Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips LLP issued the following announcement on Sept. 27.
Taylor Porter announces the addition of Special Counsel Rick Norman and Associates Joe Norman and Jud Norman from the Lake Charles-based Norman Business Law Center, effective Oct. 1. Rick Norman, founding member of the Norman Business Law Center, will now head Taylor Porter’s Lake Charles office where he and his associates will continue their practice supported by Taylor Porter’s full spectrum of legal services.
Norman has represented the Lake Charles business and industrial community since 1985 in commercial transactions, litigation, employment, construction and industry, and healthcare matters.
“We recognized the opportunity to expand into one of the fastest growing areas in Louisiana. The longstanding success of Rick Norman’s law practice combined with the quality of client service he has provided in Lake Charles made the addition a perfect fit for Taylor Porter,” said Bob Barton, Taylor Porter Managing Partner. “The regional growth of Taylor Porter into the Lake Charles market aligns with our firm’s strategic plan and enhances our ability to serve the legal needs of our existing clients who are doing business in Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana.”
Lake Charles is one of the fastest-growing metro areas and is projected to add 6,800 jobs over the next two years at a 3.1 percent job growth, according to economist Loren Scott’s annual Louisiana Economic Outlook. From major industrial expansions along the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Mississippi River, and from Baton Rouge to the mouth of the river, more than $110 billion in industrial expansions have been announced in these areas from 2012-2019.
“As we look to better meet our clients’ needs, joining Taylor Porter is an ideal match that will enable us to be more diverse in the practice areas of representation that our clients are increasingly requiring,” said Rick Norman. “We were impressed by Taylor Porter’s more than 100-year reputation as a strong, solid Louisiana firm, its high ethical standards and experience in complex litigation and transactions over a wide range of practice areas, all of which benefit our client base.”
With the addition of Rick, Joe Norman, and Jud Norman, Taylor Porter has expanded its attorney base by nine attorneys over the last year. Taylor Porter has strengthened its estate planning and tax practice by adding three attorneys: Rebecca Hinton, Justin Mannino, and Ryan Gonzales. Taylor Porter has also added commercial law and transactions attorney Jess Frey. Attorneys Will Patrick andMichael Grace have been added to the firm’s general commercial litigation practice.
With 80 attorneys practicing across more than 30 practice areas, Taylor Porter’s capabilitiescover the complete spectrum of civil law, including state and federal trial and appellate practice. Taylor Porter is the exclusive Louisiana law firm member of the MSI Global Alliance, enabling the Firm to source local expertise wherever in the world clients are doing business.
Meet our New Attorneys in Lake Charles, Effective Oct. 1
Rick Norman has been practicing since 1980 in the areas of business law and commercial litigation. He is the author of two legal treatises on business law used by practitioners and law schools: Louisiana Employment (Thomson Reuters), and Louisiana Corporations (Thomson Reuters). Rick was selected a “Top Rated Lawyer” in the field of commercial litigation by Acadiana ProfileMagazine and Martindale-Hubbell. He is currently the vice-president of the Louisiana State Law Institute, an arm of the Louisiana legislature that studies and drafts legislation. Rick also serves on Law Institute committees that are rewriting the Louisiana Wage Payment Act and the Louisiana Limited Liability Companies Law. He is a member of the Employment Law Advisory Commission for the Louisiana State Bar Association Board of Legal Specialization. Rick taught business entities law and employment law at McNeese State University for many years, and lectures and writes extensively on business law topics. He also contributed a chapter for a college textbook on the effect of the First Amendment on business.
Joe Norman practices commercial law, commercial litigation, corporate transactions, and prosecuting and defending federal and state employment law actions. Joe is co-author of Louisiana Employment (Thomson Reuters). Joe advises businesses on compliance with federal and state laws concerning employee rights and benefits, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Joe earned his B.A. from McNeese State University in 2012 and his J.D. from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2015.
Jud Norman practices commercial law and litigation, and is a contributor to both the Louisiana Corporations and Louisiana Employment treatises. Jud earned his B.S. from Louisiana State University in 2007. He practiced as a certified Mental Health Specialist before attending Southern University Law Center. Jud was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 2017.
Original source can be found here.