Board Certified Bankruptcy Specialists
Simon, Fitzgerald, Cooke, Reed and Welch is the oldest bankruptcy law firm in Louisiana. We trace the origins of the firm to 1907, and for many decades bankruptcy has been the primary focus of our practice.
Three of our attorneys are Board Certified as Consumer Bankruptcy Specialists, and two of those are also certified as Business Bankruptcy Specialists by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. Our firm is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and AV-rated through Martindale-Hubbell.* We serve individuals, couples and small businesses across Louisiana.
About Our Attorneys/Partners
- Paul M. Cooke is a partner in the firm, having practiced since 1972. He is a member of the Shreveport Bar Association and the Louisiana State Bar Association, and works in our Shreveport office.
- Keith M. Welch is a partner and joined the firm in 1977. He is one of only five attorneys certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization as both a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist and a Business Bankruptcy Specialist. Mr. Welch formerly served on the Bankruptcy Advisory Commission for the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the Shreveport Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Association, and National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. Keith also serves clients in the Shreveport area.
- Kevin R. Molloy is a partner and joined the firm in 1987 after serving as a law clerk to Chief Bankruptcy Judge Stephen V. Callaway. With Mr. Welch, he is among just five attorneys statewide board-certified as both a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist and a Business Bankruptcy Specialist. Mr. Molloy is currently Chairman of the Consumer Protection and Bankruptcy Law Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association and previously served as Chairman of the Bankruptcy Advisory Commission for the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He manages our Bossier City office.
- Gerald J. Breaux is a partner and joined the firm in 2005. He practices in the Lake Charles and Lafayette offices. He is certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization and the American Board of Certification as a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist, and is currently on the Bankruptcy Law Advisory Board of Legal Specialization — Consumer Bankruptcy, Louisiana State Bar Association, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and a Working Group member for South West Louisiana Bankruptcy Bar Association.
About Our Attorneys/Associates
- A. Kip Wall is an associate at the firm and practices in our Baton Rouge and Lafayette offices. He has served as Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Insurance and as the Chief Executive Officer of the Louisiana Office of Group Benefits.
- Jennifer L. Purnell is an associate who practices in our Shreveport office. She previously served as in-house counsel for the Chapter 13 Trustee, Paul H. Davidson, for approximately six years. Her duties included the administration of 40,000+ Chapter 13 cases.
- L. Laban Levy is an associate at the firm and practices in our Shreveport office. He previously served as Law Clerk to Honorable Chief Judge Henry N. Brown, Jr. for the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and a past member of the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz American Inn of Court.
- Keri G. Armstrong is an associate practicing in our Monroe office. She is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the Louisiana State Bar Association.
- Elaina Bordelon is an associate at the firm who practices in our Lake Charles and Lafayette offices. She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
- Karl M. Helo is an associate at the firm who works in both the Baton Rouge and Lafayette offices.
- Chatham H. Reed (retired from active practice)
Call 888-341-8091 or contact us online for a free consultation at our nearest office:
Shreveport • Bossier City • Monroe • Lake Charles • Baton Rouge • Lafayette
* AV, BV, and CV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies.
Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories — legal ability and general ethical standards.
*We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.
