30th Anniversary

OUR HISTORY

Built to Last, Built to Grow

For 30 years, Fishman Haygood has been the firm organizations and individuals turn to when the stakes are high and the answers aren’t obvious. We’ve built our reputation on sound judgment, efficiency, and hands-on involvement in the work that matters most.

Rooted in Louisiana with national reach, we’ve handled billion-dollar disputes, complex transactions, and matters that require creativity, rigor, and strategic thinking. Our clients value the combination of deep local knowledge and the sophistication to operate at the highest national levels.

What carries us forward is what got us here: sound judgment, direct involvement in the work, and clients who trust us with their hardest problems. We’re investing in the next generation of leaders, strengthening our team, and building on the foundation our founders created.

1996

A Firm is Founded

Senior partners from several of the area’s most established law firms come together to form Fishman Haygood. From day one, the firm is built on a simple premise: take on the hardest problems, stay close to the work, and earn client trust through judgment and results.

2006

First Contingency Recovery

The firm represents a group of defrauded Exxon Mobil Corp. retirees before the National Association of Securities Dealers, securing a $22 million award against Securities America. At that time, experts considered the award among the largest of its kind ever levied against a brokerage firm. The case also marks one of the firm’s first contingency recoveries.

2007

Rouses Doubles Footprint with Strategic Acquisition

The firm represents Rouses Markets in its acquisition of the Southern Division of A&P Grocery Stores, which doubles the number of supermarkets from 12 to 24. In subsequent years, the firm represents Rouses Markets as it expands to 76 stores across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Rouses Markets is now one of the largest independent grocers and fastest growing family-owned stores in the United States.

2015

Baton Rouge Office Opens

Charles Landry, Louie Quinn, and Scott Chenevert leave Jones Walker to establish Fishman Haygood’s Baton Rouge office. The expansion deepens the firm’s roots across Louisiana and brings new strength to its corporate, real estate, and economic development work.

2018

Big Step Forward in Restoring Louisiana’s Coast

After two crucial summary judgment rulings on pipeline defendants’ duty to restore damaged wetlands and protect them from future erosion, followed by five days of trial and extensive post-trial briefing, Fishman Haygood secures injunctive relief for owners of eroded and damaged coastal wetlands property. While the case, Vintage Assets Inc. v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C., et al., is subsequently remanded to state court, Fishman Haygood secures even more comprehensive legal rulings there that drive the defendants to settle, and which have set a course for the restoration of wetlands surrounding pipelines throughout Louisiana’s coast.

Picture of the Louisiana swamp in Breaux Bridge

2020

Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice Launches

The firm expands its capabilities to serve distressed businesses and properties, on both creditor and debtor sides, with the addition of William H. Patrick, III, Tristan E. Manthey, and Cherie D. Nobles. The team brings decades of experience navigating complex restructurings across the Gulf South.

2021

Louisiana Litigation Firm of the Year

Benchmark Litigation names Fishman Haygood its Louisiana Litigation Firm of the Year, recognizing the firm’s track record on high-stakes matters and the depth of its trial bench.

2022

Sanderson Farms Acquisition Closes

The firm serves as co-counsel for longtime client Sanderson Farms in its $4.5 billion acquisition by Cargill and Continental Grain Company. The deal is one of the largest agribusiness transactions in the country that year.

Toronto Dominion to Pay $1.2 Billion to settle R. Allen Stanford Ponzi Litigation

2023

Second Navient Settlement Reached

In August, the firm reaches a second nationwide settlement with Navient that delivers approximately $236 million in debt relief for private student loan borrowers and $44 million in cash compensation. The settlement builds on years of consumer protection work on behalf of borrowers nationwide.

Stanford Ponzi Scheme Settlements Approved

Also in August, U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey approves over $1 billion in settlements with banks tied to the Stanford Ponzi Scheme. Fishman Haygood attorneys are part of the team representing plaintiffs in claims against Bank of Houston and Trustmark National Bank, helping recover funds for thousands of victims.

2024

Herman and Edwards Join the Firm

Steve Herman and former Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards join the Litigation team early in the year, adding national-caliber trial experience and public service leadership to the firm’s bench.

Firm Announces Louis Y. Fishman Professorship in Corporate Law

In May, Fishman Haygood partners with Tulane Law School to create the Louis Y. Fishman Professorship in Corporate Law. The professorship honors the legacy of one of the firm’s founders and aims to support and build out the school’s corporate law faculty.

Newspaper article of Edwards to Join N.O. law firm

2026

Energy Regulation Practice Expands

In January, the firm strengthens its high-stakes Energy Regulation and Utilities practice with the addition of Dana Shelton, Noel Darce, and Justin Swaim. The expansion positions the firm to serve clients across one of the region’s most consequential industries.

Employee Charitable Giving Program Launches

To mark 30 years, the firm establishes the Employee Charitable Giving Program with two $30,000 gifts — one honoring the last three decades, one in anticipation of the next. The program reflects the firm’s commitment to the communities that have shaped it.

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