Vance Gibbs is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller.  He has practiced in the commercial litigation area and the health care industry for over 25 years. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America and was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2009.

He is an experienced trial attorney representing major U.S. corporations in a wide variety of litigation matters, including defense of product liability claims with regard to medical products, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.   He also has an active general and commercial litigation, and construction litigation practice. 

Vance also represents doctors, medical professionals, physician groups and clinics in all manners of medical malpractice claims including medical review panel proceedings, lawsuits, peer review hearings and credentialing matters.  He also provides general legal advice to physicians and physician groups on self-insurance programs, risk management and administration.

Vance has completed the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s Masters Trial Advocacy Program and for the last seven years has been an instructor for the Trial Advocacy Program at LSU Law Center. He also regularly teaches medical students and medical residents on medical legal issues. Vance has been a member of the Medical/Legal Interprofessional Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association, and is a member of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association and Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.  He is a frequent speaker on the topic of trial advocacy and risk management.

Representative Experience

• Representation of major forest products, paper, and chemical companies in commercial and contract litigation; personal injury and premises liability; and product liability actions.
  
• Louisiana counsel for pharmaceutical companies in Multi-District Litigation (MDL) panels.
  
• Litigation of construction disputes for project owners and suppliers.
  
• Representation of physicians and health care providers in over 500 administrative and judicial proceedings.
  
• Representation of health care providers in over 400 medical review panel proceedings.
• Successful defense of physicians in judge and jury trials in various state and federal courts.
• Oral argument before entire Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal on issues related to medical review panel proceedings and pretrial dismissal of plaintiff/patient lawsuits.

Education

Vance earned his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1982 where he was a staff writer for the Louisiana Law Review. He earned his B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1979.

Admissions

• Admitted, Louisiana, 1982; Admitted to practice before the Middle, Eastern, and Western Districts of Louisiana; Admitted to practice before the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal; Admitted to practice before the United States Claims Court.
  

Memberships

• Baton Rouge (Chair, Legal Aid Committee, 1987-1989), Louisiana State (Medical/Legal Interprofessional Committee, 1987-1992) and American Bar Associations (Section of Litigation).
  
• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, and Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (Member, Board of Directors, 1999-2001)
• Defense Research Institute
  

Community Service

• Member, National Board of Directors, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America - New York
• Member, President, Board of Directors, Louisiana/Mississippi Chapter, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America; National Board of Trustees
• Chairman, Board of Directors, Chairman Legal/Personnel Committee, O'Brien House
• Graduate, Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 1996
• Member, Board of Directors, American Red Cross, Louisiana Capital Area Chapter
• Member, Board of Directors, Paula Manship YMCA
• Volunteers in Public Schools, Glen Oaks Middle School
• Member, Vice President, President, Board of Directors, Association for Retarded Citizens, Baton Rouge, Inc.
• Member, Board of Directors, Garden District Civic Association
• Member, Board of Directors, Capital Area Legal Services Corporation

Lecturer

• Causation in Toxic Tort Litigation, Law Education Institute, 1994.

Authorships

• Note, The Problematic Application of Succession of Brown, 41 Louisiana Law Review 1314.