Four Tips for Choosing a Civil Litigation Attorney

Nielsen & Treas LLC of Metairie, Louisiana, provides legal representation to help clients navigate the complexities of policies and procedures associated with litigation, law enforcement defense, and the National Flood Insurance Program. Practice areas handled by Nielsen & Treas LLC include civil litigation. Clients seeking a civil litigation attorney should consider the following tips: 

1. Emphasize relevant experience. Civil litigation can involve a range of matters, from personal injury and discrimination to debt settlement and alimony. Make sure to examine the attorney’s qualifications and previous cases closely to ensure you hire one with experience in the area of law associated with your case. You may also want to look at prior courtroom experience in the event your case goes to trial. 

2. Consider your comfort level. Meet with attorneys in person before deciding to hire them, and take time to consider how they react to your questions and concerns. While experience is important, you also want to ensure that you hire an attorney who listens to your concerns and makes you feel comfortable. Avoid attorneys who hurry conversations or behave in a condescending manner. 

3. Ask who will handle the case. Some firms may schedule a consultation with one attorney, but assign the case to a different one who possesses less experience. Ask up front who will handle your case, and make sure to meet with that individual. 

4. Discuss costs and time expectations. The costs and time expectations can vary widely, depending on the type of civil litigation and the details of the situation. Discuss costs and options for payment before hiring an attorney, and ask about policies for billing regarding “out-of-pocket expenses.” You may also want to discuss how long the attorney expects it to take to reach a resolution.

A Brief Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program

For over 30 years, members of Nielsen & Treas, LLC, have been providing its clients with constitutional, regulatory, and insurance counsel. Committed to offering high-standard service, Nielsen & Treas, LLC, helps clients with legal complexities such as those involving the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). 

NFIP was established to offer homeowners, home renters, and business owners an opportunity to purchase federally-backed flood insurance. The insurance is offered by insurance companies but is backed by the federal government through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), tasked with managing the program. Mortgaged properties in high-risk flood areas are required to carry the insurance. However, some lenders also require properties that are not in designated high-risk areas to purchase it.

The insurance program was developed in response to the staggering losses suffered by homeowners and renters in the wake of floods, the most common natural disaster in the United States. They can occur anywhere in the country. As a matter of fact, 20 percent of all flood claims are in regions not considered high-risk flood zones. Most homeowner and renter insurance policies do not cover flooding. This is where NFIP comes in.

John D. Carter’s Work at Nielsen & Treas, LLC

The team at Nielsen & Treas, LLC, dedicates itself to ensuring that its clients receive comprehensive legal counsel on regulatory, statutory, constitutional, and insurance issues. One of its partners, John D. Carter, has served Nielsen & Treas, LLC, since 2000.

During his time with the firm, Mr. Carter has dealt with federal litigation matters as lead counsel throughout the United States, primarily representing WYO (Write Your Own) insurance carriers. He also leverages his experience in municipal law and civil rights cases to benefit his clients. Currently, he serves as the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police general counsel, and formerly served the state of Louisiana as a special assistant attorney general.

John D. Carter has practiced before the Louisiana Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. Further, he is admitted to practice in federal district courts in Louisiana, Florida, and Texas, as well as in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth circuits of the U.S. Courts of Appeal. On numerous occasions, he has been admitted to practice pro hac vice (this time only) in federal courts throughout the country.

Three Ways to Donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Based in Metairie, Louisiana, Nielsen and Treas, LLC, is a law firm with years of experience in governmental interest, insurance defense, and civil litigation. In addition to providing legal services, Nielsen and Treas, LLC, contributes to several local and national nonprofit organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is dedicated to advancing cures and preventative measures for life-threatening, pediatric diseases through research and treatment. Individuals who are interested in supporting the organization can do so in any of the following ways.

1. Dedicate a big day. For birthdays and wedding days, St. Jude allows people to customize a page on its website that asks friends and family to make a donation to the research hospital in lieu of bringing a gift to the celebration.

2. Get involved through work. Individuals can arrange to have a portion of their paychecks go directly to St. Jude every payday. Additionally, the hospital’s website provides a searchable online database that allows donors to find out if the companies they work for participate in St. Jude’s gift-matching program.

3. Leave a legacy. Individuals can honor loved ones with the purchase of memorial bricks and wall plaques engraved with their names and a personal message. The bricks become part of the walkway at the hospital’s Kay Research and Care Center, and the plaques line the wall of its Patient Care and Chili’s Care Centers.

St. Jude Trike-A-Thon Raises Funds for Patient Care

A law firm based in Metairie, Louisiana, Nielsen & Treas LLC possesses more than three decades of experience with cases involving constitutional, regulatory, and insurance issues. Nielsen & Treas LLC contributes to community organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is partnering with the Diamond K Kid's Kountry daycare to hold the St. Jude Trike-A-Thon in support of the hospital’s pediatric patients. 

Parents and students alike may participate in the St. Jude Trike-A-Thon. Funds raised through the event will benefit patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and help to ensure that they can receive treatment without the worry of hospital costs. Expenses covered include treatment, food, housing, and travel. Furthermore, the Trike-A-Thon will help make a difference in children’s lives by supporting efforts against cancer and other life-threatening diseases. 

The St. Jude Trike-A-Thon will take place on May 12, 2017, with a fundraising goal of $1,200.

The New Orleans Federal Bar Association Committees

The attorneys at Nielsen, Carter & Treas, LLC, offer experienced representation in civil and insurance cases. Based in Louisiana, Nielsen & Treas, LLC, stays actively involved with the local legal community through the New Orleans Federal Bar Association, which is committed to improving the administration of justice and bolstering the federal legal system by supporting professionals in and around New Orleans. 

One of the ways that the organization helps individuals remain apprised of relevant issues is through its Practice Area and Special Interest Committees. The president of the chapter appoints chairs to each of these committees, which are expected to provide members with substantive programming, such as volunteer opportunities, networking events, or chances to author articles on relevant subjects. 

The New Orleans Federal Bar Association maintains committees in several areas of practice, including admiralty, criminal, energy, labor and employment, and environmental law. Additionally, members may join committees on immigration and federal litigation. The special interest committees include diversity and philanthropy/outreach, both of which are critical to maintaining a robust legal community in New Orleans.

Members of Nielsen, Carter & Treas, LLC are member of the Federal Bar Association and the New Orleans Federal Bar Association. Through its practice in federal courts on NFIP matters, Nielsen, Carter & Treas, LLC, stays apprized of the rules and procedures unique to federal courts.

St. Jude Children's Hospital Names New Clinical Director

Nielsen & Treas, LLC, is a Louisiana-based law firm that specializes in areas of governmental interest litigation and litigation involving the National Flood Insurance Program. Outside its professional scope, Nielsen & Treas, LLC, supports many worthy causes, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital recently announced a change in a key leadership position at the hospital. Effective March, 2017, Ellis J. Neufeld, MD, PhD, will take over as the new clinical director, physician-in-chief, and executive vice-president of the hospital.

For the past twenty-six years, Dr. Neufeld served as a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School. He also headed up the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. He is also an accomplished hematology researcher, specializing in the conditions of hemophilia, thalassemia, and immune thrombocytopenia.

In his new position, Dr. Neufeld will be responsible for all clinical activity within the organization, including day-to-day clinical operations, as well as its academic departments. With an accomplished background in pediatric hematology, St. Jude’s appointment of Dr. Neufeld is made with the specific goal of widening the reach of its cancer treatment programs, both locally and worldwide.

Appellate Decision Against Homeowners in Flood Damage Case

Nielsen & Treas, LLC, is a respected Metairie, Louisiana, law firm offering representation in cases involving civil litigation, insurance disputes and civil rights matters. Recently, after the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals remanded Spong v. Fidelity Nat. Prop. and Cas. Ins. Co., 787 F.3d 296 (5th Cir. 2015), to district court, Plaintiffs filed their Third Amended Complaint alleging a litany of extra-contractual claims, including but not limited to purported misrepresentations and Texas Insurance Code violations, against the Write-Your-Own (WYO) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) carrier, Fidelity National, and other claims against United States of America. Defendants filed motions for summary judgment. Claiming ignorance of federal regulations, the Plaintiffs relied on the fact that Fidelity had issued a federal flood insurance policy but the Plaintiffs’ property was situated within a Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). Nevertheless, the district court held, based upon U.S. Supreme Court cases that charge insureds with knowledge and a duty of self-investigation in the context of federal benefit programs, that when the Spongs acquired the property and applied for the federal flood insurance policy they were aware that their property within a CBRS is not insurable. In addition, the court found that Fidelity, as WYO carrier, had a duty to protect against improper expenditures of federal funds. Accordingly, the court granted the summary judgment dismissing all claims with prejudice.