Trippe Hawthorne is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2004 and practices in the litigation group. He has experience in a wide variety of commercial litigation, construction law, and general litigation matters, including business associations, political subdivisions and local government, attorney's fees litigation, False Claims Act, class action litigation, and redhibition claims.  Mr. Hawthorne also has experience with administrative law and occupational licensing law.  Mr. Hawthorne and Kean Miller serve as general counsel to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.

Trippe served as a Law Clerk to Judge John V. Parker, United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana from 1995-1996.

Representative Experience

• Representation of a major state commission in class action inverse condemnation litigation in a case involving hundreds of millions of dollars in alleged damages.
• Representation of various clients before and adverse to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  
• Representation of a large wood products and forestry concern in a patent infringement lawsuit.
• Representation of various owners, contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and design professionals in construction litigation involving contract interpretation, performance, lien rights, and remedies.
• Substantial and significant experience in the Private Works Act, the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act, the Public Works Act and the Miller Act.
• Representation of contractors before the Louisiana State Licensing Board of Contractors.

Education

Trippe earned his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1995 where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Phi Kappa Phi and is a member of the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Baylor University in 1992.

Admissions

• Admitted, Louisiana, 1995
• Admitted, United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal
• Admitted, U.S. Court of Claims
• Admitted, U.S. District Court for the Middle, Western, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana

Memberships

• Louisiana State, American, and Baton Rouge Bar Associations
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
• Americans Inns of Court

Articles, Publications and Presentations

Insurance Coverage for Defective Workmanship

Community Service

• Past President, Board of Advisors, A.C. Lewis YMCA
• Recipient, Edward D. Grant Volunteerism Award, YMCA of the Capital Area
  
• National Leadership Board, Fellowship of Christian Athletes-Endurance
• Reading Friend, Highland Elementary
• Race Director, Rouge Runners Kids Run Series
• Deacon, University Baptist Church (2004-2007)
• University Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir, Grace Rising Ensemble, and Men's Celebration Quartet
• Baton Rouge Business Report's "40 Under 40" (2008)
  

Reported Cases

• G.D. Womack Trenching, Inc. v. Maitland Water System, Inc., 870 So.2d 579, 2003-1579 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/7/04), La.App. 3 Cir., Apr 07, 2004.
• Ford New Holland Credit Co. v. McManus, 833 So.2d 1130 (La.App. 2 Cir. 2002)(Redhibition);
• Elder v. Tanner,180 F.Supp.2d 818 (E.D.Tex., 2001); 205 F.R.D. 190 (E.D.Tex.,2001)(patent litigation);
• Anderson v. Red River Waterway Com'n, 231 F.3d 211(5th Cir. 2000); 16 F.Supp.2d 682 (W.D.La. 1998)(class action; inverse condemnation);
• Wynder v. Royal Ford Lincoln Mercury, Inc., 721 So.2d (La.App. 3 Cir., 1998) writ den. 738 So.2d 2 (La. 1999)(worker's compensation);
• Southern General Agency, Inc. v. Safeway Ins. Co. of Louisiana, 769 So.2d 606, (La.App. 3 Cir. 2000)(Insurer/General Agent dispute);
• Valley v. Rapides Parish School Bd., 992 F.Supp. 848, (W.D.La.1998); 118 F.3d 1047, (5th Cir.1997) (Wrongful Termination; Civil Rights; Recusal)
• Oral Argument before Louisiana Supreme Court: Manning v. Dillard Dept. Stores, Inc.,; 753 So.2d 163 (La. 1999)(premises liability) and Savage v. Edwards, 722 So.2d 1004, (La 1998) (election dispute)
• Oral Argument before United States 5th Circuit: U.S. ex rel. Mathews v. HealthSouth Corp., 332 F.3d 293 (5th Cir. 2003) (federal civil procedure)