Peter Hilbert

Peter L. Hilbert, Jr. is a Member of the firm. He obtained a B.A. degree from the University of New Orleans and obtained his J.D. degree from Tulane University Law School in 1977. Mr. Hilbert was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1977 and is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Maritime Law Association of the United States (member, Committee on Marine Insurance, Sub-Committee on P&I Insurance, 1984 to present), the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, the Mariners Club of the Port of New Orleans, the Houston Mariners Club and the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.

He is an Adjunct Professor of Law, Trial Advocacy, at Tulane University School of Law and has served as an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Gulf Coast Region. Mr. Hilbert is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state and federal courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. He authored "Inland Marine Leg of Intermodal Transportation, International Bar Association Meeting," October 1993; "Injuries in the Workplace in Louisiana," November, 1993; and "Bad Faith Litigation in Louisiana," March, 1995 and January, 1996.

Mr. Hilbert has been actively engaged in numerous areas of maritime law representing underwriters, marine drilling contractors, oilfield service companies, operators of oilfield supply and crew vessels, barge owners, shipyards and product manufacturers. He has served as trial counsel in major litigation concerning personal injury and death claims brought by seamen, commercial oilfield divers, longshoremen, passengers and invitees aboard vessels. He has also litigated claims for property damage, including claims arising out of loss of vessels, claims concerning breach of contract, claims concerning interpretation of insurance policies and insurance coverage's and subrogation and recovery matters. He has experience in vessel documentation, preparation of charter agreements and contracts for vessel management and towage and affreightment contracts. He has significant experience in the field of maritime products liability. He has actively litigated indemnification contracts, contractual liability, insurance coverage and the applicability of the Louisiana and Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnification Statutes. He has served as counsel for shipyards in negotiation of vessel construction and repair contracts.

Representative Cases

• In re Katrina Canal Breaches Consol. Litigation, WL 3815670 (E.D.La 2012)
• Great American Ins. Co. of New York v. CIMA Companies, Inc., WL 6180030 (E.D.La 2011)
• Taylor v. Tesco Corp. (US), WL 4007873 (S.D. Tex. 2011)
• Powell v. Pride Offshore, Inc., WL 2981352 (E.D.La 2011)
• Powell v. Pride Offshore, Inc., WL 2457689 (E.D.La 2011)
• Powell v. Pride Offshore, Inc., WL 2293238 (E.D.La 2011)
• Safeguard Storage Properties, L.L.C. v. Donahue Favret Contractors, Inc., WL 1226419 (La.App. 4 Cir. 2011)
• Richards v. Board of Com’rs of the Port of New Orleans, WL 322197 (La.App.4Cir. 2011)
• Taylor v. Tesco Corp. (US), WL 4539394 (E.D.La 2010)
• Vaughn Medical Equipment Repair Service, L.L.C. v. Jordan Reses Supply Co., WL 3488244 (E.D.La 2010)
• Barham, Warner & Bellamy, L.L.C. v. Strategic Alliance Partners, L.L.C., WL 2105889 (La.App. 4 Cir. 2010)
• Ben-Trei Fertilizer Co., L.L.C. v. Celtic Marine Corp., WL 532821 (E.D.La 2010)
• Ben-Trei Fertilizer Co., L.L.C. v. Celtic Marine Corp., WL 431696 (E.D.La 2010)
• CF Industries v. Ben-Trei, Ltd., WL 2765972 (E.D. IL 2009)
• Ben-Trei Fertilizer Co., L.L.C. v. Keytrade North American Inc., WL 2579354 (M.D.Fla. 2009)
• Jeasonne v. New York Life Ins. Co., 11 So.3d 1160 (La.App. 3 Cir 2009)
• Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp. v. Patriot Asphlat, LLC, WL 455600 (S.D.Ala. 2009)
• McGhee v. Pride Offshore, Inc., WL 2597925 (E.D.La. 2008)
• Greenfield Commercial Credit, L.L.C. v. Catlettsburg Refining, 2007 WL 97068, 61 UCC Rep.Serv.2d 755 (E.D. La. 2007)
• McGhee v. Pride Offshore, Inc., WL 4144955 (E.D.La. 2007)
• Dillard University v. Lexington Ins. Co., 466 F.Supp.2d 723, 2006 WL 2850014 (E.D.La. 2006)
• City of New Orleans' Dept. of Finance v. Touro Infirmary, 905 So.2d 314 (La.App.4Cir. 2005)
• Lee v. Clinical Research Center of Florida, L.C., 889 So.2d 317 (La.App. 4 Cir. 2004)
• Blessey Marine Services Inc. v. Houston Marine Services Inc., 75 Fed.Appx. 232 (E.D.La. 2003)
• Singleton v. Northfield Ins. Co., 826 So.2d 55 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2002)
• Equitable Equipment Co. v. Director, Office of Worker's Compensation Programs,, 191 F.3d630 (5th Cir. 1999)
• Casper Maine, Inc. v. Seatrans Shipping Corp., 969 F.Supp. 395 (E.D.La. 1997)
• Complaint of Christiansen Marine, Inc., WL 616188 (E.D.Va. 1996)
• Insurance Co. of North America v. West of England Shipowners Mut. Ins. Ass'n, 890 F.Supp. 1296 (E.D.La. 1995)
• Insurance Co. of North America v. West of England Shipowners Mut. Ins. Ass'n, 890FSupp. 1302 (E.D.La. 1995)
• Smith v. Gretna Mach. and Iron Works, 646 So.2d 1096 (La.App. 5 Cir 1994)
• Hebert v. Exxon Corp., 953 F.2d 936 (5th Cir.(La.) 1992)
• Ashley v. Epic Divers, Inc., 818 F.Supp. 172 (E.D.La 1991)
• Fanguy v. Dupre Bros. Const. Co., Inc., 588 So.2d 1251 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1991)
• Weaver v. Kitchens, 570 So.2d 508 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1990)
• Weaver v. Kitchens, 556 So.2d 120 (La.App. 5 Cir 1990)

Areas of Practice

• Maritime Law
• Construction Litigation
• Energy Law
• Insurance Litigation
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Toxic Tort Litigation
• Environmental Litigation
• Commercial Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Louisiana, 1977
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 1977
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 1977
• U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 1977
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1977
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981

Education

• Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana
• J.D. - 1977
• University of New Orleans
• B.A. - 1974

Honors and Awards

• Louisiana Super Lawyers, 2009 - 2015
• Best Lawyers in America since 2009 with special designations, during 2015 or a prior year, in Admiralty and Maritime Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Environmental, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2009-2015

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Tulane Maritime Law Center, Board of Advisors, Member
• Tulane Maritime Law Center, Committee of Advisors, Member
• Tulane Maritime Law Center, Endowment Committee, Member
• Mariners Club of the Port of New Orleans, Member, 1979
• Houston Mariners Club, Member, 1984
• New Orleans Bar Associations, Member
• Louisiana State Bar Association, Member
• Federal Bar Association, Member
• Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors, New Orleans Chapter, Member, 1995 - 1998
• American Bar Association, Member
• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Member
• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Committee of Marine Insurance, General Average and Salvage, Subcommittee on P & I Insurance, Member, 1984
• Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, Member
• Louisiana Association of Insurance Defense Counsel, Member
• Louisiana Bar Foundation, Fellow

 

See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations by Peter Hilbert