Founders
Founders
Bill Larzelere was a founding partner of the firm until his retirement in 2007, and his enduring legacy continues to influence both our daily operations and overall philosophies even though he no longer practices law. The focus of his practice was maritime defense litigation, with particular emphasis on incidents in the inland waterway system involving collisions, allisions, sinkings, breakaways, and similar marine accidents. Throughout his more than 40 years of practice, he represented many of the major inland towboat and barge line companies, as well as numerous smaller barge line companies, shipyards, and fleeting operators.
Mr. Larzelere graduated from Loyola University in 1964 and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1966. While at Loyola, he was a member of the Delta Theta Phi international law fraternity. He also served as a Staff Officer at the United States Army Transportation School. Although Mr. Larzelere changed his status with the Louisiana State Bar Association to inactive to practice law in 2012, he continued to serve Louisiana in other prominent ways, including by serving a term on the Louisiana Board of Ethics. He is currently enjoying his retirement and the time it affords him for more recreational pursuits.
Dan Picou was a founding partner of the firm until his retirement in 2019, and his legacy will continue to guide us into the future. For almost forty years, his practice focused on insurance coverage and litigation involving marine, inland marine, energy, property and casualty, and pollution losses for foreign and domestic insurers, in large and complex claims and litigation throughout the United States, its territories, and other countries.
Mr. Picou graduated from Tulane University in 1978 and Tulane University Law School in 1981. He then served as a law clerk for the Honorable Patrick Schott of the Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Fourth Circuit before beginning his law practice.
Sadly, Dan passed away in 2023 and continues to be missed by his loving family, his colleagues, and all at the firm who knew him.