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Overview

For more than four decades, Jay Gulotta has represented clients in business litigation, class action, products liability and toxic torts matters.  His vast experience ranges from representing hotel, restaurant and entertainment companies in securities and corporate governance litigation to assisting private universities in securing zoning authorization.

An active member of the local legal community, James is a Past President of the New Orleans Bar Association.

Representative Matters

  • Represents professional sports franchise owners in league governance matters.
  • Represented NCAA member institution in connection with scholarship grant–in–aid antitrust litigation.
  • Represented an international restaurant and entertainment company in securities and corporate governance litigation.
  • Represented refinery operator in property lease dispute relating to underground storage facility for liquids.
  • Represents investor in corporate governance and securities litigation relating to hotel development.
  • Assisted private university in securing zoning authorization to construct a sports stadium.
  • Represented Washington Group International in mass litigation regarding floodwall breaches that occurred during Hurricane Katrina.
  • Defended Lucent Technologies in a product defect and fraud action in which the claimant sought $2 billion in damages, including punitive damages.
  • Represented ExxonMobil in a class action that alleged damage to coastal marshes and related environmental claims arising out of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  • Represented ChevronPhillips in an action for recovery of property damage and business interruption losses against responsible parties for causing a fire at a chemical plant in Louisiana.
  • Represented ConocoPhillips in mass actions and class actions alleging injuries resulting from chemical exposure and airborne release of chemicals.
  • Defended W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. in property damage actions brought by the State of Louisiana for asbestos abatement costs in all state buildings.
  • Defended an independent oil and gas producing company against claims made by royalty interest owners for penalties and consequential damages arising from a concursus proceeding.
  • Represented a national insurance company in antitrust actions alleging violations of the Louisiana Monopolies Act relating to policyholders' claims in connection with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  • Obtained dismissals of over 150 claims filed against a major pharmaceutical company in national consolidated multidistrict litigation involving PPA (phenylpropanolamine).
  • Represented EnCana Corporation and a former subsidiary in a property title dispute over storage rights in a large, underground natural gas storage facility in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
  • Represented a producer in a major gas contract termination dispute involving prolific long-term oil and gas production from platforms located in outer-continental shelf waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Qualified and testified in Louisiana district court as an expert witness in a legal malpractice action arising out of previously-dismissed class actions.
  • Represented a major metals refiner and producer in an action to recover property damage and business interruption losses arising from explosion and fire at its plant in Louisiana.
  • Represented a government contractor in action against the United States in the United States Court of Claims for compensation for breach of a terminal transport services contract.
  • Represented an oil and gas production company in an action brought by the Louisiana Department of Revenue for allegedly underpaid state corporate income taxes.
  • Represented an insurance agency in a NASD arbitration proceeding involving claims for injunctive relief and damages resulting from an alleged violation of a non-competition agreement and unauthorized disclosure of trade secrets.
  • Represented a private university in defense of an action to enjoin the university from developing a dormitory and student center for alleged violation of city zoning restrictions.

Professional & Civic Activities

Professional and Civic Activities

  • New Orleans Bar Association Past President.
  • Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel member.
  • New Orleans Opera Association Immediate Past President.
  • Advisory Council Member of the Ogden Honors College of Louisiana State University.
  • Jay is active in the American Bar Association, having previously served as a member of the leadership of the Litigation Section Products Liability Committee for which he presented several programs and served as website editor (2003-2008).  Currently, he is a member of the Litigation Section Trial Practice Committee.
  • He has presented or participated in the presentation of numerous CLE programs sponsored by the American Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, Tulane University Law School and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University on topics relating to trial practice, discovery, class actions, pharmaceutical litigation, ethics, and professionalism.

Honors & Awards

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America 2005 – 2025.
    • "Lawyer of the Year" New Orleans for Environmental Litigation 2016.
  • Louisiana Super Lawyers 2007 – 2023.
  • New Orleans Magazine "Top Lawyer" 2012 and 2014 – 2023.
  • New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in the Law 2019 honoree.

News & Events

Publications

  • Author, "How To Fix College Football's Legal Issues," Law360 (January 28, 2015). 
  • Co-author, The "Golden Rule" in Closing Arguments: Is it still a Rule?, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Trial Practice Committee website americanbar.org (March 2012).

Practice Areas

Industries

Bar Admissions

  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • United States Tax Court
  • United States Court of Federal Claims
  • Louisiana Federal and State Courts

Education

Tulane University Law School, J.D., 1976

  • Order of the Coif
  • Associate Editor, Tulane Law Review, 1975-76

Louisiana State University, summa cum laude, 1973

  • Omicron Delta Kappa
  • Phi Kappa Phi
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