Professor Benjamin S. Allums
Assistant Professor
Loyola University College of Law
Professor Ben Allums joined the Loyola law faculty in 2023 following a sixteen-year career focused on maritime law. Professor Allums graduated Order of the Coif from Tulane University Law School in 2007, where he earned the Charles Kolhmeyer, Jr. Award as the outstanding graduate in maritime law. Upon graduation, Professor Allums clerked for the Honorable Pascal F. Calogero, Jr. of the Louisiana Supreme Court. He then entered private practice as an associate with Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis and Eagan, LLC.

In 2011, Professor Allums was tapped by the Honorable Carl J. Barbier of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to serve as his law clerk on Multidistrict Litigation No. 2179, In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. Professor Allums worked on the sprawling Deepwater Horizon litigation for ten years, then shifted to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to clerk for the Honorable W. Eugene Davis. In 2022, Professor Allums joined the law firm of Liskow & Lewis in New Orleans, where he practiced maritime law.

Professor Allums teaches courses in maritime law and federal civil procedure.

Hon. Carl J. Barbier
US District Court Eastern District
The Honorable Carl J. Barbier currently serves as a senior judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. Judge Barbier took the oath of office as an active district judge on October 12, 1998. As of January 1, 2023, he assumed senior status on the court.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Barbier was a practicing attorney in New Orleans since 1971, primarily representing plaintiffs, consumers and small businesses in civil litigation. He earned his law degree with honors in 1970 from Loyola College of Law, where he was associate
editor of the Loyola Law Review. He served as law clerk to Judge William Redmann, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, and to Judge Fred Cassibry, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.

Judge Barbier is a past president of the New Orleans Bar Association and formerly served as president of the Thomas More Inn of Court. He previously served for over twenty years on the Board of the Federal Bar Association, New Orleans Chapter. Judge Barbier is a past
president of the Louisiana Association for Justice (formerly Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), a past member of the House of Delegates of the Louisiana State Bar Association, and a fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation.

Judge Barbier has served on the board of the Loyola Law Alumni Association for the past twenty years. Judge Barbier has served as an adjunct faculty member for Loyola’s law school, teaching for several years a course in Trial Advocacy in his courtroom. More recently, he taught
courses in Comparative Maritime Law for Loyola’s summer law school programs. In addition, Judge Barbier has taught hundreds of legal educational programs, including skills courses at the law school.

In 2010, Judge Barbier was appointed to handle the multi-district litigation arising out of the BP-Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It has been described as the largest accidental oil spill in history and the largest environmental multi-district litigation, ultimately involving hundreds of thousands of claims for damages by individuals and businesses, as well as federal, state and local governments.

Hon. John W. deGravelles
District Judge
US District Court Middle District
The Honorable John W. deGravelles currently serves as judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. He received his BA degree from Louisiana State University in 1971 and graduated from Louisiana State University Law School with honors (Order of the Coif) in 1974. From 1974 until he took the bench in 2014, deGravelles had a distinguished career as a civil litigator specializing in maritime law, products liability and medical malpractice. He was a founding partner in the firm of deGravelles, Palmintier, Holthaus and Fruge. deGravelles was the President of the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association (now the Louisiana Association for Justice), a Member of the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice, President of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, President of the George McMahon Inn of Court, and admitted as a Fellow in both the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and Litigation Council of America. deGravelles has been a member of the Adjunct Faculty at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center since 1994, teaching Maritime Personal Injury, Pre-Trial Litigation and Advanced Litigation. He currently teaches Federal Courts. He has been a regular faculty member of Tulane Law School’s Summer Session in Rhodes, Greece since 1993, teaching Maritime Torts. In 2001, he was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Scholarship to teach American Maritime Private International Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Law School in Thessaloniki, Greece. He has written and lectured extensively in the areas of maritime law, trial practice and procedure, including lectures in St. Petersburg, Russia, Odesa, Ukraine, Athens, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey. In 2014, he was nominated by President Barak Obama to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana and was confirmed by the United States Senate on a vote of 100-0.

Hon. Shelly D. Dick
Chief Judge
US District Court Middle District
The Honorable Shelly Dick was confirmed as a US district judge for the Middle District of Louisiana in 2013 and became chief judge in July 2018. She is the first female judge to serve in the district. Before joining the bench, Judge Dick worked in private practice handling a wide variety of cases in both state and federal courts and before administrative tribunals. She has also served as an ad hoc hearing officer appointed by the Louisiana Workforce Commission to hear worker's compensation cases and other administrative matters. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her law degree from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

Mr. Kenneth G. Engerrand
President and Director
Brown Sims, PC
http://brownsims.com
Kenneth G. Engerrand practices law as President of Brown Sims, P.C. in its Houston, Texas office and teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center. For the past 47 years he has lectured on legal subjects in courses and seminars presented by The University of Texas, Tulane University, The University of Houston, Louisiana State University, Loyola University, South Texas College of Law, and The University of St. Thomas, as well as to meetings and seminars presented for The United States Department of Labor, The State Bar of Texas, The State Bar of Louisiana, The International Association of Drilling Contractors, The Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, The National Association of Marine Surveyors, The International Transportation Management Association, the Houston Claims Association, and a host of other groups.

Mr. Engerrand earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Florida State University and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law, and he is a member of many professional organizations, including the Maritime Law Association, American and Houston Bar Associations, Defense Research Institute, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Order of the Coif, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Delta Phi, Mariners Club, Propeller Club, State Bar of Texas and the Texas Bar Foundation. He supports a number of civic, industry, and charitable groups and serves as President of the Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation.

Mr. Engerrand has written extensively, and his publications include: Maritime Oilfield Contracts Reconsidered, 41 Hous. J. Int’l Law 241 (2019); Escape from the Labyrinth: Call for the Admiralty Judges of the Supreme Court to Reconsider Seaman Status, 40 Hous. J. Int’l Law 741 (2018); Collateral Source Issues in Maintenance and Cure Cases, 42 Tul. Mar. L.J. 1 (2017); Removal of Admiralty Suits, 41 Tul. Mar. L. J. 1 (2016); Admiralty Jury Trials Reconsidered, 12 Loy. Mar. L.J. 73 (2013); The Relationship Among General Maritime Law, OPA, and OCSLA, 25 U. San. Fran. Mar. L.J. 253 (2013); Vessel Status Reconsidered, 11 Loy. Mar. L.J. 213 (2013); Forum Selection and Arbitration Clauses in Seamen’s Injury Claims, 11 Loy. Mar. L.J. 109 (2012); Indemnity for Gross Negligence in Maritime Oilfield Contracts, 10 Loy. Mar. L.J. 319 (2012); A Tedious Balance: Third-Party Claims under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, 10 Loy. Mar. L.J. 1 (2011); Jones Act Issues after Norfolk Southern Railway v. Sorrell, 6 Loy. Mar. L. J. 1 (2008); Primer on Maintenance and Cure, 18 U. San. Fran. Mar. L.J. 41 (2005-06); Primer of Remedies on the Outer Continental Shelf, 4 Loy. Mar. L. J. 19 (2005); Medicare Set-Asides and Protecting the Parties’ Interests in Longshore Claims, 3 Loy. Mar. L.J. 11 (2004); The Fleet Rule for Seaman Status: The Peril of Perils, 2 Loy. Mar. L.J. 92 (2003); DOHSA’s Reach: What Are the High Seas Beyond a Marine League from Shore? 1 Loy. Mar. L.J. 1 (2002); Changes in Pursuing and Defending Attorney’s Fees Claims in the Fifth and Ninth Circuits, 14 U. San Fran. Mar. L.J. 155 (2001-02); Recent Developments in Admiralty Law in the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and the Eleventh Circuit, 24 Tul. Mar. L. J. 741 (2000); Recent Developments in Admiralty Law in the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and the Eleventh Circuit, 20 Hous. J. Int’l L. 265 (1998); Removal and Remand of Admiralty Suits, 21 Tulane Mar. L. J. 383 (1997); Recent Developments in Admiralty Law in the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and the Eleventh Circuit, 18 Hous. J. Int'l L. 709 (1996); Seaman Status Reconstructed, 32 S. Tex. L. Rev. 169 (1991); Admiralty Law, 23 Tort & Ins. L.J. 251 (1988); Seaman Status Reconsidered, 24 S. Tex. L.J. 431 (1983); The Continuing Conflict Between Congress & the Supreme Court over the Standard of Care in Longshore Third Party Actions, 22 S. Tex. L.J. 423 (1981); Troubled Waters for Seaman’s Wrongful Death Actions, 12 J. Mar. Law & Com. 327 (1980), reprinted in 21 S. Tex. L.J. 191 (1980).

Mr. Engerrand is author of the casebook, Admiralty Environmental and Insurance Issues, Sixth Edition, © 2024, the chapter “Concurrent Jurisdiction” in The Longshore Textbook, Seventh Edition, and the monthly Longshore/Maritime Update, summarizing all of the maritime decisions issued throughout the United States.

Mr. Engerrand’s publications have been cited and quoted by the United States Supreme Court as well as appellate and district courts from California to New York.

Professor Thomas C. Galligan Jr.
Professor
Louisiana State University
https://www.law.lsu.edu/
Thomas C. Galligan Jr. is a law professor at LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, He holds the Dodson and Hooks Endowed Chair in Maritime Law and the James Huntington and Patricia Kleinpeter Odom Professorship of Law. He teaches and writes about Torts and Admiralty. From January 1, 2020-July 5, 2021, Galligan served as LSU President (originally, he was named Interim President but the Board of Supervisors later retroactively removed the interim title). As president, Galligan was both the chief executive of LSU’s eight campuses and leader of the university’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge. He now holds the rank of President Emeritus. From 2016-19, Galligan was the Dean of LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. From 2010 to 2016, Galligan served as the President of Colby-Sawyer College, a private liberal arts based college in New London, New Hampshire. Galligan also held a faculty position and regularly taught; he holds the rank of Emeritus Professor. Prior to leading Colby-Sawyer, Galligan served as Dean of the University of Tennessee’s College of Law from 1998 to 2010. He started his academic career at LSU in 1986 as a Professor of Law. During his first tenure at the university, students named him the Outstanding LSU Professor six times. From 1995-1998, he also served as the Executive Director of the Louisiana Judicial College. Galligan is a member of the Council of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Previously, he served as a member (2007-2015) and as chair of the American Bar Association Accreditation Committee (2013-2015). He has been a member of and chaired several site evaluation teams for the ABA and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Galligan is a frequent continuing legal education speaker on his areas of expertise, having given more than 250 speeches and presentations to judges, lawyers, and others about Torts, Admiralty, Complex Litigation, Professionalism, and more. In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, he testified three times before congressional committees considering amendments to the Death on the High Seas Act and other applicable maritime statutes. His scholarship has been cited by numerous courts including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, various United States District Courts, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and various State Appellate Courts. He holds an A.B. in Political Science from Stanford University, a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law where he graduated summa cum laude and first in his class, and an LL.M. from the Columbia University Law School. Galligan resides in Baton Rouge with his wife Susan.

Mr. Walter J. Leger
Partner
Leger & Shaw
Walter J. Leger, Jr. is a partner in the law firm of Leger & Shaw and Vice-President and former President of the New Orleans Zephyrs Triple A Baseball Team. He is the Past President of the New Orleans Bar Association and has served as Chairman of the Board of the New Orleans regional Chamber of Commerce and the MetroVision Economic Development Partnership.

The Louisiana Bar Journal named Leger one of only twelve "Louisiana Legal Legends," along with Louisiana Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, former U.S. Chief Justice Edward Douglas White, Jr., William C.C. Claiborne and eight others.

Leger has spoken widely on legal issues at Harvard Law School, Tulane, LSU, Loyola and others. Leger was a finalist for the "National Lawyer of the Year" Award, has been named to Louisiana's "Superlawyers" and Citybusiness Newspaper's "Leaders in Law Hall of Fame." He received the "President's Award" for leadership and public service from the New Orleans Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association and the Louisiana Association of Justice. He has been named "Volunteer of the Year" by the Southern Economic Development Council and the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association. The Louisiana State Bar Association has given him its Prestigious "Lawyer Citizen" Award.

He is a past Chairman of the Board of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce and Co Chairman of the MetroVision Regional Economic Development Partnership. He served for 15 years as Chairman of the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation/Commission and is a member of the Southeast Louisiana Business Council Coalition, the New Orleans/Baton Rouge Super Region Committee, and the Board of Trustees of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

He represents Tulane on the Board of Trustees of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. He has served on the Boards of GNO, Inc., the New Orleans Bar Association, Greater New Orleans Foundation, LSU Health Science Center Foundation, Delgado Community College Foundation, Nunez Community College Foundation, Tulane Cancer Center, LSU Cancer Center, and the Director's Council of the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium. He is Past President of the New Orleans Bar Association and current President of the New Orleans Bar Foundation.

After Hurricane Katrina, Leger was appointed by Governor Kathleen Blanco to the Louisiana Recovery Authority where he was one of the LRA's most active members. Governor Bobby Jindal re appointed Leger and he served as Vice Chairman. He was also appointed by both Governors to serve as Chairman of the Louisiana Land Trust and by Mayor Mitch Landrieu to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA). Leger became well known as the co host with Garland Robinette of a weekly WWL radio show on hurricane recovery issues.

He has testified before the U.S. Senate Sub Committee on Disaster Recovery whose participants included Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and then Senator Barack Obama. Leger has appeared on behalf of the homeowners of Louisiana before five Congressional and Senate committees and sub committees and met numerous times with Senate and House of Representatives staff and committee staffs, including the Appropriations and Finance committees, and with U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and editorial and news staff of the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Associated Press. He has also made appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, PBS, LPB and numerous local and national television and radio stations.

Leger is a two-time cancer survivor and has received lifesaving commendations from the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Sailing Association for life saving rescue at sea.

Mr. David L. Reisman
Shareholder
Liskow & Lewis, APLC
David L. Reisman brings broad and practical experience to his maritime practice. David served as General Counsel of Bisso Marine, LLC for a decade following fifteen years as a partner in the Maritime Section of Liskow & Lewis. David also served for five years as General Counsel of T&T Bisso, LLC, an international emergency response, ship salvage and wreck removal contractor with offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia. David returned to private practice with Liskow & Lewis in 2017. David’s experience in admiralty matters includes emergency response, contracts, Coast Guard regulatory and enforcement issues, insurance coverage, accident investigation, maritime and aviation finance and liens, compliance programs, and formation and management of joint ventures (international and domestic). His litigation practice covers a wide range of matters, including maritime and offshore personal injury and property damage, vessel collisions and allisions, products liability, aviation, drilling and completion accidents, reservoir damage, pipeline accidents, indemnity and insurance, and commercial disputes. David is a member of the Louisiana and Texas bars, the American Society of Safety Professionals and the American Salvage Association.

Mr. Randall K. Theunissen
Allen & Gooch, ALC
Randall K. Theunissen is a partner in the Lafayette office of Allen & Gooch. After earning his law degree at Louisiana State University in 1977, Randy was licensed with the Louisiana Bar. He has also been licensed with the Texas Bar since 1995. Randy is recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an AV rated attorney and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts – Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana and Southern District of Texas.

Randy has been named among top lawyers in Louisiana by A.M. Best and was most recently recognized among Super Lawyers in Louisiana.

Among his clients and peers, Randy’s expertise within his maritime practice is well recognized, and he routinely participates in various industry speakers’ forums. In 2006, he was a featured speaker at the annual SEALI seminar, with the topic “Update on Maritime Cases in the Fifth, Ninth & Tenth Circuits”. He has achieved proctor status with Maritime Law Association of the United States, and Master designation with American Inns of Court.

Mr. Jason M. Welborn
Welborn & Hargett, LLC
Jason M. Welborn is a lifelong resident of Louisiana and the proud father of three children. He practices exclusively in the area of personal injury and has dedicated his career to helping persons injured as a result of an accident. Over the last two decades, he has helped hundreds of injured persons fight for their legal right to receive compensation for their injuries. He prides himself on personal service, aggressive representation and professional advocacy. His dedication to injured Louisiana residents has earned him lifetime recognition by the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and a Preeminent AV rating by Martindale Hubble, the highest rating in Legal Ability and Ethical Standards an attorney can obtain.

Jason Welborn is also a Board-Certified in Trial Advocacy Attorney by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.