Todd S. Manuel has practiced with the firm since his admission to the bar in 1998.  He is engaged primarily in general civil defense litigation with an emphasis in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Insurance Defense, Labor and Employment and Toxic Tort Litigation.  Mr. Manuel has served as a member of the Firm's Executive Committee. He is currently the Firm's Diversity Partner and a member of the Associates Committee. Mr. Manuel is a 2009 recipient of the Baton Rouge Business Report’s Top Forty Under 40 award.

Mr. Manuel is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts and in federal district courts for the Middle, Eastern, and Western Districts of Louisiana, as well as in the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.  He has successfully represented clients in matters that have proceeded to trial and has also been able to secure the successful resolution of numerous matters prior to trial. 

Notable representative matters include

• Represented Fortune 100 Company in multiple suits alleging premises liability related to asbestos exposure;
• Represented Louisiana State University in connection with a wide range of employment matters involving faculty, staff and student issues;
• Represented national restaurant franchisor and franchisee in a wrongful death action alleging failure to provide adequate security during shooting incident on restaurant premises.  Case was favorably settled prior to trial;
• Represented gas retailer in a wrongful death action alleging failure to provide adequate security during shooting incident on premises.  Case was favorably resolved on summary judgment;
• Represented manufacturer of swimming pool chemical as trial counsel in suit alleging wrongful death arising from chemical explosion.  Case favorably settled during jury trial;
• Served as co-counsel for a bankruptcy trustee in a complex accounting malpractice and fraud case against a large firm where damages were estimated to be one billion dollars.  Case favorably settled two weeks into the jury trial;
• Represented various industrial clients in claims involving chemical and toxic exposure;
• Represented an industrial subcontractor in a breach of contract suit advancing a corporate veil piercing cause of action against a successor corporation and its controlling shareholder.  Claim was favorably settled prior to trial;

• Served as a trial team member in the damages portion of In Re: Bogalusa Chemical Release Class Action.  Over a nine week period the team tried the individual damage claims of 250 plaintiffs on behalf of various national excess insurance carriers.  The trials resulted in very favorable damage verdicts.

Mr. Manuel served as a judge during the Southern University Law Center’s Moot Court competition and has been a frequent guest panelist for professional development seminars held at the Law Center. In addition, he participated on the panel “Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges” during the Louisiana State Bar Association seminar “Conclave on Diversity in the Legal Profession” on March 7, 2008.

Mr. Manuel is an active volunteer in the Baton Rouge community. He has served as a mentor with the Young Leaders’ Academy of Baton Rouge and also as a Junior Achievement volunteer at Kenilworth Middle School. Mr. Manuel is a past President of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society (Baton Rouge Chapter, 2005-2007) as well as a past Treasurer (2004-2005) of the organization. He has also served as a moderator for several hurricane relief symposiums sponsored by local and national bar organizations. Mr. Manuel served as a Law Division volunteer for the Capital Area United Way’s 2006 campaign and is a board member of Career Compass of Louisiana and the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project.  He is a member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s 2009 Leadership Class and a member of the Leadership Alumni Board of Directors. Mr. Manuel is also a board member of Advance Innovative Education, a partner of Advance Baton Rouge.