Tom S. Easterly

Tom Easterly regularly advises local and national clients, including some Fortune 500 companies, with simple and complex business litigation matters, as well as various commercial transactions.

Tom concentrates a substantial portion of his practice on the preparation and trial of complex commercial disputes. His work involves construction, real estate, redhibition, insurance, arbitration, toxic tort, workers’ compensation, breach of contract, bankruptcy and regulatory issues, and the matters in which he is engaged frequently have overlapping subject matter concerns. He has significant experience handling complex personal injury matters as both defense and plaintiff counsel. Tom is also experienced in various business transactions, including but not limited to limited liability company transactions, master service agreements, non-competition agreements, secrecy and confidentiality agreements, donations, sales, assignments, forbearance agreements, participant agreements, shareholder agreements, donor advised funds, exchanges, and operating agreements.

In the insurance world, Tom regularly represents insurance companies and provides counsel concerning a broad array of coverage and defense issues. Tom is a past lecturer on insurance and other contract matters. His seminars have included topics such as insurance coverage litigation, effective collection strategies, business contract principles, and bad faith insurance and extra-contractual liability claims.

Mr. Easterly is admitted to practice before every Louisiana court, state and federal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Tom was previously admitted pro hac vice for different cases pending in Texas and Tennessee.

In 2017, Tom was selected among the “Forty Under 40” by Baton Rouge Business Report for both his professional accomplishments and contributions to the community. Tom is recognized by Louisiana Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” in Business Litigation, and, mostly recently, by Best Lawyers in America in both Commercial Litigation and Insurance.

Tom is extremely active within the Baton Rouge community and is either a present or past member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute (DRI), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), Delta Waterfowl, Land Trust Alliance, Keep Louisiana Beautiful, Baton Rouge Green, and the Mississippi Forestry Association. Tom is also a founding member of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Legal Leaders program and a former Ball Chairman of Le Circle De Bacchus.

Tom is the Immediate Past President of Baton Rouge Green. He also serves as General Counsel to the Boy Scouts of America, Istrouma Area Council where he is a Director, and he serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Keep Louisiana Beautiful. Tom is a past Board Member of the Baton Rouge City Club and the University Acres Civic Association.

Tom and his wife Lindsey live in Baton Rouge with their three children.

Tom graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business where he majored in finance. Tom earned his J.D. from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2006, and he also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, which he obtained from Louisiana State University in 2005.

• Trial counsel for a private chemical manufacturer in a two-week toxic tort trial arising from underground salt cavern storage wells, and in particular, defense of personal injury and emotional distress claims associated with the aftermath of leaking salt cavern storage wells. The case concluded with the client paying $0 for the plaintiffs’ personal injury claims.
• Lead counsel for an Atlanta-based general contractor in connection with enforcing subcontract claims and defending liens arising out of a 330-unit, 20-building apartment complex located in Baton Rouge.
• Representation of general contractors and subcontractors before the Louisiana Contractors’ Licensing Board and the Contractors’ Licensing Law, La. R.S. 37:2150, et seq.
• Lead counsel for various insurance companies in connection with automobile-related personal injury claims.
• Lead trial counsel for a local car dealer in defense of a premises liability claim resulting in dismissal ($0).
• Lead trial counsel for several West Baton Rouge Parish residents in a real estate dispute adverse to Union Pacific Railroad.
• Trial counsel for Louisiana State University in defense of breach of contract claims.
• Local and National counsel for BOMAG Americas, Inc., a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of heavy compaction equipment, in connection with commercial and personal injury litigation matters arising in Louisiana, Rhode Island, and New York.
• Lead trial counsel for BWI Companies, Inc., a lawn and garden wholesaler, in connection with commercial breach of contract claims.
• Trial counsel for Argosy Gaming Company, including a two-week jury trial in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, involving complex commercial claims valuing more than $500 million. The claims were substantially limited before trial through successful motion practice, and the plaintiff was ultimately “zeroed” on appeal ($0).
• Lead counsel for Helis Oil and Gas Company, L.LC., in connection with litigation arising out of property damage at an offshore platform in Eugene Island Block 300 involving a subsea “mudline tree” construction project.
• Bankruptcy counsel for Citizens Bank and Trust Company in connection with claims asserted against a large apartment complex in Baton Rouge and competing claims between construction-related creditors.
• Lead trial counsel in numerous commercial litigation contract matters (separate cases) for a group self-insurers fund organized pursuant to La. R.S. 23:1195 et seq.
• Lead trial counsel for a Fortune 500 company in connection with an administrative appeal to the District Court for Jefferson Parish adverse to the Jefferson Parish Attorneys’ Office and the Jefferson Parish Counsel, which successfully resulted in issuance of various licenses to sell Class B permits for the sale of high content and low content alcohol.
• Trial counsel for a private closely held company and its principals in a complex commercial dispute before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana involving commercial claims in excess of $10mm.
• Representative Transactions & Contract Work:
• Creation of and revisions to comprehensive master service agreements, access agreements, indemnity agreements and other contracts for a leading petrochemical manufacturer of ethylene and propylene specialty and intermediate chemicals.
• Revisions to membership agreements (contracts) for a group self-insurance fund organized pursuant to La. R.S. 23:1195 et seq. to pool the liabilities of eligible members for workers’ compensation benefits.
• Representation of several private sellers in the successful negotiation and conveyance of a $2.6 million dollar quitclaim deed for a 114-acre parcel in Iberville Parish, LA.
• Representation of a local non-profit corporation, in connection with its successful acquisition of certain property through a federal grant under the HOME Investment Partnership Act.
• Representation of local business principals in connection with shareholder agreements and operating agreements.
• Representation of clients in connection with various kinds of assignment agreements, distribution agreements, forbearance agreements, indemnity agreements, and promissory notes.
• Representation of sellers (and original franchisors) in an asset sale transaction involving the VooDoo BBQ franchise.

• Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D., 2006
• Louisiana State University, M.B.A., 2005
• University of Georgia, B.B.A., cum laude, 2002

• Louisiana, 2006
• United States Supreme Court, 2017
• Texas, 2018 (pro hac vice)

• Baton Rouge Bar Association
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)

• “Top Forty Under 40” – Baton Rouge Business Report, 2017
• Louisiana Super Lawyers – Rising Star – Business Litigation
• Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law