ATTORNEYS

David E. Verlander, III

My law practice is a part of who I am. 
​
Practice areas include:
  • Health care law
  • Contracts and Small Business
  • Medical malpractice defense
  • Trials
  • Personal injury
  • Automobile accidents
  • Wrongful death
  • Business disputes
  • Appeals
  • Legal malpractice
  • ​Mediation
McLeod Verlander serves clients in Monroe
and throughout north Louisiana.
Biographical details
Author: “We Are Responsible,” Tulane Civil Law Forum, Vol. II, 1974
“Article 2317 Liability: An Analysis of Louisiana Jurisprudence Since Loescher v. Parr,” 25 Loyola Law Review 263, 1979

Charter Fellow, Louisiana Bar Foundation​ (Board of Directors 2018-2022; Grants Committee; Governance Committee; Northeast Louisiana Community Partnership Panel; Northeast Louisiana Regional Development Group)

Charter Fellow of Northeast Louisiana Bar Foundation (Board of Directors, President 2023 and 2024)
Awards and Recognitions Include:
Admitted
Louisiana, 1974
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1974
U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 1974
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, 1974
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1974
U.S. Supreme Court, 1983

Education
Tulane University, J.D., 1974
Tulane University, B.A., 1972

Associations and Memberships
  • Fourth Judicial District (President, 2000)
  • Louisiana State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association (Member, Sections on: Litigation; Tort and Personal Injury; Health and Hospital Law)
  • Bar Association of the 5th Circuit
  • Master of the Bench, Fred J. Fudickar, Jr. American Inn of Court (Charter Member; President, 1993-1994; 2014-2015)

HISTORY of McLeod Verlander Law Firm

Robert P. McLeod graduated from the Tulane University School of Law and began his law practice in 1970. 

David E. Verlander III graduated from Tulane Law School, and began his practice in 1974.

The firm began as the Law Offices of Robert P. McLeod, in Monroe, Louisiana.  Bob and David were both practicing in the northeast Louisiana area, and joined together in early 1978.  By 1980 and with the addition of Johnny Dollar, the firm was renamed McLeod, Verlander, & Dollar.  The group expanded rapidly, partly through lateral mergers with other small law firms, and by 1986 included 15 attorneys and was named “McLeod, Swearingen, Verlander, Dollar, Price & Noah”, and occupied its location at 1900 North 19th Street, in the Premiere Plaza building, in Monroe, Louisiana.

At that time the firm provided comprehensive legal services, including a real estate department, a bankruptcy department, taxation and estate planning, business transactions, and civil litigation.  It grew to a maximum of 17 attorneys and over 50 employees, and was the largest law firm in the northeastern quadrant of the state.

By the mid-1990’s, various changes had occurred affecting some of the individual partners and also the market in the area.  In response to these, one partner left to become president of a local university.  The attorneys divided into two distinct law firms, and the current firm was at that time composed of six attorneys under the name of McLeod, Verlander, Eade & Verlander.  The firm’s practice was concentrated on civil litigation.

Thereafter Ellen Eade and Paul Verlander departed and the firm became “McLeod Verlander”, with Robert McLeod and David Verlander again the sole partners.  It remained focused on civil litigation, largely family law, tort matters, medical law, and litigation of business disputes.

In 2005, Robert McLeod took a leave of absence for health reasons and thereafter retired from the active practice of law (although remaining “of counsel” to the firm).  Not long thereafter the firm ceased to handle family law disputes and concentrated on civil litigation, largely defending claims of medical negligence, resolving business disputes, and litigating selected tort matters. 

David Verlander has since 2005 been the sole owner of the firm.

David Verlander works actively as a mediator and as an arbitrator of civil disputes, most recently sitting as arbitrator and mediator of medical malpractice lawsuits.