Phelps Dunbar Partner Receives the Greater New Orleans, Inc. Outstanding Service Award and Elected to Board

June 01, 2007

Phelps Dunbar LLP is pleased to announce that John P. Manard, Jr. was recently honored with the Greater New Orleans (GNO), Inc. Outstanding Service Award and was elected to the Board of Directors of GNO, Inc. Mr. Manard has been very involved in GNO, Inc., a 10-parish economic development organization, and has served as the firm's liaison to the organization for the past several years. He currently serves as the Chair of GNO, Inc.'s Insurance Task Force and has been responsible for working with GNO, Inc. to propose legislation related to the insurance industry post-Katrina. He traveled with a group of GNO, Inc. representatives on a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. in July 2006. The group visited the U.S. Senate to discuss recovery and growth issues critical to the business community of New Orleans. Mr. Manard was also instrumental in developing a business development proposal on behalf of GNO, Inc. that was presented to the Louisiana legislature. The proposal was a plan for Louisiana to retain and attract corporate headquarters, invite opportunity, and create jobs. Mr. Manard, a partner in the New Orleans office, has been with the firm since 1975 and is also the practice coordinator for the tort litigation group. His practice is exclusively litigation, in the area of toxic torts, pharmaceutical, environmental, class actions, health care and commercial litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he served in the United States Coast Guard as an Assistant District Legal Officer from 1971 to 1975. He has been awarded the "AV" rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is the highest possible rating for legal ability and ethical standards.

GNO, Inc. is a regional, nonpartisan partnership of public and private leaders in the Greater New Orleans area dedicated to economic development, including retaining jobs, creating new jobs, developing the workforce and fostering a pro-business public policy.

Phelps Dunbar is a regional law firm of more than 260 attorneys, with offices in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Tupelo, and Gulfport, Mississippi; Houston, Texas; Tampa, Florida; and London, England.

###

---