Erich Rapp is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1987 and practices in the areas of environmental litigation, insurance coverage litigation, toxic tort defense, hearing loss defense, and federal environmental liability. Erich has particular substantive expertise in the defense of large national and multinational industrial clients in cases involving exposure to hazardous chemicals and in cases involving large scale environmental contamination.

He represents clients in connection with environmental litigation related to CERCLA, RCRA, and state environmental statutes, and he also represents clients in toxic tort cases involving exposure to various hazardous chemicals. Erich has extensive experience in complex settlement agreements in mass tort, class action and Superfund litigation. Erich also has specialized expertise in making environmental claims against the federal government and state governments, and in defenses available to government contractors.

Erich has particular experience in litigation involving the vinyl chloride industry including litigation related to allegations of cancer and other injuries arising from vinyl chloride exposure as well as litigation related to alleged exposures to ethylene dichloride. He also has experience in chemical exposure injuries allegedly related to herbicides and pesticides.

Erich is the publisher of the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands blog. 

Education

Erich earned his B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1984 and his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1987.

Admissions

• Admitted to bar, 1987, Louisiana; 1994, Texas

Memberships

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations

Community Service

• President, Baton Rouge Symphony Young Patrons Organization.
• Judge, LSU Law Center Moot Court Competition.
• Member, Board of Directors, Treasurer, Pro Bono Attorney, The Foundation for Historical Louisiana.
• Member, Board of Directors, Baton Rouge Gallery.
• Baton Rouge Business Report's "40 Under 40" honoree (2000).

Reported Cases

• TEXACO, Inc., et al., Appellant-Appellee, v. Walter Foreman, Appelle-Appellant, (La. App. 3 Cir 4/2/97), 692 So.2d 684 (No. 96-1434)
• State of Louisiana, ex rel. William J. Guste, Jr., Attorney General v. Douglas D. "Doug" Green, Commissioner of Insurance, (La. App. 1 Cir. 6/23/95), 657 So.2d 610 (No. 94 CA 1138).
• Dorain B. Alexander v. Associated Grocers, Inc. and Helmsman Management Services, Inc., (La.App. 1 Cir. 3/3/95), 652 So.2d 603, (NO. 94 CA 0800).
• Stephen P. Mumblow, v. Monroe Broadcasting, Inc., 401 F.3d 616, (NO. 03-31013), February 28, 2005.
• United Stated Fidelity & Guaranty Co., et al. v. Fox McKeithen, etc., et al., 226 F.3d 412, (NO. 99-30475), September 15, 2000.
• Damon Thomas, et al. v. CF Industries, Inc., 750 F.Supp.736, (Civ. A. 89-370-B), October 31, 1990.
• United State Fidelity and Guaranty Company, et al. v. W. Fox McKeithen, et al. 39 F.Supp.2d 747, (NO. Civ. A. 96-385-A.), March 5, 1999.

Articles, Publications and Presentations

Environmental Notes, August 2004
Nine Questions for Defending Asbestos Litigation
The Environmental Legacy of World War II
Feds pay in Superfund lawsuits