Our Attorneys

We are proud of our record of excellence. Our cases have set legal precedent or clarified the law in many areas. Contact us so we can answer any questions you may have. Our first consultation with you is free.

Robert E. Kleinpeter
Managing Partner
Email: rek@ksbrlaw.com
Assistant: Dawn Stears
Areas of Practice:
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Wrongful Death
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Unsafe Work Practices
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Unsafe Products
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Toxic Exposure
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Motor Vehicle Collisions
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Drunk Driving Accidents
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Trucking Accidents
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Traumatic Brain Injury
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Worker’s Compensation
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Jones Act/Maritime Law
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Boating Accidents
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Environmental Litigation
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Occupational Disease
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Trial Practice
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Appellate Practice
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100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions:
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Louisiana, 1976
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U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Louisiana, 1982
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U.S. District Court - Middle District of Louisiana, 1978
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U.S. Court of Appeals - 5th Circuit, 1984
Education:
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Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1976
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J.D. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1973
Honors & Awards:
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LAJ Stalwart Award, 2012
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Super Lawyers, 2007 – Present
- AAJ Distinguished Service Award, 2014
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Diplomate, American Association for Justice’s National College of Advocacy, 2014
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LAJ Public Service Award, 2016
- AAJ Above and Beyond Award, 2018
Professional Memberships:
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Louisiana Association for Justice (President, 2005 - 2006; Stalwart Award; Public Service Award; Executive Committee; Chair, Legislation Committee; Amicus Curiae Committee)
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American Association for Justice (Board of Governors; Leader’s Forum; Diplomate, National College of Advocacy; Distinguished Service Award)
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Founders’ Circle, National Civil Justice Institute
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Public Justice
- Louisiana State Law Institute (Torts and Insurance Committee)
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Louisiana State Bar Association
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Baton Rouge Bar Association
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Louisiana Bar Foundation
Extended Bio:
Mr. Robert E. Bob Kleinpeter is a founder and the managing partner of Kleinpeter Schwartzberg Boutwell LLC, a firm that serves Louisiana families statewide in trial litigation and appellate practice. Inspired by his uncle, a legendary Baton Rouge attorney, Bob grew up wanting to be a courtroom attorney from the time he was a boy.
During high school he prepared himself for a career in law by excelling in academics, holding offices in a variety of service organizations such as Key Club, and setting swimming records in Amateur Athletic Union and Junior Olympic competition. After turning down swimming scholarship offers from several colleges, he coached AAU and club swim teams during his undergraduate years. Mr. Kleinpeter entered Louisiana State University's Honor's College and graduated three years later. He received his law degree from Louisiana State University's Law School in 1976 and passed the bar examination for the State of Louisiana at age twenty-three and immediately began the practice of law.
Within a few years he was litigating cases in city, state, and federal courts, sometimes appearing in front of as many as five judges in a single day, handling criminal, family, succession, commercial, personal injury, and other litigation. His legal practice is now focused on the prosecution of negligence and products liability cases involving injury and wrongful death, frequently in the area of toxic torts and catastrophic harm. He has been admitted as counsel pro hac vice in California, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi and litigated suits to verdict in many states. The Louisiana Association for Justice (formerly Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association) chose Mr. Kleinpeter as its president for 2005-2006. As president, Mr. Kleinpeter helped guide the association through the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He assisted the legal community in its response to problems created by the hurricanes, providing testimony in favor of legislation which protected the public's rights, especially in the areas of insurance law and civil procedure.
Mr. Kleinpeter's cases have set legal precedent or clarified the law in many areas including insurance, damages for harms recoverable, punitive damages, groundwater contamination, toxic torts, intentional acts, allocation of fault, maritime law, administrative law, the standard for granting a motion for a new trial, trial procedure, appellate procedure, prescription, and succession law. He regularly gives presentations to schools and organizations including, Paul M. Hebert Law School, Tulane University Law School, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Louisiana Association for Justice, TrialSmith, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Mississippi Federal Bar Association, the Practicing Law Institute, the National Business Institute, and others. His presentations include subject areas in ethics, professionalism, law practice management, emerging and current perspectives in medical causation, Daubert motions, summary judgment motion practice, trial procedure, appellate procedure, and jury selection.
Mr. Kleinpeter has written a variety of articles for a broad range of legal publications including the Bureau of National Affairs, Toxic Law Reporter, Matthew Bender & Co.'s Environmental Practice Guide (Louisiana chapter), the Baton Rouge Bar Association's Around the Bar, the Louisiana Association for Justice's The Advocate, and others. Topics have included substantive law, procedural law, insurance exclusions, Daubert motions, summary judgment, medical causation, federal preemption, occupational diseases, pharmaceutical cases, medical monitoring, environmental damages, personal injury damages, and other areas of the law.
Mr. Kleinpeter was president of the Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), served on its Council of Directors and Board of Governors, was chairman of its Toxic Torts Section, and serves on the LAJ Executive Committee because the association is committed to preserving the civil justice system, protecting open access to courts, protecting individual rights, promoting individual and corporate responsibility, and preserving the highest of ethical and educational standards for the profession. In 2012, LAJ recognized Bob with its Stalwart Award. The award is based on attributes including service as an educator, leadership roles in legal organizations, volunteerism, and other activities that reflect positively on the legal profession. Mr. Kleinpeter is on the Board of Governors, a member of Leader's Forum, a Sustaining Member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), and a Diplomate in AAJ's National College of Advocacy because the association promotes a fair and effective justice system and supports the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America's courtrooms, even when taking on the most powerful interests.
He is a Sustaining Fellow of the Pound Civil Justice Institute because the institute strengthens the practice of trial law through its programs, publications and research grants, which help judges, academics and others understand a balanced view of the U.S. civil justice system. He is a member of Public Justice (formerly Trial Lawyers for Public Justice) because Public Justice fights for justice through precedent-setting and socially significant individual and class action litigation designed to enhance consumer and victims' rights, environmental protection and safety, civil rights and civil liberties, workers' rights, America's civil justice system, and the protection of the poor and powerless.
Mr. Kleinpeter serves on the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Capital Area Community Partnership Panel because it preserves, honors and improves our system of justice by promoting efforts which enhance the legal profession, increases public understanding of the legal system, and advances the reality of equal justice under the law.
Bob has been honored by his colleagues with an AV Peer Review Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The AV Rating is the highest one can achieve for legal qualifications and ability, and for standards of professional conduct, reliability, and diligence. He has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers® 2007, Super Lawyers® 2008, Super Lawyers®, 2009, Super Lawyers® 2010, Super Lawyers® 2011, Super Lawyers® 2012, and Super Lawyers® 2013 in the area of products liability law. He is frequently interviewed by national and local print and electronic media as a source for current legal issues such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Lawyer's Weekly, The National Law Journal, Times Picayune, the Advocate, and other sources.
Published Works:
- The Advocate Daubert "Observations" Are Just That, The Advocate, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Defendant Discovery of Non-Parties, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Billiot Overruled, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Doerr Closes Abuse of the Total Pollution Exclusion, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Know When Daubert Applies, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Summary Judgment and Expert Testimony, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Medical Causation and Reliability, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Medical Causation in the Fifth Circuit, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- FIFRA Doesn't Mandate Preemption, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Occupational Diseases: No Remedy, No Indemnity, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Learned Intermediary, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Medical Monitoring in Louisiana, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Substantial Factor, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Stigma Damage to Property, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Back to the Future, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2005
- The Bottom Line, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006
- Corporations Rising, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006
- Defending Judges, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006
- A Short History of Expert Testimony in Federal Courts, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
- Daubert as Applied in Louisiana State Courts, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
- Protecting Expert Opinions, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
- Daubert and Motion Practice, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
- "Around The Bar", Environmental Privileges, Foxes in the Henhouse, Baton Rouge Bar, 2003
- Environmental Practice Guide, Chapter 60, Matthew Bender & Co., Louisiana Chapter
- Exemplary Damages in Louisiana, Toxic Law Reporter, Bureau of National Affairs
Representative Cases:
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Thistlethwaite v. Gonzalez, 106 So. 3d 238 (La. App. 5 Cir. 12/18/12)
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McGehee v. Benton, 2007 WL 2685582, 2006-2335 (La.App. 1 Cir 2007) Gaunt v. Louisiana Citizens Property Ins. Corp., 512 F.Supp.2d 493, WL (E.D.La. 2007)
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Coulon v. Witco Corp., 848 So.2d 135, 2003 WL 21230555, 03-208 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/28/03)
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Wingfield v. State of Louisiana, et al., 835 So.2d 785 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2002)
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Poisso v. Formosa Plastics Group, 994 F.Supp. 743, 1998 WL69399 (M.D., La. 1998)
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Brown v. Hudson, 700 So.2d 932, 1997 WL 600728,96 2087 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1997)
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Couvillion v. Shelter Mutual Ins. Co., 672 So.2d 277, 1996 WL 155285, 951186 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1996)
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Manuel v. Shell Oil Co., 664 So.2d 470, WL 609394, 94-590 (La.App.5 Cir. 1995)
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LeBlanc, Jr. v. Cajun Painting Inc. et al., 654 So.2d 800, 94 CA 1609 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1995)
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Egros v. Pempton, 606 So.2d 780, 92-C-0306 (1992)
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Doe v. Smith, 573 So.2d 238, 1990 WL 211384 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1990)
Babin v. Burnside Terminal, Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, et al., 577 So.2d 90 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1990) -
Robinson v. Pearah, 525 So.2d 107, 1998 WL 16003 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1988)
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Checki v. Webb, 785 F.2d 534 (C.A.5) (La.) 1986)
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Department of Corrections, Hunt Correctional Center v. Morgan, 469 So.2d (La.App. 1 Cir. 1985)
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Lambert v. Mutual Life Inc. Co. of New York, 431 So.2d 23 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1983)
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Graham v. Stauffer Chemical Co., 585 F.Supp. 548 (E.D. La. 1984)
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Moazzami v. Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University, et al., 424 So.2d 1112, 8 Ed. Law Rep. 906, (La.App. 1 Cir. 1982)
Representative Classes/Seminars:
- Emerging Legal Issues in Special Damages – Collateral Source, Finance Agreements, and More, Louisiana Association for Justice, December 14, 2018
- How Wellness Affects a Lawyer’s Ethics, Baton Rouge Bar Association, August 24, 2018
- Updates on Autonomous Vehicles, Louisiana Association for Justice, September 15, 2017
- Collateral Source and New Decisions on Insurance, Louisiana Association for Justice, December 2016
- Laying the Foundation: Expert Witnesses, Louisiana Judicial College, February 18, 2016
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How Wellness Affects a Lawyer's Ethics, Baton Rouge Bar Association, January 21, 2015
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Depositions and Your Discovery Plan, Louisiana Association for Justice, December 12, 2014
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How to Take Exceptional Depositions: Video Depositions, Louisiana Association for Justice, October 9, 2014
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Summary Judgments, Louisiana State Bar Association/Louisiana Judicial College, June 5, 2014
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Summary Judgment in Louisiana, Louisiana Judicial College, February 20, 2014
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Civility and Professionalism in the Practice of Law, American Association for Justice, February 9, 2014
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Ethics: Emerging Issues, Louisiana Association for Justice, December 5, 2013
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Louisiana Lawyer Advertising after the Fifth Circuit Decision of Public Citizen v. Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board: Where is this Train Going and How Do I Get Off? Louisiana Association for Justice, December 13, 2012
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The Art of Voir Dire, Baton Rouge Bar Association, July 8, 2011
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Jury Selection – Law and Practice, Louisiana Association for Justice, December 29, 2010
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A Glass Half Full, Louisiana Association for Justice, December 9, 2010
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Expert Testimony, Louisiana Association for Justice, October 9, 2009
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The Great Debates, Louisiana State Bar Association, The Great Debates, June 11, 2009
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Current Perspectives in Professionalism, American Association for Justice, February, 2009
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Preparing and Presenting Expert Testimony, Louisiana Association for Justice, December, 2008
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Developments in Expert Testimony, Louisiana Association for Justice, September, 2008
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Introducing Damages in Voir Dire, Louisiana Association for Justice, April, 2008
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Litigation Funding, TrialSmith Webinar, December, 2007, 2008
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Ethics, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2007
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Jury Selection In Civil Cases, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2007
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Jury Selection: A Primer on Voir Dire, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2007
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Current Perspectives in Medical Causation, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006 - 2008
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Recent Changes to the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement, TrialSmith Webinar, 2006
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Managing Your Office to Stay Out of Trouble, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2005 - 2006
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Litigating Against the State From the Plaintiff's Perspective, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2004
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Legal Ethics for Plaintiff Attorneys, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2004
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A Guide to Louisiana's New Rules of Professional Conduct, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
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Proving Your Case to Judgment, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2001 - 2004
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Medical Causation in Louisiana: Law and Prejudice, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
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Prejudice Affecting Medical Causation, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
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Medical Causation, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
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Non-Case Factors Affecting Medical Causation, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2003
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Recent Trends in Toxic Torts, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2003
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Introduction to Toxic Torts, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2001

Alan L. Schwartzberg
Founding Partner
Email: alans@ksbrlaw.com
Assistant: Susan Frelich
Areas of Practice:
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Wrongful Death
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Automobile Negligence
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Products Liability
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Admiralty Law
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Personal Injury
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Worker’s Compensation
Bar Admissions:
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Louisiana, 1976
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U.S. District Court - Middle District of Louisiana, 1976
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U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Louisiana, 1976
Education:
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Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Extended Bio:
Alan was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1952. Growing up in New Orleans as the grandchild of an attorney left a lasting impression on Alan. As a young boy, he would visit his grandfather's office and always dreamed of the day he might be an attorney, helping people just as his grandfather did. Justice and making sure that the right thing was done were central lessons imparted to Alan as a young child.
Henry Jacobs was well known throughout the entire City of New Orleans, respected and admired by all. Growing up, Alan participated in normal activities such as football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hunting and fishing. He got his first part time job at age 12, working at a grocery store, then afterwards, an automobile service station. The life lessons Alan learned as a hardworking teenager have stayed with him and shaped his work ethic and strengthened his desire to assist those less fortunate. After graduating from Jesuit High School, Alan enrolled at LSU. He put himself through law school while working at the school library. In 1974, he earned a Bachelor of Science from the College of Business Administration and Economics and graduated with a law degree in 1976, from LSU.
At age 24, law degree in hand, Alan plunged into the practice of law. As a young lawyer in Baton Rouge, Alan practiced criminal, family, bankruptcy, business and personal injury law. After several years of this multi faceted general practice, he was able to narrow his professional work to personal injury. For the last 25 years, he has almost exclusively handled automobile accidents large and small, industrial accidents, offshore accidents, products liability, premises liability and environmental cases. Alan has personally concluded more than 6,500 cases and has tried to verdict hundreds of cases.
He finds great pleasure in representing regular folks in their claims against large corporate giants. More than 30 years on in practice, Alan still enjoys representing victims and their families, receiving tremendous satisfaction from his part in helping them achieve full compensation for their injuries.
Alan has three children and hopes that one or more will follow in his professional footsteps. He has a great love for the outdoors and enjoys varied agriculture pursuits, such as tending to his citrus and other fruit trees. He grows hay for the horses he keeps. Away from the land, his favorite pursuits are scuba and skin diving. Alan has been on dives all over the Gulf and at different locales around the world. He also enjoys fishing, including spear fishing, when he has a spare moment, which is not nearly often enough.
Professional Memberships:
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Baton Rouge Bar Association
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Louisiana State Bar Association
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American Bar Association
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Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ)
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American Association for Justice (AAJ)

Gary N. Boutwell, II
Partner
Email: gary@ksbrlaw.com
Assistant: Dawn Stears
Stephanie Stepp
Areas of Practice:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- 18-wheeler Crashes
- Motorcycle Injuries
- Wrongful Death
- Personal Injury
- Negligence
- Products Liability
- Appellate Practice
- Back Injury and Paralysis
- Burn Injury
- Medical Malpractice
Bar Admissions:
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Louisiana
Education:
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Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, J.D., 1993
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Louisiana State University, B.S. Business/Commerce, General, 1990
Extended Bio:
Gary was born in Plaquemines Parish while his father worked offshore in the oilfield industry. He grew up in North Louisiana just outside Monroe and attended LSU as an undergraduate and Loyola Law School in New Orleans. He spent his entire career practicing law in the North Shore/Hammond/Baton Rouge area yet still handles cases all over the State of Louisiana. He also speaks to fellow attorneys (locally, nationally and internationally) about cutting-edge litigation tactics and the complexity and challenges of representing victims of traumatic brain injury.
Gary has 28 years of experience handling the following types of cases: Traumatic Brain Injury, 18-wheeler Crashes, Motorcycle Injuries; Wrongful Death, Personal Injury; Negligence; Products Liability; Appellate Practice; Back Injury and Paralysis; Burn Injury; Medical Malpractice.
Professional Memberships:
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Louisiana State Bar Association

Hester Dornan Lemoine
Associate
Email: hesterd@ksbrlaw.com
Assistant: Dawn Stears
Areas of Practice:
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Personal Injury
Bar Admissions:
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Louisiana, 2012
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U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Louisiana, 2012
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U.S. District Court - Middle District of Louisiana, 2012
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U.S. Court of Appeals - 5th Circuit, 2012
Education:
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Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, J.D. and D.C.L., 2012
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Louisiana State University, B.S. in Business Management, 2008
Extended Bio:
Hester grew up in north Texas and moved to Baton Rouge in 2005 to attend LSU. She graduated magna cum laude from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2012 and has been with Kleinpeter Schwartzberg Boutwell ever since. Outside of the office, she enjoys racing triathlons and hanging out with her husband, daughter, and pups.
Professional Memberships:
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Baton Rouge Bar Association
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Louisiana State Bar Association
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Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ)
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American Association for Justice (AAJ)

Jay M. Schwartzberg
Associate
Email: jays@ksbrlaw.com
Assistant: Susan Frelich
Areas of Practice:
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Personal Injury
Bar Admissions:
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Louisiana, 2016
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U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Louisiana, 2016
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U.S. District Court - Middle District of Louisiana, 2016
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U.S. District Court - Western District of Louisiana, 2016
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U.S. Court of Appeals - 5th Circuit, 2016
Education:
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Southern University Law Center, 2015