National insurance defense firm Tyson & Mendes has announced the opening of an office in New Orleans, signaling its entry into Louisiana with its ongoing commitment to stopping nuclear verdicts.
“New Orleans has long been recognized as a jurisdiction prone to delivering nuclear verdicts and posing immense risk to corporate defendants,” founding partner Robert Tyson said in a press release about the opening of the New Orleans office. “Our clients face unique risks here, and opening this office ensures we are strategically positioned to deliver the same exceptional representation they expect from Tyson & Mendes, even in the most difficult venues.”
Managing Partner Lara DiCristina will lead the New Orleans office.
Ashley Fetyko, partner and head of communications, said Louisiana has been on firm’s radar for quite some time.
“We pride ourselves on being the anti-nuclear verdict firm,” Fetyko told The Record. “We track these things and the impact they have on everyday Americans and businesses. We look at all of that as well as basing it on client needs.
“Louisiana is a frequent contender (on the American Tort Reform Association’s annual Judicial Hellholes list). We have always tried to position ourselves to provide the same excellence everywhere, and we are mindful with who we partner with whenever we open a new office. We are really intentional about the partners we select.
“It took us a while to find Lara, but we’re so glad we did. She’s a fantastic trial lawyer who is creative and who understands our approach. We’re really excited.”
DiCristina said the process of joining Tyson & Mendes and opening the New Orleans office has been “unbelievably exciting.”
‘This is a brilliant team that I’m privileged to have the opportunity to join,” she told The Record. “So, I’m over the moon about this new role and excited about being able to bring equal justice to everyone in my home state of Louisiana.”
DiCristina said she expects the New Orleans office to work on some of the most prevalent types of cases in Louisiana courts.
“Our focus is going to be continuing to implement the Tyson & Mendes methods in the cases with high exposure,” she said. “I have a diverse background but with a particular focus on defending maritime, energy and transportation cases. We anticipate continuing to see a heavy focus on those sectors.
“The legal environment in Louisiana is unique, and demands a tailored, proactive approach to defense strategy. I am excited to bring Tyson & Mendes’ proven method to the region, helping clients navigate these challenges and defend against nuclear verdicts.”
The firm calls DiCristina “a distinguished trial attorney with a stellar record in high-exposure litigation.” It also says she also is known for her strategic approach, courtroom excelling and expertise in insurance defense.
“DiCristina brings deep expertise in complex insurance defense matters and an intimate familiarity with the nuances of practice in Louisiana, making her the ideal leader for the firm’s expansion into the state,” the firm said in the press release.
DiCristina has been nationally recognized in “The Legal 500 United States” for Transport: Shipping – Litigation and Regulation. Her work has earned her a spot in Best Lawyers since 2024, highlighting her peer-recognized legal abilities in her field. She focuses her practice on admiralty and maritime law, commercial litigation, construction law, energy and environmental law, insurance coverage and defense, and mass tort and class action cases.
Louisiana is known for presenting challenges for insurance defense practitioners, as the state is notorious for its complex legal landscape and plaintiff-friendly courts. The firm says that makes the need for a strong defense counsel even greater for insurance companies and corporations even more imperative.
The firm recently has opened other offices in other high-risk jurisdictions across the country. It calls itself one of the fastest growing civil defense firms in the country, now serving 23 states.
The firm was founded in 2002 by Tyson and Patrick Mendes, and it boasts one of the fastest and clearest paths to partnership for its attorneys of any mid-sized law firm in the United States.
DiCristina noted the firm boasts that it invests more in educating and training its attorneys than any other insurance defense firm.
“I don’t know of another law firm that invests in its people through education to the level that Tyson & Mendes does,” she said. “That was a significant factor in drawing me to this role.”
Fetyko said half of the firm’s regional managing partners are women and half of the firm’s equity partnership is female as well.
“To reach that equity is rare,” she said. “It’s important to us, and it’s one of our firm’s core values.”
DiCristina agreed and noted that her national managing partner, Cayce Lynch, also is under 40.
“She’s under the age of 40, which makes it exceptionally unique,” DiCristina said. “It’s just one of the things that sets Tyson & Mendez apart. For example, our last eight offices have been opened by female managing partners.”