Jones Walker Elects Four New Partners and Strong Board Leadership

Jones Walker LLP is pleased to announce the firm has elected four new partners and reelected Lauren Mastio and Chad Theriot to its board of directors for four-year terms, effective January 1, 2024. The firm also elected Andy Lee to its board of directors for a one-year term, effective December 2023.

“We are proud to welcome our newly elected partners, who bring a wealth of diverse experience and share our commitment to growth and high-quality client service,” said Jones Walker managing partner Bill Hines. “I am also pleased to continue working with Lauren and Chad on the firm’s board of directors and welcome Andy’s leadership and perspective in this role.”

Jones Walker’s newest partners include former special counsel attorneys Alfred Rufty and Mallory Wynne as well as former associates Thomas Kimball and Jane White. These partnerships are also effective January 1.

Board Members

Lauren Mastio is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group in the New Orleans office and a reelected member of the board of directors. She advises and represents renewable energy and oil and gas industry clients on a wide variety of matters and also has an active construction law practice, where she counsels owners, contractors, and subcontractors in construction litigation and a range of commercial disputes. Lauren is active in the New Orleans community, most notably as a member and past board president of the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation and as a board member and past president of the March of Dimes Louisiana State Market and New Orleans Market, respectively.

Chad Theriot is a co-leader of the firm’s Construction Team in the Atlanta office and a reelected member of the board of directors. He advises domestic and international clients across a broad spectrum of construction, contracting, and procurement activities. He represents owners, commercial and government contractors, major subcontractors, and original equipment manufacturers in contract negotiation, construction litigation, and construction claims avoidance. Outside of work, Chad is an active member of the Chastain Park Athletic Club’s steering committee and past board member for the Safe Care Campaign and the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Andy Lee is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group in the New Orleans office, head of the firm’s privacy and data security team, and co-leader of the Technology Law Industry Team. He maintains a national appellate and trial practice focused on business and commercial disputes. Andy also advises clients in the areas of data privacy and cybersecurity resilience and recovery and is regularly called on to lead legal and incident response teams in response to cybersecurity incidents. Andy is a founding board member of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward and has served as a director of several other area non-profit boards, including New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity and the Bureau of Governmental Research.

New Partners

Alfred Rufty is a member of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team in the New Orleans office. For three decades, he has represented vessel owners and operators, offshore service companies, marine insurers, shipyards, cargo owners, and other industry players. His clients include domestic and foreign companies with interests and operations throughout the US Gulf Coast, in Mexico, and beyond.

Mallory Wynne is a member of the Corporate Practice Group and the commercial transactions team in the New Orleans office. She provides transactional counsel to clients operating across multiple industries, including representing clients in markets that are closely tied to the economy of the US Gulf Coast, such as maritime, energy, oil and gas, construction, shipping, petrochemical, and manufacturing. Mallory serves on the Anti-Defamation League’s South-Central Region executive board and is also a member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association.

Thomas Kimball is a member of the Corporate Practice Group in the New Orleans office. He represents public and private company clients in a number of industries, including healthcare, construction, energy, transportation, telecommunications, and hospitality, on matters involving state and federal securities law, general corporate law, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions.

Jane White is a member of the Corporate Practice Group in the New Orleans office. She assists clients on a variety of commercial transactions matters, including drafting and negotiating commercial contracts. Her experience also includes assisting clients with aircraft purchases, sales, and leases.

About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP (joneswalker.com) is among the largest 135 law firms in the United States. With offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas, we serve local, regional, national, and international business interests. The firm is committed to providing a comprehensive range of legal services to major multinational public and private corporations, Fortune® 500 companies, money center banks, worldwide insurers, and emerging companies doing business in the United States and abroad.