Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr.

Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr. focuses his practice on state and federal civil trial and appellate litigation, including banking, commercial, insurance, personal injury, insurance coverage, and products liability cases. His practice also includes corporate law as counsel to several non-profit organizations.

Skip has been ranked by his peers and clients in Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, Louisiana Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Philips was selected by his peers as litigation banking and finance “Lawyer of the Year” in Baton Rouge in the Best Lawyers in America 2020 and 2022 rankings. In both 2017 and 2018, he ranked among the Top 50 Overall Louisiana Super Lawyers. He is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts, the three federal district courts in Louisiana, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Skip is the 2022 recipient of the Louisiana Bar Foundation Boistontaine Trial Advocacy Award. This award recognizes his long-standing devotion to and excellence in trial practice and for upholding the standards of ethics and consideration for the court, litigants, and all counsel. Skip is the 2023 recipient of the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Attorney Award.

Mr. Philips is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), one of the premier legal associations in North America, composed of preeminent members of the Trial Bar, and limited to just 1 percent of the total lawyer population of any state. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.

Skip formerly served for nine years as the Taylor Porter Managing Partner and for many years as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Philips is a frequent lecturer on ethics, professionalism and litigation skills. He is a member of the Council of the Louisiana Law Institute, is a member of the Code of Civil Procedure Committee, the Obligations Committee, and co-chairs the Institute’s Committee on Torts and Insurance.

He received his J.D. from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1983, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Louisiana Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. He received a B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1972, where he was a distinguished military graduate in the Army ROTC program. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Philips was an investigator in the public corruption section of the Criminal Division of the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Skip previously served as a chair of a Disciplinary Hearing Committee appointed by the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board. He is the former Director of Character and Fitness for the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions and has also served as a bar examiner and assistant examiner.

Mr. Philips is a member of the Baton Rouge and Louisiana State Bar Associations. He is a former president of the Louisiana Association of (Civil) Defense Counsel.

Mr. Philips is on the Board of Directors of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (Immediate Past Chairman), and Past Chair of the Board of Franciscan High School. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors of the Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society, Plaquemine Bank and Trust Company and Forte and Tablada, Inc. Skip is a member of the Board of Future PAC, as well as a former member of the Board of Directors of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. He is past chair of the South Louisiana Super Region Committee, a joint economic development endeavor of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Greater New Orleans, Inc. He is a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Bar Foundation, and a former member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc.

Skip is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and a retired major general in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was last assigned as Commanding General, 377th Theater Sustainment Command, New Orleans, Louisiana, where he commanded more than 30,000 Army Reserve soldiers in the United States.

• Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D., 1983
• Louisiana State University, B.S., Business Administration, 1972

• Louisiana, 1983
• Supreme Court of the United States, 2005

• Baton Rouge Bar Association
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Louisiana Bar Foundation (Past President)
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (LADC)
• Louisiana Law Institute (Council Member, Torts and Insurance Committee Co-Chair)
• Louisiana Bankers Association (Bank Counsel Section Member)
• The Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc. (Member)
• South Louisiana Committee Immediate Past Chair; Regional Committee – BRAC and GNO, Inc. (SOLA Committee, Immediate Past Chair, Regional Committee)
• Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (Immediate Past Chairman of the Board)
• Future PAC (Board of Directors)

• Patriot Award Recipient (2023)
• Louisiana Bar Foundation – Boistontaine Trial Advocacy Award Recipient (2022) & Distinguished Attorney (2023)
• AV Peer Review Rated by Martinale Hubbell
• American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)
• Louisiana Bar Foundation (Fellow, Presidents Award, 2020)
• Louisiana Super Lawyers – Top 50 in Louisiana (2017 and 2018)
• Best Lawyers in America – Litigation Banking and Finance “Lawyer of the Year” in Baton Rouge (2020,2022)
• Best Lawyers in America – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Banking and Finance
• Chambers USA – General Commercial Litigation
• Baton Rouge Bar Association President’s Award (2018)
• LSU Law Center Distinguished Achievement Honoree (2018)
• Baton Rouge Volunteer Activists Award, The Emerge Foundation (2019)