Nicholas Gachassin, III is a partner in Gachassin Law Firm, LLC. He graduated with a B.A. in History from Tulane University, received his law degree (J.D.) from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, and earned his Masters in Health Law (LL.M.) from Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. Mr. Gachassin is licensed to practice in Louisiana and Mississippi. He is a member of several organizations, including the American Health Lawyers Association and the Louisiana Association of Hospital Attorneys. Mr. Gachassin's area of practice is focused on assisting various types of health care providers and businesses with specific legal and regulatory issues applicable to the health care industry, including hospitals, physicians, nurses, physician staffing companies, diagnostic centers, federally qualified healthcare centers, rural health clinics, home health agencies and hospice organizations. In addition to his practice, Mr. Gachassin teaches a course on legal issues in healthcare administration for the University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s MBA program and is a frequent speaker on health law issues.

Education:

Loyola University School of Law, Chicago, Illinois ∙ LL. M. in Health Care Law, 1996

Honors: Antitrust Symposium Fellow, 1995

Loyola University School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana ∙ J.D., 1994

Honors: Loyola Law Review and Moot Court, 1993-94

Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana ∙ B.A., History, 1989

Mr. Johnston is a partner in the corporate section of the Gachassin Law Firm. He specializes in health care law with an emphasis primarily in the areas of health care provider contracting, fraud and abuse, provider and/or practitioner licensing revocation and decertification appeals, Medicare overpayments and other corporate compliance issues. In addition, he assists providers with varied transactional matters, including acquisitions and mergers, as well as assisting with Medicare provider enrollment and state licensure transfer issues. Mr. Johnston is also a certified arbitrator/mediator for the American Health Lawyers’ Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Service.

Education:

Universite de Geneve, Switzerland, 1982

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, LL.M., 1983

Julie Savoy is an associate with the Litigation Practice Group of the Gachassin Law Firm. She is a registered nurse with over 17 years of experience in operating room nursing, health care infection control and epidemiology. She was active on the local and national level in the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), having served as chair of APIC’s Governmental Affairs Committee and as a faculty member for APIC’s Basic Training Course. She lectures statewide and nationally on infection control, litigation risk management and regulatory issues in the field.

Education:

Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana ∙ J.D., 2002

University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Bachelor of Science in Nursing ∙ 1982

Brandon M. Rhodes was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised in Houma, Louisiana and obtained his undergraduate degree from The University of Louisiana, Lafayette and a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law. Following graduation, he moved to Florida and served as a law clerk to the Judges of the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida. He then went on to serve as a criminal prosecutor, working as an Assistant State Attorney in Jacksonville, Florida. He then became a member of the Georgia State Bar and worked at a large litigation firm in Atlanta, specializing in product liability, premises liability and complex litigation. In 2010, Mr. Rhodes returned home, became a member of the Louisiana State Bar and currently specializes in Health Care Litigation.

Education:

BA University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1991

JD Tulane University School of Law, Cum Laude, 1994

Daniel C. Palmintier, J.D. joined the Gachassin Law Firm in 2007, after having practiced primarily in the fields of health law, medical malpractice defense, general civil litigation, appellate advocacy, and succession law since 1992. He graduated from LSU School of Law in 1991, where he served as a member of the Moot Court Board. From 1991 – 1992, he served as Law Clerk to the Honorable William Polk with the 9th Judicial District Court in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Over the years, he has prepared materials and has given seminar presentations on numerous topics related to medical malpractice law including “A Comprehensive Overview of Constitutional Issues in Louisiana Medical Malpractice Cases”, “The ABC’s of MRP’s: A Basic Guide to the Medical Review Panel Process”, “Spoliation of Evidence under Louisiana Law”, and “Recent Developments in Hepatitis C Litigation”. He likewise was the President of the Lafayette Young Lawyers Association and on the Board of Directors of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association from 1997 to 1998.

Education:

Paul M. Hebert School of Law, Louisiana State University, J.D., 1991

Louisiana State University, B.A. in Journalism, 1986

Janet Smith Guidry joined the Gachassin Law Firm in 2006. She is a registered nurse and practiced for over nine years, primarily in obstetrics. Janet practiced medical malpractice defense with a large professional liability insurance company where she defended physicians in professional liability matters and provided risk management advice to physicians and their office staff. She also worked for a major non-profit health care organization where she focused on loss prevention for all of their facilities throughout Louisiana. Prior to joining the Gachassin Law Firm, Janet was an administrative law judge with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. In that capacity, she presided over cases regarding provider reimbursement for Medicaid, health care facility licensing issues, fines, recoupment of funds from physicians and health care organizations, and withholding of funds from physicians and health care organizations.

Education:

Louisiana State University · J.D., 1999

Southeastern Louisiana University · Cum Laude B.S. in Nursing, 1987

Nicole's legal practice is dedicated to the defense of medical professionals, hospitals and oral surgeons. Nicole joined Gachassin Law Firm in 2007 after being admitted to the bar in 2003. Nicole served as the judicial law clerk to the Honorable James T. Genovese, of the 27th Judicial District in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. She earned her Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University and is admitted to practice in all State Courts and District Courts for the State of the Louisiana, along with the Western District of Louisiana.

Education:

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, J.D. & B.S. in Civil Law, 2003

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, B.A., Sociology 1999

Elizabeth Maier joined the firm as an associate in 2007. She is an attorney, nursing facility administrator, and licensed clinical social worker. She graduated from LSU with a degree in English and taught for nine (9) years. She obtained her Masters of Social Work from LSU and worked as the assistant administrator at a local nursing facility. While at the nursing home, she became a licensed nursing facility administrator. She also has extensive experience as a social worker and case manager at a large, community-owned general hospital in the Acadiana area. There, she worked with patients on multiple units of the hospital, including ER, physical rehabilitation, orthopedics, neurosurgery/neurology, and women’s and children’s services. In addition, she has significant experience working with patients with psychiatric and substance abuse issues. Currently, she focuses her practice on regulatory compliance, mental health law, hospital management and transactional issues.

Education:

Paul M. Hebert Law Center, LSU, 2006

Louisiana State University School of Social Work, M.S.W., 1996

Louisiana State University, B.A., English, 1987

Gary J. Delahoussaye was born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana. He attended Louisiana State University, obtaining his undergraduate degree, a B.A. in Political Science, in 1995 and a J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1998. In law school, he was a Semi-Finalist in the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition and a member of the Moot Court Board. Following graduation, he joined a firm in Lafayette, specializing in product liability, construction defect litigation and premises liability. He has lived in Lafayette since being admitted to the bar in 1998 and joined the Gachassin Law Firm in 2011.

Kerr Vidrine is a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience primarily in the Emergency Room, along with several years in the NICU. Kerr is an associate with the Litigation Practice Group of the Gachassin Law Firm. Since earning her Juris Doctorate in 1993, she has practiced medical malpractice defense exclusively. Over the years, she has participated in seminar presentations on various topics related to medical malpractice law, as well as serving on the Louisiana State Bar’s Medical/Legal Interprofessional Committee.

Education:

Southern University Law Center, Juris Doctorate Degree, May 1993, bar passed with initial attempt, sworn in October 1993. Graduated Cum Laude, Who’s Who Among American Law Students, National Dean’s List.

College of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois. BS. Graduated Magna Cum Laude, Who’s Who Among American College Students.

Charity Hospital School of Nursing, Registered Nurse, 1980.

Ross M. Boudreaux, a native of Houma, LA, obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Upon graduation, Mr. Boudreaux attended and graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. While attending Loyola Law, Mr. Boudreaux was heavily involved in the law school’s oral advocacy programs, as he served as a Moot Court staff member and as the Vice President of the school’s Trial Advocacy Program, where he has competed and coached in three national competitions. In his third year at Loyola Law, Mr. Boudreaux was awarded the Blue Williams Trial Advocacy Award, the award given to Loyola’s most outstanding Trial Advocacy student.

Education:

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana. J.D., 2011

Honors: Moot Court (2009-2011)

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. B.S. Finance, 2008

Benjamin B. Gaines is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Clemson University in financial management and also his Master of Business Administration from Clemson University with an emphasis in finance. He then attended the Charleston School of Law, earning the CALI award in Estate and Gift Taxation and a Pro Bono Service Award for providing over 100 hours of legal services to the Charleston community. Mr. Gaines is licensed to practice in Louisiana. His area of practice is focused on health care regulatory, compliance and transactional matters.

Education:

Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina – B.S. in Financial Management, 2005

Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina – M.B.A. Finance, 2007

Charleston School of Law, Charleston, South Carolina – J.D., 2010