News & Insights

Pat DeRouen has joined the Perry Dampf Mediation Panel after over 30 years in the legal field. His areas of expertise include Personal Injury, Trucking & Transportation, Commercial Litigation/Property & Casualty, Hurricane Claims, Construction Litigation, Bad Faith Claims, Governmental Regulations, Premise Liability. With his comprehensive knowledge of the law and extensive legal experience, we are confident that he will deliver exceptional mediation services to our clients. We are delighted to welcome him to our team and are excited about collaborating with him to resolve disputes in a fair, effective, and efficient manner.

Andy Weinstock has joined our Panel at Perry Dampf. His areas of practice include General Casualty, Products Liability, Toxic Tort/Asbestos, Auto/Truck Liability, Premise Liability, and ERISA. With his understanding of the law and extensive legal background, we are confident that Mr. Weinstock will provide our clients with outstanding mediation services. We welcome him to our team and look forward to working together to resolve disputes effectively and efficiently.

Ernie Gieger has been selected hundreds of times to “parachute” into ongoing litigation to quickly review and resolve matters prior to trial. His areas of practice include products liability, class actions, complex litigation, insurance, and toxic tort. Although he continues to try select cases, his plan as a mediator is to quickly review and resolve matters in litigation through mediation.

Joe will be a full-time mediator effective 1/3/23 upon retirement as a partner with Plauché Maselli Parkerson. His practice was devoted to premises liability, auto liability, product liability, and a myriad of general liability claims. While most of his work was defense-oriented, he represented plaintiffs in a variety of cases. He will remain “Of Counsel” with his firm.

Brigid joins the Perry Dampf mediation team upon retirement as Orleans Parish Magistrate Commissioner. Prior to that, Brigid worked as a private defense attorney in New Orleans. Brigid is serving as a court appointed mediator in the Hurricane Ida Claims in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 24th JDC-Jefferson Parish and Orleans CDC.

Matthew Block has returned to Perry Dampf after serving seven years as Executive Counsel to Governor John Bel Edwards. In that role, Matthew served as the governor’s chief legal counsel, as well as one of his primary advisors. Before his public service in the governor’s office, he practiced in the areas of commercial litigation, professional liability, personal injury and consumer fraud.

David Bienvenu brings his forty years of experience in representing clients in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana to his work as a mediator. He completed formal mediation training at the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution of Pepperdine University School of Law in 2013 and has conducted successful mediations in casualty, insurance and commercial litigation since that time. Mr. Bienvenu is based out of New Orleans, Louisiana, but he is available wherever needed.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Jack Roethele has been added to its panel of mediators. Jack has applied his unique background and 35 years of professional experience as a litigator and manager of a small firm to mediation with a proven track record of success. Jack has been successfully serving as a mediator since 2017. Jack has extensive experience in personal injury litigation including automobile accidents, trucking accidents, premises liability, general liability, insurance coverage issues, and bad faith matters.

Scott Loeb joins the Perry Dampf panel while continuing his practice with the Loeb Law Firm in Mandeville, LA. He's handled mostly defense work, but also some plaintiff representation in commercial and personal injury cases. He has represented insurance companies and public and private corporations in business, construction, insurance and trucking litigation.

We are honored to welcome Judge Billy Morvant to the mediation panel. He served as district court judge with the 19th JDC for 25 years. He is well versed in civil procedure and evidentiary matters. He also has experience with commercial litigation, contracts, products liability and banking litigation.

Kelly Bogart joins the Perry Dampf mediation team and will also continue her law practice with Duplass Zwain in Metairie, LA. She has extensive experience in construction defect and hurricane litigation, as well as complex, multi-party cases.

Coleman Organ has joined the mediation panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. Coleman brings 45 years of experience - 20 years in private practice and 25 years as staff counsel with insurance companies. Perry Dampf is honored by his affiliation with the firm and the strong reputation he brings to the mediation group.

Having served over thirty (30) years on the bench, Richard “Dicky” Haik is uniquely qualified to serve as a mediator in all matters. He’s knowledgeable of the law and understanding of human nature, which make him a very effective neutral.

Corey Kendrick Wilson joins Perry Dampf’s mediation panel. He brings 25 years of government, business, legal and financial experience to his mediation clients.

Mike McMahon brings 26 years litigation experience to the table for his mediation clients. During his career, he has successfully mediated hundreds of cases from simple slip and falls to complex, multi-party major casualties. Perry Dampf is excited to have Mr. McMahon, an attorney/CPA join the team.

We are excited to introduce Richard Leefe, a partner in Leefe Gibbs Sullivan & Dupre law firm in Metairie. He brings 47 years of legal and trial experience including over 200 trials in all types of litigation in state and federal courts in 15 states as well as Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and the Caribbean.

Perry Dampf is pleased to announce the addition of Hon. Charlotte Bushnell (Ret.) to its panel of mediators. Judge Bushnell brings over 36 years of experience in the legal profession. She recently retired as a Workers’ Compensation District Court Judge after 27 years at the District 3, Lake Charles Office. Before her time on the bench, Judge Bushnell served as counsel for the Calcasieu Parish Public Defenders’ Office. Over her career, Judge Bushnell has heard hundreds of motions, trials and exceptions and conducted thousands of settlement conferences. She was just appointed by United States District Judge James Cain to serve on a panel of neutrals to mediate cases arising from Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Perry Dampf welcomes Judge Bushnell’s wealth of knowledge and experience to its panel of mediators.

Justice Pitcher has joined the mediation, arbitration and special master panels of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. Justice Pitcher (Ret.) ran unopposed for the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals and served by appointment as an Associated Justice Ad Hoc on the Louisiana Supreme Court on three separate occasions. Perry Dampf is privileged to have Justice Pitcher affiliate with the group.

We are excited to introduce Kent Moroux, a new neutral joining the mediation panel. Mr. Moroux has 12 years of practice in personal injury, insurance, bad faith litigation, products liability, premise liability, and professional liability. His extensive trial experience and knowledge of judges, venues, and quantum is an asset to parties seeking resolution of disputes.

Our team is growing, and we are excited to announce that MARVIN OLINDE has joined the mediation panel. As a litigator for 40 years, she has developed a relationship with all sides of the bar as being fair with an even temperament.

Pride Doran has joined the mediation panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. He has extensive experience in automobile and trucking claims, maritime, product liability and insurance coverage. Perry Dampf is honored by Mr. Doran’s affiliation with the firm and the high level of skill and integrity he brings to the mediation group.

Bob David has been involved in arbitrations, mediations, administrative trials, and/or litigation in over 25 states. In his law practice, he has devoted considerable time counseling clients on developing and implementing proactive approaches to reach fair, expedient, and cost-effective solutions. He completed Civil Mediation Training at Lipscomb University's Institute for Conflict Management. Mr. David is based out of Perry Dampf’s Lafayette, Louisiana mediation office, but he is available wherever needed.

We are pleased to announce that Vincent P. Fornias has been appointed to our arbitration, early neutral evaluator (ENE) and umpire panels. Mr. Fornias, a bilingual Cuban-American, has participated in over 4,000 mediations, arbitrations and insurance umpire proceedings in over two decades as an ADR professional.

Recently retired United States Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Knowles III joined Perry Dampf after retiring from office earlier this month. Judge Knowles will serve as a mediator and arbitrator across the State of Louisiana. He has handled more than 7,500 settlement conferences involving virtually every area of litigation. Perry Dampf is honored by Judge Knowle’s affiliation with the firm and his impeccable reputation.

Perry Dampf welcomes Rebecca Wisbar, another exciting addition to the panel. Ms. Wisbar has conducted quite a number of mediations already involving general torts, personal injury, successions, corporate issues, banking law, employment disputes, health plans and workers compensation. She completed mediation training in Chicago at Northwestern University. Ms. Wisbar is also the host of The Mediation Minute podcast. She has received several excellent testimonials attesting to her successful mediation skills.

James R. “Sonny” Chastain, Jr., joins Perry Dampf’s mediation panel. He is an intellectual property guru and commercial litigator at Kean Miller’s Baton Rouge office. His areas of concentration for mediation will include Commercial Litigation, Contracts, Unfair Trade Practices, Non-compete Agreements, Fiduciary Duty, Intellectual Property, Trademark, Copyright, Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition, Software Licenses, Sales/Leases, Construction Disputes, Banking, Securities, Antitrust, RICO, Investment Suitability and Broker Relations.

We welcome Jim Gibson to the mediation panel. Based out of Lafayette, he has over 34 years of legal experience in commercial litigation and legal/professional malpractice.

Mr. Kaiser has participated in hundreds of mediations throughout his career and is passionate about the effectiveness of formal mediations to get disputes resolved. He continues to represent both plaintiffs and defendants in litigated cases from his own office today.

Randy recently joined Perry Dampf as a mediator. His practice has focused on maritime, aviation, burn cases and trucking, as well as general defense work (products liability, insurance coverage issues, personal injury). His office is based in Lafayette, LA.

Paul West joins the panel as an arbitrator. He’s been with the Baker Donelson firm for the past 8 years in Baton Rouge. He has heavy casino/regulatory gaming experience. He attended a 2-day training at the AAA Arbitration School. His repertoire includes having a couple of arbitrations under his belt already.

Tom Solari is Of Counsel with the law firm of Plauché, Smith & Nieset, LLC in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Tom has practiced law for 29 years. He began serving as a mediator in 2014 after completing 40 hours of civil, commercial and employment meditation training with The Mediation Institute.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Daniel P. Parker has been added to its mediation panel. Mr. Parker is senior partner with the Monroe law office of Parker Alexander. He brings 37 years of legal experience to his mediation clients.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions welcomes its newest panel member, Keith L. Richardson. Mr. Richardson’s primary practice areas include civil litigation, premises liability, coverage analysis, bad faith defense, and general insurance defense for a wide range of carriers. He will continue to practice in the Baton Rouge firm of Schutte, Terhoeve, Richardson, Eversberg, Cronin, Judice, & Boudreaux.

We are pleased to announce that John W. Perry III has been added to the mediation and special master panels. Jonathon practices in the law firm of Perry Atkinson Balhoff Mengis & Burns and has 8 years of practice in federal and state trial.

Aub Ward rejoins Perry Dampf’s mediation and arbitration panel. He was formerly a member of the panel from 2004-2007. He is a partner in the law firm of Naquin & Ward and has 38 years of practice in federal and state trial and appellate litigation, including personal injury, maritime and toxic tort cases. Mr. Ward looks forward to serving as a neutral for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Outgoing Mayor Kip Holden joined Perry Dampf after leaving office at the end of 2016 having served three terms. Holden will serve as a mediator and arbitrator across the State of Louisiana. He received his law degree from the Southern University School of Law in 1985 and has been an adjunct professor there since the 1990’s. Perry Dampf is honored by Mayor Holden's affiliation with the firm and the strong reputation he brings to the group.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions extends a warm welcome to its newest panel member, David Butler. Mr. Butler has extensive experience having tried 200+ cases and chaired 400+ medical review panels over 31 years. Perry Dampf is pleased to announce Mr. Butler’s affiliation and specialization with workers’ compensation claims.

We are pleased to announce that Jim Lochridge has been added to our mediation panel. Mr. Lochridge will continue to practice law with the Voorhies & Labbé firm in Lafayette. He will be handling mediations in South Louisiana. We are excited about Jim’s diverse background that includes insurance, professional liability and land-based casualty defense.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Liz Baker Murrill has been appointed a panel member to its mediation, arbitration and special master panels. Mrs. Murrill has been approved and appointed to serve as a court appointed special master. She is also the managing director of Strategic Governmental Solutions, LLC.

Perry Dampf extends a warm welcome to newest panel member, Lynn Luker. Ms. Luker is a seasoned trial attorney with a broad range of experience from asbestos to maritime to business disputes. Ms. Luker has an LLM in Admiralty Law and Energy and Environment. As Judge Pro Tempore, she conducted settlement conferences on a regular basis making her an ideal mediator and arbitrator.

Everyone here would like to thank Kelly Cambre Bogart for being a neutral at Perry Dampf, one the highest rated Mediation, Arbitration, and ADR Services in the south.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Jeffrey M. Cole has been appointed a panel member to its mediation and arbitration panels. Mr. Cole is a partner in the law firm of Plauché Smith & Nieset in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and has over 35 years of experience practicing primarily in insurance defense and workers' compensation defense litigation.

I. René DeRojas has joined the mediation panel with Perry Dampf. He is the first bilingual Hispanic-American mediator to join the group. Mr. DeRojas has extensive experience in litigating personal injury disputes in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana. Since 1991 he has practiced with the law firm of McCranie, Sistrunk, Anzelmo, Hardy, McDaniel & Welch, where he maintains a diversified insurance defense practice with a concentration in the areas of personal injury and premises liability.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Trippe Hawthorne has been appointed to its mediation and arbitration panels. Mr. Hawthorne is a partner in the law firm of Kean Miller and has experience in a wide variety of construction and commercial litigation disputes. He is also available to serve as an Early Neutral Evaluator and Standing Neutral for Construction Projects.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions extends a warm welcome to its newest panel member, David Clement. Mr. Clement has extensive experience with every facet of a construction project, and began his career in architecture. In 2013, he completed training in “Mediating Disputes” at Harvard Negotiation Institute. Perry Dampf is pleased to announce Mr. Clement’s affiliation with the firm as mediator, arbitrator and umpire/appraiser.

Steve Judice brings over 30 years litigation experience to the table for his mediation clients. He established a mediation practice in 2009 after completing a 40 hour course of mediator training through Conflict Resolution Associates LLC. He recently attended a course on the Science and Psychology of Negotiation and Mediation. Mr. Judice is an outstanding addition to the mediation panel.

Darrel Papillion has joined the mediation panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. He is a veteran Louisiana trial lawyer who handles complicated wrongful death and serious personal injury cases with the Baton Rouge law firm, Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens. Perry Dampf is honored by Papillion’s affiliation with the firm and the strong reputation he brings to the mediation group.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that William C. Helm has been appointed to its mediation panel. He is a partner in the Baton Rouge law firm of Helm & Jacobs, L.L.C. and has over 22 years of practice in federal and state trial and appellate litigation in Louisiana and Mississippi. His areas of concentration are personal and commercial automobile liability, insurance, negligence, contracts, and collections.

James A. Cobb, Jr., rejoins the mediation panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. After serving as general counsel for Crosby Tuggs, Mr. Cobb is now Of Counsel to Ajubita, Leftwich and Salzer. With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Cobb will also resume his mediation practice specializing in maritime, medical malpractice, personal injury and death cases.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions extends a warm welcome to its newest mediator, Keely Y. Scott. Ms. Scott will continue her litigation practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has successfully defended architects, engineers and contractors in litigation involving construction defects, personal injuries, property damage and errors and/or omissions arising from construction. Perry Dampf is pleased to announce Ms. Scott’s affiliation with its group.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Matthew F. Block has joined its mediation panel and is available to conduct mediations statewide. Mr. Block has practiced in the areas of commercial litigation, professional liability and personal injury, as well as served as liaison counsel to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. Mr. Block is an outstanding addition to the mediator panel.

Carey Guglielmo has joined the panel at Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions as a mediator and arbitrator for cases involving personal injury, insurance disputes, and construction litigation. After serving in the military, Mr. Guglielmo began his law practice in Baton Rouge with Kantrow, Spaht and thereafter as a partner in the firm of Guglielmo, Marks, Schutte, Terhoeve & Love. He received an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and adherence to professional standards of ethics. Perry Dampf is honored by Mr. Guglielmo’s affiliation with the firm and the strong reputation he brings to the group.

Hodge O’Neal joins the mediation panel with Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. Mr. O’Neal has recently retired from his law practice of over forty-one years. He began serving as a mediator in personal injury cases in 1995 and has served as mediator in more than 400 matters. Mr. O’Neal looks forward to serving as a neutral for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Judge H. Ward Fontenot (Ret.) has joined the mediation and arbitration panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. Judge Fontenot served for 32 years as judge of the 14th (Calcasieu) and 38th (Cameron) Parish Judicial District Courts. His experience as judge and mediator centered on maritime, mineral rights and a full range of civil litigation issues. Perry Dampf is honored by Judge Fontenot’s affiliation with the firm and the strong reputation he brings to the group.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Margaret “Peggy” Landry has been appointed a member of its mediation and arbitration panels. Ms. Landry owns and manages the architecture firm, Landry Architecture. Her practice specializes in developing coastal communities along the Gulf of Mexico. Ms. Landry also owns and manages Coastal Restorations, a heavy-construction company that provides project and construction-management services. Before starting her own architecture and construction companies, Ms. Landry, who is also a licensed attorney, was an associate with the Jones Walker Law Firm in New Orleans. Her practice focused on construction and design contracts and other general business matters. Ms. Landry handles mediations and arbitrations throughout Louisiana, with a focus on large, complex design and construction cases.

Dan Lund joins the mediation and arbitration panel of neutrals with Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. He will continue to practice with the Shields Mott Lund firm, wherein he will provide a host site for mediations in his New Orleans office. With extensive experience in construction and surety litigation, as well as contracts, insurance and products liability litigation, Mr. Lund is ideally suited for cases requiring resolution of complex business matters. Congratulations to Mr. Lund on his recent endeavor of obtaining a Masters of Theological Studies degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions extends a warm welcome to its newest mediator, Chief Justice Calogero. Pascal Calogero served as an elected justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court for 36 years, the latter 18 of which he served as Chief Justice. He is the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Loyola University College of Law. Perry Dampf is honored by Chief Justice Calogero’s affiliation with the firm.

Justice Traylor has joined the mediation panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. Justice Traylor (Ret.) was elected from the Fourth Supreme Court District and served as Supreme Court Justice from 1997 to 2009. Prior to that, Justice Traylor served as a judge of the Fifth Judicial District Court for the Parishes of Franklin, Richland and West Carroll for twelve years. He received his J.D. degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1974. Perry Dampf is privileged to have Justice Traylor affiliate with the firm.

David J. Shea, an experienced litigator, has joined the mediation panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. His practice has focused primarily on plaintiff’s personal injury law, as well as some defense in general civil litigation. Mr. Shea has extensive experience in personal injury, maritime law, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation and many other general negligence areas of the law. With 25 years of litigation experience, Mr. Shea looks forward to serving as a neutral for both plaintiffs and defendants.

We are proud to announce that Don J. Cazayoux, Jr., has joined our mediation panel. Mr. Cazayoux served as a prosecutor in Pointe Coupee Parish. In his private law practice, he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of civil disputes. He has been counsel in various class actions and actions involving significant injuries and has participated in numerous mediations. Cazayoux was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1999 and served as a state representative until May 2008. In May 2008, he was elected to the United States Congress from the 6th District. Cazayoux is an outstanding addition to the mediator panel.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions extends a warm welcome to its newest mediator, Thomas R. Juneau, Sr. Mr. Juneau will continue to practice with the Juneau David firm in Lafayette, Louisiana. Having represented both plaintiffs and defendants, Mr. Juneau has tried cases in multiple parishes in the State of Louisiana. He is already earning an excellent reputation for his instinctive capabilities at handling speed mediations. Perry Dampf is pleased to announce Mr. Juneau’s affiliation with the firm.

Judge Robert J. Burns, Sr., has joined the mediation and arbitration panel of Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions. Judge Burns (Ret.) served as a state court judge in Jefferson Parish for 18 years before his retirement in 1996. Perry Dampf is honored by Judge Burns’s affiliation with the firm and the strong reputation he brings to the mediation group.

Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions is pleased to announce that Daniel J. Balhoff has been appointed a panel member to its mediation, arbitration and special master panels. Mr. Balhoff has been approved and appointed to serve as a court appointed special master. He is a partner in the law firm of Perry Atkinson Balhoff Mengis & Burns and has over 19 years of practice in federal and state trial and appellate litigation, including complex litigation, mass torts, and class actions.