Smith Sconzert, LLC

Home
United States
Mandeville, LA
Smith Sconzert, LLC

Call Directions Website

We focus on efficiency, cost control and strong outcomes, while never losing sight of what matters most: protecting our clients’ rights.

10/09/2026

Louisiana likes to do things a little differently.

What most states call a “statute of limitations,” Louisiana lawyers often call prescription, one of the many features of our civil law system.
But this is more than Louisiana legal trivia. Prescription can be one of the first, and most important, issues we evaluate when a claim comes in.

Every claim has a timeline. The applicable prescriptive period depends on the type of claim, and determining when that period began to run is not always as simple as looking at the date something happened. Certain events may suspend or interrupt prescription, and Louisiana law governing some prescriptive periods has recently changed.

For businesses, healthcare providers, professionals, and public entities facing a claim, timing matters. A claim that appears significant on the facts may look very different once the procedural timeline is examined.

The takeaway: When a claim lands on your desk, don’t just ask what happened. Ask when it happened...and what has happened since.

At Smith Sconzert, we defend Louisiana businesses, professionals, healthcare providers, and public entities from the first evaluation of a claim through resolution.

Learn more about how we defend Louisiana businesses and professionals at smithsconzert.com.

10/06/2026

The law governing local government doesn't stand still, and neither do we.

Karlin Fitzmorris and Stephanie Hough recently attended the 2026 Parish Legal Horizons program in Natchitoches, Louisiana, joining parish attorneys, officials, and administrators for a practice-focused look at the issues facing local government today:

-Economic development tools like PILOT agreements and tax increment financing
-Intergovernmental agreements and short-term rental rules
-The Louisiana Land Banking Authority as a blight-elimination tool
-Mandamus defenses and preliminary injunctions

For the parishes and municipalities, we represent, staying current is how we spot exposure before it becomes litigation.

10/02/2026

It means being responsive instead of making clients chase updates.

It means explaining what's happening in plain language, not legal jargon.

It means treating every matter with the same level of care, whether it's a Fortune 500 issue or a local business's first lawsuit.

That's the standard we hold ourselves to, every time.

09/30/2026

Municipalities and public entities face a unique kind of liability exposure. One that touches everything from public safety and procurement to personnel decisions, governance, and litigation.

At Smith Sconzert, our understanding of those risks comes from more than representing public entities. Our attorneys have worked inside government, advised its decision-makers, and defended public entities across Louisiana.

That depth matters.

Because effective public-sector counsel isn’t just about knowing the law. It’s about understanding how government actually works—the competing obligations, operational realities, public scrutiny, and practical consequences behind every decision.

From proactive risk management to litigation when it comes, Smith Sconzert brings a public-sector bench built from experience on multiple sides of the table.

Municipality, parish, public board, or governmental entity, we understand the work because we’ve done the work.

That’s the Smith Sconzert difference.

09/28/2026

Getting served can feel like it puts everything else on hold, but for a small or mid-size business, the first 48 hours matter more than most owners realize.

Deadlines start running immediately, often faster than people expect, and missing one can close off options before the case even really starts. It's also tempting to respond directly, whether that's a call to the other side or an email to smooth things over. What gets said in that window, even informally, can end up shaping the rest of the case.

The better move is the one most owners don't think of first: call an attorney before the other side does. Not after you've tried to handle it yourself. Not after the initial shock wears off. Before any of that.

This is exactly the kind of moment fractional general counsel exists for, someone who already knows your business, understands what's at stake, and can step in immediately instead of starting from zero.

If your business has been served, don't wait. Reach out today.

09/24/2026

Behind every case is a team with real depth, attorneys who've spent decades in courtrooms, city halls, and corporate legal departments before joining forces here.

This combination of experience allows Smith Sconzert tackle everything from commercial litigation to healthcare defense to municipal liability, without losing the personal attention smaller matters deserve.

This is the team in your corner.

09/21/2026

...your calendar has more deadlines than a newsroom.
..''just a quick call'' never means quick.
..you've perfected the art of sounding calm while everything is, in fact, due today.
..coffee isn't a preference, it's infrastructure.

If any of this sounds familiar, to you or your own legal team, tag someone who needs a laugh this week.

09/16/2026

Most legal costs businesses face don't come from losing a case. They come from waiting too long to deal with risk in the first place.

Here's where that usually shows up:

Contracts get signed without review, and the clauses that matter most go unnoticed until there's already a dispute. Insurance coverage gets assumed rather than confirmed, so gaps in a policy only surface once a claim has been filed and it's too late to fix them. And in a lot of businesses, no one is actually responsible for watching for risk day to day, so small issues are left to build quietly until they become expensive ones.

None of this requires a legal department. It requires someone checking in regularly, before there's a problem to react to.

Smith Sconzert works with businesses across Louisiana and Texas to catch these gaps early, through litigation defense, insurance coverage guidance, and fractional general counsel support built around what a business actually needs.

Not sure where your business stands on risk? Let's take a look together.

09/15/2026

The conversations happening at the top of the legal industry right now are ones every law firm leader needs to be part of. That's exactly why Tara and Elizabeth were in Chicago.

Smith Sconzert attended DRI's Law Firm Leaders and Managing Partners Conference — a full day of practical, honest conversations about what it actually takes to lead a law firm right now. Succession planning, building trust as a leader, employment compliance, bridging the generational communication gap, navigating AI, and meeting the expectations of the next generation of clients and talent.

We don't just practice law. We're committed to leading this firm with intention and that means staying at the table where these conversations are happening.

09/11/2026

Twenty-five years ago today, we lost nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. First responders who ran toward danger. Passengers and crew who fought back. Neighbors, colleagues, parents, and friends whose absence is still felt.

At Smith Sconzert, we pause today to honor their memory and to remember the first responders, service members, and everyday heroes who answered the call that morning and, in the years, since.

We will never forget.

Address

1331 West Causeway Approach
Mandeville, LA
70471

Telephone

+19859513855

Website

http://www.smithsconzert.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Smith Sconzert, LLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your practice to be the top-listed law practice in Mandeville?