Steeg Law Firm, LLC
Charles L. Stern, Jr.

Charles L. Stern, Jr.
Partner

201 St. Charles Avenue, Ste 3201
New Orleans, LA 70170

Office 504.582.1248

Areas of Practice

  • Commercial litigation
  • Banking litigation
  • Construction litigation
  • Title and title insurance litigation
  • Landlord/tenant litigation
  • Bankruptcy and workouts

Education

  • Harvard College (B.A., 1975)
  • Yale Law School (J.D., 1978)

Bar Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1985
  • State of Louisiana, 1978
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1978
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1980
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 1981
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, 1981
  • U.S. Tax Court, 1984

Honors

Profile

Charles L. Stern, Jr. is a partner at Steeg Law and head of the litigation section. He is a seasoned litigator with over 30 years of experience handling commercial litigation for clients in a variety of industries. Mr. Stern’s practice areas include title disputes and title insurance coverage, construction and development disputes, and bankruptcy and workouts (creditor representation) with a particular concentration on disputes affecting or involving commercial real estate. Representative clients include several national title insurance companies, several major developers, and local, regional and national banks and other lenders.

Mr. Stern has tried numerous cases to conclusion successfully during his career in federal, state, and bankruptcy court. As appellate counsel, he has argued before the United States Supreme Court, as well as the U. S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and several Louisiana state appellate courts. His appearance before the Supreme Court was part of the successful defense of a large mixed-use development in New Orleans against a $5 million mortgage claim.

Recent Cases

  • Represented condominium association in 100+ unit building in Warehouse District of New Orleans claim against developer and others for defects in roof and other common elements.
  • Represented large development company in defending against multiple actions brought by minority shareholders with non-voting interests.
  • Defended national title insurance company in multi-million dollar action filed by lender for losses allegedly suffered due to loss in priority of preferred ship mortgages.

Professional Activities

  • Member, Louisiana State Bar, American Bar, Federal Bar and Fifth Federal Circuit Bar Associations
  • Member, ABA Section of Antitrust, Litigation, and Torts and Insurance Practice Sections
  • Member, ABA Section of Torts and Insurance Practice, Title Insurance Litigation Committee
  • New Orleans Pro Bono Project (assist its clients in real estate related disputes)
  • Member, Turnaround Management Association, Louisiana Chapter

Recognition

  • Martindale-Hubbell - AV
  • The Best Lawyers in America - Litigation - Real Estate; Litigation - Bankruptcy; Commercial Litigation
  • SuperLawyers - Business Litigation
  • Leadership in Law Class of 2011 Honoree - New Orleans CityBusiness
  • New Orleans Magazine - Top Lawyers in Litigation
  • Harvard College - Graduated magna cum laude in mathematics

Civic

  • Board Member and Past President, Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra
  • Board Member and Past President, Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation
  • Board Member, The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans
  • Past President, New Orleans Jewish Day School

Special Experience

  • Oral argument before United States Supreme Court in Rivet v. Regions Bank, 522 U.S. 470 (1998)
  • Law clerk to the Hon. Morey Sear (U.S.D.C., E.D. LA.) 1979-1980
  • New Orleans Pro Bono Project (assist its clients in real estate related disputes)

Reported Cases

  • Rivet, et al. v. Regions Bank, et al., 522 U.S. 470, 118 S. Ct. 921, 139 L. Ed. 2d 912 (1998)
  • Feil v. Greater Lakeside Corp., 31 So. 3d 520 (La. App. 5 Cir. 2010)
  • First American Bank v. First American Transportation Title Ins. Co., 585 F. 3d 833 (5th Cir. 2009)
  • Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas v. Dudek, 19 So. 3d 20 (La. App. 4 Cir. 2009)
  • Central Progressive Bank v. Harvey, 2009 WL 901770 (E.D. La. 2009)
  • In re First Summit Group, LLC, 2008 WL 913283 (Bkrtcy. W.D. La. 2008)
  • Higbee Co. v. Greater Lakeside Corp, 2007 WL 3275142 (E>D. La 2007)
  • Carrollton Central Plaza Associates v. Piccadilly Restaurants, LLC, 952 So. 2d 756 (La. App. 4 Cir. 2007)
  • H.R. 10 Profit Sharing Plan v. Mayeaux, 893 So. 2d 887 (La. App. 1 Cir. 2004)
  • Caracci v. Cobblestone Village Condominium Association, 877 So. 2d 1000 (La. App. 5 Cir. 2004)
  • Karno v. Joseph Fein Caterers, 846 So. 2d 105 (La. App. 4 Cir. 2003)
  • Rivet v. Regions Bank, 838 So. 2d 1290 (La. 2003)
  • Billups v. Lyons, 821 So. 2d 499 (La. App. 4th Cir. 2002)
  • Orleans Title Ins. Agency, L.L.C. v. R. Alan Bartlett, Inc., 811 So. 2d 1126 (La. App. 4th Cir. 2002)
  • Regions Bank, et al. v. Rivet, et al., 224 F. 3d 483 (5th Cir. 2000)
  • Fleming v. First Nat. Bank of Commerce, 764 So. 2d 145 (La. App. 4th Cir. 2000)
  • Weisler v. Bd. of Zoning Adjustments, 745 So. 2d 1259 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1999)
  • Magnolia Federal Bank for Savings v. U.S. , 42 F. 3d 968 (5th Cir. 1995)
  • Missouri Pacific R. Co. v. City of New Orleans, 46 F. 3d 487 (5th Cir. 1995)
  • Wainer v. A.J. Equities, Ltd., 984 F. 2d 679 (5th Cir. 1993)
  • In re Tahkenitch Tree Farm Partnership, 156 B.R. 525 (Bankr. E.D. La. 1993); Yorkshire Partnership v. Pacific Capital Partnership, 154 F.R.D. 141 (M.D. La. 1993)
  • Socorro vs. City of New Orleans, 579 So.2d 931 (La. 1991)
  • FDIC v. Mmahat, 907 F. 2d 546 (5th Cir. 1990)
  • General American Oil Co. of Texas v. Williams, Inc., 441 So. 2d 1268 (La. App. 1 st Cir. 1983)

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