Paul was raised in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Since 1986, Paul has been the senior member the firm and continues to manage and oversee the firm's litigation activities and day to day operations. Paul's legal career began after finishing first in his law school class at the LSU Law Center in 1966. After a couple of years practicing law in defense firms in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Paul found his niche representing victims of catastrophic accidents.
Paul's personal injury practice initially focused on admiralty/maritime claims involving foreign seaman injured or killed on oceangoing vessels and aviation accidents. Because of several business friendly changes in the law in Louisiana, the focus of Paul's practice shifted many years ago to all other types of complex personal injury and wrongful death litigation, including trucking accidents, road hazards, defective products, medical malpractice and automobile/motorcycle accidents.
Paul's legal accomplishments are numerous and well-known in the legal community. Most lawyers are familiar with the McDill tender of UM benefits and the Youn v. Maritime Overseas Corp. standard of review of general damage awards, both of which emanated from cases Paul successfully handled. Most lawyers are also aware of Paul's pioneering work in developing successful theories of liability against railroad companies for grade crossing accidents, manufacturers of defective ICC underride guards, manufacturers of children's aspirin, which caused Reye's Syndrome and against the State of Louisiana and other political subdivisions for defective roads and bridges.
Paul has served as an Associate Professor at Southern University Law School, President of the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association and he served on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice for several years. He has authored articles in numerous publications including TRIAL, The Maritime Lawyer, Louisiana Bar Journal, Louisiana Advocates, Louisiana Law Review, Insurance Counsel Journal and Am.Jur. Proof of Facts. Paul has been profiled or has received national attention for his efforts in Best Lawyers in America-Personal Injury Litigation, Products Liability and Maritime Law, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The National Law Journal and numerous local papers.
Paul H. Due