PMB Of Counsel attorney Laura Gravener was recently recognized in the 2024 New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law Class.
Leadership in Law honors attorneys in the New Orleans area who not only excel in the legal world but also in the community. Included in the publication is a statement from each attorney detailing their journey into the legal industry and a case they felt was rewarding or memorable.
Laura was recently honored at an event at the New Orleans Museum of Art and is included in the most recent edition of New Orleans CityBusiness. The publication includes a statement from each attorney.
Laura’s statement can be found below or here.
Laura Spansel Gravener’s practice involves commercial defense primarily focused on insurance cases, representing insurers in catastrophic injury or property damage cases often involving complex, high-dollar disputes.
From major trucking injuries to explosions in chemical factories or refineries, Gravener conducts in-depth analysis of insurance policies to determine if the conditions of coverage were met.
Recently, Gravener secured a significant ruling in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of insurance agents that set a federal precedent.
Gravener’s notable representations have included Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19-related claims, and insurance litigation arising from the Hard Rock Hotel collapse. She even represented “Blue Dog” artist George Rodrigue’s hurricane-related loss of business claims.
“In insurance, I find you can always bet on some kind of large-scale event to make you really busy,” Gravener said. “Hurricanes, oil spills, pandemics, and other catastrophic events are almost inevitable.”
Her specialization in insurance may come as no surprise given her entrance into the profession in a post-Katrina New Orleans landscape.
After graduating Loyola Law and passing the bar just before Hurricane Katrina’s approach in 2005, Gravener’s federal clerkship in New Orleans suddenly moved to Baton Rouge. After returning to New Orleans, she worked as an associate at a firm that represented major insurance clients like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and Chubb.
“That’s really how I got into insurance,” Gravener said. “We were so flooded with cases, I got to do things associates usually don’t.”
An editor of the Louisiana Bar Journal for four years, she is also active in her church parish, St. Pius X, where she does fundraising work with Access Pregnancy Center and Woman’s New Life Clinic. She also enjoys involvement in her children’s activities and riding in the Krewe of Iris.