A group of sexual abuse survivors who have filed claims against the Archdiocese of New Orleans blasted the archdiocese’s law firm for “vague, redundant, unnecessary and/or excessive” bankruptcy billing practices.
In an objection filed April 18 in federal bankruptcy court in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the abuse survivors urge the court to reject Jones Walker LLP’s most recent application for compensation and reimbursements for work performed during the archdiocese’s bankruptcy proceedings, which have been going on for nearly four years.
The complaint criticizes the cost of the bankruptcy and the law firm’s failure to complete a Plan and Disclosure Statement. The archdiocese’s decision to file for bankruptcy in May 2020 put the brakes on scores of sexual abuse lawsuits accusing church officials and employees of wrongdoing.
“Jones Walker is the clear winner of this bankruptcy,” the objection states. “Jones Walker has bloated its time, engaged in redundant work, and enjoyed maximum payment by ensuring that 54 of its lawyers (30 partners and 24 associates) billed the archdiocese during this bankruptcy.”
The latest breakdown of attorney costs filed by Jones Walker covers the time period of Nov. 1, 2023, to Feb. 24 of this year. In total, the law firm’s attorneys billed the archdiocese for 184.2 hours for a total of $69,505.
Some Jones Walker partners billed the archdiocese but seldom made court appearances or engaged in any substantive work, according to the objection filed last week.
“Jones Walker even sends its bills for review and payment to a Jones Walker partner’s spouse who is employed by the archdiocese as its general counsel,” the objection says. “Jones Walker’s windfall comes at the expense of abuse survivors. Every dollar paid to Jones Walker is one less dollar paid to the abuse survivors.”
The objection was filed by the group’s attorneys, Soren Gisleson and Richard Trahant. They represent the largest contingent of child abuse survivors who have filed claims against the archdiocese.
“These religious bankruptcies are simply a feeding frenzy, and we and our clients have had enough,” Trahant told the Louisiana Record in an email.
Jones Walker’s New Orleans office did not respond to a request for comment.
A total of 550 claims have been filed by abuse survivors and commercial creditors during the bankruptcy proceedings, according to the federal court filing. As of March of this year, the archdiocese has paid a total of $36.3 million to professionals and vendors, the objection states.
“The fees and expenses the debtor has paid to date are almost three times the average of similar religious organization bankruptcies until plan confirmation – the average of which is approximately $8.66 million,” the objection says.
Meanwhile, Jones Walker has billed for 3,373.9 hours during the course of the bankruptcy. This accounts for nearly $12 million in attorney expenses and fees, with partners billing $300 to $490 per hour, associates billing $250 to $300 per hour and support staff billing $170 per hour, according to the objection.
The abuse survivors argue that the list of billing hours should be reduced.
“The number of Jones Walker lawyers working this case has increased more than 13-fold over the course of the bankruptcy,” the objection says. In addition, Jones Walker partner Wayne Zeringue’s billing pattern shows that his main function was to communicate with his spouse, the archdiocese’s general counsel, the abuse survivors allege.
Groups representing abuse survivors have also criticized the archdiocese for its payouts to attorneys while survivors have waited decades for compensation