Attorney Profiles

From New Orleans City Business:

Kenny Charbonnet has represented more than 200 clients in Katrina insurance claims and won more than 190 settlements at mediation. That's a 95 percent success rate.

His firm, where he works with his two brothers and a nephew, was hit hard by the storm. While the Metairie office was up and running just four weeks after Katrina, the Claiborne Avenue building had to undergo a complete renovation after taking on 5 feet of water and sustaining wind damage. A major challenge was reaching clients widely scattered because of the hurricane.

The neighborhood was pretty much out of commission for 11 months, Charbonnet said. But we're back now.

While much of his practice today involves representing consumers in insurance claims, Charbonnet has done legal work in a variety of areas, including criminal defense and divorce case. He also has taught courses for notaries and real estate agents.

After being in practice for 35 years, I've done a hodgepodge (of cases). I started off doing just about anything. ... I (later) kind of moved away from doing criminal law and into insurance work, then insurance recovery work.

About seven years ago, Charbonnet achieved one of his proudest victories in what he called a precedent-setting case against the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans.

Near the corner of Magazine and Nashville there was a water meter cover that had been missing in a commercial area. This poor fellow stepped in it and had a compound fracture of his leg and damaged the nerve to his foot.

Charbonnet and his legal team prevailed in spite of city notice requirements then in place that limited the utility's liability.

We had to overcome some big civil immunities to help the man, he said.

Today, helping his clients deal with Katrina's aftermath keeps Charbonnet busy.

Lately, the hurricane cases have been interesting; so many errors in omission, people not getting their (claims) paid, questions of whether they have the right amount of insurance.

Charbonnet also has assisted clients with buying property in the post-Katrina real estate environment and dealing with some of the headaches coming out of that.

One of Charbonnet's greatest rewards on the job has been helping people get the money they need to rebuild their homes and restart their lives, he said.

They were under such pressure, and it was just good to see some of the people get a smile on their face.