John Allain Viator is a partner in our firm, primarily in a litigation practice.  Over his career, Mr. Viator has worked on admiralty and maritime cases, premises liability, toxic tort litigation and insurance coverage disputes. 

Mr. Viator is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts, the United States District Courts for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana, and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  He is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute.

Mr. Viator graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor of science in 1995. He received his JD from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1998.  While attending law school, Mr. Viator was an associate of the Louisiana State Law Review.  Upon graduation, he served one year as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard T. Haik, Judge for the United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana (1998‑1999).

Recent notable cases:

• Lead counsel for multiple defendants in the In Re: Bryson Adams, et al, mass toxic tort/ personal injury litigation involving over 2000 individual plaintiffs arising out of the use of a hazardous waste injection well and adjacent Superfund site;
• Member of trial team which litigated damages in over 150 bench trials in a five week period of time in the In Re: Bogalusa Chemical Release Class Action.  Personally tried over 25 cases;
• Lead counsel for Louisiana Casinos, Inc., (“Casino Rouge”) in numerous cases at the trial level over the last several years, successfully defending against claims of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction for patron/visitor accidents occurring on the riverboats and associated premises.  Successful in defeating jurisdiction in such claims.  Also successful in defeating claims that riverboat casino employees are Jones Act seamen after the passage of dockside gaming in Louisiana;
• Lead counsel in numerous cases for commercial premises owners resulting in exoneration from liability for personal injuries of invitees/patrons, obtained through successful trials and summary judgments;
• Counsel for dram shop litigation, successfully defending commercial establishments on or near the navigable waterways wherein plaintiffs claim a dram shop cause of action through admiralty and maritime jurisdiction at both the trial and appellate levels.

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