Adams and Reese Attorneys Ed Laizer, Ron Sholes Honored Among 2014 New Orleans CityBusiness “Leadership in Law” Class

Adams and Reese attorneys Ed Laizer and Ron Sholes were honored among the New Orleans CityBusiness “Leadership in Law” 2014 honorees, recognizing 50 legal professionals who have helped move the legal community forward with energy, innovative ideas, achievements and a commitment to excellence.

They were featured in a special insert profiling all the honorees in the March 28th issue of CityBusiness, and honorees received their awards at a cocktail reception on March 24th at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Leadership in Law is in its 10th year, will recognize court-associated attorneys, in-house counsel and firm-associated attorneys.

Ed Laizer joined Adams and Reese in 1983 and is a Partner in the Litigation Group. He is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He previously served for four years as one of the firm's Litigation Practice Group Leaders.

Laizer focuses his practice on transactions and litigation in the energy, marine, transportation, construction, and commercial arenas including the defense of complex personal injury and death, property damage and products liability claims. He also has experience in the negotiation and litigation of commercial disputes, complex transactions, financing, labor and employment issues, and employee benefit disputes.

Laizer is ranked among Louisiana Super Lawyers® (by Thomson Reuters) in Transportation/Maritime and among Best Lawyers® (by BL Rankings, LLC) in Personal Injury Litigation.

Laizer has been involved in a number of high-profile, complex, mass tort, class action and maritime limitation of liability actions and appeared in numerous courts throughout Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. He has also appeared before governmental agencies including the United States Coast Guard, the National Transportation and Safety Board, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement - f/k/a the Minerals Management Service - and the National Labor Relations Board.

Laizer is a past Chair of the Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association. He has published numerous articles and has participated in many presentations and seminars on maritime law and trial practice.

Sholes joined Adams and Reese in 2000 and is a former district judge in the Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans. He assumed judicial office in 1991 and still serves as a Judge of the Traffic Court for the City of New Orleans. Sholes serves as Adams and Reese’s Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution Team Leader. His civil litigation practice includes class action, mass torts, environmental disputes and business litigation, among other matters. Prior to attending law school, Sholes earned a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University School of Public Health.

Sholes is ranked among Best Lawyers® in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury Litigation, and he also has been named among Louisiana Super Lawyers® in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Sholes formerly taught trial advocacy at Emory University, Loyola University and Louisiana State University. He frequently teaches CLE courses throughout the year. Shole served as past President of both the Louisiana District Judges Association and the Louisiana Fourth and Fifth Circuit Judges Associations. Several leadership roles on numerous professional, civic and cultural boards have included serving as President of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and President of the St. Thomas More Inn of Court; Loyola College of Law Board of Visitors; and several Supreme Court and bar association committees.

Sholes serves on the Board of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and Dryades YMCA. He is also President of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation.