Ashley Belleau joined Montgomery Barnett's New Orleans office in 2008 as a Partner. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Ms. Belleau received her B.A. from Newcomb College in 1980 and her J.D. from Tulane University School of Law in 1984. She was recently selected as a Louisiana Super Lawyer in the area of Business Litigation. Prior to joining Montgomery Barnett, she was a Managing Member of Patrick, Miller, Burnside & Belleau, L.L.C. Ms. Belleau maintains an extensive litigation and business transaction practice. She currently serves as President-Elect of the Federal Bar Association, and is slated to serve as its President for 2010-2011.

Ms. Belleau is engaged in a commercial practice with a concentration in arbitration, litigation on the federal and state court levels, mediation and transactional work. She advises businesses, financial institutions, and individuals concerning bankruptcies, contracts, construction, environmental issues, insurance, medical malpractice, real estate, corporate, and estate matters.

Ms. Belleau works with business owners and entrepreneurs assisting them with every aspect of the business from inception through growth and development to, when necessary, dissolution. She assists her clients in obtaining financing, provides on-going business advice, represents clients during litigation, and counsels them through the dissolution of the business. Ms. Belleau also consults with individuals on how to protect their personal assets through estate and trust vehicles.

What Ms. Belleau loves about her practice is that she helps bring her clients peace of mind by minimizing their legal and business risk exposure in operating their businesses. With the assistance of her team of associates and partners, she crafts individual solutions and keeps clients informed so that they can make their decisions.

Ms. Belleau knows how a business operates from the inside out since she has been a business owner herself since 1988. First as the owner of publishing company, and then a law firm. She understands the need to be efficient in the management and marketing of the business and how to address the employee and financial aspects of the business.

From 2006 to 2007, Ms. Belleau served as Member of Panel of Mediators for the Louisiana Department of Insurance Hurricane Mediation Program Administered by American Arbitration Association (AAA) mediating hurricane wind damage disputes between homeowners and insurance companies. She also has arbitrated and/or mediated for FINRA, f/k/a National Association of Securities Dealers Regulation, Inc.; New York Stock Exchange; and National Arbitration Forum.

In 2007, Ms. Belleau served as a hearing examiner of property assessment tax appeals for the City of New Orleans.