Overview
Kenan has successfully defended thousands of toxic tort exposure cases against shipyards, sugar mills, power houses, refineries, and product manufacturers since he began practicing in New Orleans in 1994. He has also been retained as an Expert Witness on the reasonableness of attorneys’ fees and is available to serve in that capacity.
Originally from Wilson, North Carolina, Kenan attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where he was the President of the Virginia Organization of German Students in 1984, and Middlebury College in Vermont, where he had a double major in German and Philosophy and learned to ski quite well.
Education
- Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana
- J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence – 1994
- Honors: cum laude
- Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts – 1988
Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1995
- Louisiana, 1994
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 1994
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 1994
- U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 1994
Experience
- Won defense jury verdict for gasket manufacturer in deceased mesothelioma claims in Orleans Parish
- Tried jury cases to verdicts for shipyard and product maker defendants across Louisiana
- Obtained hundreds of summary judgements and voluntary dismissals of claims against defendants in asbestos litigation over the past thirty years
- Retained as an Expert Witness on the reasonableness of attorneys’ fees.
Publications & Presentations
Distinctions
Super Lawyers®
Associations
- Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
- Defense Research Institute
Civic Involvement
- Habitat for Humanity, New Orleans, Volunteer Homebuilder, 2015 – present
- Ben Franklin High School, New Orleans, Chairman, Annual Giving, 2010 – 2012
- Carrolton Boosters Soccer Program, Commissioner/Coordinator/Coach, 2002 – 2012
- Middlebury College Alumni Admissions Program for Louisiana, Chairman, 1993 – 2010
Outside the Office
Kenan is deeply enmeshed in a variety of social and community activities in New Orleans, ranging from volunteering for schools and Habitat for Humanity to roaming as Jester and designing floats for Carnival Krewes, but prefers sandy beaches on the Gulf Coast over steep ski slopes these days, while still enjoying flinging himself downhill at dangerous speeds every now and again.