Mr. Arceneaux has served as lead litigation counsel in a variety of oil and gas, commercial litigation and personal injury matters.
He has extensive experience in litigation concerning the cleanup of legacy oilfield properties, including handling a large number of these cases in trial and appellate courts. Additionally, he has worked on numerous cases involving trade secret claims and other commercial matters, litigation of complex disputes concerning drilling contracts and related indemnity and damages issues, property ownership, mineral royalties and joint oil and gas operations and contracts.
Mr. Arceneaux has successfully defended a substantial number of casualty and personal injury cases, principally arising from oil and gas operations. He has had particular success in the defense of serious cases on summary judgment at trial and on appeal.
Early in his career, Mr. Arceneaux was instrumental in obtaining summary judgment in favor of an oil and gas operator on claims involving multiple deaths and burn injuries. He also secured affirmance on appeal, in what has become a leading decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, shielding operators from claims for injuries to their independent contractors. More recently, he has obtained summary judgments on a wide array of cases, most notably those involving independent contractors and borrowed servants.
Mr. Arceneaux frequently addresses contractual indemnity issues relating to personal injury disputes, resulting in the assumption of the client's defense or payment of defense or settlement costs where justified.
In general commercial litigation, his experience includes commercial lease disputes, plaintiff and defendant claims under the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act, the Louisiana Uniform Trade Secrets Act, medical/health care contract disputes and disputes between employers and former employees.
Honors & Affiliations:
· Lafayette Parish, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations - Member
· Louisiana State Bar Association - Assistant Bar Examiner
· Outstanding Young Lawyer for Louisiana, 1994
· Acadiana Legal Services Corporation - Board of Directors, 1992 - present
· Acadiana Inn of Court, 1995 - 1998
· Law Clerk to the Honorable Henry A. Politz, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1986 - 1987
· The Best Lawyers in America, 2009-2012
Presentations:
· "Recent Developments," Louisiana Mineral Law Institute, 1995
Publications:
· "Fifth Circuit Symposium: Oil and Gas," 46 Loy. L. Rev. 1 (Spring 2000)