Magdalen B. Bickford & Susanne V. Cooper Join as Members, Bringing Decades of Experience
New Orleans –Gordon Arata expands its Labor and Employment practice with the addition of Magdalen Blessey Bickford and Susanne Veters Cooper in the New Orleans office. As new members of the firm, Bickford and Cooper bring a collective sixty years of legal experience advising organizations at the highest level on labor and employment litigation, workforce and union matters, and compliance and risk management issues. They join Gordon Arata’s team of forty nationally recognized litigators and transactional lawyers across offices in Louisiana and Texas.
Cooper and Bickford have both served as in-house counsel and recently transitioned from private practice at the same law firm before joining Gordon Arata. They have worked with corporate and non-profit clients in an array of industries, including education, healthcare, technology, hospitality, and professional services.
Bickford states: “While I had conversations with multiple outstanding firms, Gordon Arata felt like home. The culture, the collegiality, and the shared philosophy about practicing law were immediately familiar. This is a firm where people genuinely enjoy working together and where attorneys build long, meaningful careers. That kind of stability ultimately benefits clients, who value continuity, trust, and deep institutional knowledge.”
Cooper and Bickford’s experience include counseling clients on the ever-changing regulatory landscape governing wage and hour, labor relations, leave, accommodation, and equal employment issues, as well as advising employers on retaliation, whistleblower, and wrongful discharge claims. Additionally, Cooper and Bickford have extensive experience with litigation matters.
“The addition of these two attorneys significantly strengthens our employment capabilities and allows us to formally expand into Labor and Employment as a dedicated practice,” says Martin Landrieu, member of the firm’s Management Committee and Growth Committee. “Their depth of experience elevates the level of service we can provide and positions us to support clients across the full spectrum of workplace and labor-related matters.”
As workforce issues grow increasingly complex, including the evolving impact of artificial intelligence in the workplace, the firm saw an opportunity to deepen its bench and expand its labor and employment capabilities in a meaningful way. This enhanced capability complements the firm’s longstanding work in highly regulated and labor-intensive industries, including energy, construction, and industrial sectors.
Founded more than 55 years ago, Gordon Arata has built a reputation for delivering sophisticated legal counsel with a deep personal approach. The firm is known for its strong bench of talented attorneys, collaborative mindset, and a culture that values both excellence and authenticity.
Gordon Arata advises clients across a broad range of industries, including banking and finance, chemical and industrial, construction, energy and natural resources, environmental, real estate, telecommunications and utilities. With offices in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Houston, the firm serves clients throughout the Gulf South and beyond, offering practical, business-minded solutions grounded in deep industry knowledge.
The firm is particularly well regarded for its energy practice, which has long been a cornerstone of Gordon Arata’s work. Attorneys at the firm are regularly recognized by their peers and leading legal publications, including Chambers, Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. These recognitions reflect a firm that continues to grow thoughtfully, invest in its people, and evolve alongside its clients.
To contact Bickford and Cooper:
Magdalen B. Bickford
Email: mbickford@gordonarata.com
Phone: 504.679.9896 (direct)
Website profile
Susanne V. Cooper
Email: scooper@gordonarata.com
Phone: 504.679.9870 (direct)
Website profile
To learn more about Gordon Arata, visit the firm’s website at GordonArata.com or contact Jennifer Bond, Director of Business Development at 504-679-9825 or jbond@gordonarata.com.
About Gordon Arata
Gordon Arata is a full service, diversified business law firm servicing savvy clients in a range of industries across the Gulf South and beyond. Strategically located in Texas and Louisiana, the firm has a team of forty regional and nationally recognized attorneys who manage both complex matters and small issues that impact businesses.