Jim is a partner and the practice coordinator of the business group in the New Orleans office. He practices in the areas of commercial finance, real estate, banking, and leasing. His lending practice includes representing lenders in oil and gas loans, real estate and construction financings, leveraged leases, and secured working capital loans. He advises clients in negotiations of a wide variety of contracts, including major lease development agreements. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar in 1984, he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Walter Marcus, Louisiana State Supreme Court Justice. Jim is among a select group of lawyers listed in a nationwide client survey published in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America.

• Tulane University, J.D.,magna cum laude, 1983; Editor, Tulane Law Review; Order of the Coif
• Davidson College, A.B., magna cum laude, 1980

• Member: Louisiana State Bar Association; New Orleans Bar Association; American Bar Association; Chairman and Reporter of Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the Louisiana Law Institute, which drafted the Louisiana version of Revised UCC Article 9; Member of the Mortgage and Privileges Committee of the Louisiana Law Institute, which drafted the comprehensive restatement of the entire Mortgage Articles of the Louisiana Civil Code; past member of the Counsel of the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute; past President (two terms) of the Louisiana Bank Counsel Committee of the Louisiana Bankers Association, which is the representative body for the more than 240 attorneys providing recommendations concerning legislation and legal issues to the statewide trade organization of more than 210 banks; previously served for several years as Chairman of the Legislative Task Force of that section during the enactment of Louisiana legislation adopting UCC Article 9 (with modifications) and restating the statutes governing mortgages and foreclosure

• Author, "Louisiana's Non-Uniform Variations in U.C.C. Chapter 9," 62 Louisiana Law Review 793 (2003).
• Co-author of the Louisiana Commercial Financing Forms (1991), an 1100-page compendium of forms used in all types of commercial financing transactions published by Read-Elsevier, Inc.

• Representation of local and national lenders in real estate, asset based secured, and oil and gas financings, including representation of lead agent bank in $200 million reserves borrowing base line of credit.
• Representation of companies, as seller and as purchaser, in asset sale and acquisition transactions.
• Representation of borrowers and lenders in multiple project financings, leverage lease and synthetic lease financings, including representation of utility in $215 million electric generation facility financing.
• Negotiation of major lease development contracts, including tenant for 415 acre container terminal and landlord governmental port entity for gaming vessel berths and terminal.
• Advising companies with regard to computer software development agreements and software licensing and marketing contracts.
• Representation of governmental entity in development project for thermal energy plant to service multiple hospital and office buildings and construction of parking garage.
• Representation of sellers and purchasers of office buildings, shopping centers and hotels.