Donald L. BecknerDonald L. Beckner is a former United States Attorney and a former Assistant District Attorney.  He was appointed United States Attorney by President Jimmy Carter.  Mr. Beckner has over thirty years of litigation experience in federal, state, and appellate courts.   Mr. Beckner obtains many of his cases as the result of referral by other law firms and by association of Mr. Beckner in a particular matter.  Mr. Beckner limits his practice to major, complex litigation involving securities, S.E.C. enforcement action, construction, federal white-collar crime, bankruptcy and business and commercial litigation.  Most of Mr. Beckner corporate and individual clients are not residents of Louisiana, and the matters in which they sought Mr. Beckner’s services occurred outside the state of Louisiana and even in foreign countries, including France, Great Britain, and the Republic of Sudan.

Mr. Beckner has tried over 300 civil and criminal jury trials in federal and state courts with only a few adverse verdicts.  He has argued a large number of cases in various federal and state appeals courts.  Significant litigation has included the claim of a minority shareholder that was finally settled for $26 million after years of litigation that included a five-week jury trial and three separate and successful appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Obtained a settlement of $ 1 million of behalf of a corporate client in a civil RICO action.  Developed a construction contract claim against the U. S. Navy that ultimately settled for $ 8 million.  Successfully defended a bank against a securities fraud claim brought against the bank in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  Successfully defended a corporate client against a $1.2 million civil fraud claim.  Negotiated sale of the control of a corporation for $ 5 million.   Represented on appeal the President of a corporate client with $ 800 million in annual sales in a criminal anti-trust litigation.  Negotiated a favorable settlement of an I.R.S. claim in excess of $ 1 million against a corporate client.  Successful in winning complex bankruptcy litigation on behalf of client-creditor against the debtor in possession.  Obtained two separate reductions in sentence for the alleged United States manager of an entity that perpetrated a $ 60 million fraud scheme in medium term bank debenture trading program allegedly involving the top twenty banks in Europe, with the entire episode being written up in a national business magazine.  Defended enforcement actions brought by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Clients have included a Governor of Louisiana, a United States Senator, and a former United States Ambassador.