Appellate

Stone Pigman has a rich appellate history, our lawyers having appeared and argued in numerous state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Louisiana Supreme Court.  We bring deep experience, sharp legal insight, and persuasive advocacy to every stage of the appellate process.

We partner with trial counsel from the outset, helping to shape legal strategy, preserve key issues, and position cases for the strongest possible appeal. Whether defending a hard-won verdict or challenging an adverse ruling, our firm is trusted by lawyers and clients alike to navigate complex legal terrain and deliver results when it matters most. From high-stakes commercial disputes to precedent-setting jurisdictional issues, Stone Pigman is the choice for sophisticated appellate representation.

Stone Pigman's appellate work in Louisiana and federal courts has included:

• Representation of the prevailing party in Douglas v. Pathway Management of Louisiana, LLC, 408 So. 3d 1186, 2025 WL 1062631 (La. App. 2 Cir. 2025), in which the Second Circuit Court of Appeal confirmed that claims against nursing home management companies for "administrative" negligence are subject to the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act and not general tort law.
• Representation of the prevailing party in a pipeline servitude dispute in ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC v. DT Midstream, Inc., 384 So.3d 458 (La. App. 2 Cir. 2024).
• Worked with an appellate team in IFG Port Holdings, L.L.C. v. Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District, 82 F.4th 402 (5th Cir. 2023), a case involving a judgment in excess of $100 million.
• Representation of the prevailing party in Williams v. Homeland Ins. Co. of New York, 18 F.4th 806 (5th Cir. 2021), a case involving a complex, unique jurisdictional issue.
• Obtained reversals of decisions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, producing more than $70 million in refunds to consumers.
• Successfully represented a major national research university in the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal in a difficult and contentious dispute involving the heirs of a college founder when the college merged with the research university after a natural disaster. 
• Representation of the prevailing party in Skannal v. Jones Odom Davis & Politz, LLP, 124 So.3d 500 (La. App. 2 Cir. 2013), in which the court addressed the limits of an attorney's right to recover a contingency fee under Louisiana law.
• Successfully argued to the Louisiana Supreme Court as amicus attorney on an issue involving state regulatory interpretation and collection of amounts due for medication provided under the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Act.
• Representing a credit union attempting to enforce a loan guarantee against the Louisiana State Department of Agriculture.
• Representing the owner of a natural gas storage facility in a multi-million dollar dispute regarding real estate commissions.  
• In the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, obtained affirmance of summary judgment in favor of the owner of a painting in a dispute as to the painting's provenance arising out of conditions in Nazi-controlled Germany.
• As appellate counsel for insurance companies, pursuing and opposing multiple appeals of partial judgments regarding Hurricane Katrina property damage claims.
• Representing property owners in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit against the United States in a jurisdictional dispute over where their claims for compensation due to a governmental taking should be adjudicated.
• Successfully representing the Louisiana Public Defender Board before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a dispute raising constitutional challenges to fees assessed against criminal defendants to fund public defender offices state-wide.
• Representing the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in upholding Louisiana's attorney advertising rules against constitutional challenge.
• Successfully representing a succession in the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal in sustaining a judgment invalidating certain business transactions executed by the decedent.