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About Us

With more than 70 attorneys, BSW firm is among the largest firms in Louisiana and one of the larger law firms in the South.

Established in 1928 in Baton Rouge, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. (“BSW”) is one of the oldest law firms in the state of Louisiana. We take great pride in our long history of client service. With more than 70 attorneys, the firm is among the largest firms in the state and one of the larger law firms in the South. BSW’s clients range from individuals and start-up companies, to Fortune 500 corporations, governmental entities and not-for-profit institutions.

Further, one of the hallmarks of the firm is its devotion to providing the highest quality of legal services to our clients in a manner consistent with their objectives and cost concerns and in a personalized environment that facilitates the mutual trust and respect necessary for a successful attorney-client relationship. The firm continually achieves this objective by implementing an integrated team approach. This team approach enables clients to call upon the guidance of any and all of our attorneys whose experience in various legal and business matters spans many disciplines. In this manner, we are able to provide our clients with specific and in-depth advice that they require in order to achieve their goals.

Since the firm was established, two standards have remained constant: to strive for legal excellence and to be involved in the communities in which we work and live. The members of our firm have served or now serve as presidents, directors, and officers of community and business organizations. Past and present members of our firm have served the city and state as appointed or elected officials. BSW attorneys are active in Bar Activities, having served as officers and directors in the American, Louisiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans Bar Associations. Our attorneys have been leaders in numerous business associations serving as Chairs of the Board of Directors of local Chambers of Commerce and the State Chamber of Commerce. The firm maintains a staff of highly trained legal assistants, including Certified Public Accountants, and our employees use the most advanced systems and equipment available to deliver an effective and economical legal product with a focus on client service.

Simply stated, our primary focus is growing and protecting each client’s business. We routinely advise businesses on numerous operational and ownership issues, assisting them in anticipating issues that may be encountered in pursuing their business and corporate strategies. Whether it is negotiating contracts, advising on management restructures or assisting in the purchase or sale of a business, our attorneys possess the skill set to help our clients achieve their goals.

 
 
Best Law Firms - U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers®  
Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, L.L.P. has been ranked in the 2018 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" list regionally in 27 practice areas.

Firms included in the 2018 "Best Law Firms" list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

The 2018 Edition of "Best Law Firms" includes rankings in 74 national practice areas and 122 metropolitan-based practice areas. One "Law Firm of the Year" is named in each of the 74 nationally ranked practice areas.

Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.

Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, L.L.P. received the following rankings in the 2018 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms":

Metropolitan Tier 1
Baton Rouge

  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Law
  • Family Law
  • Government Relations Practice
  • Health Care Law
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Litigation - Tax
  • Tax Law

New Orleans

  • Litigation - Labor & Employment

Metropolitan Tier 2
Baton Rouge

  • Banking and Finance L
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Employment Law - Individuals
  • Litigation - Construction
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Trademark Law
  • Workers' Compensation Law - Employers 

New Orleans

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Real Estate
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Metropolitan Tier 3
Baton Rouge

  • Labor Law - Management
  • Real Estate Law
New Orleans
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Litigation - Real Estate
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Securities / Capital Markets Law

About Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, L.L.P.

BSW was founded in Baton Rouge in 1928. Today, BSW is a multi-specialty law firm with 70 attorneys serving the legal and business needs of people and companies throughout Louisiana. The firm has offices in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Best Lawyers  
Thirty lawyers from Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018 (Copyright 2017 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

Baton Rouge, LA

  • John T. Andrishok— Construction Law
  • Robert L. Atkinson—Banking and Finance Law
  • Robert T. Bowsher—Tax Law
  • Jude C. Bursavich—Commercial Litigation
  • David R. Cassidy—Litigation & Controversy – Tax; Tax Law
  • David M. Charlton—Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Cullen J. Dupuy—Litigation – Insurance
  • Murphy J. Foster, III—Construction Law; Labor Law – Management; Litigation - Construction
  • Gregory D. Frost—Government Relations Practice; Health Care Law
  • Judith W. Giorlando—Health Care Law
  • Emily Black Grey—Health Care Law
  • Paul M. Hebert, Jr.—Family Law
  • Scott N. Hensgens—Trademark Law; Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Michael R. Hubbell—Real Estate Law; Commercial Transactions/UCC Law
  • David R. Kelly—Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Insurance; Insurance Law
  • Van R. Mayhall, III—Corporate Law
  • Van Mayhall, Jr.—Business Organizations(including LLCs and Partnerships); Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law; Corporate Compliance Law; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Government Relations Practice; Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy); Litigation - Securities; Litigation and Controversy - Tax; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Reinsurance Law
  • Trenton J. Oubre—Workers' Compensation Law - Employers; Litigation – Insurance
  • James R. Raines—Family Law
  • Claude F. Reynaud, Jr.—Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Antitrust; Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Jerry L. Stovall, Jr —Employment Law - Individuals
  • Thomas R. Temple, Jr.—Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Insurance
  • B. Troy Villa—Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Stephen R. Whalen—Litigation – Insurance
  • Douglas K. Williams—Transportation Law; Litigation – Insurance

New Orleans, LA

  • Thomas M. Benjamin—Commercial Litigation; Litigation- Securities; Securities / Capital Markets Law
  • Alan H. Goodman—Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation - Real Estate; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Eve B. Masinter—Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Richard G. Passler—Commercial Litigation
American Bar Association Health Law Section’s Top 10 List  
Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P.'s Healthcare team was recognized in the Health Law Section of the American Bar Association's Health Law's Top 10 list. The Fourth Annual Regional Law Firms Recognitions recognizes the largest health law firms by geographic region based on lawyer membership in the Health Law Section. The full list can be viewed here.
American Health Lawyers Association  
American Health Lawyers Association recognized BSW as having one of the top healthcare teams in the country and in Louisiana with 100% involvement. The American Health Lawyers Association bases its ranking by the number of AHLA members each law firm has enrolled in the association; this includes attorneys, paralegals and non-paralegals. BSW is proud to have all 11 members of its health law practice group as members of AHLA.
Chambers  
Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. is pleased to announce that it received high rankings for five practice areas and had fifteen attorneys listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Louisiana.

The BSW Practice Areas listed in the 2017 edition of Chambers USA include:

  • Construction 
  • Gaming & Licensing 
  • Healthcare 
  • Labor & Employment 
  • Litigation: General Commercial 
The BSW attorneys listed in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA include:
  • John T. Andrishok—Construction
  • Robert L. Atkinson—Healthcare
  • Thomas M Benjamin—Gaming & Licensing
  • David R. Cassidy—Corporate/M&A: Tax
  • Clay J. Countryman—Healthcare
  • Murphy J. Foster, III—Construction and Labor & Employment
  • Gregory D. Frost—Healthcare
  • Alan H Goodman—Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • Emily Black Grey - Healthcare
  • Richard D. Leibowitz—Banking & Finance: Public Finance
  • Steven B. Loeb—Construction
  • Eve B. Masinter—Labor & Employment
  • Van R. Mayhall, Jr.—Corporate/M&A
  • E. Fredrick Preis, Jr.—Labor & Employment
  • Claude F. Reynaud, Jr.—Litigation: General Commercial
Chambers USA ranks the leading firms and lawyers in an extensive range of practice areas throughout America. The research is in-depth and client focused and the guide is read by industry-leading companies and organizations throughout the US and worldwide. To access the Chambers USA online directory, go to www.chambersandpartners.com/usa.

Super Lawyers  
Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. (BSW) is pleased to announce that 15 attorneys have been named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers and five attorneys have been named Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers—Baton Rouge

New Orleans

Rising Stars-Baton Rouge Rising Stars-New Orleans

Modern Healthcare  
Modern Healthcare lists BSW as one of the 'Largest Healthcare Law Firms' in the country, ranked 63 on a list of 69. The survey ranking methodology is based on a blended score: Sum of 50% weight from data collected in the survey (number of healthcare lawyers) and 50% weight of American Health Lawyers Association membership from each firm.
Top Lawyers - New Orleans Magazine  
Thomas M. Benjamin, Peter J. Butler, Alan H. Goodman, Michael C. Luquet, Eve B. Masinter, Richard G. Passler, E. Fredrick Preis, Jr., and Lydia H. Toso were named "Top Lawyers of New Orleans" by New Orleans Magazine.
Best Places to Work  
BSW is proud to be named one of the Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge 2015.

 

    

Breazeale embraces diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in our firm and throughout the legal profession. We recruit, develop, and promote attorneys and staff that share our inclusive values and who reflect the diversity of our community and the clients we represent and serve, through the following:

Diversity & Inclusion Committee

This committee is charged with recommending specific actions that may be taken by our firm to support our commitment to diversity and inclusion both internally and in the local communities.

We also work to foster an internally inclusive environment by implementing practices that:

  • Encourage mutual respect and appreciation for those with different perspectives and backgrounds.
  • Assist in the professional development and retention of our lawyers and professional staff from all backgrounds equally.
  • Active participation in diverse professional organizations such as the National Bar Association (2022 National Bar Association Conference Pictures)

Diversity Scholarships and Fellowship

Our firm is committed to building an environment where the individual differences of others are respected, understood, and celebrated within our firm and our profession. Our differences are what strengthen us as a team and allow us to provide exceptional service and representation.

With that in mind, we sponsor scholarships at Paul M. Hebert Law Center and Southern University Law Center that are available to students who are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession.

The BSW Bridge Fellowship allows second-year law students an opportunity to spend the Fall semester as a Law Clerk in the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale and the Spring semester working in-house with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System's (FMOL) legal department. Fellowship is designed for second-year (2L) law students with a demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their communities and/or the legal profession. The application can be found here.

Mentoring

We recognize that the practice of law is a relationship-based profession within the firm, the community and throughout the profession, so new attorneys are paired with peer and partner mentors to facilitate and encourage this process. Additionally, because our firm is organized into different practice groups that primarily, but not exclusively, focus on discrete areas of practice, all attorneys find themselves operating in a group that assures their participation in the operational side of practice.

Community Engagement & Outreach

We have always shown a strong commitment to giving back to the communities we serve. Whether it is serving on the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations, making contributions of time to worthwhile causes, or picking up a paintbrush and hammer to help others in need, our attorneys are dedicated to serving the communities in which they live and work. Our commitment to the community goes beyond our legal practice, and we are continuously seeking new opportunities to give and grow.

Women's Affinity Group

Our internal affinity group, BSWomen, cultivates support, leadership, and advancement of female lawyers at the firm. As leaders across the firm and in the communities we serve, BSWomen focuses on developing new community and professional opportunities for our members. BSWomen is open to all female lawyers — from first-year associates to senior partners.

Attorneys