Martin Stern focuses his practice on appellate litigation. Martin is among the first group of lawyers, only six statewide, to be certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization as Appellate Practice Specialists. His deep and varied practice ranges from representing a major oil-and-gas company in the appeal of a $1 billion punitive damage award to representing a defendant sentenced to death.
Both cases resulted in grants of certiorari by the United States Supreme Court. In the latter, Kennedy v. Louisiana, 554 U.S. 407 (2008), the Court announced its landmark holding that the death penalty is unconstitutional for most non-homicide crimes.
Martin has an extensive background in complex litigation, particularly class actions. In legal ethics matters, he represents judges before the Louisiana State Judiciary Commission and lawyers before the Louisiana State Disciplinary Board, for which he formerly served as Hearing Committee Chair. Martin also has a growing practice in legal malpractice defense work.
With a roster of national clients, Martin represents many companies in the pharmaceutical and energy industries. He defends claims brought against pharmaceutical companies by the State Attorney General. He counsels oil and gas companies on claims arising from coastal land loss. He continues to counsel clients who face claims stemming from toxic release, refinery fires, explosions and other incidents.
As a longtime advocate for pro bono representation, Martin is past director of both the national and Louisiana chapters of Appleseed, a nonprofit organization that attacks injustice at its root cause, which The American Lawyer called “pro bono’s new frontier.” He received the national Appleseed’s Evelyn Singer Award, and New Orleans CityBusiness named him to “Leadership in Law” for spearheading the reestablishment of Louisiana Appleseed after Hurricane Katrina.
In 2016, Martin was honored with Louisiana Appleseed’s Good Apple Award and the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Catherine D. Kimball Award for a project culminating in the state Supreme Court’s adoption of a rule allowing lawyers to earn CLE credit for pro bono representation.
Education:
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1985
- University of Texas, B.A., 1981
Professional Affiliations & Memberships:
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
- LSBA Appellate Section Specialization Committee, Chair
- Louisiana Appleseed, Former Member, Board of Directors
