ADMIRALTY / MARITIME
The firm provides a full range of legal services in the admiralty and maritime area. We represent underwriters, oil companies, drilling contractors, vessel owners, offshore service companies, engineering/construction firms, diving contractors, and marine product manufacturers in all aspects of admiralty litigation, including:

Jones Act cases
Wrongful death actions
Longshore and harbor workers’ actions
Platform/drilling rig accidents
Marine product liability claims
Environmental pollution claims
Pipeline accidents
Tugs and towage
Salvage and cargo claims
Limitation of liability
Contractual indemnity claims
Interpretation of marine insurance policies

APPELLATE PRACTICE
Christovich & Kearney has cultivated an extensive federal and state appellate practice. Our lawyers have represented clients in matters raising novel or complex legal issues, in all fields of law in writ applications and appeals for matters litigated within the firm and for cases tried by other firms, as well as the preparation of amici briefs on behalf of trade associations and other interested organizations. The firm's appellate lawyers have represented clients before the United States Supreme Court, United States Circuit Courts of Appeal, the Louisiana Supreme Court and other Louisiana Appellate Courts.

AVIATION
Christovich & Kearney has many years of experience representing manufacturers of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, aircraft engines, and aircraft components and their insurers, commercial carriers, and owners of aircraft in state and federal court litigation related to:

Personal injury, death and property loss claims arising from aviation accidents
Aircraft, aircraft engine and component part product liability claims
Passenger disputes
Air cargo claims

BUSINESS / CORPORATE
Christovich & Kearney attorneys are experienced in business/corporate law in both transactional and litigation matters. The firm has represented individuals, public and private corporations, and other institutions in matters involving:

Contract claims and disputes
Sales and leases
Taxation
Lender liability
Redhibition
Bankruptcy
RICO
Business formation
Non competition agreements
Arbitration
Construction law
Franchise disputes
ERISA

CASUALTY AND INSURANCE DEFENSE
Christovich & Kearney has established its reputation as a firm experienced in casualty and insurance defense litigation. Among the general casualty matters we regularly handle are:

Aviation
Premises liability
Railroad litigation
Products liability
Automobile accidents
Defamation and related torts
False arrest or detainment
Civil rights claims
Construction site accidents
Interstate trucking cases
Mass tort litigation
Class actions

CLASS ACTIONS AND MASS TORT LITIGATION

Over the years Christovich & Kearney has represented clients in complex class actions and mass tort litigation cases. These matters have included defense of clients in:

Class action against the tobacco industry
Class action relating to firearms manufacturers
Class action involving toxic exposures
Multi district litigation involving orthopedic bone screws
Breast implant class action
Fen-Phen litigation
Air bag class action
Class action claims arising from industrial and offshore accidents
Regional representation of wireless phone company in cell phone litigation
Offshore platform explosions resulting in major multi-party property damage, business losses, personal injury and death
Legionnaires’ Disease
Lead paint litigation

COLLECTIONS
The firm provides comprehensive business and retail collection and collection litigation services to individuals and all types of businesses. The firm’s collection services include the following:

Pre-Suit Collection Services – consultation, analysis, demand letters
Post-Suit Collection Services – cost benefit analysis, suit preparation and filing, pre-trial motions, pre-judgment discovery, summary judgment and trial
Post-Judgment Collection Remedies – skip tracing, asset searches, garnishments, liens and levies

CONSTRUCTION

Christovich & Kearney has significant experience in handling construction matters. Our clients have included builders, individual owners, corporations, design professionals, contractors, sub-contractors, developers, product manufacturers and insurers. Our attorneys strive to quickly, sensibly and economically resolve disputes, but we are also prepared for full litigation, should it be necessary. Our firm has handled a variety of construction matters, including:

Construction defects
Mold litigation
Breaches of contract
Design flaws
Products liability
Construction liens
Water intrusion
Insurance coverage issues

ELDER CARE
The firm provides legal services to meet the specialized legal needs of the elderly, the disabled and their families. This practice complements our Estate Planning practice. Our Elder Care practice includes the following:

Powers of attorney
Living wills and health care proxies
Interdictions
Disability planning
Last illness planning

EMPLOYMENT

Christovich & Kearney has represented clients in employment litigation both at the administrative and court levels. We have defended numerous types of employment cases.  We have represented various clients, including schools, hospitals, manufacturers, retailers, nursing homes and contractors.  Our Employment practice includes:

Discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
American with Disabilities Act
Wrongful discharge
Sexual harassment
ERISA matters

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND TOXIC TORT
The firm represents employers, manufacturers, distributors, transporters, and their insurers in litigation involving environmental law, toxic tort, and occupational disease. We have handled the following types of claims:

Asbestosis
Silicosis
Lead paint exposure
Radiation and chemical exposure
Disposal of chemicals
Pesticides
Remediation and abatement
State and federal regulatory matters
CERCLA

ESTATE PLANNING
The firm provides a wide range of estate planning and personal planning services for individuals, including wills, lifetime trusts, and marital property agreements. The firm’s representation in this area of law includes:

Structuring estate tax savings techniques
Preparation of wills and trusts
Estate settlement and post mortem tax planning
Structuring estate tax savings techniques
Elder law planning
Generation skipping transfer tax planning
Business succession planning
Family limited partnerships and qualified personal residence trusts
Charitable giving techniques
Successions

HEALTH CARE
Christovich & Kearney has a broad healthcare practice, and for many years has defended physicians, hospitals, and nursing homes throughout the state of Louisiana. Our health care practice covers all aspects of the health care field from general liability defense to corporate structuring and Medicare/Medicaid regulatory issues. We have extensive experience with medical review panels and medical malpractice civil trials. Our practice includes the following areas:

Medical Malpractice Defense
Corporate Structuring and Employment Contracts
Medicare/Medicaid Compliance
Arbitration and Mediation
Agreement Drafting
Settlement Negotiations

INSURANCE LAW
Throughout its history, Christovich & Kearney has advised its clients on insurance law issues. The firm represents numerous insurance companies throughout the United States and underwriters in London. This representation encompasses all aspects of insurance law, including:

Coverage issues
Reinsurance and excess insurance
Errors and omissions
Fidelity and surety matters
Bad faith claims
Uninsured motorist claims
Accident and health insurance claims
Directors and officers liability
Professional liability
Subrogation claims

PREMISES LIABILITY
Christovich & Kearney has a longstanding history of representation in the area of premises liability. This representation includes defense of grocery store chains, department stores, retail food outlets, operators of convention centers, stadiums, and nursing homes as well as smaller businesses throughout Louisiana. The firm’s experience in this area of law includes:

Slip and fall injuries
Street and sidewalk accidents
Criminal attacks
Recreational accidents
Residential property accidents
False arrest/detainment
Landlord tenant law
Elevators and escalators
Landowner liability

PRODUCTS LIABILITY
Christovich & Kearney represents manufacturers and their insurers in the diverse field of products liability. A sampling of many products defended includes: aircraft, elevators/escalators, sports equipment, food and beverages, lawn mowers, toys, water heaters, electrical appliances, cell phones, industrial lubricants, motor vehicles and accessories, turbine engines, mechanical presses, transformers, and tobacco.

Medical device products liability is an expanding and increasingly regulated area of law. Christovich & Kearney has represented medical device manufacturers in cases that are often combined with medical malpractice actions. Breast implants, orthopedic bone screws, drugs, pacemakers, surgery staplers, trocars, vena cava filters, restraints, contact lenses, and heart lung machines are some of the medical devices we have defended.

PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE
The firm has extensive experience in defending professional malpractice claims. Partners at Christovich & Kearney have successfully defended many attorneys, law firms, physicians, accountants, and health care providers in a wide variety of matters. Among those we have represented in professional liability cases are:

Lawyers and judges
Physical therapists
Dentists
Hospitals/emergency rooms
Physicians and nurses
Psychologists and social workers
Engineers
Pharmacists
Insurance agents
Accountants
School boards
Municipalities

RAILROAD
Representation of railroad clients has been a major part of Christovich & Kearney’s practice for many years. C & K has represented major railroads and short line railroad clients in a variety of matters, including:

FELA employee injury suits
Claims arising from grade crossing incidents
Maritime matters involving railroad bridges and facilities
Premises liability claims
Property rights disputes
Contractual matters
Regulatory issues

REAL ESTATE
The firm represents client in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate matters. Purchasers, sellers, landlords and tenants are routinely represented in both transactional and litigation matters. Our real estate practice includes:

Acquisition, financing, and sale of residential and commercial properties
Donations and exchange
Foreclosure
Landlord-Tenant disputes
Leases
Property Management Issues
Title Confirmations
Partnerships and limited liability companies

TAXATION

Christovich & Kearney partner Scott Sonnier is a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist and provides legal counsel to clients individuals, charitable organization, partnerships, corporations, estates and trusts on matters of federal, state and local taxation. The firm’s experience in this area includes:

Individual and business income tax
Corporations, partnerships and joint ventures
Tax planning and analysis
Business agreements
Tax exempt financing
Dissolutions and liquidations
Tax exempt organizations
Mergers, acquisitions and exchanges
Estates and trusts
Tax litigation

TRANSPORTATION LAW
Transportation litigation -- aviation, automobiles, bus lines, trucking, railroad, and vessels --comprises a large portion of Christovich & Kearney’s practice. The firm’s representation in this area of law includes:

Aircraft
FELA litigation
Automobile accidents
Railroad crossing accidents
Bus accidents
Railroad hearing loss claims
Occupational health and safety claims
Interstate trucking accidents
Trip lease agreements
Maritime charter parties
Bills of lading
Side track agreements
State and federal regulatory law

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION / EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY
Christovich & Kearney has substantial background defending both state and federal workers’ compensation claims. This representation includes handling claims filed under the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, the Jones Act, and maritime claims for maintenance and cure. Among the compensation and employers’ liability matters we have litigated are:

Occupational disease claims
Heart attack claims
Course and scope of employment issues
Borrowed servant claims
Statutory employer defense
Second injury fund claims
Rehabilitation/functional capacity assets
Interventions/subrogations