Fishman Haygood Welcomes Alicia Bendana as Special Counsel to the Firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Team

Fishman Haygood, LLP is thrilled to announce the addition of Special Counsel Alicia Bendana to the firm’s Litigation Section and Bankruptcy and Restructuring team. Alicia offers decades of experience representing  trustees, debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, receivers and liquidators in high stakes matters involving officer and director liability, professional negligence, fraud, RICO, fraudulent transfers, and business dissolutions.

Alicia’s national practice is focused on complex bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Over the course of her distinguished career, Alicia has prosecuted and defended complicated, multi-layered litigation claims and represented a wide range of parties in Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcy matters. As a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Alicia is board certified in business bankruptcy law by both the American Board of Certification and by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, which makes her a trusted lead and co-lead counsel in jurisdictions across the country, including Texas and Delaware.

Alicia is nationally recognized for her legal acumen and is ranked by Chambers and Partners for her work in Bankruptcy/Restructuring. She has also received accolades from The Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers, which includes having been recognized among the Super Lawyers’ Top 25 Louisiana Women Attorneys since 2023. Most recently, Lawdragon named Alicia to its 2025 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.

“Alicia is a standout addition to our Litigation Section,” said Fishman Haygood Partner Brent Barriere. “Having seen Alicia work on many challenging bankruptcy-related cases, I’ve long admired her sharp legal instincts and attention to detail. I look forward to litigating alongside—as opposed to against—Alicia! We’re lucky to have her on our team.”

In addition to her practice, Alicia is very active in professional and civic organizations. Among her many appointments, she is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and currently serves on both its Bankruptcy Litigation and Commercial Fraud Committees. She also sits on the Marketing Committee of the American Board of Certification and is an active member of the Bankruptcy Sections of both the Federal Bar Association and the Louisiana State Bar Association. Alicia is deeply involved in the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), for which she was a founding co-chair of the group’s Louisiana Network and served twice as Director at Large.

In the community, Alicia is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Trial Advocacy for Tulane University Law School, where she shares her courtroom expertise with the next generation of litigators. She also served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Antenna (Press Street, Inc.), which is a multidisciplinary cultural nonprofit presenting exhibitions, public programs, publishing, and regranting located in New Orleans.

“We’re pleased to welcome Alicia to the firm,” said Fishman Haygood Board Chairman Jim Swanson. “Since its founding, Fishman Haygood has been focused on one thing: excellence. Alicia’s wealth of experience and commitment to civic engagement will be a tremendous asset to both our bankruptcy team and to our firm.”

“I’ve been impressed with the level of sophisticated work by Fishman Haygood’s attorneys, and I could not be more excited to join the firm,” said Alicia. “I look forward to contributing my knowledge and insight to continue building on the strength of the firm’s bankruptcy litigation practice.”

Alicia graduated from Tulane University Law School and earned her B.A. from Hollins College. Learn more about Alicia and her practice here.