Louisiana Complex Litigation Law Firm

Keogh Cox has the experience and capacity to manage and try complex cases, including mass torts, class actions and multi-party disputes. Our lawyers have been involved in many of Louisiana’s high-profile and most contentious court cases, including matters involving:

  • Asbestos/Toxic Torts. Our lawyers have handled many high-exposure lawsuits involving asbestos, benzene, and other toxic tort claims. Because of our experience in this area of law, we are skilled at early investigation, understanding the science, management of expert witnesses, and the discernment of technical facts, which are all components of a favorable resolution.
  • Business Litigation. Our lawyers regularly represent companies in complex corporate law issues, including contract preparation, business formation, risk avoidance and litigation assistance. Our experienced lawyers use years of practical experience to protect and equip clients to operate new and existing businesses in an efficient manner. We also provide business clients with strategies to avoid or minimize exposure to litigation so that clients may focus on business operations without the distractions, costs, and time often associated with the litigation process.
  • Class Actions. These claims cover a wide variety of business issues and industry sectors.  We have handled a large volume of claims following hurricanes, floods, industrial accidents, and other catastrophic events, as well as claims arising from defective medical devices or medication.  We have also defended insurance advisers and other professional service providers against professional liability class actions.
  • Construction. We have an attorney on our team who is also a Professional Engineer. This technical “know how” assists in management of the litigation process, whether with the selection and management of technical experts or the beginning-to-end execution of a plan to deal with difficult delay, product, equipment, or other construction-related claims and disputes.
  • Hurricane LitigationOur firm has experience handling commercial and residential first-party claims resulting from hurricanes in state and federal court. Our attorneys handle all aspects of hurricane litigation, including complex case management and settlement programs, discovery, experts, trials and appeals. These claims often involve sensitive discovery issues, multiple experts, changing insurance laws, nuanced court decisions, and bad faith and extra-contractual claims. Our team approach to this area of law provides clients prompt, confident and cost-effective representation.
  • InsuranceOur firm has extensive experience handling complicated, high-exposure insurance coverage litigation at the trial and appellate levels.  These cases often arise from fires, explosions, floods, and other catastrophic losses. We represent several major insurance companies as well as provide litigation defense for the businesses they cover.
  • Environmental Litigation. Our firm represents local and national companies involved in environmental litigation, which typically includes air, ground and water contamination, injuries, ruined habitats, extraction of minerals, or the migration of chemicals, as well as environmental regulations and complex insurance issues.
  • Legacy Litigation. Our firm represents companies in the oil, gas and chemical industries in lawsuits brought by landowners seeking compensation for clean-up and other damages. In these matters, plaintiffs claim that the companies caused their property to become polluted and contaminated as a result something done in the past, often decades earlier.
  • Products liability. Our lawyers handle lawsuits involving a wide range of alleged defective products and equipment from medical devices and drug recalls to heavy industrial equipment at chemical and petrochemical plants to construction equipment.

Our litigation support, e-discovery and document management systems set us apart.  Our team is supported by an experienced staff and sophisticated technology capable of managing millions of documents. Our firm was an early adopter of a paperless file system (almost two decades ago), and we effectively use the latest technology in court filing systems, court reporting, document management and cybersecurity. These methods allow for efficient, large-scale, paperless bates-numbering and document production, and voluminous document reviews and court filings. The result – early understanding of the key facts and issues in a case, timely and substantive updates to our clients, and the ability to remain focused on the best resolution.


Experience Highlights

Mass Tort Drywall Litigation

Drywall distributors were involved in mass tort actions involving defectively manufactured drywall. Our roadmap:  We sought a resolution as part of a global settlement agreement within Multi-District Litigation. Resolution:  Our lawyers obtained dismissal of all claims through settlement or involuntary dismissal. In re Chinese Manufactured Drywall Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2047 (E.D. La.)

Oil Spill Litigation

Many commercial claimants throughout the region sought recovery of damages against multiple parties resulting from the explosion of an oil rig and massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Our roadmap:  We represented hundreds of businesses impacted by the spill, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue. Resolution:  We successfully recovered lost revenues for businesses across the Gulf Coast region.  In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, MDL No. 2179 (E.D. La.)

 Defense Verdict in Kaiser Plant Litigation

Where we started: We defended manufacturers sued for allegedly causing a catastrophic explosion of the Kaiser alumina plant in Gramercy, Louisiana, resulting in property damage and lost revenue claims estimated at nearly $500 million. Our roadmap:  The damage claims were consolidated with claims by severely injured workers and a class action on behalf of the citizens of the two parishes surrounding the plant. Given the exposure in excess of available insurance, multiple defendants settled before trial, leaving only a designer/manufacturer of electric power systems and a designer/manufacturer of electrical components as defendants for the six-week jury trial. Resolution:  The jury verdict for the defendants was named the defense verdict of the year by the National Law Journal.  In re Gramercy Plant Explosion at Kaiser, Master Docket No. 25,975, 23rd Judicial District Court, St. James Parish, Louisiana.

Bayou Corne Sinkhole Litigation

Keogh Cox represents an insurer in the Bayou Corne Sinkhole litigation pending in Louisiana’s federal and state courts.  This case involves ten separate suits, proceeding simultaneously, seeking damages resulting from the formation of a 29-acre sinkhole in Assumption Parish. The case presents complex causation theories and legal issues and a variety of substantial claimed damages, including business interruption, lost profits, personal injury and property and environmental damage.  The numerous insurance coverage issues involve the multi-layer insurance programs, such as application of various exclusionary provisions, the triggering and exhaustion of coverage, the potential for multiple occurrences and application of horizontal loss spreading and choice of law issues.

Hard Rock Hotel Litigation 

Our firm is involved in this ongoing litigation arising from the 2019 collapse of the Hard Rock hotel in New Orleans, which includes over 520 claims by workers, businesses and bystanders for wrongful death, injuries, property damage and business interruption; three class actions; disputes among the owner, contractors and insurers over contract defense, indemnity and insurance coverage and the Louisiana Anti-Indemnity Act; claims by subrogated workers compensation and property insurers; claims by the City; OSHA investigations; and bond claims. The case requires complex case management including three special masters, a plaintiff steering committee, multiple liaison counsel, evidence inspection, retention and testing protocols and production of hundreds of thousands of documents.

Hurricane Litigation 

Our firm represents insurers, brokers, agents and others in contractual and extra-contractual actions for property damage and business interruption caused to residential and commercial property by Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Ida, or other named storms. We are considered a go-to firm because of our decades of experience and depth of knowledge in the complex insurance laws and courts’ litigation/settlement administrative process used in Disaster Litigation, as well as our efficient and cost-effective approach.


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