to contact this attorney.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 
Amanda N. Moeller was born in New Orleans on June 12, 1980 and received a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications in 2002.  She received her juris doctorate and a Bachelor of Civil Law Studies from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 2005.  She is a member of the Louisiana Bar and practices primarily in the areas of toxic tort and environmental litigation and construction contract and Commercial litigation.  Click here to contact this attorney.

Taylor M. Norton was born in New Orleans and gradated from Louisiana State University where he received his B.S. in Pure Mathematics. Upon graduation, he was offered the IGERT Fellowship by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where he received his Master of Science in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Structures and Mechanics.  As part of his Fellowship, he attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he researched Macromolecular Engineering (Polymer Science) for use in civil infrastructure. Taylor attended Loyola University School of Law where he was a LaNasa Providence Scholar and served as the Articles Editor for the Loyola Maritime Law Journal. He received his juris doctorate from Loyola and is a member of the Louisiana and American Bar Associations. He works primarily in the fields of construction law, admiralty and maritime litigation, commercial and business litigation, and commercial and business transactions.  Click here to contact this attorney.


James D. Prescott, III graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science-Finance degree in 2001 and a juris doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law Studies degree in 2005. He was a member of the Louisiana Law Review and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 2005. James practices primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, construction law and insurance defense litigation. Click here to contact this attorney.

Brendhan H. Thompson was born in Newport News, Virginia on June 25th, 1975, but spent most of his early years living in Germany. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in German from James Madison University in 1997, graduating summa cum laude. Before attending law school, Brendhan went to work for the U.S. Army as a civilian under the Outstanding Scholar Program, working in every facet of intermodal military transportation. He ultimately specialized in maritime logistics and port operations, completing assignments at U.S. Army ports in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Pusan, Korea, Tokyo, Japan and in Okinawa. Brendhan received his juris doctorate degree with a certificate in Maritime Law from Tulane University School of Law in 2007. While in school, he served as an intern to the Honorable Lynn N. Hughes in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas for one semester while living in Houston shortly after Hurricane Katrina, and also served as judicial extern to the Honorable Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana during his third year of law school. He now practices primarily in the areas of admiralty and maritime litigation, vessel and rig construction contract law and commercial and business transactions. Brendhan is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association and is admitted to practice in Louisiana. Click here to contact this attorney.


Robert P. Vining was born in New Orleans on February 5, 1967 and graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1989.  He received a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  While in law school, he served as chairman of the Moot Court Board.  Robert works primarily in the fields of toxic tort, products liability, admiralty and general maritime law, commercial litigation, and insurance defense.  He is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in Louisiana and Mississippi and the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas.  Click here to contact this attorney.