Lori D. Barker

Lori Barker is the managing partner of WSHB’s New Orleans office and a partner in the firm's Texas locations. Lori has extensive experience representing insurers in Louisiana and Texas in a variety of first and third party disputes. She regularly evaluates coverage and advises carriers facing first-party and bad faith claims. Lori often works side by side with her clients to develop early catastrophe responses. She worked with an international insurer to coordinate its evaluation of claims made following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Leaning into her knowledge as a New Orleans native, Lori helps her clients navigate the intertwining statutes, directives and emergency orders entered on a state, parish and city level in the aftermath of storms.

Following the historically active 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons, Lori advised international and domestic insurers. She was able to deploy creative solutions to fairly and promptly resolve disputes prior to litigation. Lori and her team are currently defending carriers in hundreds of suits pending in state courts, federal courts and in arbitration proceedings. Lori is actively involved in appellate proceedings regarding the enforceability of arbitration clauses in insurance policies under the Federal Arbitration Act and the New York Convention. WSHB has been at the tip of the spear in arguing that surplus lines carriers are not prohibited from including arbitration clauses in their policies. Recently, the team has obtained favorable rulings from Louisiana Courts.

Lori’s third party practice experience includes construction, premises liability, transportation and products liability. Lori’s family owned and operated residential apartments for three generations. As a result, Lori has a first-hand understanding the concerns facing Insureds involved in litigation. This allows her to quickly develop relationships and gain trust. Lori has handled complex cases involving multiple parties and catastrophic injuries. She also has multidistrict litigation experience gained while representing trailer manufacturers in the In Re: FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Products Liability Litigation.

• Successfully argued a Motion for Summary judgment that resulted in dismissal of an aviation client from a lawsuit arising from a plane crash where damages were sought for the wrongful death of one passenger and severe mental and physical injuries of another. Obtained a favorable jury verdict in commercial transportation personal injury case venued in Orleans Parish. Plaintiff sought damages in the amount of $525,443 and the jury awarded $27,146, which was then reduced by 60% resulting in a net award of $10,862.40. Plaintiff's Motion for Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict was denied and, ultimately, the case was not appealed.

Education

• University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., 2008)
• Loyola University New Orleans (B.A., 2005, cum laude)

Licensed to Practice in

• Louisiana
• Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana

News

Publications

• Co-Author, "Defining the Limits: State Supreme Court Affirms No Duty of Architect to Subtractor's Employee," Construction Claims Magazine, Winter 2024

Community Activities

• We the People State Competition Judge
• Tulane School of Professional Advancement Adjunct Professor, 2018- present

Memberships

• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
  • Board of Directors
  • Chair of the Insurance Practice Group
• Law Institute
  • Summary Judgment Subcommittee

• Louisiana Bar Association