Mr. Matthew S. Almon
Member
Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, LLC
Matt Almon concentrates his practice in the areas of estate and fiduciary litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, and employment disputes. He has worked on landmark cases in New Orleans, including successfully defending against an interdiction suit and related multi-jurisdictional legal proceedings designed to wrest control of a national sports franchise from a prominent Louisiana businessman and work on behalf of Dorignac’s Food Center, which culminated in the family heirs regaining control of the iconic store. Matt has also successfully defended clients against trademark infringement claims, breach of contract claims and assertions of unfair employment practices.

Matt currently sits on the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association's Board of Directors, serves on the firm's Management Committee, and is co-chair of the firm's Recruiting Committee.

Matt also regularly provides pro-bono legal services through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana's Civil Pro Bono Counsel Panel.

Mr. Jason R. Anders
Anders Law Firm, LLC
Jason Anders represents individual and business clients in litigation, compliance and business transactions.

Jason R. Anders, MBA, Attorney-At-Law, represents clients in legal matters that range from small contractual disputes to complex commercial litigation. When preliminary legal actions do not produce the desired outcome, Mr. Anders represents his clients -- both defendants and plaintiffs – in the discovery, trial and appeals process.

Ms. Jessica Bach
Sessions, Fishman & Nathan, LLC
Jessica Bach joined Sessions, Fishman & Nathan, L.L.C. in 2020 and practices primarily in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Special Needs Planning and Real Estate. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as an attorney in the areas of Estate Planning, Business Transactions, and Criminal Law. Jessica also has an extensive background in Real Estate Law, including closing residential and commercial Real Estate transactions.

Jessica received her law degree from Tulane University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California – Los Angeles. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, New Orleans Estate Planning Council, the Association of Women Attorneys and is the Co-Chair of the UCLA Alumni of New Orleans.

Professor Elizabeth R. Carter
LSU Law Center
Professor Elizabeth R. Carter is the A.N. Yiannopoulos Professor of Law and the Judge Anthony J. Graphia & Jo Ann Graphia Professor of Law at the Louisiana State University Law Center, where she teaches and writes in the areas of trusts & estates, tax, family law, and comparative law. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at the Law Center, Professor Carter teaches the courses in Federal Gift and Estate Tax and in Estate Planning in the University of Alabama’s LL.M. program in taxation. She is also an Academic Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Ms. Katherine L. DeBlanc
Associate
Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, LLC
Katie DeBlanc concentrates her practice in trusts and estates. She joined Stone Pigman in 2023 after graduating cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where she was a member of the Loyola Law Review. She gained legal experience working as a summer associate for Stone Pigman where she drafted memoranda regarding trust protectors, lease disputes, and shareholder liability after revocation of a corporate charter.

Ms. Layne C. Fincher
Associate
Jones Walker LLP
Layne focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, assisting clients with the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents. She also works with clients in succession matters and is involved in the preparation of US estate tax and gift tax returns, as well as other tax-related work.

Layne is a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law, where she received her juris doctor degree and her Master of Laws in taxation, with a concentration in estate planning, summa cum laude. During law school, Layne was a senior editor for the Alabama Law Review, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and earned CALI Awards in Unincorporated Business Entities, Tax Procedure, International Tax, and Taxation of Trusts and Estates.

While earning her law degrees, Layne served as a research assistant for Professor Adam Steinman and as a judicial intern to the Honorable L. Scott Coogler of the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Layne is also a graduate of Louisiana State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in accounting, summa cum laude, along with the distinction of University Medalist. While earning her Master of Accountancy degree, Layne served as a graduate assistant at LSU and as an intern for the national accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Layne is a licensed certified public accountant in Louisiana.

Ms. Laura E. Fine
Sessions Fishman & Nathan, LLC
Laura Fine is a partner of the law firm of Sessions Fishman & Nathan, LLC. Laura received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Centenary College of Louisiana in her hometown of Shreveport in 2001. Laura graduated with her J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California in 2006. She then attended Tulane University Law School and received her LL.M degree in Comparative and International Law in 2007. She joined Lehmann, Norman, & Marcus in August of 2008 and Sessions Fishman & Nathan in January 2021. Her concentration is in the fields of estate planning, estate administration, and business law. She is admitted to practice in California and Louisiana. She is board certified as a specialist in Estate Planning and Administration from the Louisiana State Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy through the American College, and an Accredited Estate Planner through the National Association of Estate Planning Councils. She is a board member of the New Orleans Planned Giving Council and a board member of the New Orleans Estate Planning Council. She was also named a SuperLawyers Rising Star in 2016 and 2017.

Mr. John A. Hotard
Jones Walker LLP
Hobie counsels high net worth individuals, families, and closely held businesses on estate and trust planning, business succession planning, tax compliance, and the potential impact of new and emerging tax legislation.

Hobie works with clients to prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and marital property agreements. He also works with clients in succession matters and advises them on preparation of federal gift and estate tax returns.

Hobie understands the highly sensitive nature of business succession planning and helps clients identify their unique goals, negotiate parties’ complex needs and interests, and navigate changes in control — all with the goal of preserving wealth and helping ensure business longevity. He also works with family offices and foundations to establish and administer charitable giving plans.

While in law school, in addition to clerking as a summer associate at Jones Walker, Hobie served as a judicial extern to the Honorable James L. Dennis of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also worked as an audit intern at the largest accounting and business advisory firm based in Louisiana. Hobie is a licensed certified public accountant in Louisiana.

Mr. Jacob M Kantrow
Butler Snow LLP
Jacob Kantrow is a member of Butler Snow’s Business Services Group and focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and general corporate law. Jacob has experience representing a wide-array of clients in M&A transactions, on both the buy-side and the sell-side, and other transactional matters, including private equity firms, national home health and hospice providers, regional telecommunication providers, regional nursing home providers, physician organizations, hospital systems, and hospitality companies. Jacob is AV® Peer Review rated by Martindale-Hubbel, has been recognized as SuperLawyers® Louisiana Rising Star, and Best Lawyers in America® in Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. He earned his A.B. at Princeton University in 2003 and his J.D at Louisiana State University in 2007 at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

Mr. Justin T. Mannino
Partner
Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP
http://www.taylorporter.com
Practicing law since 2013, Taylor Porter Special Counsel Justin T. Mannino represents individuals and businesses in the areas of federal, state and local taxation; multigenerational estate planning; numerous business and corporate governance and ownership matters; successions; and trusts.

Justin works with individuals and families to prepare estate plans and implement wills, powers of attorney and to establish trust instruments [grantor trusts, multigenerational trusts, and grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs)]. Justin also advises clients regarding the structure of multi-generational wealth conservation plans to effectively access the exemptions for the gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes and to transfer intra-family wealth with minimal transfer tax cost and without disruption of business operations. He also handles will contests and disputes, the implementation of wealth conservation plans, and the administration of estates and trusts. Justin offers advice to executors in executing his or her duties as administrator and properly administering complex estates. Justin frequently presents at CLE seminars on the topics of estate planning, successions and federal taxation. Justin is a member of the Baton Rouge Estate and Business Planning Council.

Justin regularly advises clients concerning business and personal financial transactions, including developing the tax structure for sales, mergers or acquisitions of businesses, and drafting buy-sell agreements, asset or stock purchase agreements, operating agreements, or other corporate governance instruments. He provides business planning for closely-held corporations, and provides tax advice for matters from formation to liquidation.

Justin’s additional representative matters and experience include:

Representation of various business owners, including closely-held businesses, in evaluating the best tax structure for sale or purchase of businesses.
Handling large-scale federal and state tax controversies with the Internal Revenue Service and Louisiana Department of Revenue.
Representation of clients in the formation of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and foundations, including application for tax exempt status with the IRS, and providing advice to nonprofit entities on formation, corporate governance, tax exemption, and compliance with tax-exempt law.
Representation of businesses in corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions, in particular a multi-million dollar merger of a fumigation company which had footholds nationally with a publically-traded corporation.

Justin was a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association Leadership Class of 2016-2017. He is an active member of both the LSBA and the Baton Rouge Bar Association. Justin has been a member of the LSBA Ethics Committee since 2017.

Justin received his J.D./D.C.L. cum laude from Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University in 2013. During his time at LSU Law, Justin served as the SBA Executive President and as the student member of the LSU Board of Supervisors (2012-2013). After LSU Law, Justin continued his legal education at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he graduated with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation in 2014. Justin also received a B.S. in Accounting in 2010 from the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University.

A Baton Rouge native, Justin is a 2006 graduate of Catholic High School, Baton Rouge. In the community, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Catholic High School Alumni Association. Justin chairs the worship committee for St. Aloysius Catholic Church.

Mrs. Stacey L. Meyaski
Wallace Meyaski, LLC
Stacey is a founding partner of Wallace Meyaski. A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Stacey graduated from Mt. Carmel Academy and Loyola University before attending law school at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and graduating in 2001. Upon graduation, Stacey served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert A. Buckley in the 34th Judicial District Court, then worked in the private sector, with extensive experience in the civil as well as the criminal practice of law.

Stacey’s knowledge and expertise encompasses all aspects of the firm’s practice as well as a broad range of trial experience, having participated in countless bench and jury trials at all stages of litigation. She has spent countless hours in the courtroom, experiencing firsthand what it takes to prevail in court. As a problem solver and trusted counselor, Stacey focuses on individual client needs as well as corporate matters on local, national and international levels. Stacey’s goal is to provide each and every client with the best legal representation and exceptional, personalized service.

Stacey is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, and the 34th Judicial District Court Bar Association, currently serving as Secretary on the Executive Board. She is involved in many social and community organizations, currently serving as a Board Member for the St. Dominic School Mother’s Club. She is married to Grenes J. Meyaski II and they have three children, Annelise, Abby, and Tripp.

Mr. John C. Overby
Member
Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, LLC
John Overby is an Estate Planning and Administration Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. His practice focuses on estate planning, taxation planning, wills and trusts, employment law and general business consulting. He also advises clients on marital agreements, powers of attorney, living wills, special needs trusts, family wealth transfers and the administration of decedents' estates.

In his free time, John performs pro bono work through the Pro Bono Project. He previously served on the Board of Governors for the Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy, a charter school that once provided online learning opportunities to at-risk children.