Municipal Law & Civil Rights Defense

Degan, Blanchard & Nash has a longstanding record of successfully protecting the legal interests of municipal governments in Louisiana. We have extensive experience and expertise in advising municipalities, police agencies, municipal authorities, educational institutions, public agencies and other public trusts. Our attorneys are skilled in litigation, having represented clients at all levels including state and federal courts and administrative proceedings before state and federal agencies.

Louisiana Municipalities operate under a plethora of statutes, regulations, court decisions and administrative rulings. In order to navigate these waters, public officials and their employees, require quality legal representation. Handling a broad array of issues faced by government, we have the knowledge and expertise to advise and defend our municipal clients on recurring issues as well as issues raised for the first time.

We frequently represent municipalities and governmental entities in a wide array of municipal issues, including:

Public finance, negotiation, acquisition, and condemnation, land use and development, construction, municipal court prosecution and operations, ordinance drafting, employment matters, casualty and defense, public contracting, public meetings, public records, water, wastewater, electric utilities, and franchises.

We believe that success in such matters depends in part on maintaining strong ties to the local community and many other geographic regions of Louisiana. These relationships have allowed us to understand more thoroughly the needs of municipal clients. We strive to resolve disputes through negotiations or settlements reached through mediation or arbitration proceedings. However, when settlement is not a viable option, we will aggressively litigate the matter through trial. Our years of experience include defense of suits alleging civil right violations filed pursuant to Title 42, Section 1983 of the United States Code. We have represented several organizations, cities, counties, municipalities, corporations and individuals in this area. We provide our clients with advice that is tailored to meet their individualized needs. Degan, Blanchard & Nash offers a wealth of experience, dedication and the ability to handle even the most complex legal matters including: Title VII claims, Civil Rights Litigation, False Arrests, Excessive Force, Due Process Violations, Equal Protection Violations, and Wrongful Detention.

Practice Area Spotlight

Admiralty and Maritime

Degan, Blanchard & Nash employs dedicated attorneys with proficiency in admiralty and maritime law. The practice of Admiralty and Maritime law is a highly focused area of law that is not widely practiced throughout the United States. As one of the oldest branches of law, harkening back to ancient times, maritime law today covers a broad area of issues, ranging from injuries and working conditions at sea to shipping and commerce, navigation, collisions, ….

Read More >
Construction

Navigating a complex construction project requires assistance from an experienced legal team well-prepared to tackle the issues that regularly arise on the construction site. During any phase of a construction project, disagreements can turn into bitter disputes over insurability, schedule, cost, and quality of the end product.

Read More >
Professional Liability

Our professional liability defense group is comprised of attorneys with unsurpassed expertise in defending professionals from a variety of industries, including claims involving medical/healthcare providers, the legal/accounting industries, real estate agents/brokers, insurance agents/brokers, design professionals/architects and engineers, financial planners, investment advisors, and other professional disciplines.

Read More >
Property and Casualty

Through its many years of experience, Degan, Blanchard & Nash's property litigation section attorneys has developed a technical expertise in handling a wide array of property cases involving both commercial and residential properties. With offices in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this includes defense of claims due to the weather - e.g., for damage occurring as a result of storms or extreme temperatures.

Read More >
Trucking and Commercial Vehicle

In short, we know the commercial vehicle and trucking business. We recognize the integral role commercial trucking plays in the economy and can help clients navigate the myriad of federal and state laws that may apply.

Read More >
Workers' Compensation Defense

Employers spend millions of dollars every year settling workers' compensation claims that might otherwise have been reduced or dismissed. At Degan, Blanchard & Nash, our attorneys defend cases involving work-related injury or disease, from the most minor to the most severe. While the workers' compensation courts prefer to settle disputes through mediation, there are cases which require litigation. This is when a work-related legal dispute moves to the courts and a workers' compensation lawyer is required.

Read More >
Longshore and Harbor
Workers' Compensation Act
and Defense Base Act

Originally began as a maritime defense law firm, Degan, Blanchard & Nash has diversified from its traditional role primarily in the Louisiana and Texas maritime area into, among other areas, the "blue water" and international marine fields. The firm's approach is to consistently reflect our attorneys' broad knowledge and deep understanding of admiralty and insurance coverage law together with effective representation of the clients, the cornerstone of our longstanding client relationships.

Read More >
Insurance Coverage and Litigation

Degan, Blanchard & Nash's insurance coverage practice has many decades of combined experience in providing insurance coverage advice and in defending insurers in coverage litigation. The coverage group maintains its national expertise and handles claims and litigation arising in all fifty states. Although the insurance coverage group focuses exclusively on the coverage advice and litigation needs of insurers, our coverage lawyers are also skilled in defending liability issues, especially in Louisiana where, due to the state's Direct Action Statute, insurers are most often sued directly by plaintiffs.

Read More >