Young Lawyers Committee
~The LADC Young Lawyers Committee is where new lawyers get to know one another and network with experienced professionals.~
In 2014 the LADC Board of Directors mandated and formed the Young Lawyers Committee in order to provide more participatory opportunities for young lawyer members. The Association concluded that young lawyers need their own committee to determine ways in which to increase their roles. Since that time, the roles of young lawyers in participating and governing have increased through communication between the YL Committee, the LADC Board, and initiatives started by the YL Committee and supported by the Board. The YL Committee is now a standing Committee provided for in the LADC bylaws. Young lawyers speak at almost all LADC seminars, write columns for the LADC monthly newsletter, and organize their own mini-seminars. These activities provide an excellent opportunity for young lawyers to get exposure in their field of interest. Perhaps the crown jewel of YL Committee initiatives has been the annual LADC Board and Young Lawyers Awards Dinner, at which the Frank L. Maraist and Young Lawyers Committee Member of the Year awards are presented. The lifeblood of an organization is in developing its younger members. The LADC is grateful for the work of the Young Lawyers Committee. If you are interested in serving on the Committee or in assisting with any of the activities of the Committee, please contact the LADC at [email protected].
ChairTrinity Morale -- Liskow & Lewis -- District 4
District 1Thomas C. Naquin -- Bonnecaze McKernan -- Membership Chair, Practice Group Liaison (Environmental)
Thomas C. Naquin is a litigator who joined Bienvenu Bonnecaze in 2019. He practices in a number of areas, including general litigation, construction disputes, personal injury, products liability, premises liability, property damage, toxic tort, asbestos, occupational disease litigation, and contractual defense and indemnity. Thomas also has experience with master service agreements with a focus on risk, loss allocation, indemnity, and insurance. Thomas graduated Order of the Coif from Louisiana State University law school in 2019 where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review.
Ashley U. Johnson -- Hammonds Sills Adkins Guice Noah & Perkins -- Committee Member
Forrest E. Guedry -- Kean Miller -- Practice Group Liaison (Construction and Commercial)
Alex Mouhot -- Irwin Fritchie -- Practice Group Liaison (Trucking)
Shiena Burke -- Kean Miller LLP -- Incoming President, Practice Group Liaison (Medical Malpractice)
Prior to private practice, Shiena Marie served as a federal clerk in the Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges. She also served as a clerk in the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Eastern District of Louisiana Federal Public Defenders Office, the Orleans Public Defenders Office, and with the United States Navy Judge Advocate General. She has experience in a variety of areas including Defense Base Act matters, Federal Black Lung litigation, insurance coverage, bad faith litigation, general liability, marine litigation, and workers’ compensation. Shiena Marie was recently appointed to the Louisiana State Bar Association’s House of Delegates for the 22nd Judicial District. She was also selected by the Louisiana Bar Foundation as one of four contributors for the 2023-2024 Speak Out for Justice! Focus on Civil Legal Aid, a Louisiana Bar Foundation Education Committee program. Joseph Dronet -- Chaffe McCall LLP -- Committee Member
Caroline Murley -- Taylor Wellons Politz & Duhe -- Committee Member
Ashley Haddad -- Porteous Hainkel & Johnson LLP -- Committee Member
District 2Luke Whetstone -- Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway -- Committee Member
Erica M. Ducoing -- Thomas, Soileau, Jackson & Cole, LLP -- Communications Chair E District 3Jared Nelson -- Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith -- Secretary
Jared Elijah-Akeem Nelson is a dedicated and highly skilled advocate for his clients, partnering with them and guiding them through complex legal challenges with professionalism and care. Drawing from his diverse background in both private law and government service, he works diligently to go way above and way beyond in building long-lasting relationships based on trust, thorough communication, and a deep understanding of his client’s needs and goals. Jared’s dedication to creating partnerships rooted in respect, diversity, and success sets his practice apart. Jared has extensive experience in litigated and non-litigated matters, including energy law, mass tort litigation, civil rights cases, and environmental cases. His practice focuses on casualty litigation, commercial litigation, premises liability, mass tort and class action, environmental law, workers’ compensation, and insurance defense and coverage. Jared provides strategic solutions that lead to effective results, prioritizing responsiveness and accessibility. His meticulous, detail-oriented services deliver exceptional value and confidence to his clients, knowing that they have partnered with a formidable litigator, trusted legal advisor, and business partner. He has been recognized for his practice by The National Black Lawyers’ organization as a National Black Lawyer Top 40 Under 40. Jared received his Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center, cum laude, and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia
District 4Sarah Day -- Pipes Miles Beckman -- Practice Group Liaison (Insurance) Sarah In 2020, Sarah Day graduated from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, where she served as Vice President of her 3L class and Vice President of Internal Competitions for LSU’s Board of Advocates. During law school, she worked as a research assistant for Professor J. Randall Trahan. She also served as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Judge John W. DeGravelles, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, and as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Judge William J. Crain, Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, before his election to the Louisiana Supreme Court in 2019. Andrew Miner -- Mouledoux Bland Legrand & Brackett -- Practice Group Liaison (Trucking)
R. Tate Martin -- Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith -- Practice Group Liaison (Construction and Commercial)
Alex Domingue -- Mouledoux Bland Legrand & Brackett -- Practice Group Liaison (Insurance)
Hayley Landry -- Liskow & Lewis -- Practice Group Liaison (Environmental & Energy)
District 5Ivana Dillas -- Blue Williams - Practice Group Liaison (Medical Malpractice)
Travis J. Beslin -- Hebbler & Giordano -- Committee Member
Past ChairsDianna Duffy Willem -- Hebbler & Giordano
Amber Barlow -- Deutsch & Kerrigan LLP
Amber Barlow is a partner in Deutsch & Kerrigan’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Group. Amber represents manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and premise owners in complex litigation matters, including environmental litigation, toxic tort litigation, and premises and products liability. She handles all phases of representation from initial case assessment, pre-trial discovery and depositions, motion practice, mediation and negotiations, through to trial. While in law school, Amber served as Managing Editor of the Law Review, President of the Women’s Student Bar Association, Vice President of the Mississippi Defense Lawyer’s Association-Student Chapter, Law Student Bar Association Senator, and Mississippi College School of Law Honor Court Justice. She was awarded the Am Jur Award in Trial Practice taught by Presiding Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jess Dickinson as well as receiving the Mississippi Defense Lawyer’s Association’s Outstanding Leadership Award. While in law school, she clerked for the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Staff Attorney’s Office and the Honorable Neil P. Olack, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Valerie E. Fontenot -- Frilot LLC
Natalie Taylor -- Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea
Click here to view a full review of the YLC member duties. (Updated January 2026) |
Trinity is a litigator in the firm’s New Orleans office. Her practice involves representing global exploration and production companies and general commercial clients in a range of matters, including “legacy”/environmental, royalty, and personal injury matters, as well as contractual disputes. Trinity’s litigation experience includes trial and appellate work, and she has represented a range of clients before state and federal appellate courts. She has been recognized for her practice by The National Black Lawyers’ organization as a National Black Lawyer Top 40 Under 40. Trinity received her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, and her Bachelor of Arts from Duke University, cum laude. She was a member of the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic and the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project at Yale Law School and a Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholar and a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at Duke University. 
Ashley Unique Johnson is a native of Long Beach, California. In May 2019, she graduated Cum Laude from Southern University Law Center. During law school, she was a member of the Black Law Students Association, the Vice President of Christians in Law, an editor for the law center’s Journal of Race, Gender, and Poverty, a member of the Board of Student Advisors, and appointed as student representative of the Appeals Committee. Before attending law school, she received her teaching credentials and taught 8th and 9th grade English and Reading from 2014 until 2016. Prior to teaching, she received her B.A. Degree in Political Science from the University of California Santa Barbara in June 2014. Johnson is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, Louis A Martinet Legal Society, National Bar Association, a member of Grace Community Baptist Church, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is in the Baton Rouge office, where her practice includes civil litigation defense, employment law and insurance defense.
Forrest Guedry is an associate in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2018 and practices in the casualty and mass tort litigation group. Forrest has represented national retail establishments, international restaurant chains, local contractors, municipalities, business owners, employers, and landlords in the defense of premise liability matters, personal injury lawsuits, contract disputes, defense of workers compensation claims, and eviction proceedings. Prior to joining the firm, Forrest practiced insurance and worker’s compensation defense in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Alex Edward Mouhot was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 21, 1991. He grew up there, graduating from Alfred M. Barbe High School in 2009. Alex received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Disaster Science & Management, from Louisiana State University in 2013. In May 2017, he received his Juris Doctor and Diploma in Comparative Law from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, graduating cum laude. While at LSU Law, Alex served as a member of the Ethics Committee. He was also a member of the LSU Journal of Energy Law & Resources, serving as Senior Editor his final year, and was a recipient of the CALI award in Federal Courts (an award granted to the student with the highest grade in a respective class). In his spare time, Alex enjoys cheering on the LSU Tigers, traveling, running, playing various sports, and spending time with family and friends.
Shiena Marie Burke practices in the casualty and mass tort litigation group. Shiena Marie has extensive experience in litigation and focuses her practice on issues involving product liability, medical malpractice and premises liability matters. She has also advised clients on the interpretation of Louisiana law in various contractual disputes.
Joseph Dronet is a proven attorney with strong advocacy skills and strategic abilities. He is an associate focused on resolving claims related to medical malpractice litigation. He is dedicated to developing outcome-driven litigation strategies and partnering with clients to achieve positive outcomes inside and outside the courtroom. Joseph earned his J.D. and D.C.L, magna cum laude from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, in 2021, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class as a member of the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Joseph was a member of the Ethics Committee and served as president of the tennis club. He also participated in the Prosecution Clinic in association with the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office. Joseph received his B.A. from McNeese State University, Summa Cum Laude.
Caroline M. Murley was born and raised in Mandeville, Louisiana. She graduated magna cum laude from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She then continued her education at Louisiana State University, earning her Juris Doctor and Graduate Degree in Comparative Law from Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU in 2015. While in law school, Caroline was a member of the Moot Court Board and graduated Order of the Coif. Prior to joining Taylor Wellons, Caroline served as law clerk to Honorable Judge Christopher J. Bruno, Orleans Parish Civil District Court.
Ashley Giambelluca Haddad joined the New Orleans office of Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson LLP as an associate in 2017. Her practice primarily includes the defense of insurance companies in personal injury and insurance coverage. She graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University of New Orleans in 2010 with a B.S. in Music Industry Studies and a minor in Business Administration. She then attended Tulane University Law School where she was the Senior Managing Editor of Volume 41 of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. Both her case note and comment were published in the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. In 2017, Ashley graduated cum laude from Tulane University Law School, earning a Juris Doctorate with a certificate in Civil Law.
Luke Whetstone is an associate attorney with Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway. He joined the firm in 2018 and primarily represents and advises corporate and insurance clients in civil litigation matters. He received his law degree from the LSU Law Center, where he was selected to the Moot Court Board. Luke is an active member of the bar and has served in various capacities, including President of the Shreveport Bar Association – Young Lawyers Section.
rica M. Ducoing joined Thomas, Soileau, Jackson & Cole, L.L.P. as an attorney in 2019 after serving as a law clerk to Louisiana’s 26th Judicial District Court. Ms. Ducoing is a civil litigator practicing primarily in the areas of insurance defense, workers’ compensation, and personal injury. She received her Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University and her Juris Doctor and Graduate Degree in Comparative Law from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University. During law school, Ms. Ducoing served on the Trial Advocacy Board, earned her certification as a Qualified Child Custody and Visitation Mediator, and was heavily involved in the Public Interest Law Society, earning over 100 hours of pro bono service.
Andrew Miner’s practice is devoted to defending individuals and businesses in a wide range of litigation matters. His experience spans automobile and trucking casualty defense, maritime incidents, medical malpractice, and state and federal workers’ compensation claims. His clients trust him to manage their litigation needs with efficiency and reliability. Andrew has more than a decade of experience managing complex legal matters from early investigations through the appeals process. He regularly tries cases across Louisiana and Mississippi.
Tate Martin believes that effective legal representation is centered around communication and developing a deep understanding of the client’s needs and goals. For the businesses he represents, it is important to recognize that, while the business entity is the client, the people at the company are crucial to its success. By taking the time to learn the company’s operations, fostering open communication, and building relationships with key members of the company, Tate is able to align legal strategies with the business’s overall objectives effectively.
Alex Domingue’s areas of practice include the defense and representation of employers and insurance carriers under Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Defense Base Act, War Hazards Compensation Act, Jones Act, Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims, Texas State Workers’ Compensation claims, and hearing loss matters. As supported by the peer recognition he has received, including Super Lawyers Rising Stars and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, he has developed a reputation as a skilled attorney in workers’ compensation.
Hayley is a member of the firm’s Energy Litigation practice group in the New Orleans office. Prior to joining the firm, Hayley served as a student attorney at the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice where she represented clients in various employment litigation matters under the supervision of an experienced attorney. She also served as the Lawyer Referral Service Coordinator and Special Projects Coordinator for the New Orleans Bar Association. Hayley received her Master of Science in Applied Criminology from Texas A&M Commerce before receiving her Juris Doctor from Loyola University College of Law.
Ms. Dillas was admitted to the bar in 2016. She graduated from Loyola Law, at the age of 23, as the meritorious recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Ms. Dillas was elected Vice President of The Student Bar Association by her graduating law school class. She was selected for two prestigious judicial internships, including serving as judicial extern to the Honorable Susie Morgan, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Ms. Dillas served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Louisiana in the area of healthcare litigation defense, where she was a trial attorney and traveled the country conducting physician expert depositions. Before joining Blue Williams, Ms. Dillas worked in a defense firm and her practice focused on claims in the federal circuit. Ms. Dillas has represented healthcare professionals consisting of physicians, dentists, podiatrists, nurses, and nurse practitioners. Ms. Dillas is trilingual and is a first generation American and New Orleanian. She lives in the French Quarter.
Travis J. Beslin was born and raised in the heart of “Cajun Country” in the small town of Rayne, Louisiana. He attended Notre Dame High School in Crowley, Louisiana and then the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He obtained his Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. While at Loyola, Travis was elected as Vice President of Sports for the Sports and Entertainment Law Society.Travis has been practicing law since 2015. He joined the firm in February of 2023 and his diverse practice focuses on civil litigation, insurance defense, insurance coverage, personal injury, automobile liability, and premises liability. He is a skilled litigator with a proven track record of a successful motion practice, including multiple successful Motions for Summary Judgment at the trial and appellate levels.
Dianna Duffy Willem was born and raised in the Greater New Orleans area and has been practicing law since 2015. She joined the firm as an Associate Attorney in May 2018, and became a Partner in June 2023. Her practice focuses on litigation of matters involving automobile liability, insurance defense, and insurance coverage. Ms. Willem is the current Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel. She is also a member of the Jefferson Bar Association and Louisiana State Bar Association. She is admitted to practice before all Louisiana state and federal courts. Ms. Willem is a graduate of Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans. She then attended The University of Alabama where she graduated in May 2010 with Bachelors of Arts in Musical Theatre and Public Relations. She received her Juris Doctorate in 2015 from Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law. While at Loyola, Ms. Willem served as President of the Student Bar Association, and was a member of Moot Court and Maritime Law Journal. Outside of the office, Ms. Willem enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children.
Valerie Fontenot joins Frilot, LLC 
Natalie J. Taylor is a partner in the New Orleans office, where she enjoys a broad based commercial law practice. Ms. Taylor handles a wide range of legal issues for clients, including real estate, corporate formations and reorganizations, corporate governance, commercial lending and compliance issues. Ms. Taylor also represents clients in the formation and negotiation of commercial agreements, construction agreements, and natural gas contracts, including master services agreements for pipeline construction and related services. In addition, Ms. Taylor has experience in handling land acquisitions, oil and gas title examinations, and real estate closings. Ms. Taylor is also a licensed title insurance producer in Louisiana.