Valerie Theng Matherne is a Partner at Zuber Lawler LLP and leads the firm’s Louisiana office. Ms. Matherne has nearly three decades of experience in civil defense litigation, including toxic tort, product liability, environmental, premises liability, personal injury, automobile liability, insurance coverage, catastrophe and natural disaster litigation, construction, workers’ compensation, and related matters in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. She regularly serves as lead counsel in complex litigation matters from inception through trial, representing many iconic national and international publicly traded companies.
Ms. Matherne has defended hundreds of claims involving major retailers and restaurant establishments arising out of alleged premises liability and workplace injuries. She has extensive experience in mass tort, multi-plaintiff, and multidistrict litigation involving asbestos, silica, Chinese drywall, welding fumes, lead, and mold claims, representing employers, premises owners, executive officers, manufacturers, and suppliers. Ms. Matherne also has substantial experience defending manufacturers in product defect litigation and representing insurance companies in coverage and extra-contractual disputes, as well as insureds in personal injury and property damage litigation arising from motor vehicle accidents and other events. Ms. Matherne has also represented corporate clients in a broad range of admiralty matters, from resolving river-based casualties to executing vessel arrests to secure client interests.
In addition, Ms. Matherne has resolved hundreds of property damage claims arising from Hurricanes Katrina, Laura, and Delta, including the coordination and resolution of large-scale Hurricane Katrina property damage settlements. She frequently serves as lead counsel in matters involving multiple parties and claimants and has successfully coordinated litigation and trial strategies resulting in favorable outcomes for her clients.
Honors and Recognition
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Chair of the Emeritus Board, National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF)
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Co-Chair, NAMWOLF Events Committee
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Former Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee Member, NAMWOLF
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Founding Chair, Restaurant, Retail & Hospitality Practice Area Committee (PAC), NAMWOLF
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Former Board Member, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
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Selected by Thomson Reuters for Super Lawyers
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AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer recognition rating for professional excellence
Presentations
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**Host/Moderator, **Fireside Chat Featured Speaker, NAMWOLF Spring Meeting (March 2024).
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Panelist, “Corporate Representative Depositions: “Tips and Takeaways” (NAMWOLF, November 2023).
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Panelist, “Lie-ing in Wait: Tricks to Identify Lies Even When the Teller Believes Their Own Dishonesty” (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, March 2023).
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Speaker, “The Rewards of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging” (Claims and Litigation Management Women’s Forum, November 2022).
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Panelist, “Understanding Bias, Disrupting It, and Increasing Performance and Profit$: A Guide to Becoming a Diversity Champion” (Hispanic National Bar Association/Vision In Action Corporate Counsel Conference, March 2022).
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Panelist, “Untapped: Developing the Diverse Talent Pool and Helping Them Swim” (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance Southeastern Conference, 2018).
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Panelist, “Verdict Workshop: Calculating Exposure in Litigation Against Restaurant, Retail & Hospitality Defendants” (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, March 2018).
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Panelist, “Is the Reptile Real?” (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, April 2016, and Louisiana Association of Corporate Counsel, August 2016).
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Co-Chair, NAMWOLF’s Spring Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana (March 2016).
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Panelist, “Understanding Spinal Injuries to Maximize Your Defense” (Insurance Company Presentation, June 2015, and NAMWOLF, September 2014).
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Panelist, “Hot Topics in the Restaurant, Retail, and Hospitality Industries” (NAMWOLF, February 2015).
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Mentor to law students participating in AbbVie’s Trial Academy and the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition.
Publications
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Interviewed for “Litigation Finance Bills Advance, but How Effective Will They Be?” (Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, May 2024).
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Recognized as a “Mover and Shaker” in Diversity & the Bar, published by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA).
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Featured in the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Today article, “Another Face of the Law” (July 2017).
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(504) 332-0805
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New Orleans, LA
Education
Loyola University J.D.
Florida State University B.S.
Bar Admissions
Louisiana Mississippi
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court – Eastern District of LA U.S. District Court – Western District of LA U.S. District Court – Middle District of LA U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi U.S. Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit U.S. Supreme Court