Adrian Nadeau is an effective litigator who draws on his two decades of courtroom and boardroom experience to help clients identify, prevent and resolve disputes, minimize legal and financial exposure, and negotiate strong customer, supplier, and vendor contracts and transactional agreements.

Adrian represents individual and corporate clients from across the country and with operations and interests in a broad range of industries. He has a specific focus on architecture, design, engineering and related professional-services firms in the construction sector, often serving as de facto general counsel for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as local counsel for national and multinational corporations.

Over the course of his career, Adrian has successfully litigated hundreds of disputes, including matters involving professional liability, insurance defense, breaches of contract, leases, defective design and construction claims, and other business and commercial issues. Adrian’s extensive background and legal acumen enable him to provide forward-thinking risk management counsel to business owners and executives at every step of the transaction and contract lifecycle, from documenting and negotiating key terms, to closing the deal and resolving disputes in federal and state courts, mediation and arbitration, and settlements.

A legal and industry innovator, Adrian has served in a number of leadership positions in legal and industry organizations. He is the current and a past chair of the Construction Law Section of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and a current member of the Louisiana State Bar Association Board of Governors. As a member of the Long Law Firm management committee, Adrian has developed a first-hand understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing companies today, and applies this knowledge to help his clients address legal and business issues more effectively.

After graduating from law school, Adrian served a clerkship for the Honorable Judges Brenda B. Ricks and Wayne Ray Chutz of the 21st Judicial District Court


Experience

• Represented a mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer in a dispute involving allegations of design errors. After successfully avoiding a pretrial partial summary judgment as to liability, Adrian defended the case under a defense-within-limits policy (where defense costs erode the limits) despite plaintiff demands that exceeded the original policy limits. After trying the case before a jury, the client received a favorable ruling that included a judgment that was well within the remaining policy limits. In the meantime, other parties continue to litigate the dispute. (Team Contractors, L.L.C. v. Waypoint NOLA, L.L.C. et al, United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana, 2:16-CV-01131.)

• Represented an insurance company and an architect as defendants in a dispute involving allegations of design failures and withheld payments, as well as claims of professional negligence and unjust enrichment. After filing pre-trial motions, Adrian won the request for partial summary judgment dismissing the professional negligence claim and won his motion to dismiss the unjust enrichment claim. The case was subsequently tried before a jury, which delivered a defense verdict. (Patriot Contracting, LLC v. Star Insurance Company, United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana Civil Action No: 15-6634, 2018 WL 1123586.)

• Represented a structural engineer in a particularly fierce, multiparty, complex construction case involving allegations of structural defects. Adrian won a motion for partial summary judgment to enforce a limitation-of-liability clause in the client’s contract, which success led to a very favorable settlement shortly thereafter. (Hanover Insurance Company v. Plaquemines Parish Government, United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana, 2:12-CV-01680.)

• Represented an engineer involved in the design of the levee system of New Orleans, Louisiana, in a dispute following the events of Hurricane Katrina. Adrian was able to have the client dismissed, early in the process, after successfully winning a motion for summary judgment on preemption (statute of repose), citing a five-year preemption period. Adrian has represented clients in a number of similar matters. (In re: Katrina Canal, et al., United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit 11/16/2007 07-31072.)

Practice Areas

• Corporate Litigation
• Design and Construction
• Professional Liability

Bar Admissions

• Louisiana

Court Admissions

• US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
• US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
• All Louisiana State Courts

Professional Engagement/Memberships

• Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA), Board of Governors, Fifth Board District (2020–2023) and former longtime member of the House of Delegates (2012–2020)
• LSBA member of the Committee on the Profession (2010–2023)
• Leadership LSBA Class (2008-2009) and Co-Chair of the Leadership LSBA Class (2009–2010)
• Baton Rouge Bar Association, current (2022–2023) and former Chair of the Construction Law Section
• American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry

Community Service

• Heritage Ranch (non-profit Christian children’s home in the Baton Rouge area for youth experiencing personal crises), current Member and former Chair of the Board of Directors, former Member of the Board of Advisors
• Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, Steering Committee (2021–current)

Education

• Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University

         JD, BCL, 2002

• Louisiana State University

         BA, Political Science and History, 1999