PAMELA W. CARTER
Areas of Practice
Employment Matters
General Litigation
Product Liability / Mass Tort
Insurance
Defense
Attorney Pamela W. Carter is the founder of Carter Law Group. A native of New Orleans, Pamela W. Carter had a career as a journalist and television news reporter with the ABC Affiliate KATC-3 Television. Ms. Carter attended law school and went to work for New Orleans Civil District Court , City Court Judge in 1995. She went on to practice law for well-respected New Orleans Defense firms.
Did You Know?
When Pam was in college, she performed in Shakespeare performances and she was a television news reporter.
Ms. Carter’s practice focuses on personal injury litigation with an emphasis on trucking and transportation, premises liability, employment, insurance defense and products liability. She specializes in the representation of clients in all aspects of general litigation including wrongful death, slip and falls, lead paint cases, wrongful death and food contamination matters. For more than 18 years, she has handled hundreds of claims involving exposures to toxic substances including asbestos, silica for major automotive companies and product manufacturers. Ms. Carter has litigated injury cases in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana.
Ms. Carter is also a lecturer and publisher of various legal industry and diversity articles. She has been an invited lecturer at national expert and lawyer seminars of the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and National Bar Association, as well as for the Louisiana Bar Association (LBA), and Seak Expert Association. She was appointed as a Member of the Board of Governors for the Louisiana State Bar Association, and was appointed Board Member for the ABA’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. She also serves as the Publications Editor of the Defense Research Institute’s Diversity Newsletter (2008-Present) and has served as the Editor for the American Bar Associations TIPS’ first Diversity Newsletter (2006-2008). She is admitted to practice law in Louisiana and Texas, as well as before the state and federal district courts of Louisiana.
- Represents commercial motor carriers in personal injury, freight and commercial claims in Louisiana
- Handled investigations of motor vehicle fatality accidents
- Dismissal of wrongful death claim arising out of multi-vehicle collision
- Dismissal of claims arising out of multi-vehicle head-on collision
- Defense verdict in multi-vehicle accident between client’s manufactured vehicle and passenger vehicles
- Dismissal of wrongful death claims in Louisiana State court
Product Liability/Mass Tort
- Represents various product manufacturers in product liability, mass tort and occupational exposure claims
- Represents various food industry manufacturers in product liability and personal injury claims
- Dismissal of claims brought against manufacturer of hair care products
- Successfully obtained dismissal of asbestos exposure claims on behalf of product manufacture
- Dismissal of wrongful death mesothelioma claims in Louisiana State court on behalf of automotive manufacturer
- Dismissal of hair product defect claims in Louisiana State court on behalf of hair product manufacturer
- Summary judgment of lead paint defect claim on behalf of paint manufacturer
- Summary judgment of employer in intentional tort product defect claim
Insurance
- Represents various commercial/general liability, and life, auto, and homeowner insurance carriers against fraud, bad faith, coverage and breach of contract claims
- Interpret, advise and provide defense on policy coverage issues including claims arising from fires, thefts, looting, hurricanes and other natural disasters, water damage and mold
- Dismissal of insurance coverage actions brought against carrier
- Defense Counsel for insurers following catastrophic natural disasters (Hurricanes Katrina and Rita)
- Obtained favorable settlements in disputes arising out of contracts and insurance policies
- Successfully defended various companies involved in trucking and railroad accidents and wrongful termination
In 2013, Ms. was appointed Chair to DRI’s Diversity Committee. Prior to that, she served for two years as Committee Vice Chair, Chair of DRI’s Diversity Committee’s Publication Committee publishing the Diversity Newsletter, and was co-chair of the very first Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Diversity For Success Seminar and Corporate Expo. Ms. Carter has continued to be involved in the seminar for the past ten years. She has been an active member of the American Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute for several years. Ms. Carter has played a lead role in organizing local and national diversity events dedicated to promoting greater diversity in the field of law.
- Featured - “Shining Stars: Honoring Litigation Management Professionals of the Year,” Litigation Management, Summer 2013
- Co-Author - “Rethinking Diversity: How Cultural Competency Impacts the Bottom Line Success of Your Company,” CLM Litigation Management, 2013
- Author - “The Client Interview: A Conversation with Fred Keeton, Vice President for External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer, Harrah’s,” 2013
- Author - “The Client Interview: A Conversation with Fred Keeton, Vice President for External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer, Harrah’s,” DiversityInsider, the newsletter of the DRI Diversity Committee (November 2009)
- Author - “Continuing the Journey to the Perfect Mosaic,” For The Defense, In-House Defense Quarterly, a DRI publication, August 2009
- Author - “The Taking of Property to Rebuild the Destroyed Regions: Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida” Eminent Domain, February 2006
- Author - Diversity “Committee on Diversity in the Profession: Moving Ahead . . . but Slowly” American Bar Association, The Brief Journal, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Fall 2005, Vol. 35, No. 1
- Author - Ruling the Unruly: A Discussion Of Current Toxic Tort And Environmental Case Law: Defense Research Institute, 2004 Toxic Tort CLE, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Co-Author - A Historic Overview of Brown v. Board of Education, Louisiana State Bar Association, Bar Journal, May 2004
- Author - Brown v. Board of Education: 50 Years Later, Louisiana State Bar Association, Bar Journal, June 2003
- Author - Toxic Encephalopathy, Defense Research Institute, 2003 Toxic Tort CLE, San Diego, California
- Author - Young Lawyer’s Form Book, Defense Research Institute Publication, 2002
- Co-Author - “Defending Against Product Recall Evidence At Trial,” Defense Research Institute Publication, April 2002
- Author - “Women in the Profession,” American Bar Association, The Young Lawyer, November 2001
- Co-Author - “Applying Negligent Advertising Theory,” Defense Research Institute, July 2000
- Co-Author - “Spoliation: The Case of the Missing Evidence,” Louisiana State Bar Journal, Vol. 47, No. 3, October 1999
- Author - “Only the Rainmakers Will Excel: Marketing Tidbits for New Associates” For the Defense, Defense Research Institute, The Young Lawyer Connection, Spring 1999
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter - “Leveraging Differences in an Increasingly Borderless World,” DRI Annual Meeting, October 24, 2013
- Moderator - “A View from the Bench,” ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Transportation Mega Conference, March 6, 2013
- Moderator - “Effective Leadership in an Evolving Cultural Landscape,” CLM Leadership Forum, New York, NY, December 6, 2012
- Moderator -“Building Relationships and Creating Pathways,” Southern Law Center, Corporate Diversity Symposium, April 12, 2012
- Presenter - “Conquering the Myths and Creating a Competitive Advantage,” Louisiana State Bar Association, March 2, 2012
- Panelist - “Maximizing Minority Lawyers in Majority-Owned Firms: Garnering Visibility for Your Firm’s Diverse Attorneys,” Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s 8th Annual Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference, November 9, 2007, New York, NY
- Presenter - “Male Trial Lawyers Are from Mars, Women Trial Lawyers Are from Venus,” American Bar Association, June 6, 2007
- Presenter - “New Ways to Daubert Challenge Experts,” New Orleans Bar Association’s 2005 Bench Bar Conference, Point Clear, AL, March 12, 2005
- Presenter - “Making the Business Case: Corporate Directives to Law Firm Initiatives,” U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, sponsored by Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Loyola University Law School
- Moderator - “Class Action Litigation: Things That Make You Go Hmmm…,” American Bar Association’s Environmental, Product Liability & Mass Tort Committees Joint CLE Seminar, Beaver Creek Colorado, January 2005
Pamela W. Carter is one of the 2012 honored recipients of the Diversity Leadership Award from the American Bar Association, Section of Litigation. The Section understands the importance and intrinsic value of increasing diversity and ensuring equal opportunity in the legal profession. It established the Diversity Leadership Award in 2008, sponsored by Navigant, the Litigation Advisory Services Sponsor of the ABA Section of Litigation. The Diversity Leadership Award recognizes those individuals or entities who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting full and equal participation in the legal profession through the encouragement and inclusion of women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and/or persons of differing sexual orientations and gender identities.
American Bar Association:
- Honoree, 2013 - ABA Diversity Leadership Award
- Chair, 2007 - Emerging Issues in Motion Vehicle Product Liability Litigation Program
- Chair, 2007 - Women in Transportation Law Seminar
- Chair, 2005-2006 - Automobile Law Committee - Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section
- Co-Chair, 2004-2006 - Emerging Issues in Motor Vehicle Product Liability Litigation Program
- Chair, 2004 - Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Healthcare and the Law program
- Editor-in-Chief, 2003-Present - American Bar Association - TIPS/Automobile Law Committee Newsletter
- Chair-Elect Designee, 2004-2005 - Automobile Law Committee, American Bar Association
- Member, 2003-2005 - National Trial Academy Committee, American Bar Association
- Vice-Chair, 2003-2005 - Committee on Diversity in the Profession
- Member, 2003-2004 - Law Practice Management Women Rainmaker’s Group, American Bar Association
Louisiana State Bar Association/New Orleans Bar Association:
- Member - Board of Governors - Louisiana State Bar Association, Term 2003-2006
- Editorial Board Member - 1998-2003: Louisiana State Bar Journal
- Member - New Orleans Bar Association’s Inn of Court, Term 2004-2005
- Member - Louisiana State Bar Association (Community Action Committee; Bar of Governance Committee; Multi- Jurisdictional Practice Committee)
- Vice-Chair, 2002-2004: Minorities in the Profession Committee - New Orleans Bar Association
Other Affiliations:
- Vice Chair - Diversity for Success Seminar and Expo, Chicago, IL, May 2013
- Sponsor - DRI Diversity in the Profession Seminar, May 2013
- Honoree -Highlighted among City Business Leaders, May 2013
- Honoree - City Business’ Leadership in Law Class of 2012
- Member - 2011-2012 Council on Litigation Management. CLM is an alliance of corporations, insurance companies and law firms committed to furthering the highest standards of litigation management. Membership is by invitation only.
- Vice Chair - DRI Diversity Committee
- Chair - Defense Research Institute Diversity for Success Seminar, June 2007
- Co-Chair - Defense Research Institute Diversity for Success Seminar, June 2006
- Vice-Chair - 2006 Diversity Steering Committee, Defense Research Institute
- Member - Defense Research Institute, 1999-Present
- Member - International Association of Defense Counsel
- Board of Directors - New Orleans Pro Bono Project, 1998-2002
- 1998 Role Model Award - YWCA
- Member - Baker Donelson Diversity Committee
Community Involvement:
- Carter Law Group awards two high school student scholarships (May 30, 2013).
- Represents clients on a pro bono basis
- Volunteers to speak to local high school students during career days
- Mentors young lawyers in the profession
- Brown v. Board of Education, A Lesson in Courage, Program Committee Louisiana State Bar Association, 2004
- Program Organizer - Read a Book Campaign for Phelps Dunbar. Collected more than 200 new and used books and toys for local charity “Liberty House,” a local facility affiliated with the National Council of Negro Women
- Volunteer Lawyer for a Day - New Orleans Pro Bono Project, 2001-Present
- Reader - St. Paul’s Episcopal School - Pre-Kindergarten Class, 2002 and 2003
- Presenter/Mentor - BET Youth Summit and Outreach Program, 2002
- Volunteer Mentor - Booker T. Washington High School. Discussion topics: career choices, teen pregnancy & health issues
- Lawyer Volunteer - Access to Federal Courts Program for High School Students. United States Eastern District Court, State of Louisiana, 2003
- Reader - Oretha Caste Hailey Elementary Public School, 2002-Present
- Reader - Children’s Place Pre-School, 2002-Present
- Neighborhood Subdivision Leader - National Night Out Against Crime, 2001
- Louisiana, 1996
- Texas, 2009
- Southern University Law Center, J.D., 1995, cum laude
- Law Review Executive Editor, Southern University Law Center Law Journal, 1994-1995
- Moot Court Board Member, 1994-1995
- Louisiana State University, B.A., 1988