David Cleveland Hesser
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Practice Areas
- Family Law
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Spousal Support
- Community Property Law
- Military Divorce
- Maritime Injuries
- Admiralty and Maritime Law
- Mediation
- Collaborative Family Law
- Collaborative Law
- Jet ski accidents
- Cruise Ship Accidents
- Divorce
- Wrongful death
- Domestic Relations
- Personal Injury
- Automobile Accidents
- Criminal Law
- Immigration
Biography
David is both Board Certified as a Family Law Specialist and has a Masters in Admiralty Law. He was honored to be selected to Louisiana Super Lawyers 2010 - 2015 and 2018 - 2022. These qualifications combined with his experience allow him to provide the finest representation for families.
He has worked for years for families. His experience allows him to provide quality representation with careful attention to detail while always being family focused. He has handled hundreds of divorces, custody cases, military retirement divisions, property divisions, spousal support cases and child support cases.
He is known as a tough litigator who also looks for cost effective ways to resolve cases through common sense solutions.
He has taught other attorneys at continuing legal education seminars.
Martindale-Hubbell recognized David Hesser with a "BV" Peer Review Rating, an indication of an exemplary reputation and well-established practice. . . high professional standing." He has been listed in Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys.
In 2013 the National Business Institute selected him to write and present regarding the topic of "Ethical Considerations for the Plaintiff's Attorney" at their seminar "Handling Divorce Cases from Start to Finish".
David has the financial designation of Certified Divorce Financial Analyst by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. He received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he was honored with the American Jurisprudence Award & Top Paper Award. He is a litigator who has represented hundreds of families going through divorces, custody and child support disputes. He has handled multi-million dollar community property partitions. While he is known as a litigator, he has also resolved many cases through mediation and collaborative divorce. David filed Louisiana's first successful Collaborative Divorce.
He has taught other attorneys, mental health professionals and financial professionals at continuing education seminars for family law and dispute resolution at LSU Law Center, LSU-S, ULM and Southern University. In 2012 he was the speaker at the National Business Institute for the topic of Basics of Civil Practice and Procedure.
David was a member of the Downtown Rotary Club in Alexandria.
David practiced at the prestigious law firms: Gold, Weems, Bruser, Sues & Rundell; Breaud & Lemoine, PLC; and Randy J. Ungar & Associates before forming his own firm. David completed high school at Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana and lived in Shreveport during college. After law school David practiced in New Orleans and Lafayette before settling down in Alexandria in September 2001.
Education
- William H. Bowen School of Law, Little Rock, Arkansas
- J.D. - 1994
- Honors: American Jurisprudence Award for Civil Procedure
- Honors: Top Paper Award for First Amendment Seminar
- Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Master of Laws in Admiralty - 1998
- Centenary College, Shreveport, Louisiana
- B.A. - 1991
- Major: Economics
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana, 1994
- Texas, 2006
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
Certified Legal Specialties
- Family Law Specialist, Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization
Professional Associations
- Louisiana State Bar Association, Member
- Alexandria Bar Association, Member
- Federal Bar Association, Member
Current Employment Position
- Managing Partner
Honors
- “BV” Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys
- Louisiana Super Lawyers 2010 - 2015, 2018 – 2022
Publications
- Co-author: "Forensic Accounting in Matrimonial Divorce" R.T. Edwards Publishing, 2005, Chapter 2, "Ethical Limitations on Future Services for Neutral Financial Professionals Following a Collaborative Divorce.", 2005
- Author: Team Mediation: An Interdisciplinary Model Balancing Mediation in the "Matrix," 7:1 Pepp. Disp. Resol. L.J. 113 (2007)
- Speaker: "Team Mediation," International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Forum, 2005.
Representative Cases
- Drayton v. Mesmer-Drayton, 54034 (La. App. 2 Cir 09/22/21), 328 So. 3d 514
- Boutte v. Boutte, 19-734 (La. App. 3 Cir 07/08/20), 304 So. 3d 467
- Carver v. Carver, 17-1055 (La. App. 3 Cir 04/18/18), 243 So. 3d 1066
- Stewart v. Batts, 17-322 (La. App. 3 Cir 10/04/17), 229 So. 3d 572
- Alwast v. Loera, 16-00505 (La. App. 3 Cir 08/10/16)
- Olson v. Olson, 50629 (La. App. 2 Cir 05/18/16), 196 So. 3d 19
- Olson v. Olson, 159 So. 3d 448 (La. 2015)
- Olson v. Olson, 2014-1063 (La. 10/03/14), 149 So. 3d 275
- Olson v. Olson, 48968 (La. App. 2 Cir 04/23/14), 139 So. 3d 539
- Mizell v. Stone, 15-244 (La. App. 3 Cir 12/09/15), 181 So. 3d 842
- Chamberlin v. Chamberlin, 14-1322 (La. App. 3 Cir 04/22/15), 176 So. 3d 1118
- Ast v. Ast, 14-1282 (La. App. 3 Cir 04/01/15), 162 So. 3d 720
- In re Adoption of M.A.D., 14-428 (La. App. 3 Cir 12/03/14), 161 So. 3d 811
- White v. White, 14-379 (La. App. 3 Cir 05/21/14), 144 So. 3d 1243
- Stephens v. Stephens, 48957 (La. App. 2 Cir 04/09/14), 137 So. 3d 1242
- Bhati v. Bhati, 12-707 (La. App. 3 Cir 05/12/12), 103 So. 3d 1290
- Brunt v. Abernathy, 2012-0265 (La. 03/09/12), 83 So. 3d 1050
- Brunt v. Abernathy, 11-705 (La. App. 3 Cir 11/02/11), 79 So. 3d 425
- Thompson v. Thompson, 08-37 (La. App. 3 Cir 07/27/11)
- Taylor v. Taylor, 10-1503 (La. App. 3 Cir 05/04/11), 66 So. 3d 84
- Downey v. Downey, 57 So. 3d 609 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2011)
- Cass v. Cass, 52 So. 3d 215 (La.App. 3 Cir. 2010)
- D.R.S. v. L.E.K., 33 So. 3d 428 (La.App. 3 Cir. 2010)
- Politz v. Politz, 31 So. 3d 552 (La.App. 2 Cir. 2010)
- Davis v. Green, 5 So. 3d 291 (La.App. 2 Cir. 2009)
- Schaefer v. Paretti Imps., Inc., 997 So. 2d 619 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2008)
- Jones v. Willis, 996 So. 2d 364 (La.App. 2 Cir. 2008)
- Laurence v. Laurence, 957 So. 2d 931 (La.App. 3 Cir. 2007)
- Gold, Weems, Bruser, Sues & Rundell v. Granger, 947 So. 2d 835 (La.App. 3 Cir. Dec. 29, 2006)
- W.R.M. v. H.C.V., 923 So. 2d 916 (La.App. 3 Cir. Mar. 1, 2006)
- W.R.M. v. H.C.V., 923 So. 2d 911 (La.App. 3 Cir. Mar. 1, 2006)
- Lea v. Sanders, 890 So.2d 764, 2004-762 (La. App. 3 Cir. 12/22/04)
- Arnette v. NPC Services, Inc., (La. App. 1st Cir. 9/28/01) 809 So. 2d 384
- Pulver v. 1st Lake Properties, Inc., 96-248 (La. App. 5th Cir. 9/18/96), 681 So.2d 965
Legal Fraternities
- Delta Theta Phi