Local Counsel Hub · Construction · Energy & Oil and Gas · Industrial · Aerospace · Guide for Out-of-State Attorneys

Local and Associated Counsel for Out-of-State Firms

When your client has a dispute or a project in South Louisiana, you may need a Louisiana-licensed attorney to associate with you, sponsor your admission, sign filings, and cover appearances. The Law Office of Holden Hoggatt, based in Lafayette, works with out-of-state attorneys and law firms on construction, industrial, energy, and aerospace-related matters in Lafayette, Vermilion Parish, and the wider Acadiana region.

Our role is defined by you: some firms want a full working partner who knows the local courts; others want a responsive, careful signatory who stays out of the way. Either way, you remain lead counsel for your client unless agreed otherwise.

Where We Appear

Louisiana state courts, including district courts serving Lafayette, Vermilion, and surrounding Acadiana parishes. Holden Hoggatt is a member of the Louisiana bar.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, which includes the Lafayette Division. Admission is active.

Pro Hac Vice Sponsorship

Federal (W.D. La.). Under W.D. La. Local Rule 83.2.6, a visiting attorney may appear in a particular case on written motion of counsel of record who is a member of the court's bar. The motion attaches a recent certificate of good standing, the applicant states under oath whether any disciplinary proceedings or criminal charges have been instituted, and the applicant pays the clerk's fee (currently $105 per case) and takes the court's oath. Documents requiring counsel's signature must also bear the signature of associated local counsel (see also LR 11.1), and local counsel remains responsible to the court at all stages, even if the visiting attorney is designated lead attorney.

State court (La. Sup. Ct. Rule XVII, §13). An out-of-state attorney first files a verified Application for Pro Hac Vice Admission, signed by both out-of-state and in-state counsel, with the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board along with the required fee set by the rule and paid to the Disciplinary Board. After Disciplinary Counsel's approval, the Louisiana attorney files a motion with the court, served on all parties and the Board. The rule restricts motions filed shortly before a scheduled trial or hearing, so plan early. The in-state lawyer remains responsible to the client and for the conduct of the proceeding.

We prepare and file the motion paperwork with you, track the Disciplinary Board step, and confirm the order is entered before your first appearance.

Louisiana Ethics Rules for Out-of-State Counsel

Lawyers from other states who work on Louisiana matters should be familiar with Louisiana's ethics rules. In general terms:

Rule 5.5 addresses unauthorized and multijurisdictional practice, including when a lawyer admitted elsewhere may provide temporary services in Louisiana, such as in association with a Louisiana lawyer or in connection with a proceeding where the lawyer is authorized to appear.
Rule 8.5 addresses Louisiana's disciplinary authority over lawyers who provide legal services here and which jurisdiction's rules apply.
Rule 1.5(e) sets conditions, including written client consent, for dividing a fee between lawyers in different firms.
Rule XVII, §13 of the Louisiana Supreme Court Rules governs pro hac vice admission in state courts and describes the continuing responsibilities of Louisiana counsel and the visiting lawyer's submission to Louisiana's disciplinary authority.
W.D. La. Local Rules require local counsel to co-sign filings and remain responsible to the court at all stages (LR 83.2.6), require the lead attorney to attend or send fully informed co-counsel (LR 11.2), and adopt the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct (LR 83.2.4).
Rules 7.1–7.10 govern lawyer advertising and can apply to advertising disseminated in Louisiana.

Consult the current rule text. These are high-level summaries for general information, not legal advice, and rules are amended from time to time. Read the official, current text of the Rules of Professional Conduct and Louisiana Supreme Court Rules (including Rule XVII, §13), and the W.D. La. Local Rules, before relying on any provision.

See also our guide for out-of-state attorneys.

Filing and Local Rules Guidance

CM/ECF registration and signature-block requirements in the Western District (including Louisiana bar roll numbers).
Louisiana state-court practice: petitions, exceptions (declinatory, dilatory, peremptory), and other procedures under the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure that differ from Federal Rules practice.
Judge-specific procedures, scheduling orders, and courtesy-copy expectations.
Recording requirements in parish conveyance and mortgage records for lien and property matters.

Louisiana Is a Civil-Law Jurisdiction

Louisiana's private law is built on the Louisiana Civil Code rather than the common law. Out-of-state counsel often notice differences in terminology and substance: "obligations" rather than contracts and torts, "prescription" and "peremption" rather than statutes of limitation, "immovables" rather than real property, "servitudes" rather than easements, and "privileges" rather than mechanics' liens. Jury availability, exceptions practice, and some damages rules also differ. We help you translate your theory of the case into Louisiana's framework early.

Depositions, Hearings, and On-the-Ground Coverage

From our Lafayette office we can cover status conferences, hearings, depositions, inspections, and records pulls in Lafayette, Vermilion Parish, and across Acadiana, with prompt written reports back to your team.

How an Engagement Works

Conflict check. Send party names, court, and a short summary. We run conflicts before reviewing confidential details.
Scope call. We agree on roles: signatory only, active co-counsel, or appearance coverage, and who communicates with the client.
Written engagement. A short letter sets out scope, responsibilities, billing (hourly, flat-fee tasks, or a monthly arrangement), and how any fee division complies with the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct.
Admission and filing. We handle pro hac vice paperwork and file your first pleadings.
Ongoing collaboration. Drafts are exchanged with agreed review time before deadlines, and we keep you informed of local developments.

Featured: Energy and Oil & Gas

Energy & Oil and Gas Local Counsel

Acadiana's economy has long been tied to oil and gas. We support out-of-state firms on oilfield-service and MSA disputes, Louisiana Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act questions, offshore choice-of-law issues, pipeline and servitude matters, and mineral lease and royalty issues under the Louisiana Mineral Code.

Energy & Oil and Gas →

Matters We Support

Construction

Private Works Act privileges, payment disputes, subcontract and bond claims.

Energy & Oil and Gas · Industrial

Plant, pipeline, and oilfield-service contract disputes and project matters.

Aerospace

Contractors and suppliers on new aerospace development in Vermilion Parish.

Contact: (337) 703-4925 · holden.hoggatt@outlook.com · 508 Beaullieu Drive, Lafayette, LA 70508

Sources: W.D. La. Local Rules (LR 83.2.4, 83.2.6, 11.1, 11.2); La. Rules of Professional Conduct; La. Sup. Ct. Rule XVII, §13.

This page is general information for attorneys, not legal advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm the current text of any rule or statute before relying on it. Holden Hoggatt is licensed in Louisiana and admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Outcomes depend on the facts and law of each matter, and no particular result is promised.

Louisiana Local Counsel for Out-of-State Firms