J. Douglas Sunseri

Certainly. I removed the workers’ compensation references and substantially elevated the elder law, estate planning, trusts, successions, probate, and intergenerational wealth-transfer aspects of the practice.

J. DOUGLAS SUNSERI

J. Douglas Sunseri is the founding partner of The Sunseri Law Firm, LLC, which he formed in 1994. Since his admission to the Louisiana Bar in 1988, Mr. Sunseri has practiced in diverse areas of law involving individuals, families, businesses, property owners, and professional and collegiate athletes.

From 1990 through 1994, Mr. Sunseri worked under attorney J. William Becknell, legal counsel for Mr. John Mecom, Jr. and his affiliated companies. Mr. Mecom was the original owner of the New Orleans Saints and maintained substantial holdings in oil and gas, hotels, real estate, professional sports, and related businesses. Through this experience, Mr. Sunseri developed a broad foundation in law and business, including estate planning, probate and successions, trusts, interdictions, family law, corporate matters, real estate, and commercial transactions. Mr. Sunseri also served as outside counsel to Mr. Tom Benson, former owner of the New Orleans Saints, on special projects.

A significant focus of Mr. Sunseri’s practice is elder law, estate planning, trusts, successions, probate, and the protection and transfer of family wealth between generations. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, families are increasingly confronting complex legal, financial, and practical issues involving incapacity, long-term care, succession planning, preservation of assets, and the transfer of substantial wealth to children and descendants. Mr. Sunseri counsels individuals and families through these issues with an emphasis on careful planning, preservation of family assets, continuity of ownership, and minimizing unnecessary disputes among heirs and beneficiaries.

Mr. Sunseri regularly assists clients with wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, estate planning, succession planning, probate administration, interdictions, continuing tutorships, powers of attorney, and other legal arrangements designed to protect individuals and their families during incapacity and after death. His practice also includes contested successions, probate litigation, trust disputes, fiduciary disputes, challenges involving executors and trustees, and claims concerning the improper transfer or misuse of estate and trust assets.

With trillions of dollars expected to pass from aging Baby Boomers to younger generations in what has been described as the Great Wealth Transfer, Mr. Sunseri works with families to develop strategies for efficiently and responsibly transferring homes, businesses, investment assets, family property, and other wealth to children and descendants. This planning frequently involves coordinating wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, business entities, succession strategies, and family agreements to help preserve assets and reduce the potential for future conflict.

Mr. Sunseri also has substantial experience representing elderly individuals and their families in matters involving elder abuse, financial exploitation of the elderly, incapacity, interdiction, fiduciary misconduct, and disputes over control of an elderly person’s property or finances. His practice seeks not only to address problems after they arise, but also to develop planning strategies that reduce the risk of exploitation, family disputes, and the loss or dissipation of family assets.

Another important part of Mr. Sunseri’s practice involves planning for families who have minor or adult children with disabilities. He advises parents and families regarding special and supplemental needs trusts, continuing tutorships, estate planning, preservation of public benefits, and long-term financial planning for individuals with disabilities.

Mr. Sunseri’s broader practice includes family law, divorce and community property, commercial litigation, business formations, incorporations, mergers and acquisitions, corporate agreements, employment contracts, intellectual property licensing, leases, real estate disputes, partitions of co-owned property, personal injury, insurance coverage disputes, flood and hazard claims, property damage claims, and business interruption claims.

Mr. Sunseri has conducted numerous seminars and professional education programs addressing estate planning, wills and trusts, special needs trusts, successions and probate, elder law, family law, disaster litigation, insured property damage to homes and businesses, divorce, community property, and related legal issues.

Mr. Sunseri’s litigation experience includes jury trials in both state and federal courts. He has practiced before administrative law judges and Special Masters assigned by the National Football League. He has directed litigation to the United States Supreme Court involving the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association. Mr. Sunseri was also previously appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Louisiana and has served as an expert witness for the Louisiana Attorney General in litigation involving Executive Orders issued by the Governor.

From 1988 through 1998, Mr. Sunseri served as a certified Agent for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), representing more than 50 NFL players in various capacities. His sports law practice has included licensing agreements and legal matters involving the National Football League, NFLPA, Professional Golf Association, NCAA, Super Bowl, Sugar Bowl, LSU, Tulane University, Ohio State University, University of Florida, Florida State University, Texas A&M University, the New Orleans Saints, Coach Gerry DiNardo, Coach Mike Ditka, and Coach Tommy Bowden.

Mr. Sunseri has also represented clients in obtaining NFLPA licensing rights for fantasy football products and has served as licensing counsel for sports apparel companies. He has represented professional and collegiate coaches in contract negotiations and disputes and has served as counsel in obtaining licenses through the Collegiate Licensing Company.

Mr. Sunseri and The Sunseri Law Firm have continued to expand their sports law practice into the rapidly evolving areas of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), collegiate revenue sharing, athlete compensation, and endorsement agreements. The firm presently represents numerous football and baseball players competing in Power Four conferences throughout the country. The firm has negotiated numerous NIL and revenue-share agreements on behalf of collegiate athletes, as well as brand, endorsement, marketing, and promotional agreements. The firm counsels athletes and their families regarding contract negotiations, compensation structures, guarantees, performance incentives, termination provisions, intellectual property rights, brand opportunities, and other legal issues associated with collegiate athletics.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Sunseri made weekly appearances on WDSU-TV Channel 6 as a legal analyst addressing insurance and disaster-related issues. Since Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Sunseri and his firm have prosecuted more than 2,000 flood, wind, homeowners, commercial property, and related insurance claims. Following Hurricane Ida, The Sunseri Law Firm prosecuted approximately 750 insurance claims on behalf of homeowners and businesses whose properties sustained hurricane-related damage. The firm recovered approximately $80 million for homeowners and businesses arising from the underpayment and non-payment of insurance claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

Mr. Sunseri has also served as a legal and sports analyst on WWL-TV Channel 4, WDSU-TV Channel 6, and WVUE FOX 8. He has testified before the Louisiana Legislature on behalf of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry regarding employment and insurance issues. Mr. Sunseri has also appeared on ESPN, ESPN Radio, Cox Sports Television, WWL 870 AM, USA Today, NBC, and numerous other local and national media outlets in connection with professional sports, collegiate athletics, insurance matters, litigation, and business issues.

Presently, Mr. Sunseri hosts the weekly radio program “All Things Legal” on WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM every Sunday morning from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The program is now in its 18th year on the air and is also streamed through Audacy.com. The program addresses current legal issues, including estate planning, elder law, wills and trusts, successions and probate, family law, insurance, business, sports law, NIL and collegiate athletics, personal injury, and other matters affecting Louisiana residents and businesses.

In 2019, Mr. Sunseri was inducted into the De La Salle High School Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to professional and collegiate athletics, as well as his work in television and radio. The Sunseri Law Firm is also a sponsor of the Scholar Athlete of the Week for the New Orleans Quarterback Club, recognizing outstanding student-athletes for their accomplishments both academically and athletically.

For more than three decades, Mr. Sunseri has combined litigation experience, estate and trust planning, elder law, succession and probate experience, business knowledge, insurance advocacy, media experience, and sports representation to counsel individuals, families, businesses, property owners, and athletes. A central focus of his practice remains helping families protect, preserve, and responsibly transfer their wealth and property from one generation to the next.