Louisiana trial attorney, J. Cullens, represents clients in commercial litigation in state and federal courts across the nation. Mr. Cullens has achieved several multi-million dollar jury verdicts, including obtaining the sixteenth largest trial verdict in the nation rendered in 2005 ($180 million) according to VerdictSearch.com while serving as lead counsel for the insurance receivers of Louisiana and Oklahoma in a complex commercial fraud case against a Fortune 500 company, an international law firm, and a Big Five accounting firm. This verdict was later affirmed by a unanimous Louisiana Supreme Court in 2011. In July 2017, he obtained a jury verdict in excess of $20 million on behalf of a bankruptcy trustee in a breach of fiduciary duty suit in Texas federal court against the directors and officers of a publicly traded corporation allegedly being run as a pump-and-dump by billionaire John Paul DeJoria, the owner of Paul Mitchell Studios and Patron Tequila. In 2018, based in large part to these jury verdicts, Walters, Thomas, Cullens, LLC was one of five (5) law firms in the nation nominated by the National Law Journal for the most outstanding achievement in the business tort category.
As a result of his success in the courtroom, Mr. Cullens has been recognized as one of the top 50 trial lawyers (including both plaintiff and defense attorneys) in Louisiana by SuperLawers, has been a "Top Lawyer" in the field of business litigation for more than ten (10) years, and has been listed as one of The Best Lawyers in America by that prestigious publication. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (“ACTL”), one the premier legal associations in North America. Fellowship in the ACTL is extended by invitation only and the College is composed of the best trial attorneys in the United States and Canada.
Mr. Cullens is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney by both the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys, one of only eighteen (18) attorneys in Louisiana to earn this distinction. He has considerable courtroom experience in many areas of law. The largest percentage of his practice has been in the field of commercial litigation, where he has considerable experience with securities fraud, professional malpractice, and breach of fiduciary duty suits.
Mr. Cullens is actively involved in the Louisiana legal community. He is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), the Dean Henry George McMahon American Inns of Court, and the Louisiana Association for Justice (“LAJ”). He is a former President of LAJ (2019-2020), has served as the Chairman of the Commercial Litigation Section of LAJ (2004-2006; 2015-2018), was the Co-Chairman of the Legislative Section (2018-2022), and is a member of the Amicus Cruiae Committee. He also serves on the Leader's Forum of AAJ, and as the national Publications Editor of the Business Section of AAJ. Mr. Cullens is an Adjunct Professor at LSU Law Center, where he teaches an advanced trial advocacy class to third year law students.
Mr. Cullens is also dedicated to giving back to the community. He is an alumnus of the Leadership Council of Greater Baton Rouge, has served the Capital Area United Way as one of the Fifty for the Future, and has chaired the Education Division on the Campaign Cabinet of the Capital Area United Way. He is a graduate of the Council for a Better Louisiana, class of 2010, and has served on the Board of Directors of several local organizations, including the YMCA and WRKF (local public radio). A high school mock trial coach, he also volunteers his time at local public schools to help educate youth regarding our system of justice, the practice of law, and the history of the legal profession.
A prolific writer and speaker, Mr. Cullens is a frequent contributor of articles on a variety of subjects that have been published in several legal periodicals. He routinely gives continuing legal education (“CLE”) seminars on a variety of topics, including as an invited speaker by the American Bar Association regarding trial tactics and strategy and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees regarding issues facing special litigation counsel. Many of his published articles and speeches address expert testimony and effective Daubert practices. A representative sample of his articles and CLE seminars can be found at the Publications section of this website. In law school, his article, "Should the Legitimate Child be Forced to Pay for the Sins of her Father?" Sudwischer vs. Estate of Hoffpauir, 53 La.Law Rev. 1675 (1993), was recognized as the most outstanding article published during his senior year of law school. Additionally, he won the Flory Trial Competition, a mock trial exercise geared toward aspiring trial attorneys, during his third year of law school at LSU.
Mr. Cullens is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1989) and Louisiana State University (J.D., 1994), where he served as Executive Senior Editor of the Louisiana Law Review.
Education
J.D., Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1994
Law Review: Louisiana Law Review, Executive Senior Editor
B.A., University of Notre Dame, 1989
Professional & Bar Association Memberships
Louisiana State Bar Association
Member
Federal Bar Association
Member
Baton Rouge Bar Association
Member
American Association for Justice
Member
Leader's Forum
Publications Editor, Business Torts Section
Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ)
Member Since: 1999
Appointed Chair of the Business Tort Section of the LAJ, 2015-2016 Term
Commercial Litigation Section, Chairman (2004-2006; 2015-present)
Legislation Section, Co-chair (2018-present)
Executive Committee Member (since 2014)
President (2019-2020)
Immediate Past-President (2020-2021)
Dean Henry George McMahon American Inns of Court
Member
American Bar Foundation
Elected by Board of Directors to be a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
Certified Legal Specialties
Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocacy
Medical Malpractice, American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys
Civil Pre-trial Practice Advocacy, National Board of Legal Specialty Certification
Honors and Awards
Recognized as a "Super Lawyer" in the field of business litigation, 2009 – Present
“Top 100 Trial Lawyers, “ National Trial Lawyers, 2014 – Present
Top Attorney in Louisiana, 2010 – Present
22nd Edition Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiff.
2021 Lawyers Monthly Legal Awards USA – Business Litigation Lawyer of the Year
Published Works
"Should the Legitimate Child be Forced to Pay for the Sins of her Father?" Sudwischer vs. Estate of Hoffpauir, 53 La.Law Rev. 1675, 1993
LUTPA Now Available to "Any Person" Harmed by Deceptive Business Practices, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Advocates (Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), May, 2011
Commercial Litigation - "Minority Discounts" Should Now be Used "Sparingly" in Louisiana, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Around the Bar (Baton Rouge Bar Association), April, 2010
New Uniform Local Rules v. Old 19th JDC Local Rules, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Around the Bar (Baton Rouge Bar Association), October, 2002
Next Time a Louisiana Investor Calls, Consider Pleading Louisiana's Blue Sky Law Exclusively, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Advocates (Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), March, 2004
The Basics of Louisiana's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Advocates (Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), May, 2004
New Rules of Professional Conduct, Around the Bar (Baton Rouge Bar Association), May, 2004
Judge Randy Parro Interview, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Around the Bar (Baton Rouge Bar Association), August, 2004
A Review of Recent Daubert Decisions of Louisiana State Courts, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Bar Journal, February / March, 2005
The New Pro Hac Vice Application Process in Louisiana, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Around the Bar (Baton Rouge Bar Association), March, 2005
Fifteen Years After 9 to 5 Fashions: The Present State of Interference with Contract Claims in Louisiana, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Advocates (Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), May, 2005
Survey Results; Update on Single Business Enterprise, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Advocates, (Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), June, 2005
State Supreme Court Resolves Split Among Circuits, Creates 'Presumption of Arbitrability', J.E. Cullens, Jr., Louisiana Advocates (Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association), July, 2005
Strange Bedfellows, Companies Embrace Old Foes in Pursuit of Affordable Litigation, Featuring J.E. Cullens, Jr., Baton Rouge Business Report, August, 2005
Judge Todd Hernandez Interview, J.E. Cullens, Jr., Around the Bar (Baton Rouge Bar Association), February, 2006
Louisiana Advocate article, "How Opinion Statements Can Be Misleading for Security Fraud Purposes after Omnicare", December 2015.
Classes/Seminars
"Liens You Gotta Know When to Hold 'Um . . .,", Baton Rouge Bar Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2000
"MedMal From the Defense Perspective,", Louisiana Association for Justice/LTLA, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2001
"Trying the Medical Malpractice Case: Legal Issues Which May Influence How, and If, You Try Your Case,", LSU Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2002
"Admissibility of Evidence & Testimony at Trial", National Business Institute, with Andree M. Cullens, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2003
"An Update on Daubert," CLE A La Carte, Louisiana Association for Justice/LTLA, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2003
"Expert Evidence & Testimony,", National Business Institute, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2003
"Effective Use of Westlaw in Practice", Baton Rouge Bench Bar, Baton Rouge Bar Association, Point Clear, Alabama, 2004
CLE by the Hour 2004, Baton Rouge Bar Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2004
CLE A La Carte, Louisiana Association for Justice/LTLA, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2004
CLE by the Hour, Baton Rouge Bar Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2004
"Withdrawing as Attorney,", Inns of Court - Dean Henry McMahon Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2005
"Admissibility of Evidence & Expert Testimony,", National Business Institute, with Andree M. Cullens, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2005
"An Overview of 'Business Interruption' Coverage Issues in the Wake of Katrina and Rita,", Louisiana Association for Justice, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2005
"Issues Facing the Louisiana Insurance Industry After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,", League of Women Voters and Louisiana Association for Justice, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2005
"Hurricane Relief,", Louisiana Association for Justice, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2005
CLE by the Hour, Baton Rouge Bar Association Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2006
"Electronic Discovery, the Legal Framework,", Inns of Court - Dean Henry McMahon, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2007
"Demonstrative Evidence,", Baton Rouge Bar Association Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2007
Summer Sizzlin' CLE, Baton Rouge Bar Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2007
"Mass, Class, or Pass? - Making Strategic Decisions in the Big Chemical Case,", Regional CLE Workshop, American Bar Association, Wilmington, Delaware, 2008
"Louisiana New Rules Regarding Advertising,", (Professionalism) Baton Rouge Bar Association Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2008
"Are Louisiana New Lawyer Advertising Rules Unconstitutional?", (Professionalism) Louisiana Association for Justice, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2008
"Daubert Issues and Problems in Louisiana State Courts,", Louisiana State Bar Association, Evidence on Parade: Mardi Gras CLE, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2009
"Impeachment of Witnesses,", Inns of Court - Dean Henry McMahon, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2009
"Daubert Issues and Problems in Louisiana State Courts,", Bench Bar Conference, Baton Rouge Bar Association, Sandestin, Florida, 2009
"Daubert Issues & Update--New C.C.P. art. 1425,", Baton Rouge Government Attorneys, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2009
"Commercial Litigation,", Baton Rouge Bar Association, CLE by the Hour, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2009
"Negotiating and Fixing the Expert's Fee; Contingencies; Assurances for Payment," Expert Witness Seminar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LSU Law Center
"The Louisiana Supreme Court's Ruling in the AmCare Case," Readio Interview, The Jim Engster Show, WRKF, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Focusing on the Big and Little Pictures Going into Trial, Demonstrative Evidence and Procedural Pitfalls Surrounding Trial,” LAJ Webinar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Focusing on the Big and Little Pictures Going into Trial, Demonstrative Evidence and Procedural Pitfalls Surrounding Trial,” LAJ (live CLE), Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“U.S. Supreme Court Declares the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Constitutional,” Radio Interview, The Bill Profita Show, Talk 107.3 FM, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Professionalism: Being a Good Sport in Court,” Baton Rouge Bar Association, Orange Beach, Alabama, Bench Bar Conference
“Handling the Big Personal Injury Case from Start to Finish,” Louisiana State Bar Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“An Update Regarding Recent Daubert Decisions and a Few Practice Pointers,” Federal Bar Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Trying the Complex Commercial Case to a Jury,” Baton Rouge Bar Association, Corporate Law Section, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in Health Care Delivery,” panel presentation, Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, Louisiana
"Recent Developments that May Impact Your Business Tort Practice", Baton Rouge, Louisiana April 2015, CLE
"Trying the Complex Commercial Case to a Jury", Carmel, California June 2015, CLE
"To Do, or Not To Do? Six Questions of Professionalism", Baton Rouge, Louisiana, CLE
"Big Trucks, Big Wrecks, Big Cases: Professionalism", New Orleans, Louisiana, LSBA November 2015, CLE
"New Federal Rules: Bad Faith, Fraud, and Informed Consent: 2015 in Review", New Orleans, Louisiana December 2015, CLE