Gerard J. Gaudet

Gerard Gaudet advises and defends clients in the maritime, energy, oil and gas, and construction industries. He has broad litigation experience in all these spaces, as well as in commercial/corporate litigation and catastrophic injury litigation. For over a decade, Gerard has represented a major international energy company with offshore and onshore drilling operations, for which he has obtained successful verdicts and outcomes in casualty and commercial litigation, and in state and federal workers’ compensation disputes. Gerard also represents clients in complex, multi-party litigation and arbitrations involving owners, general contractors, engineers, and architects in the commercial and residential construction industry.

Gerard has experience defending clients in class actions involving consumer protection laws, data privacy/breaches issues and cybersecurity incidents, unfair/deceptive trade practices, negligence, and breach of contract. He is a member of our firm’s Class Action and Complex Litigation section and of the Louisiana State Bar Association Class Action section.

As part of his marine/energy practice, Gerard provides clients with emergency response services and is Tropical Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (T-HUET) certified, allowing him to travel to and from offshore oil and gas installations and vessels by helicopter in a tropical environment in emergency situations.

Gerard also serves as outside general counsel to several small business clients, advising them on the growth of their businesses, including lease agreements, construction contracts, employment issues, and disputes with vendors. In this role, Gerard uses his ability as a problem solver to advise the client how to navigate different situations and ease the clients concerns, allowing them to focus on what they do best, running their business.

Gerard has served as Chair of the executive council of the New Orleans Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, which helps organize and host various fundraisers for non-profit organizations that provide legal services to the indigent and veterans.