Attorneys
Michael Balascio and David Luder Become Members of the Firm
Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver is pleased to announce the promotion of two associates. The firm welcomes Michael A. Balascio and David N. Luder as members of the firm.
Michael A. Balascio
Michael A. Balascio joined the firm in October 2010. His practice focuses on complex litigation, including commercial disputes and securities litigation. Michael received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was a senior editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and an Arthur Littleton and H. Clayton Louderback legal writing instructor. After law school, Michael served as a law clerk to the Honorable Lance M. Africk of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Hamilton College.
Prior to attending law school, Michael was a middle school teacher in Baltimore as a member of Teach for America.
In addition to his practice, Michael is also active in professional and community organizations. He is a member of the Federal and Louisiana Bar Associations, and also serves as a local board member for a charter school management organization. Michael regularly provides pro bono legal advice to start-up companies through his involvement with Propeller, a New Orleans-based social-impact business incubator.
David N. Luder
David N. Luder’s practice focuses on complex litigation and multi-party arbitration, including contracts, business torts and commercial disputes, as well as securities litigation and arbitration. His work in the securities area also regularly includes representing institutional clients and individuals before regulatory bodies, including the SEC and FINRA, at all stages. In addition to his practice before state and federal courts, David regularly appears before arbitration bodies under the auspices of FINRA and the American Arbitration Association.
David holds full law degrees from Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, and the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Before moving to the United States, he practiced with a litigation boutique in Zurich, Switzerland, where he maintained a broad-based cross-border litigation and arbitration practice (in German and English, as well as some French). Prior to joining the firm, he practiced as an associate in the securities litigation and international litigation and arbitration groups of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, in New York. David also clerked at both the trial and appellate level, with clerkships at the District Court of Zurich, in Zurich, Switzerland (in German) and at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans.
David is a dual citizen of both the United States and Switzerland. Born and raised in Switzerland, David retains a keen interest in European business and political affairs. Advising and representing European clients with a U.S. presence is a key focus of his practice. David is fluent in English, German, and French.
About Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C.
Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. is a litigation law firm located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Firm has experience litigating complex civil cases throughout the country, including all types of commercial disputes, class actions, environmental cases, product liability and toxic tort cases, intellectual property cases, insurance bad faith and coverage cases, and securities arbitrations, litigation, and regulatory matters.