Contact Leonard Davis

Leonard Davis | Louisiana Personal Injury Lawyer

Leonard A. Davis is a partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C., as well as the national firm of Herman Gerel, LLP, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. After receiving his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Davis attended Tulane University School of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1984.

Mr. Davis’ practice includes corporate law, commercial litigation, complex business litigation, multi-district litigation, mass torts, class actions and railroad crossing matters. He is an AV-rated attorney with Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Davis is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, American Bar Association (Member of the Business Law Section), American Association for Justice, The Mass Tort Lawyers Association and the Louisiana Association for Justice. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has written articles on railroad litigation for several publications, including Trial Magazine, and spoken at numerous seminars. He teaches Complex Litigation at Tulane Law School as an adjunct professor.

Mr. Davis is active in the community and serves on or has served on several boards of the New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana Children’s Museum, Jewish Endowment Foundation, Tulane University Medical Center Chancellor’s Advisory Council, the Anti-Defamation League, New Orleans Music Legends and numerous other charitable and non-profit organizations.

EDUCATION

  • Tulane University School of Law, J.D. 1984
  • University of Texas at Austin, B.A. 1981

COURT ADMISSIONS

  • Louisiana
  • U.S.D.C. Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana
  • U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

RECOGNITION

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers Guide, 2022-2023
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2010-2023
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, New Orleans Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, 2017, 2019, 2021
  • Louisiana Super Lawyers, 2009-2023
  • AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Mass Torts by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2011-2013
  • New Orleans Magazine, Top Lawyers, 2012-2016, 2021
  • City Business Leadership in Law Award, 2010
  • Lawdragon Leading Lawyers in America, 2007
  • Legal 500, 2008-2009

PRESENTATIONS

  • “Problems in Discovery, Railroad Litigation,” ATLA Annual Convention – Chicago 1994
  • “Using Mock Juries, Consultants & Focus Groups,” ATLA Annual Convention – New York 1995
  • “Expanding Your Practice: Business Litigation Skills,” March 1995
  • “Discovering the Railroad and Dealing with its Discovery Abuses,” ATLA Annual Convention – New Orleans 1996
  • “Discovery Checklist for a Business/Corporate Litigation Matter,” ATLA Annual Convention – Boston 1996;
  • “Discovery of the Railroad,” ATLA Annual Convention – Boston 1996
  • “The Right to Discover Trade Secrets,” August 1996
  • “Experts in a Railroad Crossing Case,” ATLA Annual Convention – San Diego 1997
  • “Discovering the Corporate Insides of the Railroad,” ATLA Annual Convention – San Diego 1997
  • “The Opening Statement – Using It In Railroad Cases to Maximize the Plaintiff’s Advantage,” ATLA Annual Convention – Washington, D.C. 1998
  • “Demonstrative Evidence from Cheap to Expensive,” ATLA Annual Convention – San Francisco 1999
  • “Technology for the Trial Lawyer: Cutting Costs and the Cutting Edge,” ATLA National College of Advocacy – Washington, D.C. 1999
  • “Scott v. Philip Morris, Inc. and the Fate of Medical Monitoring Claims,” Andrews Tobacco Litigation 2000
  • “Hot Topics in Discovering the Inside of the Corporate Railroad,” ATLA Annual Convention – Chicago 2000
  • “Dealing with 23 USC 409 Issues,” ATLA Annual Convention – Montreal 2001
  • “Propulsid Litigation,” ATLA Annual Convention – Montreal 2001
  • “Discovery and Evidentiary Issues Dealing with Electronic Evidence,” 13th Annual Advanced Computer & Cyberspace Law CLE Program, University of Dayton Law School – June 2002
  • “Collaboration for Litigation Groups and Mass Torts,” ATLA Annual Convention – Atlanta 2002
  • “Efficient Discovery Through Use of Technology,” ATLA Annual Convention – Atlanta 2002
  • Invited attendee to The Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Conference on Electronic Discovery, February 20, 2004
  • “Practical Electronic Discovery,” Fear Factor Seminar, October 13, 2006
  • “Preparing Your Settlement Package,” Mealey’s Vioxx Settlement Conference, December 10, 2007
  • “Alternative Dispute Resolution,” NBI, Handling the Auto Injury Claim, February, 21, 2008
  • “Disaster Preparedness – Katrina: How a Law Practice Survived,” San Diego Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, April 12, 2008
  • “Demonstrative Evidence,” NBI, Litigating to Win Through Advanced Trial Advocacy, April 25, 2008
  • “Handling Catastrophic Disaster Claims” AAJ Annual Winter Convention, Miami Beach Florida, October 1, 2008
  • “Preparing for the Rule 26(F) Conference,” NBI, E-Discovery Now What, December 16, 2008
  • “The Purpose, Procedure & Strategy of Discovery,” National Business Institute, December 17, 2010
  • “Motions for Sanctions,” Louisiana State Bar Association, March 25, 2011
  • “A Paperless World? Documentary Discovery in an MDL Proceeding,” Harris Martin’s MDL Conference, September 26, 2011
  • “The Case Against Taishan/Taihe” Harris Martin Chinese Drywall Conference, October 20, 2011
  • “Motions for Sanctions,” Louisiana State Bar Association Motion Practice CLE, December 20, 2011
  • “Mass Torts Quick Hits – You Gotta Know When to Hold ‘Em, When to Fold ‘Em: Chinese Drywall,” Mass Torts Made Perfect, April 20, 2012
  • Eastern District of Louisiana: The Nation’s MDL Laboratory – A Symposium Presented by The Louisiana Law Review, March 22, 2013
  • “Making the Numbers Sing,” 2013 LSBA Jazz Fest Seminar – Spice Up Your Trial, April 26, 2013
  • “Dealing With China: Lessons Learned From Chinese Drywall Litigation,” Harris Martin Lumber Liquidators Flooring Litigation Conference, May 17, 2015
  • New Orleans Bar Association’s Procrastinators’ Programs – Ethics, December 16, 2015. New Orleans Bar Association’s Procrastinators’ Program – Professionalism: Rules, Civility & Professionalism – December 29, 2016

REPORTED CASES

  • Haney v. Delta Petroleum Co., Inc., 811 So.2d 1200 (La. App. 4 Cir. Mar 06, 2002)
  • Haney v. Delta Petroleum, Co., 748 So. 2d 36 (La.App. 4 Cir. 1999)
  • Leiching v. Conrail, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3561
  • Gottsegen v. Diagnostic Imaging Svcs., 672 So. 2d 940 (La. App. 5 Cir. 1996)
  • Ellvog, Inc. v. Schnadelbach, 661 So. 2d 1062 (La. App. 4 Cir. 1995)
  • Sanders v. Wysocki, 631 So. 2d 1330 (La. App. 4 Cir. 1994)
  • Stephens Imports, Inc. v. Abraham, 557 So.2d 467 (La.App. 4 Cir. Feb 15, 1990)
  • Shames v. City of San Diego, Superior Court for the State of California for the County of San Diego, No. GIC 831539
  • In re: Chinese Drywall MDL-2047; In re: Vioxx MDL-1657
  • In re: Propulsid MDL-1355
  • In re: Rezulin MDL-1348
  • In Re: Fosamax (Alendronate Sodium) Products Liability Litigation (No. II), MDL-2243
  • In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. ASR Hip Implant Products, MDL-2197