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Walter Christy is Of Counsel in the Labor & Employment section of the firm’s New Orleans office. Prior to joining Coats Rose, he was a partner in the firm of Frilot Partridge where he practiced as a litigator in state and federal courts around the country, including several of the federal courts of appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Prior to the practice of law, Walter also served in the U.S. Army Reserve, as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Walter was inducted as a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. An attorney with this distinction has proven to his or her peers, the bar, bench, and public that he or she possesses the highest level of character, integrity, professional expertise and leadership. Walter is married to Carolyn Guidry and has three daughters. He is also an avid tennis player and history buff. Practice Emphasis Walter specializes in the representation of management in labor and employment matters, including the areas of employment discrimination, state and federal employment claims against employers, employee relations, contract negotiations, arbitration, OSHA, wage and hour cases, the development and implementation of drug and contraband control programs, government contractor obligations, as well as practice before the National Labor Relations Board. He has had extensive experience in defending companies in class action discrimination cases and was chief counsel in the case of Allison v. CITGO Petroleum Corp., 151 F.3d 402 (5th Cir. 1998) which affirmed the district court’s denial of class certification and is considered by many to be the seminal case on post-1991 Civil Rights Act class actions. Walter’s labor and employment experience covers a numerous industries including construction, the offshore oil patch, inland river transportation, banking, healthcare, retail sales, manufacturing, oil and chemical refining, retail foods, among others. Several of his clients are national in scope and include Fortune 500 companies. His experience includes the successful representation of employers in numerous judge and jury trials in federal and state courts in cases involving employment discrimination, wage and hour violations, denial of benefits and state law claims around the country. | 