Kay Barnes Baxter is a seasoned litigator focused on the defense of toxic torts, occupational disease and environmental claims alleging personal injury and property damage, as well as matters involving construction and transportation litigation. More recently, Kay has become a frequently invited speaker at national conferences where she presents and discusses the latest challenges for her clients and others involved in the ever expanding cannabis business, including compliance issues and the environmental impact of the Cannabis industry. She is a driven litigator who enjoys the challenge of finding and implementing innovative ways to advise, defend and protect her clients’ interests. She has extensive experience defending cases involving a wide range of products including asbestos, benzene, silica, talc and chemical solvents. These matters include individual claims, as well as mass torts and class actions.
- Hemp laws remain murky, despite the 2018 Farm Bill: Transportation Continues to be a Major Question Mark, Marijuana Venture Magazine, September, 2019.
- Co-Author, What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice to Deceive: Transparency in Asbestos Trusts, A Commentary, HarrisMartin Asbestos, July, 2017.
- Panel Moderator, #meToo: The Impact on You and your Clients, IADC annual meeting, July 11, 2019
- Water, Water, Everywhere – CLM Midwest Conference, Chicago, IL, June 2019.
- Cannabis – From Seed to Sale to Suit, CLM Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, March, 2019.
- How to Win at Trial – Hint: Pre-Trial Prep is the Key, Louisiana State Bar Association Midyear Meeting, January, 2019
- Lead Poisoning: The Fall of the Roman Empire to Flint Michigan, CLM Summit – November, 2016
- Claims Management – Is There A Hole In My International Shoe?, CLM Annual Conference, April, 2016
- Effectively Administering National Coordinating Counsel Programs Including Trial & Discovery Issues, CLM Southern California Product Liability and Subrogation Conference, July 2015
Admissions
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Texas
- Oklahoma
Memberships
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
- American Bar Association
- Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas Bar Associations
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Baton Rouge Bar Association
- Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
- New Orleans Bar Association
- National Association of Women Lawyers
Community Involvement
- Instructor, Trial Advocacy Program, Tulane University
- Legal Advisor, French Quarter Advocates
- Enforcement Committee, French Quarter Management District
Education
- J.D., Loyola University School of Law, 1994
- B.A, Arts, University of Arkansas, 1991
Honors
- Rated AV® Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell®
- Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants (2012-2025), Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2012 -2025)
- Louisiana Super Lawyers®, 2016 – 2017
- Leadership in Law honoree, New Orleans City Business, 2011, 2013, 2014; Leadership in Law Hall of Fame, 2014
- Biz New Orleans Best Lawyers, 2018