Best Lawyers® Recognizes 32 Fishman Haygood Attorneys in 2027; Six Named “Lawyer of the Year,” with Bankruptcy Team Earning Top-Listed Honors

Today, Best Lawyers® released its annual rankings of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. This year, 48,000 individuals engaged in the voting process, collectively providing 5.1 million evaluations on their peers, colleagues, and competitors.

This year marks the 33^rd edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since the publication’s inaugural edition in 1983, Fishman Haygood attorneys have consistently earned top accolades. In the 2027 edition, twenty-three attorneys are recognized in the following metro and practice areas:

BATON ROUGE OFFICE

• Scott D. Chenevert (2012): Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Charles A. Landry (1993): Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, and Real Estate Law
• Louis S. Quinn, Jr. (2003): Banking and Finance Law, Construction Law, Nonprofit/Charities Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law, and Real Estate Law

NEW ORLEANS OFFICE

• Ian L. Atkinson (2024): Commercial Litigation and Tax Law
• Brent B. Barriere (2003): Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Commercial Litigation
• Tad Bartlett (2018): Appellate Practice and Environmental Law
• Alicia M. Bendana (2020): Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Jason W. Burge (2019): Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, and Litigation – Securities
• Noel J. Darce (2016): Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Regulatory Law, and Utilities Law
• Kaja S. Elmer (*): Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Louis Y. Fishman (1983): Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities/Capital Markets Law
• Maureen Gershanik (2020): Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, and Securities Regulation
• Stephen J. Herman (2013): Admiralty and Maritime Law, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
• Tristan E. Manthey (2019): Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Lance C. McCardle (2017): Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Environmental Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Securities, and Oil and Gas Law
• Lori G. Mince (2013): Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – First Amendment, Litigation – Insurance, Litigation – Real Estate, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
• Cherie D. Nobles (2019): Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Litigation – Bankruptcy
• William H. Patrick III (1995): Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Blair Schilling (2023): Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Intellectual Property, and Oil and Gas Law
• Steven C. Serio (2016): Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Real Estate Law
• Dana M. Shelton (2020): Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, and Utilities Law
• James R. Swanson (2005): Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – First Amendment, Litigation – Municipal, Litigation – Securities, and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
• Sterling Scott Willis (2005): Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Equipment Finance Law, and Real Estate Law

Nine Fishman Haygood attorneys were named to the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America by Best Lawyers® in the following metro and practice areas:

BATON ROUGE OFFICE

• Marina M. Speligene (2026): Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Christen C. Triche (2026): Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Nonprofit/Charities Law, and Project Finance Law

NEW ORLEANS OFFICE

• Joseph A. Caneco (2023): Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, and Tax Law
• Maggie M. Daly (*): Commercial Litigation
• Isabel A. Englehart (*): Environmental Law and Litigation – Environmental
• Ryan D. McNamara (*): Corporate Law
• Julie S. Meaders (2025): Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, and Insurance Law
• Justin A. Swaim (2021): Administrative/Regulatory Law and Energy Law
• Gabe J. Winsberg (2022): Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Best Lawyers® also names “Lawyer of the Year” honorees, awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area in each region based on exceptionally high overall feedback from their peers. The firm’s attorneys recognized as 2027 “Lawyers of the Year” in their respective practice areas include Maureen Gershanik (Securities Regulation – New Orleans), Lori Mince (Litigation: Construction – New Orleans), Billy Patrick (Litigation: Bankruptcy – New Orleans), Steven Serio (Real Estate Law – New Orleans), Dana Shelton (Utilities Law – New Orleans), and Jim Swanson (Bet-the-Company Litigation – New Orleans).

Fishman Haygood also received the “Top-Listed” award, which recognizes the practice areas and jurisdictions where the firm has the most recognized lawyers of any firm in The Best Lawyers in America®, at both the state and metro levels. The firm was top-listed in Louisiana for Litigation – Bankruptcy, with five lawyers recognized. The firm also received the top-listed recognition in Litigation – Bankruptcy in New Orleans, again with five recognized lawyers.

Congratulations to these outstanding Fishman Haygood attorneys!

Read the full announcement here.

(Year) First year the lawyer was listed in the publication.

(*) Lawyers who are listed for the first time in Best Lawyers^® or Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^®.