April 1, 2011
HISTORY AND OVERVIEW OF THE FIRM
Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, A Professional Law Corporation, is an established, competitive law firm which takes pride in its efforts to provide valuable, quality services to its clients. It is the largest law firm in Louisiana north of Baton Rouge. The firm was established in 1914 as "Cook & Cook" and has been in business continuously since that time. The firm's offices are located on three floors of the Regions Bank Tower in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana.
Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway engages in a widely diversified practice which includes both litigation and commercial matters. The specific areas of practice cover most areas of legal practice, including products liability and professional liability; commercial, insurance defense, environmental and general litigation; health care law; corporate and banking law; natural resources law, including real estate, oil, gas and lignite; securities law; taxation; railroad law; labor and employment law; workers' compensation; pension and profit sharing plans; and trusts, probate and estate planning.
ATTORNEYS
The firm's attorneys, for the most part, have areas of specialization and interest, and each may have several subspecialties. The following list identifies only general areas of practice and identifies each lawyer only once. Certain lawyers may, for example, assist with commercial transactions as well as commercial litigation. Accordingly, the organization of the list is not intended to indicate the limits of a particular lawyer's practice.
Business, Commercial, and Tort Litigation
Herschel E. Richard, Jr. Mr. Richard's practice principally involves business litigation, toxic tort, products liability, and legal and medical malpractice. He received his undergraduate degree from Tulane University and his law degree from Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. Mr. Richard was admitted to practice in 1970. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, and the Louisiana Bar Foundation. He is a member and past President of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and is a Master Bencher in the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court. Mr. Richard holds memberships in the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel, and the Maritime Law Association of the United States. He is also a Member of Council of the Louisiana State Law Institute. Mr. Richard was the 2000 recipient of the Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award, given by the Louisiana State Bar Association. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, and is listed by Super Lawyers as having attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the areas of Business Litigation, Professional Liability: Defense, and Personal Injury Defense: Products Liability. His e-mail address is herschel.richard@cookyancey.com
Samuel W. Caverlee. Mr. Caverlee's practice primarily involves railroad law, medical malpractice and commercial litigation. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University, where he was a staff writer for the Louisiana Law Review. Mr. Caverlee was admitted to practice in 1971. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and is a Master Bencher in the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court. Mr. Caverlee is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, and is listed by Super Lawyers as having attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the areas of Personal Injury Defense: General, Transportation/Maritime, and Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice. His e-mail address is sam.caverlee@cookyancey.com
Brian A. Homza. Mr. Homza's practice principally involves insurance coverage, including First Party coverage issues, insurance fraud, arson, fraudulent claims, and the defense of extra contractual claims. Mr. Homza's practice also includes professional errors & omissions claims, defending insurance agents and brokers. He is also engaged in the defense of commercial motor carriers. He received his law degree in 1979 from Louisiana State University. While in law school, he was selected to participate on the Moot Court Board and in the National Moot Court competition. From 1979 to 1980 he served as a law clerk with the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal and joined the firm in 1980. He is currently on the Board of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and since 2001 has served on the subcommittee on Fire & Casualty Claims. He is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Property Loss Research Bureau, the Certified Insurance Fraud Examiners, and the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court. Mr. Homza is also engaged in the practice of mediations and performs mediation services as a member of Perry Dampf and Associates, A Professional Mediation and Arbitration Company. Mr. Homza is a member of the Shreveport Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the North Louisiana Federal Bar Association. He is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, for whom he has been a lecturer on First Party Arson Defense Claims. He is a two time instructor for the Louisiana Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Chapter on investigation of fire & explosives. His practice is primarily concentrated in the trial of complex First Party coverage claims and property losses involving fire science & technology including large property subrogation claims. Mr. Homza also represents several insurance S.I.U.s and has tried numerous arson misrepresentation and fraud cases involving the interpretation of policy forms and business interruption coverages, including broker/agent liability cases. Mr. Homza is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. His e-mail address is brian.homza@cookyancey.com
Albert M. Hand, Jr. Mr. Hand's practice primarily involves products liability, environmental and toxic tort litigation. Mr. Hand attended Vanderbilt University and received his undergraduate, masters, and law degrees from Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. He was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 1978. Prior to joining the firm in 1979, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Ben C. Dawkins, Jr., Senior United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana. Mr. Hand is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. His e-mail address is al.hand@cookyancey.com
Sidney E. Cook, Jr. Mr. Cook's practice principally involves tort litigation, products liability cases, and representation of transportation companies. In addition, he handles a full range of matters for nursing homes and for automobile dealerships. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board and a Moot Court Semi-finalist. Mr. Cook was admitted to practice in 1982 and joined the firm that same year. He is past President of the Young Lawyers' Section of the Shreveport Bar Association, a member and former director of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel. Mr. Cook is listed by Super Lawyers as having attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the areas of Personal Injury Defense: Products, and Personal Injury Defense: Insurance Coverage. His e-mail address is sidney.cook@cookyancey.com
Kenneth Mascagni. Mr. Mascagni has represented municipalities and law enforcement officers in federal and state litigation throughout his career. His litigation practice includes products liability (representing, for example, manufacturers of helmets and industrial presses), construction litigation (representing engineers, contractors and landowners), and both insurance coverage and defense. His business practice has focused on franchising, including the litigation of franchise and trademark issues on behalf of franchisers. He has drafted Franchise Disclosure Documents (previously known as Uniform Offering Circulars) and has evaluated for franchisees the impact of duties and obligations in Franchise Agreements on small businesses. Mr. Mascagni received his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Tom Stagg, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana from 1984 through 1986. Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Mascagni flew fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force. He was admitted to practice in 1984 and joined the firm in 1986. Mr. Mascagni holds memberships in the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute, and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America. His e-mail address is ken.mascagni@cookyancey.com
James R. Sterritt. Mr. Sterritt works in the areas of insurance defense, representation of peace officers, products liability law, and railroad matters He received his undergraduate degree and masters degree in English from Louisiana Tech University and his law degree from Louisiana State University. Mr. Sterritt was admitted to practice in 1987 and joined the firm that same year. He is a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, and is an Associate of the International Association of Police Chiefs. His e-mail address is james.sterritt@cookyancey.com
Cynthia C. Anderson. The majority of Ms. Anderson's practice is in medical malpractice litigation and health care law and international law. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of London, King's College. Ms. Anderson was admitted to practice in England in 1971 and admitted to practice in Louisiana in 1980. Prior to joining the firm in 1976, Ms. Anderson practiced law in London, England. She is a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and the American Health Lawyers Association. She currently serves as the General Counsel to the Shreveport Medical Society, is the Northwest District Director for the Louisiana Society of Hospital Attorneys, and serves on the Institutional Review Board at Louisiana State University Health Science Center. Her e-mail address is cynthia.anderson@cookyancey.com
Gregg A. Wilkes. Mr. Wilkes practices primarily in the areas of insurance law, peace officer/municipality defense and significant personal injury litigation. He received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana Tech University, where he graduated summa cum laude, and his law degree from Louisiana State University. Mr. Wilkes was admitted to practice in 1990. Prior to joining the firm in 1991, he served one year as law clerk to the Honorable Pike Hall, Jr., Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Mr. Wilkes is a member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, the Defense Research Institute, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Program, and the American Correctional Association. A long-standing member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, in 2008 he was elected to serve on their Board of Directors. His e-mail address is gregg.wilkes@cookyancey.com
Robert Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Kennedy's practice primarily involves the areas of commercial, legal malpractice, employment discrimination, tort and other civil litigation. He received undergraduate degrees in Finance and Accounting from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He obtained his law degree from Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and the Louisiana Law Review. Mr. Kennedy was admitted to practice in 1992. Before joining the firm in 1994, he served two years as a law clerk to the Honorable Tom Stagg, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He is a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court, and has served as an associate editor of the Shreveport Bar Review. His e-mail address is robert.kennedy@cookyancey.com
Scott L. Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer's practice primarily involves general defense litigation, with an emphasis in the areas of insurance defense, insurance bad faith, product and premises liability, and commercial litigation. Mr. Zimmer's practice also includes toxic tort litigation and the defense of commercial motor carriers. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana, and his law degree from University of Houston Law Center in Houston, Texas. He was admitted to practice in Texas in 1998 and Louisiana in 1999. Mr. Zimmer joined the firm in 1998. He is admitted to practice in all Louisiana and Texas state courts, the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and the District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Mr. Zimmer is a current member of the Defense Research Institute, where he serves as a Trial Tactics Committee state liaison. He is also a member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit. Mr. Zimmer has written and taught classes and seminars in the areas of insurance bad faith litigation and insurance coverage. His e-mail address is scott.zimmer@cookyancey.com
John T. Kalmbach. Mr. Kalmbach practices primarily in the areas of natural gas pipeline development, federal and state eminent domain, drug and medical device litigation, oil and gas litigation, legal malpractice, and other civil litigation (state and federal.) He received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and his law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was Executive Senior Editor of the Louisiana Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Tom Stagg, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana from 1996 through 1998. He was admitted to practice in 1996 and joined the firm in 1998. His e-mail address is john.kalmbach@cookyancey.com
Lisa C. Cronin. Ms. Cronin practices primarily in the areas of insurance defense, commercial and other civil litigation. She received her undergraduate degree from Northeast Louisiana University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and her law degree from Louisiana State University, where she was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. Ms. Cronin was admitted to practice in the State of Louisiana in 1984. Prior to joining the firm in 1985, she served one year as law clerk to the Honorable Fred A. Blanche, Jr. Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. In 1988, Ms. Cronin moved to New Mexico and was in private practice in Clovis, New Mexico handling commercial and class action litigation. She was admitted to the New Mexico Bar Association in 1988 and to the Texas Bar Association in 1992. Ms. Cronin rejoined the firm in 2000. Her e-mail address is lisa.cronin@cookyancey.com
Robert B. Dunlap. Mr. Dunlap joined the firm in 2003. His practice involves oil and gas matters and construction litigation. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University. Mr. Dunlap was admitted to practice in the State of Louisiana in 1982. From 1994 through 2003, he worked in the United States jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on the island of Saipan. While there, Mr. Dunlap worked in Office of the Attorney General and in private practice. He served as the Attorney General overseeing all legal work for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including criminal prosecution and civil litigation, immigration, labor issues and Federal relations. Mr. Dunlap has testified before the United States Senate Committee of Energy and Natural Resources on Commonwealth issues. After leaving the Attorney General's office, he was in private practice handling commercial litigation, insurance defense and advising international (primarily Japanese and Korean) corporate clients. In addition to all Louisiana courts, Mr. Dunlap is admitted to practice in all courts of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States District Courts for the Western District of Louisiana and the Northern Mariana Islands and the Fifth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal. His e-mail address is robert.dunlap@cookyancey.com
Jason A. Green. Mr. Green's practice primarily involves general tort litigation, including premises liability, insurance bad faith, products liability, and insurance fraud, as well as environmental and toxic torts. Mr. Green attended Louisiana State University, where he received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Management Systems in 2001. He obtained his law degree in 2004 from Louisiana State University. Mr. Green was admitted to practice in 2004 and joined the firm that same year. A member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Shreveport Bar Association, and the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Mr. Green also serves on the Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee of the Defense Research Institute. His e-mail address is jason.green@cookyancey.com
Matt R. May. Mr. May practices primarily in commercial litigation. He received his undergraduate degree in accounting, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and his law degree from Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1996 and 2004, respectively. Before joining the firm in 2004, he practiced as a certified public accountant and is currently registered with the Louisiana State Board of Certified Public Accountants as a Certified Public Accountant, inactive. He was admitted to practice law in Louisiana in 2004 and is a member of the Louisiana and Shreveport Bar Associations and an associate member of the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court. His e-mail address is matt.may@cookyancey.com
J. Jarrod Thrash. Mr. Thrash practices primarily in the areas of law enforcement and municipal litigation, as well as products liability and personal injury claims. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry, summa cum laude, from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. He obtained his law degree from Tulane University School of Law in 2004, where he was a managing editor for the Tulane Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property. He was published in the 2004 edition of the journal. Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Thrash was a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy and worked as a researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is a member of the Shreveport, Louisiana State, and American Bar Associations, as well as the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel. His e-mail address is jarrod.thrash@cookyancey.com
Jason B. Nichols. Mr. Nichols practices primarily in the areas of business litigation, products liability, and legal malpractice. He received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, Louisiana, and his law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Donald E. Walter, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana from 2003 through 2004. He was admitted to practice in 2003 and joined the firm in 2004. He currently serves on the board of the Young Lawyer's Section of the Shreveport Bar Association. His e-mail address is jason.nichols@cookyancey.com
Michael D. Lowe. Mr. Lowe practices primarily in the areas of construction law claims and litigation, labor and employment law and litigation, commercial litigation, and insurance defense litigation. He received his undergraduate degree in 2001 from Louisiana State University and his law degree in 2004 from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. Mr. Lowe was admitted to practice law in Louisiana in 2004, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana, as well as the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute and the Wex Malone American Inn of Court. His e-mail address is michael.lowe@cookyancey.com
Elizabeth Mendell Carmody. Ms. Carmody's practice is primarily focused on municipal law, civil rights, premises liability, insurance defense, and other civil litigation (state and federal). She received her undergraduate degree in 1995 from Tulane University and her law degree in 1998 from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where she was a member of the Moot Court Board. She is admitted to the Louisiana and Texas state bars, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, and Northern District of Texas. She has served as a law clerk for the Honorable Donald E. Walter, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division (1999-2000 and 2002-2008) and the Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty, United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division (1998-1999). Outside the legal community, she is an active member of the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier. Her e-mail address is elizabeth.carmody@cookyancey.com
John C. Nickelson. Mr. Nickelson is a commercial litigator. In addition to general Commercial Litigation his practice also covers Oil & Gas Litigation and Products Liability Law. He holds a B.A. from Texas Christian University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Nickelson's law degree is from the University of Virginia. Before joining Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway in 2009, Mr. Nickelson practiced with Baker Botts L.L.P. in Dallas, Texas and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod, United States Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. A member of the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz Inn of Court, he also serves as a Member-at-large on the Shreveport Bar Association Executive Council, and on the Board of Directors of the Northwest Louisiana Pro Bono Project. His e-mail address is john.nickelson@cookyancey.com
Megan LeBato. Ms. LeBato's primary area of practice is commercial litigation. More specifically, she deals with contract issues, medical malpractice issues, and railroad law. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, and her law degree, magna cum laude, from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. Ms. LeBato was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 2009, and joined the firm that same year. She is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Her e-mail address is megan.lebato@cookyancey.com
Erik S. Vigen. Mr. Vigen's primary areas of practice include Oil and Gas Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Insurance Coverage. He graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics before obtaining his law degree, cum laude, from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University. Prior to joining Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, Mr. Vigen served as a law clerk to the Honorable Tom Stagg, Senior District Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Mr. Vigen is admitted to the Louisiana and Texas state bars, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. His email address is erik.vigen@cookyancey.com
Labor and Employment Law
S. Price Barker. Mr. Barker is a shareholder in the law firm Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway in Shreveport, Louisiana. His practice is devoted to representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment law and workers' compensation. Mr. Barker represents clients in collective bargaining, union campaigns, and in state and federal courts, as well as before various federal and state agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Louisiana and Texas Commissions on Human Rights. He assists clients in the development of policies and procedures, the drafting of employment contracts and other agreements, and the counseling, discipline and termination of employees. Mr. Barker is admitted to practice in both Louisiana and Texas, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and in federal district courts in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. He is a member of the American Employment Law Council (charter member), the American, Federal, Louisiana and Texas Bar Associations, the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and the Society for Human Resource Management (Chapter President 1996). Mr. Barker received his law degree from Louisiana State University and his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University. His e-mail address is price.barker@cookyancey.com
Brian R. Carnie. Mr. Carnie's practice focuses primarily on labor and employment matters, including employment discrimination, statutory and regulatory compliance, management/union relations, and personnel policies and practices. He has in-depth experience providing the full range of trial, appellate, and consulting services to clients ranging from individuals and small and mid-sized businesses to major multinational corporations. Before joining the firm in 2008, Mr. Carnie practiced in Chicago, Illinois and more recently, was an attorney with the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal. While with the Second Circuit he assisted nine judges in ruling on various appeals, motions, and writs, and also acted as legal advisor for the Clerk of Court. Mr. Carnie received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Mr. Carnie is licensed to practice in Louisiana, Texas, and Illinois, and is admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the American, Louisiana, Texas and Shreveport Bar Associations. Mr. Carnie is a member of the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court, currently serving on the Young Lawyers' Liaison Committee. His e-mail address is brian.carnie@cookyancey.com
Commercial, Transactional, and Creditors' Rights Law
Bernard S. Johnson. Mr. Johnson's primary areas of practice are commercial litigation, contract issues, and commercial transactions, including health care. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his law degree from Louisiana State University, where he was Editor in Chief of the Louisiana Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. He was admitted to practice in 1977 and served one year as law clerk to then Justice Albert Tate, Jr., of the Louisiana Supreme Court. He is a member of the National Association of Diocesan Attorneys. Mr. Johnson is listed by Super Lawyers as having attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the areas of Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, and Trust & Estate Litigation. His e-mail address is bernard.johnson@cookyancey.com
Kristina B. Gustavson. Ms. Gustavson's primary areas of practice are commercial litigation and contract issues. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rhodes College and received her law degree, cum laude, from Tulane University School of Law. She was also a recipient of the Tulane European Legal Certificate. Ms. Gustavson is a member of both the Shreveport and Louisiana Bar Associations. She was admitted to practice in 2004 and joined the firm in 2007. Prior to joining Cook Yancey, Ms. Gustavson practiced law in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she focused on insurance coverage and defense issues. Her e-mail address is kristi.gustavson@cookyancey.com
Real Estate and Energy Law
J. William Fleming. Mr. Fleming's practice is devoted to oil and gas, energy, and real estate matters. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University and was admitted to practice in 1970. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Fleming served as law clerk to the Honorable John A. Dixon and the Honorable Pike Hall, Jr., Judges, Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal. He joined the firm in 1981 and is currently a member of the Advisory Council to the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute. His e-mail address is bill.fleming@cookyancey.com
Stephen R. Yancey, II. Mr. Yancey's practice involves real estate and commercial transactions, energy matters, and probate and estate planning. He received his undergraduate degree from Washington & Lee University, his masters degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University, and his law degree from Louisiana State University. Mr. Yancey was admitted to practice in 1973 and joined the firm in 1973. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association and a past Chairman of the Louisiana State Bar Association's section on Trust Estates, Probate and Immovable Property. He is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation. His e-mail address is stephen.yancey@cookyancey.com
Frank M. Dodson. Mr. Dodson's practice primarily involves real estate and commercial transactions, energy law, and matters in the area of municipal finance. He received his undergraduate degree from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) and his law degree at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board. Mr. Dodson was admitted to practice in 1975. Prior to joining the firm in 1979, he was law clerk for the Honorable James E. Bolin, Judge, Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal. His e-mail address is frank.dodson@cookyancey.com
James H. Campbell, III. Mr. Campbell's practice is devoted to oil and gas, energy and real estate matters. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University and was admitted to practice in 1974. His e-mail address is james.campbell@cookyancey.com
W. Lake Hearne. Mr. Hearne practices primarily in the areas of Oil & Gas, Real Estate and Creditor's Rights. He received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge Louisiana in 1978 with a B. A. in English. He earned his law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was on the Louisiana Law Review and received the Am Jur Award in Contracts. A member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, Mr. Hearne is active in the Shreveport Bar Pro Bono Project. His e-mail address is lake.hearne@cookyancey.com
Ryan C. Williams. Ryan Williams received his law degree in 2008 from Louisiana State University, graduating with honors. He was a member of the Law Review and served as a Senior Editor during his Senior year. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in 2005, graduating magna cum laude. Mr. Williams' practice focuses primarily in the area of Oil & Gas. His e-mail address is ryan.williams@cookyancey.com
Kevin M. McCrary. Kevin McCrary's practice involves commercial transactions with an emphasis in real estate and title examination. Mr. McCrary received his law degree in 2009 from Louisiana State University. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, where he was named the MBA Student of the Year, and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana Tech University in 2000, graduating summa cum laude. Admitted to practice in Louisiana in 2009, Mr. McCrary is also admitted before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. His e-mail address is kevin.mccrary@cookyancey.com
Julie VanThof. Ms. Van Thof's practice is primarily focused on oil and gas, mineral law and real estate . She is a native of upstate New York. She received her undergraduate degree in English from the State University of New York in Buffalo and received her J.D. from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1998. Prior to joining the firm as an attorney, she was Cook Yancey's abstractor for nine years, and was later employed by Caddo Abstract & Title Company. She also served for two years as a licensed agent for First American Title Insurance Company. From 2000 until 2009 Ms. Van Thof served as law clerk for the Honorable J. Jay Caraway, Judge for the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal. A member of St. Mark's Cathedral Altar Guild since 2006, she enjoys her family, her dogs, bicycling and gardening. Her email address is julie.vanthof@cookyancey.com
Taxation, Estate Planning, and Probate Law
William C. Kalmbach. Mr. Kalmbach practices primarily in the business, estate planning, and taxation areas. He received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa; his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Senior Editor of the Georgetown International Law Journal; and his LL.M. degree in estate planning from the University of Miami in 1996. Mr. Kalmbach was admitted to the bar in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Louisiana, and Texas in 1988, 1989 and 1990, and 1995 respectively, and practiced with the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Mr. Kalmbach joined the firm in 1990 and is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist under the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. His e-mail address is bill.kalmbach@cookyancey.com
Kyle C. McInnis. Mr. McInnis practices in the areas of taxation (federal, state, and local), corporate, partnership, business, estate planning, and succession law, with an emphasis on entity formations, corporate acquisitions and dispositions, and closely held businesses. Mr. McInnis is a Tax Law Specialist and an Estate Planning and Administration Specialist certified under the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He received his B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Georgia in 1999, where he was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, and earned his J.D. from Washington & Lee School of Law in 2002, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi. He received his LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law in 2003. Mr. McInnis is a frequent speaker on a variety of tax subjects. He is active in various civic organizations such as the Norwela Council Executive Board for the Boy Scouts of America, the Independence Bowl Foundation, and the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Initiative, for whom he is Finance Chair. Mr. McInnis also serves as an usher at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Shreveport. His e-mail address is kyle.mcinnis@cookyancey.com
Title Company
Riverbend Title Company, Inc., a Louisiana corporation ("Riverbend"), is owned by Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, A Professional Law Corporation. Riverbend has qualified as a title insurance agent under the insurance laws of the State of Louisiana and is approved to issue policies of title insurance for First American Title Insurance Company and Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company. The lawyers of the law firm whose primary area of practice concerns real estate matters are licensed title insurance agents of Riverbend Title Company, Inc. Those lawyers are Stephen R. Yancey, II, J. William Fleming, James H. Campbell, III, and Frank M. Dodson.
COOK, YANCEY, KING & GALLOWAY
A Professional Law Corporation
333 Texas Street, Suite 1700
P. O. Box 22260
Shreveport, LA 71120-2260
Telephone: 318-221-6277
Facsimile: 318-227-7850
