Mr. Walter J. Leger Jr. | Attorney

Walter J. Leger, Jr., Senior Partner in the law firm of Leger & Shaw, has been notable over a long period of time as a prominent attorney in complex litigation. More particularly, Leger demonstrated his leadership in major maritime disaster cases - including the July 2008 Oil Spill on the Mississippi River, in class action litigation against the tobacco industry, and as special counsel for the Attorney General of the State of Louisiana and the Governor of the State of California. After Hurricane Katrina he was involved in the Murphy Oil Spill Litigation and represented dozens of homeowners and businesses against their insurance companies.

Also in 2008, Leger's expertise in Maritime Law was recognized when he was appointed by U. S. District Judge Lance Africk as a member of the Claimants' Steering Committee which will represent businesses and persons damaged as result of the collision of the MEL OLIVER tow and the TINTOMARA causing a massive oil spill on the Mississippi River.

A graduate of Tulane School of Law with a concentration in Maritime law, he was Managing Editor of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal and received the American Admiralty Law Institute Award. After graduation, Leger worked as an admiralty associate at the Phelps Dunbar law firm. He later formed his own firm, and his practice has been devoted to admiralty and complex litigation. Since 1981 he has been recognized as a "Proctor in Admiralty" by the Maritime Law Association of the United States He is a member of the Southeast Admiralty Law Institute, and the maritime law sections of the American Association of Justice, the Louisiana Association of Justice, and other bar organizations.

Over the years he has lectured extensively and written on maritime law and complex litigation topics at Harvard law School, Tulane Law School, Loyola Law School, the University of New Orleans, LSU Law School, and various law associations.

He has had particular experience in actions involving major collisions, numerous claims, and limitation of liability proceedings.

His career has spanned over 30 years in the litigation of individuals, businesses, port authorities, towing companies, barge owners, shipyards, and ship pilots, officers and crew. He has represented clients in the state and federal courts of Louisiana and others, and at U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board hearings.

Walter has also served as chairman of the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce five times in the last 15 years, and is a past Chairman of the Board of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chairman of the MetroVision Regional Economic Development Partnership. He currently serves as Chairman of the St. Bernard Economic Development Commission and is a member of the Executive Committee of GNO, Inc. and the Southeast Louisiana Business Council Coalition.

In addition to service as Vice-Chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Louisiana Land Trust and Co-Chair of the St. Bernard Citizen's Recovery Committee, he currently serves on the Boards of GNO, Inc., the New Orleans Bar Association, the LSU Health Science Center Foundation, the Delgado Community College Foundation, Nunez Community College, Tulane Cancer Center, LSUHSC Cancer Center, and the Director's Council of the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium.

After Hurricane Katrina, Leger was appointed by Governor Kathleen Blanco to the Louisiana Recovery Authority where he has been one of the LRA's most active members. Governor Bobby Jindal re-appointed Walter and he now serves as Vice-Chairman. He also serves as Chairman of the Louisiana Land Trust. Leger became well known as the co-host with Garland Robinette of a weekly WWL radio show on hurricane recovery issues.

He testified before a U.S. Senate Sub-Committee on Disaster Recovery whose participants included Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and then-Senator Barack Obama. Leger has appeared on behalf of the homeowners of Louisiana before five congressional and senate committees and sub-committees and met numerous times with Senate and House of Representatives staff andcommittee staffs, including the Appropriations and Finance committees, and with U.S. senators, congressmen, and editorial and news staff of the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press. He has also made appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, PBS, LPB and numerous local and national television and radio stations.

2009 New Orleans CityBusiness "Leadership in Law Hall of Fame"

2009,2008,2007 New Orleans CityBusiness "Leadership in Law"

2009,2008, 2007 "Louisiana's Super Lawyers"

2008 Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Award - U.S. Sailing Association and U. S. Coast Guard Commendation for Rescue and Lifesaving

2009 New Orleans Bar Association President's Award

2008 Louisiana Association of Justice President's Award

2007 Federal Bar Association President's Award

2007 "Ten Outstanding People", Family Services Foundation

2006 "Man of the Year" St. Bernard's Business & Professional Women's Club

2005 "Role Model" Young Leadership Counse

2005 Finalist for "Trial Lawyer of the Year" Award - Lawyer's for Public Justice Foundation.

2003 "Breath of Life Award" American Cancer Society

2006,2000 New Orleans Magazine, "People to Watch in 2006"

1982 New Orleans Magazine, "82 People to Watch in '82"

1999 "Volunteer of the Year," the Southern Economic Development Council

1999 "Volunteer of the Year," the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA)

1999 Boy Scouts of America, Southeast Louisiana Council, "The Walter J. Leger, Jr. 1999 Class of Young Americans"

1996 Citizen of the Year", St. Bernard Parish Chamber of Commerce

1994 Distinguished Community Service Award, Alliance for Good Government

Who's Who in America (1992/1993)(1994/1995)(1996/1997)

Who's Who in American Law (1987/1988) (1990/1991) (1996/1997)

Who's Who in the Southwest U.S. (1988)

Who's Who in Society (1987)

CASES OF NOTE:

MARITIME CASES:

Appointed by U.S. District Judge Lance Africk to Claimants' Steering Committee in Gabarick Mississippi River Oil Spill Case, C.A. 08-4007, U.S.D.C., E.D. La..

Appointed by Judge Peter Beer as Chairman of the Plaintiff's Committee and served as Lead Appellate Counsel in the case of The State of Louisiana, ex rel. v. M/V TESTBANK, et al, C.A. No. 80-2738, U.S.D.C., E.D.La., involving the claims of over 2,000 fishermen and businesses damaged as a result of a ship collision causing the spill of PCP into the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. The Fifth Circuit's en banc decision and its progeny continue to guide the determination of economic loss damages in maritime collision cases to this day.

Appointed by U.S. District Judge Morey Sear Co-Lead Counsel in the M/V BRIGHTFIELD/Riverwalk Disaster.

Other notable maritime cases include but are not limited to M/V INCA TUPAC collision, (U.S.D.C., E.D. La.)(Lead Counsel, collision and explosion involving numerous deaths and burns); M/V POET,(U.S.D.C., E.D.Pa.)(mysterious ship disappearance in Atlantic Ocean with 25 crew lost); M/V TEXACO NORTH DAKOTA, (U.S.D.C., E.D.La..)(fiery ship collision with post hurricane damaged oil platform); M/V MISS CHRIS/Claiborne Ave. Bridge allision and collapse; M/V LEE III/M/V ZIM MEXICO III (Collision in Southwest Pass causing deaths of entire crew and closure of river and port).

NON- MARITIME CASES:

Other notable non-maritime cases have included, the Castano Tobacco Litigation, Attorney General Tobacco Litigation, the Scott Tobacco Trial, and the Bhopal, India/Union Carbide Gas Leak litigation. The Scott trial lasted three years and is still being appealed. Breast Implant; Billeson Lead Paint Class Action; Murphy Oil Refinery Spill Litigation; Educational Testing Service Class Action/MDL