RICHARD L. SEELMAN is a native of southern Illinois, who has lived and practiced law in New Orleans since 1990. He earned a B.A. degree in economics from Yale University, a J.D. degree from the College of William & Mary, and an L.L.M. degree in admiralty law from Tulane University School of Law. Richard is admitted to practice law in Louisiana, Alabama, and Illinois. He has focused his practice for over twenty-five years on defending major liability and workers' compensation insurance carriers and self-insured employers in state and federal workers' compensation litigation, as well as general liability personal injury cases in state and federal court. Additionally, Richard has represented numerous governmental entities in workers' compensation and liability cases.

Richard frequently speaks at continuing legal education seminars throughout Louisiana and has been a presenter for the Louisiana Association of Self-Insured Employers' (LASIE) Certified Workers' Compensation Professional program (CWCP) since its inception over fifteen years ago. Richard also speaks at continuing legal education programs conducted by numerous national CLE companies and Louisiana's State Chamber of Commerce, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI).

Richard has been a shareholder in Roedel Parsons Blache Fontana Piontek & Pisano since 2013 and was a longstanding shareholder in the Fontana and Seelman and its predecessor law firms prior to the Roedel Parsons/Fontana Seelman merger in 2013. He has previously been recognized by both the New Orleans Times-Picayune and New Orleans Magazine as a top lawyer in the New Orleans area. Richard has also carried an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell for many years. He is an active member and elder at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church and is on the board of Rebuilding Hope in New Orleans, a non-profit focused on helping construct residential homes for low-income persons in the city. When not practicing law, Richard can be found at his daughter's high school athletic events or on the golf course.

Areas of Practice

• Insurance and Casualty Defense
• Maritime Defense
• Workers' Compensation Defense
• Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act Defense
• Transportation Law
• Corporate Law
• Litigation Percentage
• 75% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Louisiana,1986
• Illinois,1983
• Alabama,1985
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana,1993
• U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana,2000
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Alabama,2001
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Alabama
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit,1987
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court,2000

Education

• Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana
• LL.M. -1984
• Honors: Phi Alpha Delta
• Major: Admiralty Law
• The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia
• J.D. -1983
• Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
• B.A. -1980
• Major: Economics

Classes/Seminars

• Presenter, Louisiana Association of Self-Insured Employers’ (LASIE) Certified Workers’ Compensation Professional program (CWCP)
• Honors and Awards
• AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Alabama State Bar

Pro Bono Activities

• St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church