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GALEN S. BROWN is a member of the New Orleans law firm of Hamilton & Brown LLC, where he focuses his practice in the areas of eminent domain, zoning law, commercial litigation, civil rights law and appellate practice. He earned his A.B. degree from Jacksonville State University and his J.D. degree from Tulane University. Mr. Brown has previously served as instructor of clinical education at Tulane School of Law, as executive director of the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, and as New Orleans Deputy City Attorney. He is a member of the Louisiana State and American bar associations and Alabama State Bar. FRANK S. CRAIG III is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P., where he practices in the areas of eminent domain, environmental law and litigation, and insurance coverage litigation. His experience includes serving as a trial attorney with the Land Acquisition Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana for eminent domain matters. Mr. Craig represents both landowners and entities with eminent domain authority and is frequently involved in extensive eminent domain litigation in federal and state courts. He is currently serving on the Louisiana Law Institute Eminent Domain Committee, considering proposed revisions to Louisiana's procedures for expropriation proceedings by private entities. He is admitted to practice in Louisiana, the District of Columbia and Texas. Mr. Craig earned his B.A. degree from Louisiana State University and his J.D. degree from the Louisiana State University School of Law. RANDALL A. SMITH is the managing partner of Smith & Fawer, LLC. After graduating from Yale Law School in 1982, he clerked for Federal Judge Charles Schwartz and then served as an associate and partner at the Stone Pigman law firm in New Orleans. In 1995, he founded a boutique litigation firm concentrating in complex litigation, and now manages offices in New Orleans, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi. Since 1995, Mr. Smith has successfully represented his firm's clients, both plaintiffs and defendants, in litigation before a variety of courts, both state and federal, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi, but throughout the U.S. His litigation practice focuses upon business litigation, takings/eminent domain litigation, property and estate litigation, securities litigation, employment litigation, patent and trademark litigation, and white collar criminal defense. In addition to his practice, Mr. Smith has been an adjunct professor of law at Loyola University's School of Law since 1989. Among other civic duties, he is the president of the Canal Street Development Corporation, a public benefit corporation with tens of millions of dollars in assets dedicated to the revitalization of Canal Street. In 2008, Mr. Smith was named as one of the top 50 attorneys in New Orleans by New Orleans CityBusiness magazine. In 2011, Mr. Smith was selected as the Louisiana member of the Owner's Counsel of America, a national association of experienced property rights and eminent domain attorneys. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Foundation, Louisiana State Bar Association, Bar Association of the Fifth Circuit, and the New Orleans Bar Association. MICHAEL W. TRUAX SR. MAI, ASA is the senior partner in the firm of Truax, Robles and Baldwin Appraisers, LLC, providing a variety of real estate appraisal and consulting services. Mr. Truax has been engaged in such activities for more than 35 years, much of it as a partner in the firm of Max J. Derbes Appraisers and Real Estate Consultants, Inc. He earned his B.S. degree from Tulane University and holds the MAI (Appraisal Institute) and ASA (American Society of Appraisers) designations. Mr. Truax has extensive experience in eminent domain appraisals and litigation, offering expert testimony more than 50 times in state and federal courts. Condemnation appraisals have been conducted for both condemnor and condemnee clients, employing both state and federal guidelines as appropriate. Appraisals to determine the just compensation due a property owner as a consequence of the exercise of eminent domain rights by a condemnor have been conducted for a variety of takings, including those associated with utility transmissions lines, the national strategic petroleum reserve, and flood protection projects. ANDREW C. WILSON is a partner with the New Orleans law firm of Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, L.L.P. He serves as both lead trial counsel and appellate counsel in all stages of federal and state civil litigation involving complex issues of law in many diverse fields. Mr. Wilson's experience includes litigation related to personal injuries, major disasters, ship collisions, wetland rights, insurance coverage, wetland damage/impacts, and oilfield and environmental remediation matters. This includes activity from the original accident or field investigation through the final appeal if necessary. Mr. Wilson's most significant achievement to date involves the successful defense of a class action takings lawsuit and several other related lawsuits seeking billions of dollars in alleged damage to oyster leases in Louisiana resulting from coastal restoration projects. He has also served as a consultant to the state on coastal restoration issues. Mr. Wilson earned his undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University and his J.D. and L.L.M. in environmental law from Tulane Law School.
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