Biography

Biography

Curtis practices commercial law handling litigation, general business, and transactional matters.  His experience includes representing parties to business and contract disputes in state and federal courts, representation of lenders in bankruptcy courts, complex commercial transactions and preparing contracts and business policies for on-going operations.

Curtis received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern State University, and his law degree from Louisiana State University Law Center, where he was on the Louisiana Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif, an honorary society of the top ten percent of each graduating class.  He graduated ranked 5th in his law school class.  Curtis was admitted to practice in 1985.

Curtis is licensed to practice in all of the district and appellate courts as well as the Louisiana Supreme Court.  Curtis is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal.  Curtis is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Shreveport Bar Association, and a past member of the Harry V. Booth American Inn of Court and the Bank Counsel Section of the Louisiana Banker’s Association.  Curtis was President of the Shreveport firm of Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway from 2001 through 2005.

Representative Experience

Representative Experience
  • Representation of banks and lenders for more than 25 years in secured lending transactions and in enforcing rights in secured lending transactions, including matters involving loan relationships in excess of $ 100 million, oil and gas lending and all manner of collateral perfection
  • Extensive litigation of complex commercial and business disputes, including claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, violations of minority owners’ rights, and violations of non-competition agreements, property disputes, dissolutions and receiverships, fraud, embezzlement, and construction disputes
  • Representation of business owners in complex property settlement disputes, including in the context of divorce litigation
  • Representation of landowners and developers in zoning and land use matters
  • Litigation of oil and gas disputes involving existence and ownership of mineral servitudes, mineral leases, and royalty payments
  • Extensive representation of parties in the United States Bankruptcy Court including recovery of lenders’ claims, defense of preference and fraudulent conveyance actions, including successful representation of clients as special and supplemental counsel in complex cases with disputes in excess of  $ 100 million
  • Louisiana and multi-state business asset sales
  • Representation as Louisiana counsel in multi-state business transactions in matters in excess of $ 240 million
  • Counsel for preparation of contracts and business policies for on-going business operations in the areas of financial institution practices, and employer-employee relations
  • Appointed by the United State District Court for the Western District of Louisiana as oversight consultant for businesses subject to the court’s control with approval of the United States Attorney’s Office

Education

Education
  • Louisiana State University Law Center J.D., 1985, Order of the Coif, Louisiana Law Review
  • Northwestern State University; B.A. Psychology 1981

Professional Recognition

Professional Recognition
  • “AV” rating in Martindale-Hubbell
  • Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, Hall of Fame
  • Consistently listed in SB Magazine as one of Shreveport-Bossier’s best lawyers
  • Listed in Super Lawyers 2022 – 2023
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2020 – 2023

Activities and Affiliations

Activities and Affiliations
  • Louisiana State Bar Association
  • Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
  • Shreveport Bar Association

Presentations

Presentations
  • Curtis is a frequent speaker on creditors’ rights topics and frequently conducts training sessions for financial institutions personnel
Industries/Practices
  • Appellate Practice
  • Arbitration and Mediation
  • Bankruptcy
  • Corporate Law and Transactions
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Law
  • Banking and Creditors’ Rights
  • Energy, Oil and Gas and Natural Resources
  • Property Law and Real Estate Transactions
  • Trial Practice
Bar Admissions
  • Louisiana, 1985

CRS AV-WH-200 2019

logo_av MD CRS 2018