- Divorce
- Child SupportLegal issues that involve your family can be particularly stressful and emotional. Our attorneys understand the complexities of family law and guide our clients through each step as efficiently as possible. We also understand that each situation, like each family, is unique and requires a tailored plan. Our experienced attorneys specialize in child support and custody, divorces, community property, and a range of prenuptial and post-divorce legal issues. Our expertise in closely-held businesses gives us a unique edge when confronted with complicated family issues affecting a family business. From prenuptial agreements to partitioning a family-owned business, we walk our clients through each step with compassion and sensitivity, in addition to legal expertise.
- Premarital Agreement
- Corporate LawBusinesses today face unprecedented challenges as to competitors, customers, employees, and governmental authorities. Our Corporate Litigation and Business Transactions Group provides the legal services necessary for our clients to meet and overcome these challenges. We counsel our clients in all phases of entity formation, governance, operations, succession planning, and mergers and acquisitions. We provide the following comprehensive legal services to our clients...
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Formation
- Business Disputes
- Business Transactions
- Limited Liability CompaniesOur clients range from individual taxpayers and small business owners to large corporations and complex family-held entities. We work in partnership with our clients to achieve their personal and business goals by developing innovative strategies to maximize tax benefits while minimizing potential risks. We also provide exceptional representation in tax controversies and litigation. Our highly regarded attorneys hold advanced degrees and certifications, including Masters in Tax Law (L.L.M. in Taxation) and board certifications in tax law and estate planning certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. We guide our business clients through every stage of development, from initial formation through mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, transfers, and expansion into new markets. We continually monitor changes in tax law to educate our clients to make smart decisions about the future. For businesses that are just getting started, we examine the tax advantages and disadvantages of various entity structures, including corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, syndications, and trusts.
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual Property
- Workers Compensation
- Wrongful TerminationOur Employment Law Group handles a broad scope of employer liability matters. We defend employers in all areas of employer-employee relations, including discrimination, wrongful discharge, sexual harassment, unemployment compensation, wage-pay, and application of public and private whistle-blower statutes.
- Employment DiscriminationBlue Williams has an exemplary record litigating employment-related cases on behalf of our clients. Our team of attorneys has handled thousands of workers’ compensation claims under both the state and federal workers’ compensation schemes. The broad range of our representation includes the defense of employers in wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, and sexual harassment claims brought in state and federal courts.
- Employment ContractOur highly capable and experienced attorneys audit and prepare employment policy and procedure manuals, including drug testing, pre-employment physical and background checks, and the necessary ERISA, FMLA, FLSA and HIPAA policies. We are well-versed in the drafting, review and negotiation of employment contracts, including the use of non-competition, non-solicitation, trade secret, invention, copyright, trademark, and severance agreements. We have a tremendous record litigating cases in state and federal courts and appear regularly in administrative proceedings. Our employment clients are international, national, state, and local employers, including many of the state’s largest private employers.
- Non-compete Agreement
- Severance Agreement
- Sexual Harassment
- Premises LiabilityBlue Williams still devotes significant resources to representing insurers, businesses and homeowners in the defense of premises liability claims. The firm was founded on assisting large retailers and commercial and residential property owners with slip and fall cases, falling merchandise, building code issues, sidewalks, stairways, and premises defects. We helped shape the jurisprudence and write the laws on Louisiana’s Merchant Liability Statute. From landlord/tenant disputes to recreational land use immunity to condominium issues, our general casualty litigation team has the experience needed to investigate and resolve any premises-related claim.
- Construction LitigationOur Construction Law Group has decades of experience with contractors and insurers, which we utilize to assist our clients with all areas of construction law. We have a thorough understanding of issues that arise before, during and after a project. We represent commercial and residential contractors, sub-contractors, developers, design professionals, product manufacturers, material suppliers, property owners and insurers, builders, engineers, and architects.
- Land Use and Zoning
- Property Damage
- Personal InjuryOur Automobile and Trucking Group handles all aspects of automobile liability, including bodily injury (third party and UM), property damage, and subrogation claims. We handle more than just routine transportation accident and injury litigation – we also excel in defending complex personal injury and death claims. Our litigators use cutting-edge investigation methods, forensic medical and scientific developments, and evidentiary trends to equip our clients with the most efficient defenses. We also engage competent and skilled experts to successfully defend causation issues and to scrutinize post-accident medical treatment, including life care plans. Finally, we provide risk-management advice to clients regarding safety protocols, pre- and post-incident best practices, and pre-litigation representation to resolve disputes early on, avoiding costly litigation.
- Medical MalpracticeBlue Williams’ Professional Liability Group represents a large number of professionals practicing in a broad range of occupations. We represent physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, and all of the major medical malpractice insurance carriers in the region. We represent clients in civil litigation, licensing, and regulatory matters, and we provide counseling in all areas of professional liability.
- Estate PlanningEstate and succession planning can be a complex matter, especially in light of continually evolving policies enacted by Congress. Our team has developed plans that simplify and personalize the process to meet the needs of each client. Our estate planning attorneys fulfill estate planning objectives with an eye toward minimizing taxes at the state and federal levels. We specialize in the preparation of wills, special need trusts, life insurance trusts, marital agreements, powers of attorney, and other related estate planning documents.
- WillsWe handle all aspects of the probate process, including the drafting of succession documents to appoint the executor/administrator, filing of the will, preparation of a sworn descriptive list identifying all assets owned by the decedent and their date of death value, and the Petition and Judgment of Possession, which places the heirs into possession of the estate assets. We assist clients with preparing federal estate tax returns if desired, as well as oversee the collection of non-probate assets, including life insurance and retirement account proceeds. We also represent successions, estates, litigation of successions, and wills and trusts with regard to any contested issues that may arise.
- TrustsBlue Williams is a multi-specialty law firm serving the entire Gulf South region with offices in New Orleans, Metairie, Mandeville, and Houston. Our attorneys have provided effective and efficient representation in litigation and other complex legal matters for close to 40 years. Blue Williams was founded on strong partnerships that have broadened and flourished over time, building a stable framework and vibrant firm culture. We are constantly evolving to serve our clients, whose success and needs are paramount. Blue Williams has experience across a broad range of industries, fields, and professions. The firm specializes in areas including business and commerce, family law, tax, trusts and estates, health care, professional liability and medical malpractice defense, labor and employment law, toxic torts, government and municipal liability, products and premises liability, construction, ADR and insurance litigation and coverage. Blue Williams provides high-caliber legal representation while still providing value to our clients. Keeping our clients’ best interests at the forefront of what we do is the cornerstone of our practice.
- Power of Attorney
- Probate
- Tax Law