Attorney Referrals

For Attorneys Who Refer Cases to Us

At Maples, Connick & Brendel, we work regularly with other attorneys who send us the cases that fall outside their practice, exceed the resources of their firm, or require trial experience across Louisiana, Alabama, or Georgia. We understand that when you refer a client to us, you are entrusting us with one of the most important relationships you have — and we treat that trust as central to how we operate.

Why Refer a Case to MCB

Multi-State Trial Experience — Our attorneys are licensed and actively practicing across Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia. We understand the procedural and substantive differences between each jurisdiction, from Louisiana’s direct action statute to Alabama’s contributory negligence rule to Georgia’s apportionment framework. We also handle federal maritime claims under the Jones Act, LHWCA, and general maritime law.

A Record of Substantial Results — Our verdicts and settlements include multi-million-dollar recoveries in wrongful death, catastrophic injury, nursing home abuse, and industrial accident cases. A selection of published results is available on our results page.

Resources to Try the Case — We invest the expert costs, the time, and the depositions that complex cases require. When a case needs accident reconstruction, life-care planning, biomechanical analysis, or treating-physician depositions across multiple states, we have the infrastructure to do it right.

Gulf Coast Footprint — With offices in New Orleans, Mobile, and Atlanta, we are positioned to meet clients where they are, visit scenes, and appear in court throughout the region.

Featured Results

The following recoveries reflect the kinds of cases we handle on referral and co-counsel arrangements. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and every case is evaluated on its specific facts.

• $20,000,000 — Settlement, noxious gas exposure (multi-state team)
• $9,400,000 — Settlement, 18-wheeler truck accident (Illinois)
• $5,500,000 — Settlement, medical malpractice wrongful death (nursing home)
• $4,500,000 — Settlement, industrial accident injury
• $2,529,229 — Verdict, personal injury (East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana — pre-trial offer was $125,000)

A more complete list of results is available on our results page.

Referral vs. Co-Counsel — Two Ways to Work Together

We are flexible on how we structure the relationship with referring counsel. The two most common arrangements:

Pure Referral — You hand the case off and remain available for client communication if helpful, but the day-to-day handling, costs, and litigation strategy are ours. You receive a referral fee at resolution per the written agreement.

Co-Counsel — We share the work. You stay actively involved at the level of your choice — joining client meetings, weighing in on strategy, attending mediation, or sitting at counsel table. Costs and fees are split per the written agreement, typically reflecting each firm’s contribution.

Many of our referring attorneys start as a pure referral and shift toward co-counsel as a case develops, or vice versa. We tailor the structure to what works for you and your client.

Practice Areas Where We Accept Referrals

We accept co-counsel and referral arrangements in:

• Personal Injury — motor vehicle collisions, trucking, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, product liability
• Nursing Home Abuse & Negligence — abuse, neglect, pressure sores, falls, wrongful death
• Workers’ Compensation — denied claims, catastrophic workplace injuries, offshore and maritime claims, third-party work injury cases
• Immigration — deportation defense, asylum, family and employment-based matters

If your case falls outside these areas but involves a Louisiana, Alabama, or Georgia matter you would like a second opinion on, we are happy to take the call.

Referral Fee Arrangement

We honor standard referral and co-counsel fee arrangements consistent with the applicable rules of professional conduct in the state where the case is pending. Every referral is documented in a written agreement signed by all attorneys and by the client, with full disclosure and informed consent as required by Rule 1.5(e) and its analogs in Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia.

We are flexible on the structure — whether you prefer a pure referral arrangement, ongoing co-counsel participation, or something in between. Our goal is for the arrangement to reflect what works for you and your client.

How the Process Works

1. The Initial Call — Send a short email or give us a call with a summary of the case. We will get back to you promptly, usually the same day, to discuss whether the matter is a fit.

2. Intake and Engagement — If we move forward, we handle client intake and the engagement letter (including the referral-fee disclosure). You stay in the loop from the first conversation.

3. Case Handling — We drive the case, keep records, and shoulder the costs. You are welcome to stay as involved as you would like — many of our referring attorneys prefer to co-counsel actively; others prefer to hand off and receive updates.

4. Communication — We provide periodic updates on meaningful case developments and a final report on resolution. If your client contacts you, you will not be caught off guard.

5. Resolution and Settlement — Referral and co-counsel fees are documented and paid at resolution in accordance with the written agreement and the applicable professional conduct rules.

Awards & Recognition

• AV Preeminent® Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating — Ian Brendel (Personal Injury, Industrial Accidents)
• Super Lawyers — Aaron Maples (Rising Star, current selection)
• Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” — Aaron Maples (Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs)
• Louisiana State Bar Association, Alabama State Bar, State Bar of Georgia
• Member, American Association for Justice
• Member, Louisiana Association for Justice

Our Commitment to Referring Counsel

Your Client Relationship Is Preserved — We never use a referred case as a lead-generation opportunity to pull the client’s other legal work away from you. If the client asks us to handle unrelated matters, we direct them back to you.

No Surprises — You will not hear about a major case development from your client before you hear it from us. We keep referring counsel informed of motions, mediations, trial settings, and offers.

Confidentiality — We treat every referred matter, and every conversation with referring counsel, as confidential. No case is ever used as a marketing example without the express consent of the client and, where applicable, referring counsel.

From Referring Counsel

“Working with Maples, Connick & Brendel on a referral is the easiest call I make as a lawyer. They take the case seriously, keep me informed, and treat my client the way I would. The result for my client was substantially better than what we were going to get at home.”

— Referring Attorney, Personal Injury (Louisiana)