PUBLIC FINANCE-BOND LAWYER • ELECTION LAW • SECURED TRANSACTIONS • COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
TITLE AND REAL ESTATE • BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND ACQUISITIONS
Born
Ville Platte, Louisiana
Education
Tulane Law School (J.D., 1991)
Louisiana State University (B.A., 1986)
Middlebury College (Sunderland, 1985)
Bar Admissions
Louisiana (1991)
Court Admissions
Supreme Court of Louisiana
United States District Courts for the
Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
United States Fifth District Court of Appeal
Memberships
National Association of Bond Lawyers
Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace (The "Red Book")
New Orleans Bar Association
Lafayette Parish Bar Association
Evangeline Parish Bar Association
Louisiana State Bar Association
Louisiana Association of Independent Land Title Agents
American Land Title Association
Eric LaFleur
Founding Partner
Eric LaFleur provides legal representation to commercial and institutional clients in private, commercial and public finance and in legal disputes involving litigation. With over $1B dollars of transactions completed over the past 30 plus years, Mr. LaFleur brings a wealth of experience to ensure that a client's expectations are met at the conclusion of a transaction. Whether municipal bonds, elections, home rule charters or Lawrason Act related matters, Mr. LaFleur has the skill set to provide guidance and advice to develop legal and financing structures so that clients can reach their objectives and achieve their goals.
Mr. LaFleur has served as counsel in litigation at both the federal, state and administrative court levels. National companies such as Exxon, Tesla, Dollar General, and Goodyear, regional entities such as Progressive Tractor and Implement Company, IFG Port Holdings, Institutional Pharmacies of Louisiana, banks, healthcare companies and insurance companies and smaller family owned businesses have relied on Mr. LaFleur to resolve a variety of legal issues: contracts, tort, employment law, acquisitions and conveyances, credit-debtor relationships, financing, business organization, and economic development.
His courtroom experience as a criminal prosecutor for then Orleans Parish District Attorney, Harry Connick, Sr., in his first years in practice, provided Mr. LaFleur with invaluable experience that ultimately supplied the skill set attributed to his later success as a trial attorney. That work included appearances at hundreds of hearings, interviews and voir dire over 1,000 potential jurors and present evidence and argument in 63 jury trials.
LaFleur has three children, Atticus, Amélie and Alistair, who attend the Isidore Newman School and are active in the sports programming sponsored by Carrelton Boosters.
Practice Highlights
$23M Acquisition and financing of the purchase of business with multiple locations; foreign limited liability company, transfer of assets, inventory, rolling stock; transfer and new licensures related to the acquisition; escrow funding; review and confirmation of lien and encumbrance free acquisition
$124.5M Judgment in United States Federal Court in favor of client involved in international trade; damages awarded in favor of client against defendant for violations of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act
$-0- Judgment against client in Louisiana State Court, successfully defended sexual harassment claim brought by employee against his manager, both employed by a nationwide box store retailer
$600M Bond Issuance - Bond counsel to the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association
$100M as bond counsel in three parishes of Louisiana's largest Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) revenue bond issuances; Terrebonne, Jefferson and Orleans
Special counsel to the St. Landry Parish School Board for the creation of a special school improvement district and proposed election for a $50M general obligation bond issuance
Rewrite of Louisiana Public Finance Law.
Act 469 sponsored by Senator LaFleur, earned national attention. LaFleur's bill provided the first major rewrite of Louisiana Public Finance law in over 50 years.
Compliance Deficit
LaFleur received national front page recognition for his efforts to promote compliance with securities law.
Judge: Port of Lake Charles
owes IFG $124.5 M
On March 18, 2022, the United States District Court awarded IFG Port Holdings, LLC, $124.5M in damages related to violations by the defendant, Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District, of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act. In the Court's Written Reasons For Judgment, the Court stated in part, "We find this conduct by the Port to be nothing less than extortion which, by definition, offends public policy and is immoral, unethical, oppressive, unscrupulous, and substantially injurious."
