John Stone Campbell III

Taylor Porter Partner John S. Campbell III is engaged primarily in a litigation practice and serves as the co-chair of the firm’s professional liability, insurance, casualty, product liability and personal injury litigation practice. In the last several years, his work has mainly involved commercial litigation, construction litigation, contract disputes, breach of fiduciary duty litigation, real estate litigation, class actions, admiralty and maritime cases, premises liability and general tort litigation, and insurance coverage and litigation.

Mr. Campbell serves as general counsel for several clients, including Episcopal High School of Baton Rouge, Higdon Outdoors, Anvil Attachments, and others. His practice includes extensive experience with jury trials, bench trials, appeals, arbitrations, and resolution of cases prior to trial or arbitration. Mr. Campbell is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts, the United States District Courts for the Middle, Eastern, and Western Districts of Louisiana, and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Campbell is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, Baton Rouge Bar Association, and Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.

Mr. Campbell serves as a member of the Taylor Porter Executive Committee and Compensation Committee, and as Chairman of the Firm’s Finance Committee.

Mr. Campbell graduated from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center as a member of the Order of the Coif and received his B.B.A. from Millsaps College, summa cum laude, with membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. He was a law clerk to John M. Shaw, Chief Judge, United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 1995-1996. He is a member of the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame.

• Commercial Litigation
• Lead counsel for GMFS in significant litigation against its mortgage sub-servicer, Cenlar FSB, involving claims of breach of contract, as well as business torts, filed in the Middle District of Louisiana. Obtained favorable settlement for the client.
• Counsel for The Dow Chemical Company in a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving underground salt cavern storage wells, in particular, claims for damages to the wells/caverns, response costs, loss of use, revenues, profits, etc.
• Lead counsel for Higdon Outdoors in a multi-million dollar claim involving alleged patent infringement, successfully defeating adverse party’s attempts to obtain an injunction on further manufacture and sale of Higdon’s motion decoy products.
• Lead counsel for a Fortune 500 company in a class action involving claims of unfair trade practices, anti-trust and breach of contract causes of action.
• Lead counsel in numerous cases involving business disputes between businesses and between business owners.
• Construction
• Lead counsel for the State of Louisiana in multi-million dollar litigation arising out of construction delays and inefficiencies in the Charity Hospital project.
• Lead counsel for a multi-national roofing manufacturer defending claims of defects on a commercial building resulting in allegations of significant property damages and business losses.
• Lead counsel for the Sabine River Authority arising out of construction defects to the Cypress Bend Conference Center facility in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, and culminating in a settlement providing funds for extensive remodel and repair to the facility.
• Lead counsel for a major Louisiana roofing contractor and its surety in claims alleging construction defects, culminating in a workout between the contractor, surety, insurers, and owner, avoiding further litigation.
• Lead counsel for a large general contractor in recovery of unpaid contract amounts from a public body, despite claims of defects, delays and liquidated damages.
• Lead counsel for Argosy Gaming Company as the owner of the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge in a complex, multi-party litigation and arbitration proceeding involving construction defect claims that resulted in a renovation of the exterior of the hotel at a cost exceeding $2 million.
• Lead counsel for a subcontractor in a commercial construction case involving breach of contract claims against a general contractor with regard to the Bon Carré project in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, successfully obtaining a judgment, after trial, for the full amount claimed for all work performed, notwithstanding defenses relating to provisions of the contract, workmanship, and non-payment by the owner.
• Contracts and Collections
• Lead counsel for POSH Saudi Co. Ltd. (Kuok Group) in a multi-million commercial litigation to enforce a guarantee in the Eastern District of Louisiana against Dynamic Industries, Inc. involving significant amounts owed under a vessel charter. Obtained favorable settlement for the client on the eve of trial.
• Lead counsel for Coleman Partners Architects, LLC, in a contract dispute against local businessmen, resulting in a significant jury verdict in favor of the client.
• Insurance
• Lead counsel for the Louisiana State Military Department in multi-million dollar litigation against its insurance broker and carriers, arising out of breach of fiduciary duty and other claims following the Hurricane Katrina rebuild.
• Lead counsel for the State of Louisiana in recovery of extensive property damages sustained in Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav from excess insurers.
• Maritime and Admiralty
• Lead counsel for Quality Marine Services, Inc./Ozark Transportation, Inc., in a case involving alleged damages to a commercial dock on the Mississippi River, resulting from an allision.
• Lead counsel for Hollywood Casino – Baton Rouge and Argosy Casino, Baton Rouge in numerous cases at the trial and appellate court levels, successfully defending against claims of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction for patron/visitor accidents occurring on the riverboats and associated premises.
• Successful in defeating admiralty and maritime jurisdiction for patrons, as well as defeating claims brought by riverboat casino employees as Jones Act seamen.
• Products Liability, Personal Injury, and Class Actions
• Lead counsel for Waste Management in class action litigation.
• Lead counsel for Halliburton Insurance Company in case of catastrophic personal injuries.
• Counsel for Polaris Industries. Inc., in numerous products liability matters throughout the State of Louisiana.
• Lead counsel for D&D Maintenance & Millwright Services, Inc., in defense of a class action brought in Orleans Parish and removed to Federal Court, involving alleged release of toxic chemicals (ammonia gas) near downtown New Orleans. This litigation involved hundreds of claimants,
• numerous defendants, coverage issues, and complex legal issues. Successfully defended, resolving all claims for the client by payment of a minor portion of the settlement and a fraction of the realistic exposure.
• Lead counsel for Clarendon National Insurance Company in defense of claims for wrongful death and catastrophic personal injuries (paraplegia) arising from an accident in Ascension Parish. This litigation involved a number of complex legal, factual, and insurance issues, including spoliation of evidence claims, accident reconstruction and mechanical defect issues, coverage issues, and significant economic and general damage claims.
• Lead counsel for Clarendon National Insurance Company in a claim exceeding $1 million resulting from a fire that destroyed the entirety of a home and two automobiles. The fire originated with a propane-fired barbecue pit and allegedly resulted from the overfilling of the propane tank. Counsel for Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., in multi-party litigation resulting from claims of harassment and infliction of emotional distress in an offshore worksite.
• Real Estate
• Lead counsel in real estate cases involving disputes over servitudes (easements) and other real rights.
• Other Notable Cases
• Counsel for Cox Operating, LLC and DIS-TRAN Steel, LLC, DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations, LLC, Beta Engineering, LLC, and Optimal Field Services, LLC as plaintiffs joining states and other parties opposing President Biden’s OSHA vaccine mandate on employers. The plaintiffs were successful in obtaining an injunction in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and in obtaining a stay at the United State Supreme Court.
• Counsel for certain Congressman filing Amici Curiae briefs against President Biden and federal agencies regarding Title 42 and immigration policies.

• Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D., 1995
• Millsaps, B.B.A., summa cum laude, 1992

• Louisiana, 1995

• Associated Builders and Contractors
• Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Baton Rouge Bar Association

• Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation