Gordon Arata is pleased to announce that 13 attorneys and four practice areas have been recognized in the 2026 edition of Chambers USA – Louisiana. The firm’s 2026 results include a Band 1 ranking for Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas, new attorney and practice-area recognitions, and multiple attorneys advancing in the rankings. Widely regarded as one of the legal industry’s most respected ranking publications, Chambers USA evaluates law firms and attorneys through extensive independent research and feedback from clients and peers. The rankings recognize the firm’s strength in energy, commercial litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, real estate, construction, labor and employment, and environmental matters.
This year’s rankings reflect Gordon Arata’s continued growth, depth of talent, and commitment to client service, with Chambers researchers and interviewees describing the firm’s lawyers as everything from “a legend” to “precise, strategic, and very effective in disputes.” Clients also praised the firm’s attorneys as “practical, results-oriented and assertive” and “very sharp, detailed and always willing to help” – qualities that clients consistently value when navigating high-stakes transactions, disputes, and regulatory challenges.
Gordon Arata’s Band 1 Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas ranking, along with an increase in ranked attorneys within the practice, reflects the firm’s longstanding work helping regional, national, and international energy companies navigate offshore and onshore oil and gas matters, energy transactions, regulatory compliance, title issues, and complex energy litigation. The team advises clients across the full lifecycle of energy projects and operations throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South.
In the 2026 guide, Gordon Arata earned rankings in the following Louisiana practice areas:
- Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Band 1)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 3)
- Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
- Real Estate (Band 3)
Additionally, individual attorneys continued to rank across these practice areas and in Construction. The 2026 rankings reflect continued growth across the firm, including new recognitions in Labor & Employment and Environmental: Litigation and advancements among both established and emerging leaders. Notable developments this year include Peck Hayne’s Band 1 ranking and Scott O’Connor’s Band 2 ranking in Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas; Doug Rhorer and Tony Marino’s addition to the Louisiana guide, as well as the inclusion of Labor & Employment attorneys Magdalen Bickford and Stephen Beiser.
Attorneys ranked in the 2026 Louisiana Guide include:
- Stephen P. Beiser – Labor & Employment (Band 2)
- Magdalen B. Bickford – Labor & Employment (Band 1)
- Michael E. Botnick – Construction (Band 3) | Real Estate (Band 3)
- Bob J. Duplantis – Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Senior Statespeople)
- Ewell “Tim” E. Eagan – Litigation: General Commercial (Senior Statespeople)
- C. Peck Hayne, Jr. – Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Band 1)
- Armistead M. Long – Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 3)
- Anthony “Tony” Marino – Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Band 3)
- Terrence K. Knister – Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
- Cynthia A. Nicholson – Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Band 2)
- Scott A. O’Connor – Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Band 2) | Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
- James D. “Doug” Rhorer – Environmental: Litigation (Band 3)
- Marion W. Weinstock – Real Estate (Band 3)
For the full firm and attorney profiles, visit Chambers.com.
For more information, visit gordonarata.com or contact Jennifer Bond at jbond@gordonarata.com or 504-679-9825. Follow us on LinkedIn.