Upon reaching the milestones of 50 years of practicing law, and 40 years as a founding partner of the firm, Andy Plauché retired from the active practice of law effective January 1, 2022. Andy will continue an affiliation with the firm as a consultant, particularly on the historical aspects of matters he has handled over the last four decades.

Andy’s retirement brings to a close his defense litigation civil practice which was marked by constant professional growth that is reflected in successful jury and bench trial experiences dating back to his earliest years in Lake Charles as an associate and partner (and third generation attorney) in his family’s firm, Plauché Smith and Nieset, from 1972 to 1981. Andy’s trial, motion and mediation practice continued in his years as one of the leading trial lawyers for Plauché Maselli Parkerson from 1981 through 2021.

Andy’s career spanned dial phones to iPhones, typewriters to laptops, letters to e-mails, conference calls to zoom meetings, and stacks of paper pleadings to electronic filings at the press of a button. Along the way, industrywide mass tort, and class action litigation presented ever increasing challenges, and the keys to long lasting success became transferrable skills in discovery, mediation, trials and appellate practice. The abilities of Andy to evolve with changing litigation times and technologies have been a model for the firm’s attorneys for decades. As the attorneys of Plauché Maselli Parkerson LLP move forward to face even more changes, we will always have the trails blazed by Andy to remember as we continue to provide quality legal services to meet the challenges that all future litigations will undoubtedly present. Andy’s “old sayings” provide continued inspiration for the firm to carry forward, not the least of which is “Let’s take the high road and get this done right….”[1]

[1] A quick sampling of some of Andy’s reported cases – all in the defense litigation field – reveals the breadth of Andy’s experience: Premises Liability: Broussard v. Pennsylvania Millers Mutual Insurance Company, 398 So. 2d 205 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1981), writ granted 401 So. 2d 987 (La. 1981), affirmed 406 So. 2d 574 (La. 1981);.Auto Products (Crashworthiness) Liability: Hermann v. General Motors Corporation, 720 F.2d 414 (5^th Cir. 1983); Environmental Liability (Insurance coverage and prescription for injury and for wrongful death):Ducre v. Executive Officers of Halter Marine, Inc., 752 F.2d 976 (5^th Cir. 1985). Richardson v. Avondale Shipyards et al, 600 So. 2d 801 (La. App. 5^th Cir. 1992) and Landry et al v. Avondale Shipyards et al, 864 So. 2d 117 (La. 2003); Medical Device Products Liability: Elliott v. Acromed Corp, Synthes Ltd. et al, 1998 WL 34008913 (USDC ED LA 1998);Traumatic Brain Injury Liability: Burgard v. Allstate Insurance Company, 904 So. 2d 867 (La. App. 5^th Cir. 2005);Classification Limitation Coverage Validity: Wagner v. Tammany Holding Co. L.L.C., 135 So. 3d 77 (La. App. 4^th Cir. 2013);Standards for Summary Judgment: Voinche v. Capps, 155 So. 2d 146 (La. App. 3d Cir. 2014) and Propriety of Class Actions: Gautreaux v. Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, 280 So. 3d 694 (La. App. 3^rd Cir. 2019) writ denied (4-3) and reconsideration not considered, 296 So. 3d 1068 (La. 2020) (appeal proceeding on other grounds 2022)