Yul D. Lorio | Attorney

Yul Lorio is presently a Partner in the law firm of Middleberg, Riddle & Gianna with offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Dallas. Yul has been practicing law throughout Louisiana with offices in Southwest Louisiana for two decades. From 1990 to 1997, Yul was a partner in the firm founded by Governor Sam Houston Jones in Lake Charles. In 1997, Yul founded and managed the Lake Charles office of a large statewide law firm. In February, 2003, Yul entered solo practice and then soon became a founding partner of the law firm of Doucet Lorio, LLC. Yul has represented individuals, businesses, contractors and chemical and industrial companies, in a wide variety of litigation matters. Yul is a widely respected negotiator, litigation strategist and civil mediator. He continues to represent individuals, businesses and industries across the region in both personal injury and business related claims. He has served as regional counsel to Fortune 500 companies, and has coordinated the joint defense of industry-wide complex litigation.
Yul has particular experience in litigation involving automobile and 18 wheeler accidents, business disputes, toxic mold exposure claims, propane and electrical fires, industrial personal injury claims, workers' compensation claims, benzene, butadiene, vinyl chloride, silica and asbestos toxic tort litigation, and industry-wide conspiracy claims. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber Southwest.

Yul's Christian faith is an integral part of his law practice and family life.  He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church, and is a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and is active in the ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology and Service) movement.
Education: Yul graduated from Opelousas Catholic High School in 1983 as an Honors Student, and then earned his degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 1987 and his Juris Doctorate from the LSU Law Center in 1990.  While obtaining his business degree from LSU, Yul majored in Finance and focused further in the areas of Economics and Quantitative Business Analysis.

Admissions:
Yul was admitted to the bar in Louisiana in 1990, and then to the U.S. District Court, Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana, as well as the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal.
 
Faculty and Publications:
Yul serves on various faculties teaching trial advocacy to both law students and practicing lawyers; teaching them how to properly take a case through trial.  Yul is an accomplished oral advocate, and trains other professionals in the areas of direct and cross examination, opening statements and closing arguments. He is a member of the faculties of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy Gulf Coast Regional Program (2000 to present); LSU Trial Advocacy Training Program (2000 to present); Louisiana Association of Defense Council (1999 to present).

Yul has authored articles and lectured at various seminars including, Emerging Issues in Louisiana Indoor Air Quality and Toxic Mold Litigation; Sterling Education Services, Water Intrusion and Toxic Mold Claims; and Evolution of Toxic Tort Litigation in Southwest Louisiana. Yul has also been a Guest Lecturer, Small Business Development, McNeese State University.

Representative Clients: (past and present)
CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Port Aggregates Inc., Southwest Materials Inc., Tenneco, Monsanto, Chemical Manufactures Association, Calgon Carbon, Lyondell Chemical Company, Equistar, GenCorp, Inc., Goodyear, Shell Oil Company, SASOL North America, CONOCO, Inc., Dow Chemical Company, Southern Indoor Football League, Louisiana Swashbucklers, L.L.C., Neurospine Solutions, Sigma Aldrich, Inc., General Electric.
 
Community Service:
2002 Chairman, Board of Directors, the Chamber/Southwest Louisiana
2002 Chairman, Board of Directors, the Foundation Southwest
Past Vice-Chairman, Government Affairs, Board of Directors, the Chamber/Southwest Louisiana
1998 to 2004, Secretary of the Board of Directors, Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance.
Past Commissioner, Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau
Graduate, Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) Leadership Louisiana, 2000
Graduate, Leadership Southwest Program, Chamber Southwest, 1994
Member, Knights of Columbus, Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish
2004 to present, Member of Board of Directors, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
Past Member Calcasieu Human Resource Managers Association
Past President of Board of Directors, Volunteer Center of Southwest Louisiana
Past Member, Board of Directors of the OLQH Family Life Community Center
Past Statewide Co-Vice Chairman, Legislative Affairs, Louisiana Chemical Alliance
Past Member, Leadership Development Committee, the Chamber/Southwest Louisiana
Recognized in the Times of Lake Charles Top 40 under 40 in 1998