Defense of Dr Anna Pou
Dr. Anna Pou, a doctor who volunteered to stay at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina, was, along with other physicians, staff and patients, trapped as the flood waters rose. As conditions at the hospital deteriorated and government at all levels abandoned the doctors, patients and indeed, the whole city of New Orleans, Dr. Pou was forced to deal with “end of life” issues for some acute-care patients.
Despite being assured they would be allowed to self-surrender, Dr. Pou and two nurses were arrested and handcuffed on July 17, 2006 on charges of “murder”. At a press conference the next day the Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti announced that the three medical personnel had “pretended they were God”, and had murdered four patients with a “lethal cocktail injection of Morphine and Versed”. Foti held a fund-raiser two days later amidst the media frenzy. Several months later Dr. Pou appeared on 60 Minutes denying she had murdered the patients. The entire medical community rallied behind Dr. Pou. On July 24, 2007 the Grand Jury rendered a “No True Bill” as to Dr. Pou on nine counts of murder. Dr. Pou returned to practice. The former Attorney General was soundly defeated in the next election. Dr. Pou appeared before the Louisiana Legislature urging enactment of “Disaster Medicine Reforms” to protect doctors and patients during future disasters and the legislature passed these reforms in 2008.
DEFENSE OF NEW ORLEANS POLICE OFFICER DAVID WARREN
David Warren was a New Orleans police officer, who in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, was assigned to guard a police substation in a strip mall amidst widespread lawlessness in the city. A stolen Firestone truck abruptly pulled up to the mall and the two occupants, who admittedly were there to obtain stolen goods, rushed the gate, ignoring Warren’s command “Police, Get Back”. In fear for his life, Warren fired one shot but believed he missed when the two subjects ran away. Unknown to Warren, one of them - Henry Glover – was wounded and later died at another location. The Department of Justice indicted David Warren on Civil Rights violations in shooting Glover, even initially threatening a death sentence. Bond was refused and Warren was incarcerated from the time of his arrest in June 2010. At the first trial in 2010, Warren was convicted of lesser charges but even the compromise verdict was ultimately overturned by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Upon re-trial David Warren testified as to his actions in self-defense, was found “Not Guilty” of all charges and freed December 11, 2013 after 3 ½ years in jail on.
REPRESENTATION OF BP'S VICE PRESIDENT OF GULF DRILLING DURING BP OIL SPILL
April 20, 2010, BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, caught fire and sank, leading to the deaths of eleven rig workers and to one of the greatest environmental disasters ever. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of the Interior formed a Joint Task Force to investigate the causes of the accident aboard the Deepwater Horizon.
The Marine Board of Investigation began hearings in May 2010. Pat O’Bryan, BP’s then Vice President for Drilling & Completions for Gulf of Mexico Operations was named as a “party of interest”, in connection with the investigation and called to testify.
Pat O’Bryan, who was on board at the time of the explosion, testified as to his presence on and later, escape from Deepwater Horizon. Dr. O'Bryan, a PhD in Petroleum Engineering, was assigned by BP to the task of leading the 18,000ft Relief Well efforts which ultimately intercepted and killed the well on September 19, 2010.
The continued representation of Mr. O’Bryan included his appearance before the Marine Board, the Presidential Commission, and the Chemical Board and other investigative boards, along with appearances at depositions and trial testimony in connection with the resulting BP civil litigation.