Retired Federal Judge Stanwood Duval, Jr. Returns to Houma Firm as Counsel
February 20, 2017
The law firm of Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Richard and Watkins in Houma, Louisiana, is pleased to announce the association of recently retired federal judge Stanwood Duval, Jr. in the capacity Of Counsel. With over 20 years of experience on the federal bench, Stanwood Duval will provide legal services for mediation and arbitration, as well as for litigation strategy involving complex cases in federal court. Former federal law clerk Janet Louise Daley is also Of Counsel at the firm.
“Judge Duval has had a notable career as a practicing attorney here in Houma for 28 years and as a federal judge for 22 years. We are happy to have him back home at the firm and to have Janet Daley provide her expertise to us as well,” says Berwick Duval, partner.
“Together, they offer their valuable experience in federal court to assist our corporate and individual clients, and other law firms, with federal litigation, mediation and arbitration in the areas of maritime, commercial, personal injury, employment, environmental and mineral law,” Berwick Duval says. The law firm of Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Richard and Watkins has produced the last two federal judges appointed from Terrebonne Parish.
A native of Terrebonne Parish and graduate of LSU Law Center, Stanwood Duval was a partner in the law firm now known as Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Richard and Watkins from 1966 to 1994. In October 1994, he was appointed U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana by President Bill Clinton. While serving on the bench, he presided over cases involving commercial litigation, insurance coverage and contract disputes, maritime/admiralty law, product liability, collective bargaining agreements and complex criminal litigation. He also managed all litigation arising from the failure of the levee system in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina, which had over 1,200 cases comprised of hundreds of thousands of claims. Duval retired from the federal bench on January 31, 2017 and returned to the Duval firm in Houma on February 1.
A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, attorney Janet Louise Daley served as a federal law clerk in the Eastern District of Louisiana for the Honorable Stanwood Duval, Jr. from 1994 to his retirement in 2017. In that capacity, she drafted opinions and oversaw the drafting of jury charges in maritime cases, employment discrimination cases, tort suits, civil right suits and complex commercial litigation. In addition, Daley assisted in mediating a number of suits pending before Judge Duval’s court. Before her work with Judge Duval, she also served as law clerk to the Honorable George Arceneaux, Jr. and the Honorable Lansing Mitchell.
