Jones Walker Expands Litigation Practice Group with Four Lateral Hires in Alabama

Former McDowell Knight Litigators Increase Bankruptcy and Restructuring, Corporate Compliance, and White Collar Defense Experience

MOBILE, Ala., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Jones Walker LLP is pleased to welcome four new partners, Richard Gaal, Fred Helmsing, Hart Benton, and Alex Steadman, as members of the Litigation Practice Group in the Mobile office.

“As we continue the strategic expansion of our Litigation Practice Group, we are pleased to welcome Richard, Fred, Hart, and Alex to Jones Walker,” said Bill Hines, managing partner. “Their deep knowledge and experience will strengthen the firm’s ability to support our clients in need of strong litigators in Alabama, in the Southeast, and across the country.”

From top left to bottom right: Richard Gaal, Fred Helmsing, Hart Benton, and Alex Steadman

The four partners joining from McDowell Knight bring well-established practices and deep relationships in the bankruptcy and restructuring, corporate compliance, and civil and criminal defense fields.

“We are pleased to join the firm and eager to bolster a team of litigators that are among the most recognized and recommended in the region,” Richard stated.

Fred added, “We are also excited to utilize Jones Walker’s platform to better serve our current clients and expand our practices.”

About Richard Gaal
A knowledgeable bankruptcy attorney, Richard represents clients in complex bankruptcy matters throughout the country, including secured lenders and other creditors, unsecured creditors’ committees, debtors-in-possession, trustees, and asset purchasers. He helps businesses and individuals successfully reorganize and confirm plans, including liquidating plans, and is well versed in filing and helping confirm creditor plans. Richard has a deep understanding of both debtor and creditor perspectives, allowing him to navigate the complexities of bankruptcy law. He also has substantial experience in business and commercial litigation, class action litigation, and partnership disputes.

About Fred Helmsing
Fred is an accomplished civil and criminal litigator whose practice focuses on products liability, complex commercial litigation, and white collar criminal matters. In his products liability practice, he has extensive experience representing both manufacturers and distributors throughout Alabama and regionally. Fred also routinely handles complex commercial litigation and regularly counsels clients regarding these matters outside the scope of formal litigation. He has prosecuted and defended claims involving multiparty contract disputes, procurement disputes, shareholder disputes, derivative litigation, corporate and partnership disputes, and allegations involving workplace safety violations. In his criminal practice, Fred represents businesses and individuals against a broad range of white collar criminal allegations, including allegations of bank fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy, and criminal anticompetitive activity.

About Hart Benton
Hart’s practice is focused on the areas of white collar governmental investigations and proceedings, complex commercial disputes and litigation, and employment law. His white collar defense practice is concentrated on criminal and civil governmental investigations, criminal proceedings, and civil enforcement actions in areas including securities, bank, wire, and mail fraud. Hart also regularly advises clients on commercial dispute resolution strategies and aggressively prosecutes and defends a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters. He also represents large and small businesses alike in all aspects of the employment relationship, from counseling employers on day-to-day issues of regulatory compliance, dispute resolution strategy, employment contracts, and employee handbooks to defending them in private litigation matters and in federal and state administrative proceedings.

About Alex Steadman
Alex focuses his practice on bankruptcy and restructuring law, representing both creditors and debtors in complex bankruptcy matters across a multitude of industries. He is well versed in several areas of bankruptcy law, including handling creditor collection matters in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, ensuring his clients’ interests are protected. As an attorney for the debtor in Chapter 11 bankruptcy matters, Alex represents business owners during restructuring efforts, and his strategic guidance helps clients navigate complex financial landscapes.

About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP (joneswalker.com) is among the largest 145 law firms in the United States. With offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas, we serve local, regional, national, and international business interests. The firm is committed to providing a comprehensive range of legal services to major multinational public and private corporations, Fortune® 500 companies, money center banks, worldwide insurers, and emerging companies doing business in the United States and abroad.