Mr. Abbott is a partner in Cotten Schmidt & Abbott and specializes in litigation. He is lead counsel on numerous cases, including those involving claims of alleged exposure to asbestos, silica, and benzene, as well as hearing loss claims, for several of the Firm's corporate clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. In addition, he has served as a docket manager for commercial litigation matters pending in jurisdictions throughout the United States.

Mr. Abbott's primary career focus is trial work. He has participated in trials defending against claims for compensatory (economic and non-economic) and punitive damages based on allegations ranging from construction defects to exposure to toxic chemicals/fumes. One of his recent jury trial efforts involved defending a prominent publisher in a construction defect case. In another trial, he defended the interests of the manufacturer of a respiratory protection device against claims arising out of alleged occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica.

Most recently, Mr. Abbott participated in three separate jury trials in defending the interests of a chemical manufacturing company. Those trials involved allegations of community exposure to and contamination by dioxins and heavy metals. Although Mr. Abbott was active in the general defense of the industrial hygiene practices in question, his main responsibility was to address the medical and scientific issues in the case, specifically those issues related to causation.

As his practice has developed, Mr. Abbott has had the opportunity to work with preeminent experts in the fields of toxicology, epidemiology, oncology, pulmonology, and industrial hygiene. He has also worked with several well-respected economists.

Mr. Abbott was born in New Orleans and grew up in Covington, Louisiana. He currently resides in New Orleans with his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Katie Rose. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, sports, and golf.