Robert E. Couhig, Jr.
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Practice Areas
Contact Information Phone: 504.565.3711 Email: couhigre@couhigpartners.com |
Rob Couhig graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Economic Affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1971. He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University in 1975.
Mr. Couhig's primary trial practice is in the areas of commercial, casualty, business, and product liability litigation. He is a member of the Louisiana, Texas, Colorado and District of Columbia Bars and has also been admitted to Federal Courts to handle matters in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and California. Mr. Couhig has extensive appellate experience. This includes handling matters before each of Louisiana's five Courts of Appeals and its Supreme Court, the United States Third, Fifth, Sixth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals and has had the privilege of arguing before the United States Supreme Court. He began his legal career with Adams and Reese in 1975. At that time, the firm had 18 lawyers and concentrated its practice on insurance related matters. When he left, the firm had grown to a full service law firm with more than 200 lawyers in six cities. In addition to growing his own law practice, Mr. Couhig served as the firm's first Marketing Partner, as a section leader, and on the firm's management committee. In September, 2003, he left the firm and founded Couhig Partners with one other lawyer. The firm has grown to twelve attorneys, including a former State Representative and a current member of the New Orleans City Council. The primary focus of the firm's practice has been in the business development arena with a particular focus on business litigation. Mr. Couhig has practical business experience. In 1993, he was responsible for moving baseball's Triple A Zephyrs to New Orleans. In 1995, he led a group of local investors in the acquisition of the team from its Denver-based owner and created the public-private partnership that built the new baseball park. From the time of the opening of the ballpark until Couhig sold the controlling interest in 2000, the organization was one of the most successful in baseball. He served as President of the organization from 1993 – 2000. In 1988, Mr. Couhig bought out his partners in a small pest control company located in Metairie, Louisiana. He then succeeded in developing the company so that when he sold Couhig Environmental Services of New Orleans in 2001, it was one of Louisiana's largest private pest control companies. He has successfully invested in the production of local theater including "Earl Long in Purgatory", "All My Sons", and a reading of "Confederacy of Dunces". He was also the owner of City Art, a privately financed art studio housing nearly 20 commercially viable artists between 2003 and 2005. Memberships / Affiliations Currently, he serves as the manager or the lead investor of several companies in addition to Couhig Partners. They include a 26 court tennis facility, a RV park and marina, and an oil and gas production company. Mr. Couhig has been active politically. He has served as a campaign manager for former State Representatives Garey Forster and Sam LeBlanc and served as a campaign coordinator for U.S. Representative Bob Livingston in his initial successful campaign. In 2006, Mr. Couhig ran for Mayor of the City of New Orleans. Despite a field of twenty-three candidates, including the incumbent mayor and the state's Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Couhig's message of self-reliance stood out. Widely considered to have been the most informed, forward and direct candidate in the Mayoral debates, Mr. Couhig's performance on a national debate broadcast on MSNBC caused moderator and Hardball host Chris Matthews to name Couhig the clear winner. With his strong showing in the Primary Election, Mr. Couhig was widely considered one of the winners during the 2006 election. After Katrina, Mr. Couhig also hosted a popular radio show for The New 99.5 fm where he provided insight into the recovery and rebuilding of New Orleans. He frequently appears on WWL 870 as a guest and often as a fill-in host. Mr. Couhig has been honored to be selected as a Role Model by the Young Leadership Counsel of New Orleans, which appeared as the cover story in both "New Orleans Magazine" and "Biz New Orleans". "New Orleans Magazine" selected Mr. Couhig as one of the People to Watch in 1997 and, in 1998, was selected as New Orleanian of the Year by "Gambit Magazine". |
