Charles H. Abbott
Partner

Email:
cabbott@csa-lawfirm.com

650 Poydras Street
Suite 2810
New Orleans, LA 70130

504-568-9393 (Main)
504-524-1933 (Fax)

Education

• J.D., Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (2002)
• Bachelor in Civil Law Studies (B.C.L.), Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (2002)
• B.A., Spanish, Millsaps College, cum laude (1999)

Honors and Awards

• Selected to Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011 and 2012
• Winner of Tullis Moot Court Competition, Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (2002)
• Member, Moot Court Board, Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University
• Selected to be a student member of the Wes S. Malone Inn of Court
• CALI Excellence for the Future Awards (awarded to student with the top grade in the course) in Appellate Advocacy and International-American Trade

Other Experience and Service

• Universite Aix-Marseille III Law School in Aix-en-Provence, France, Summer 2000
• Studied comparative and international law
• University of New Orleans Summer School in Innsbruck, Austria, Summer 1998
• Studied political science and sociology
• Millsaps College Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica, Summer 1996 and 1997
• Studied Spanish in San Jose, Costa Rica

Martindale-Hubbell® Rating: AV® Preeminent

General

Mr. Abbott is a partner in Cotten Schmidt & Abbott and has served on the Firm’s Management Committee.

He specializes primarily in trial work. Because of his proclivity towards the actual conduct of trials, rather than routine case handling/litigation, he has been, and continues to be, retained as lead counsel on cases in diverse practice areas. He is currently lead counsel on significant, high-dollar commercial, contractual, business interruption, tort, construction, and toxic tort cases pending in both federal and state courts throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. In addition and of particular note, he has served as the lead counsel/docket manager for commercial litigation matters pending in jurisdictions throughout the United States.

Most recently, Mr. Abbott co-tried a bench case in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana where he represented the interests of a warehouse/cold storage facility. The suit was brought by a customer who had perishable goods stored at the facility during Hurricane Gustave. The allegations were that the warehouse/cold storage facility failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to that particular customer’s products.

In another just-concluded matter, Mr. Abbott served as lead counsel in a case involving the seizure of an oceangoing vessel and its perishable cargo destined for transport to Russia. The matter entailed voluminous, immediate briefing, three (3) separate, oral arguments in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and two (2) separate appellate procedures in the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Abbott’s client prevailed on both the district and appellate court levels.

Another of his recent jury trial efforts involved defending a prominent publisher in a construction defect case. That, too, resulted in success for that particular client.

Significantly, 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.

Mr. Abbott’s primary responsibility was to address the medical and scientific issues in the case, specifically those related to causation. Notably, each matter was concluded favorably in behalf of our chemical manufacturing company client.

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