Ben Slater serves as managing partner of Akerman’s New Orleans office. An experienced trial lawyer, Ben has decades of experience serving clients in the transportation, energy, restaurant, and consumer products sectors. His practice covers a range of litigation, including commercial, class action defense, product liability, mass tort, environmental, trade secret, insurance coverage, and real property title disputes in state and federal courts.
Post Katrina, Ben represented the railroads in its dealings with the Corps of Engineers and in numerous landlord/tenant matters. He has also represented railroads and other property owners in expropriation matters initiated by the State of Louisiana. He has served as Louisiana division counsel to Norfolk Southern and its affiliates for over 20 years.
Ben also maintains a substantial environmental law practice, obtaining both bench and jury verdicts in numerous cases against both U.S.-based and international insurers involving pre-1990 commercial general liability policies covering clean-up cost reimbursement.
Ben has been involved in numerous civic and community organizations in Louisiana, including serving as a member of the State Mineral Board, commissioner and chairman of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission and as an elected representative of the Louisiana State Republican Central Committee. He is a past member of the DRI Executive Committee and is active in the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel.
Education :
- J.D., Tulane University Law School, 1975
- B.A., Tulane University, 1972
Bar Admissions : Louisiana
Affiliations :
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Louisiana State Bar Admissions Committee
- American Bar Association
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
- Louisiana Bar Foundation
- Defense Research Institute, Chairman of the Railroad Law Committee
- Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
- Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, Commissioner and Chairman
- Member, Louisiana State Mineral Board
- Elected Representative of Louisiana State Republican Central Committee
Cost
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