Pat Patrick (ppatrick@patrickmillerlaw.com) graduated from the University of South Alabama and from Tulane Law School in 1984, where he served as Articles Editor for the Tulane Law Review. Prior to the formation of Patrick Miller LLC he was a partner in a large New Orleans law firm. Pat's practice focuses on insurance, tort, indemnity, workers' compensation (state and LHWCA), and maritime issues. He has handled environmental and toxic tort cases in regard to both property damage and personal injury aspects. He handles cases at all levels of the state and federal court systems. He is a registered lobbyist in Louisiana. He has handled matters before agencies such as the United States Customs Service, United States and Louisiana Departments of Labor, the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, the Louisiana Insurance Commission, the Louisiana Commission on Public Ethics, all gaming regulatory agencies in Louisiana and Mississippi, and the Louisiana Department of Public Health. Pat is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Defense Research Institute, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and Association of Average Adjusters of the United States. He is past president of the New Orleans Port of the Propeller Club of the United States, and is a Board member of the International Propeller Club of the United States. Pat is a frequent lecturer and writer on legal education topics, primarily involving insurance, workers' compensation, maritime law, and trial practice.
Pierre V. Miller II (pmiller@patrickmillerlaw.com) received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1983 and graduated from Tulane Law School in 1986 with honors. Pierre served as a law clerk for the late Earl E. Veron, United States District Judge, Western District of Louisiana, and practiced at a large New Orleans law firm. He is admitted to practice before the Louisiana Supreme Court and all other state and federal courts in the State of Louisiana. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit. He has been admitted to practice pro hac vice before United States Bankruptcy Courts in Texas and Delaware. He is an experienced litigator who has handled environmental, insurance, maritime, bankruptcy, intellectual property, business tort, contract, employment and trade regulation cases at all levels of the state and federal court systems. Pierre also handles oil and gas and other transactional matters, including business formations and advices on and the drafting of contracts and other documents. Pierre routinely handles successions and estates, and related succession litigation.
Laurence R. DeBuys IV (ldebuys@live.com) is a 1984 cum laude graduate of Tulane University Law School, where he was a member of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal and served as its Research Editor. He is a member of the Louisiana State Bar and is also admitted to practice before all Federal Courts in Louisiana. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Larry's practice has involved primarily maritime and admiralty litigation, and he has extensive experience in offshore and vessel related areas of litigation including oil spills and environmental matters. He has handled numerous vessel collision and allision cases both on behalf of vessel owners and on behalf of the owners of maritime facilities. He has also handled numerous cargo matters, including cases that involved detailed evaluation of charter parties, bills of lading, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act and the Harter Act. Additionally, Larry has both litigated and performed transactional work regarding vessel construction and offshore service contracts.
Stephen E. Mattesky (smattesky@patrickmillerlaw.com) has practiced law in New Orleans for over 30 years and specializes in maritime and insurance coverage and defense litigation. He has extensive experience defending vessel owners, P & I clubs and other underwriters against claims for personal injury to seamen, longshoremen and passengers, damage to cargo, commercial disputes, maritime liens, oil and hazardous product spills and emissions, and vessel fires. In addition to his maritime practice, Steve has litigated commercial claims, product liability claims, and disputes regarding insurance coverage and indemnity.
Steve received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and European History from Washington and Lee University in 1978. He attended Tulane University School of Law where he served on the Law Review and was awarded his Juris Doctorate in 1981. Following graduation from law school, he was commissioned a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps where he served from 1982-1986 as an administrative/environmental law attorney and criminal prosecutor. Upon completion of his tour of duty with the military, Steve joined the firm of Terriberry, Carroll and Yancey specializing in the practice of admiralty, maritime and insurance defense litigation. Steve is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute. He is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana, all Louisiana state courts and the United States Court of Military Review.
Francis A. Courtenay Jr. (fcourtenay@patrickmillerlaw.com) graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in 1961, and followed with his legal degree from Tulane University in 1964. He is experienced in international trade and business transactions, and has handled a wide variety of professional, products, a Prior to private practice, he was law clerk to the Judges of the 24th Judicial District Court in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Francis is admitted to all Federal Courts in Louisiana and has been Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubble for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability for over 30 years. He is a member of the Mariner’s Club of the Port of New Orleans and Houston, The Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, the Transportation Lawyer’s association, and The Propeller Club of New Orleans. Francis focuses on wrongful death, personal injury and property damage claims, Jones Act claims, offshore construction claims, and vessel collisions and premises liability issues, as well as insurance coverage issues.