COMPREHENSIVE
A native of New Orleans, Dwight C. Paulsen III graduated from Louisiana State University in 1986 and received his Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1989. He was admitted to the Bar in 1989 for the Louisiana State and United States District Courts, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana, and for the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit in 1990. He is a founding partner of Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea LLC.
Mr. Paulsen has an active civil litigation practice. His principal areas of practice are products liability, complex toxic tort and occupational exposure, and insurance litigation matters. He also has experience in medical malpractice, professional liability and commercial litigation.
Mr. Paulsen has trial and appellate court experience in the Louisiana state and the Federal court systems. He has represented clients such as Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., Monsanto Company, The Sherman-Williams Company and Pendleton Memorial Methodist Hospital in a variety of litigation.
Active professionally, he is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (“LADC”), the New Orleans Association of Defense Counsel (“NOADC”) and the Defense Research Institute. He was a board member of the LADC and formerly served as a board member and President of the NOADC. Mr. Paulsen is a co-author of the Louisiana chapter for the Defense Research Institute's publication entitled, "Product Liability Defenses: A State by State Compendium." Mr. Paulsen has been selected as a top lawyer in New Orleans by New Orleans Magazine, as well as to Best Lawyers®.
PUBLICATIONS
Co-author (with David E. Redmann, Jr.), Louisiana chapter, Products Liability Defenses (Defense Research Institute, 2nd ed. 2001, 3rd ed. 2004, and 4th ed. 2007)
HONORS
AV® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell.
CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used in accordance
with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories-legal ability and general ethical standards.
2009 - Selected as one of the top lawyers in New Orleans by New Orleans Magazine for toxic torts - class actions, complex and multi-district litigation.
Best Lawyers® 2011-2012- Mass Tort Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation
CASES
Mr. Paulsen has served as a trial attorney in a number of cases, such as:
- Aucoin v. Chateau Homes by RJM, Inc., Civil Action No. 65,614 c/w 66,468, Div. “C” (29th Judicial District Court, Parish of St. Charles) (three-day judge trial involving breach of contract, fraud and construction defect claims);
- Core v. Dr. Finn, Civil Action No. 88-14984 (22nd Judicial District Court, Parish of St. Tammany) (one-week jury trial involving alleged medical malpractice by a cardiologist)
- DeRoche v. Foxmoor, Civil Action No. 85-13915 (Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana) (one week jury trial involving alleged exposure to solvents and other toxic materials);
- Graver v. Monsanto Co., Civil Action No. 45-965 (29th Judicial District Court, Parish
of St. Charles, State of Louisiana) (two day class certification trial of hearing loss claims);
- Hughes v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp.,Civil Action No. 88-337 (E.D. La.) (product liability-wrongful death action jury trial which lasted one and one-half weeks);
- Siliezar v. Dr. Tamimie, Civil Action No.
574-548 (Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana) (four-day judge trial of medical malpractice claim against aphysician);
- Tichenor v. Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Civil Action No. 91-9416 (Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana) (six day prescription/statute of limitations judge trial in a sex abuse case);
- Tonti Properties v. The Sherwin-Williams Co., Civil Action No. 99-0892 (E.D. La.)
(three-day jury trial of product liability and redhibition claim); and
- Webb v. Sohio Chemical Co., Civil Action No. 281,064, (19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana) (three and one-half week jury trial in alleged chemically induced cancer suit).
He has also orally argued before the Louisiana Courts of Appeal, First Circuit, Fourth Circuit and Fifth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Louisiana and the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Mr. Paulsen has also been personally involved either as a trial or appellate attorney on a number of cases where published opinions have been issued, such as:
- American Casualty Co. v. Illinois Central Railroad Co., 601 So. 2d 712 (La. Ct. App. 5th Cir. 1992)
- Bourgeois v. A.P. Green Industries, Inc., 97-648 (La. App. 5th Cir. 11/25/97), 703 So. 2d 789; writ granted and rev'd, 97-3188 (La. 07/08/98), 716 So. 2d 355, r'hrg denied
- Chauvin v. Jefferson Parish School Board, 595 So. 2d 728, 73 Ed. Law Rep. 878 (La. Ct. App. 5th Cir. 1992)
- Dunaway v. The Sherwin-Williams Company, 07-1120 (La. App. 1st Cir. 2/08/08) _____So.2d _____
- Graver v. Monsanto Co., No. 97-799 (La. Ct. App. 5th Cir. 06/30/98), 716 So. 2d 435; writ granted and rev'd, 98-2616(La. 01/08/99), 734 So. 2d 674, r'hrg denied, 98-2616 (La. 02/26/99), 738 So. 2d 1073
- J.A.G. v. Schmaltz, 95-2755 (La. Ct. App. 4th Cir. 10/23/96), 682 So.2d 331
- Meral v. Aucoin, No. 00-1323 (La. 11/13/00), 772 So. 2d 107
- Nesom v. Tri Hawk International, 985 F.2d 208, 61 USLW 2644 (5th Cir. 1993)
- Penton v. Hotho, 601 So. 2d 762 (La. Ct. App. 1st Cir. 1992)
- Powell v. B.P. Chemicals, Inc., 847 F. Supp. 444 (M.D. La. 1993)
- Rineheart v. Ciba-Geigy Corporation, 183 F.R.D. 497 (M.D. La. 1998)
- Siliezar v. East Jefferson General Hospital, 04-939 (La. App. 5th Cir. 1/11/05), 894 So.2d 373
- Smith v. Borden, Inc., 188 F.R.D. 257 (M.D. La. 1999)
- Tichenor v. Roman Catholic Church of Archdiocese of New Orleans, 95-0930, (La. Ct. App. 4th Cir. 12/14/95), 665 So. 2d 1307
- Tichenor v. Roman Catholic Church of Archdiocese of New Orleans, 32 F.3d 953 (5th Cir. 1994)
- Tramonte v. Fibreboard Corp., 947 F.2d 762, 34 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 1167 (5th Cir. 1991)
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS
Louisiana State Bar Association
New Orleans Bar Association
New Orleans Association of Defense Counsel (former Board Member and past President)
Federal Bar Association
Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (former Director)
Defense Research Institute
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (former Board Member and member of the Civil Justice Reform Advisory Council)
