Saint James Parish Estate Planning Lawyers

Bob Hawthorne is of counsel to the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He is one of the founding members of the firm and practices in the estate planning and probate, business and corporate, and real estate groups. Bob represents clients in the finance, acquisition, construction, purchase, refinancing, management, leasing and sale of various types of real estate developments, both commercial and residential, including office buildings, shopping malls, manufacturing facilities, retail centers, industrial facilities, and commercial developments.

Bob advises business and corporate clients with regard to commercial lending transactions, financings, and the structure and formation of corporate entities. He has extensive...

Mr. Douglas obtained his Juris Doctor with a certification in taxation from Loyola University College of Law in 2011. While studying for his degree, he interned at Lowe Stein, joining as an attorney in 2012. Mr. Douglas’ practice areas include commercial transactions and litigation, with a majority of his practice devoted to trust and estate planning and administration, tax exempt organizations, and tax planning and controversy. Mr. Douglas has successfully settled a contested succession with $1 Million paid to Lowe Stein’s clients, organized a regional magazine and obtained a 501(c)(3) for an American fundraising arm of a Thai nonprofit organization....

Roy Bowes began his legal career serving as a judicial law clerk for one and a half years. For over 43 years, he operated a private civil practice, Roy M. Bowes & Associates, in the New Orleans area with concentrations in family law, personal injury, estate planning, successions, and collections. In 2022 he co-founded Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC by merging his practice into the firm. He is trained in the collaborative divorce model and is a charter member of the Collaborative Professionals Groups of Southeast Louisiana. He is a qualified registered divorce/custody/child support mediator. ...

John E. Sirois, JD, MBA, CFP®, CIMA, CIMC, is based out of Houma, Louisiana practicing in the areas of estate planning, successions and probate, wills, trusts, special needs planning, Medicaid and long term care planning and Veterans Pension Benfits (aid and attendance). He works with clients throughout Southeast Louisiana. Many of John’s clients are retirees, and pre-retirees, and seniors who wish to ensure their financial future as well as the financial security of their spouse, children and grandchildren. John’s comprehensive book Louisiana Retirement and Estate Planning: The essential financial planning book for retirees and pre-retirees offers answers to the complex...

J. Douglas Sunseri is founding partner of Nicaud & Sunseri Law Firm, LLC . Since his admission to the Louisiana Bar in 1988, J. Douglas Sunseri has practiced in diverse areas of the law. From 1990-1994, J. Douglas Sunseri worked under Attorney J. William Becknell, the legal counsel for Mr. John Mecom, Jr., the initial owner of the New Orleans Saints. As a result, Mr. Sunseri was fully educated in broad areas of law and business. Also, Mr. Sunseri served as outside counsel for Mr. Tom Benson, former owner of New Orleans Saints, for special projects. Mr. Sunseri’s practice encompasses...

Michael S. Donovan, and the Donovan Law Firm, LLC, provides effective and efficient advocacy for our clients that are looking to protect their family’s future.

Erik Burns was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he continues to reside with his two sons. Prior to graduating from the Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1993, Erik graduated from Catholic High School of Baton Rouge and then obtained a B.A. degree in Business Management with a minor in marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University. Erik began his practice in downtown Baton Rouge as a solo practitioner where he did significant personal injury work having worked closely with a seasoned attorney. In 1997 Erik was presented with an opportunity to move his office...

Edward J. McCloskey has proudly served the Greater New Orleans area for over 45 years. He is an av-rated expert in Business and Successions Law, making him the one to trust while making important decisions for the future.

Phillip Lynch, Jr. BIO 2019
Phillip M. Lynch, Jr., has practiced law for over thirty years in the New Orleans area and
focuses on successions, real estate matters, and family law issues. In 1996, he was
elected as Justice of the Peace and served two 6-year terms in Ward Four of St.
Tammany Parish. He was also Captain of Professional Standards and a Staff Attorney
for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. A former president of the Greater Covington
Bar Association, he served the LSBA’s House of Delegates, and its MCLE Committee.
A former reserve deputy in Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, and St. Tammany Parishes,
he is a...

Con has a wide range of experience with business transactions, commercial litigation, federal and state tax law, and wealth transfer planning. He serves clients in various business sectors including energy, healthcare, real estate, and internet technology.

I am a lifelong resident of New Orleans. I attended Benjamin Franklin Senior High School, graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and returned home to attend Loyola Law School. As a third-year law student, I worked as a student-practitioner in what is now known as the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice. My experience as a student-practitioner allowed me to give back to my community while developing legal skills with on-the-ground experience. After graduating from Loyola Law School, I worked briefly for a solo practitioner who had a general civil practice. I represented a...

DeVonna Ponthieu attended Southeastern Louisiana University in 1993 and graduated cum laude in May 1998. She applied and was accepted to the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law School and graduated in 2001. After passing the bar exam, she opened her private office in Denham Springs and has been practicing law there ever since. She has had cases in all of the 21st Judicial District (Livingston, Tangipahoa and St.Helena), East Baton Rouge Parish, Ascension Parish, East Feliciana and other parishes.

DeVonna is a member in good standing with the Louisiana State Bar Association. She was a past president, vice-president and secretary/treasurer...

My firm provides legal advice and assistance in the areas of real estate, construction law, successions, trusts/estate planning, tenant/landlord, foreclosure, worker's compensation, social security/disability, personal injury and collections. I am a solo practitioner delivering personal trustworthy service to individuals, their families and businesses throughout the community. As a former Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department of the State of Louisiana, my commitment is to continue to provide the same professional service and maintain an open door policy to all of my clients. I encourage all clients to keep abreast of the progress of their cases and...

I was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana and am a proud graduate of Lafayette High School. After earning my undergraduate degree from Tulane University in 2013, I spent two years serving in the Phoenix Corps of Teach for America. I returned to my hometown in 2015 and spent a year working as a legal assistant to Attorneys Marc W. Judice and Daniel C. Palmintier at Judice & Adley law firm. These early lessons on best practices in a legal career were formative for me, and I carry them with me to this day. After enrolling at LSU Law in 2016, I was...

My legal career began long before I went to law school. As a daughter of a prominent New Orleans litigator, I have been around the Law my whole life. I have worked for a law firm in one capacity or another since I was an intern in high school. After getting my bachelors at LSU, I went from a legal assistant and paralegal to an associate attorney in October, 2014. I began attending and assisting at trials in my teens, coming to understand the degree of preparation and attention to detail that marks me as a lawyer today.

In...

My name is Anton Martynenko, and I am a proud member of the Scott Vicknair team. My journey to becoming a lawyer started from humble beginnings in the former USSR during some of the most fascinating but challenging times. Today, I am oddly thankful for facing poverty and hardship from an early age because those struggles instilled in me a strong work ethic, a drive to succeed, and compassion for folks from all walks of life. At the age of 15, I had a rare opportunity to come to the United States as an exchange student. Three years later, I...

I really enjoy working with clients and handling the delicate legal issues that are incredibly important to the families I represent. My background and experience in real estate, successions, wills, and estate planning, partitions, and property litigation are learning experiences that I believe help bring value and results to our clients. Before joining Scott Vicknair, I owned and operated a successful real estate closing company and law firm for many years. In that role as a business owner and operator, I further developed my skills in successions and real estate. Working in the title industry provided me with a lot of...

Broussard & Dove is a boutique law firm located in Houma, Louisiana with a first-rate reputation among it's peers and clients. The firm has thrived on referrals from satisfied clients throughout the years. At Broussard & Dove, you will be working directly with attorneys rather than paralegals or legal assistants. We will personally get to know you and your case. Whether its negotiating a multi-million dollar business transaction, litigating cases as a plaintiff or defendant, closing real estate transactions, drafting contracts or wills, or handling estate planning & successions, Broussard & Dove is well equipped to handle your legal needs....

Experienced litigator in the fields of personal injury and property damage insurance claims. Also counsel and advising clients in business formation and incorporation, and other practice areas, particularly those involved in the hemp and cannabis industries. Over ten years experience appearing before Louisiana state courts and Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Call me today to discuss how I can help you!

With more than 30 years of litigation experience in both civil and criminal law, Mr. Schoonenberg focuses his practice on serious felony cases and the defense of physicians in medical malpractice. He also has a masters of law (L.L.M.) in International Taxation and Offshore Financial Centers and often advises individuals and companies in cross border transactions, asset protection and estate planning.

Mr. Schoonenberg has handled many cases in state and federal districts and appellate courts and obtained numerous successful verdicts in complex medical malpractice cases. He has lectured frequently on ethics, expropriation and professionalism.

My practice is primarily focused on estate and probate litigation as well as wrongful death litigation. My team and I represent families and clients throughout the country and internationally with legal matters in Louisiana. We handle a wide range of estate matters; from the simple transfer of assets from parents to kids to multimillion-dollar estate battles over rights of inheritance, we have handled it and everything in between. I was born and raised in Lafourche Parish, La., in a small community where I was related to almost everyone. My great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all lived there as well. We...

Attorney Eric Kallio is the founder of Kallio Law, focusing his practice on estate planning, wills, successions, business law, tax law, aviation law, and veterans benefit law. Eric brings the depth of his professional and educational experience to bear for his clients, advocating passionately on their behalf. Eric knows the value of hard work. He started as a medic in the Army, enlisting after high school. Within five years, Eric began flight training and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 after nearly 23 years of service and several deployments. Serving his community is also important to Eric, and he volunteered...

Brian Munson is a native of New Orleans. After attending Jesuit High School, Brian received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Brian returned to New Orleans to receive his JD from Tulane University's School of Law, and then received his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Houston's Law Center. While at Tulane, Brian was a member of the Business Law Society and a student-member of the Tulane Inn of Court. Brian focuses on Estate Planning and Tax issues. It...

The year before I began law school, I scored in the top 1% worldwide on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This score earned me the Faculty Merit Scholarship to the Paul M. Hebert School of Law at Louisiana State University. In 2004 I was fortunate to be able to study International Comparative Law at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon, France.

Since law school, my career has reflected my approach to life. I believe a person must be well rounded in order to be successful. Having a diversity of interests and experiences allows me to adapt more easily to...

I have practiced law in the New Orleans metropolitan area since 1982.