Lori D. Barker

Lori Barker is the managing partner of WSHB’s New Orleans office and a partner in the firm's Texas locations. Lori has extensive experience representing insurers in Louisiana and Texas in a variety of first- and third-party disputes. She regularly evaluates coverage and advises carriers facing first-party and bad faith claims. Lori often works side by side with her clients to develop early catastrophe responses. She worked with an international insurer to coordinate its evaluation of claims made following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Leaning into her knowledge as a New Orleans native, Lori helps her clients navigate the intertwining statutes, directives and emergency orders entered on a state, parish, and city level in the aftermath of storms.

Following the historically active 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons, Lori advised international and domestic insurers. She was able to deploy creative solutions to resolve disputes fairly and promptly prior to litigation. Lori and her team defended carriers in hundreds of suits pending in state courts, federal courts and in arbitration proceedings following those storms, including successful defense to decision in an arbitration where the Insured sought over twenty million dollars in damages. Lori is actively involved in appellate proceedings regarding the enforceability of arbitration clauses in insurance policies under the Federal Arbitration Act and the New York Convention. WSHB has been at the tip of the spear in arguing that surplus lines carriers may enforce arbitration provisions in their policies and remains knowledgeable about the current law in this quickly evolving area.

Lori has filed amicus curiae briefs in the Louisiana Supreme Court, United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and United States 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of various insurance trade organizations, providing those courts important insight into the impact of cases on the insurance industry. Lori is an adjunct professor at the Tulane School of Professional Advancement, served on the board of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (LADC) and served and the founding chair of the LADC Insurance Practice Group.

Lori’s third-party practice experience includes construction, premises liability, transportation, and products liability. Lori’s family owned and operated residential apartments for three generations. As a result, Lori has a first-hand understanding the concerns of Insureds involved in litigation. This allows her to quickly develop relationships and gain trust. Lori has handled complex cases involving multiple parties and catastrophic injuries. She also has multidistrict litigation experience gained while representing trailer manufacturers in the In Re: FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Products Liability Litigation.

Newsroom

News

•New Defined Equity Partners Celebrated at WSHB as 2023 Begins
Firm News, 1.9.23
•Partner Lori Barker Selected to Head Insurance Practice Group of Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
Firm News, 9.28.21
•Louisiana Legislative Update: Breaking Down a Busy Session
Newsroom, 8.26.21
•WSHB Expands to New Orleans
Newsroom, 6.15.21

Publications

•WSHB Leads the Charge to Protect Insurance Stability in Louisiana
Case Updates, 9.29.25
•Louisiana's SB 355: Enhancing Transparency in Third Party Litigation Funding
Case Updates, 8.23.24
•The Louisiana Supreme Court Overturns Finding that COVID-19 is a Physical Loss Triggering Insurance Coverage
Case Updates, 4.10.23
•Co-Author, " Defining the Limits: State Supreme Court Affirms No Duty of Architect to Subtractor's Employee, " Construction Claims Magazine, Winter 2024

Community Activities

•We the People State Competition Judge
•Tulane School of Professional Advancement Adjunct Professor, 2018- present

In the News

•WSHB Leads the Charge to Protect Insurance Stability in Louisiana
•Louisiana's SB 355: Enhancing Transparency in Third Party Litigation Funding
•The Louisiana Supreme Court Overturns Finding that COVID-19 is a Physical Loss Triggering Insurance Coverage
•New Defined Equity Partners Celebrated at WSHB as 2023 Begins

Honors & Recognitions

•Selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for Product Liability - Defendants in New Orleans, LA (2025 - 2026)