Stutes & Lavergne Law Firm

Bios

• 

  Rusty Stutes

  Partner/Member

  Russell J. Stutes, Jr. ("Rusty") is the managing partner of Stutes & Lavergne law firm. Rusty attended Louisiana State University, where he received both an undergraduate degree in Accounting and his J.D. Upon his graduation from law school, he attended the University of Florida Law School, where he received his LL.M. in taxation, finishing second in his class. While in law school, Rusty served as Chairman of the Moot Court Board. In law school, Rusty was on Chancellor’s List multiple semesters, was the recipient of two American Jurisprudence Awards, as well as the Tullis-Herget Scholarship, which is given for academic excellence, and graduated in the top 11% of his class. At the University of Florida, Rusty served as a graduate assistant on the Florida Tax Law Review and as an aide to Professor Steven J. Willis. ​ Rusty has been honored by The Times of Lake Charles as being a member of its prestigious 40 Community Leaders Under 40. Rusty is also a fellow to the Louisiana Bar Foundation and has served twice as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association. He served as the 1999-2000 Chair of the Louisiana Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Since 1995, Rusty has lectured as an Adjunct Professor of Business and Tax Law at McNeese State University and beginning in 2016 as Adjunct Professor of State and Local Taxation at Louisiana State University's Paul M. Hebert Law Center. He is a frequent lecturer on tax and estate planning topics at seminars throughout Louisiana. In 2012, Rusty endowed the Stutes-Kalinka Moot Court team at Louisiana State University's Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Rusty is a life-long member of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic parish, the past Chair of the St. Louis Catholic High School Board, and the past Chair of The Christus St. Patrick Hospital Board of Directors. Rusty maintains an extensive business, tax, estate planning, estate administration, expropriation and commercial office practice. Of particular importance to all such clients, Rusty has litigated to successful verdict in excess of 100 bench and jury trials ranging into all of areas of his practice. Rusty is board certified in tax law and has been honored by inclusion in the prestigious "Super Lawyers" and "Best Lawyers in America" in the field of taxation.​​

  Link: Rusty Stutes

• 

  Jody Lavergne

  Partner/Member

  Jody Lavergne is a life long resident of Southwest Louisiana. He is married with four children. Jody represents clients with serious injury and death claims. Early in his career, he worked for both plaintiffs and large commercial defendants including major insurance companies. Jody now focuses solely on helping people who have been injured in automobile, truck, industrial, and offshore accidents. He also represents injured workers with their workers' compensation claims. Jody has previously taught business law as an adjunct member of the McNeese State University faculty. He received his J. D. degree in 2001 from LSU Law School where he was selected to serve as a member of the Moot Court Board and advanced to the semifinals of the Tullis Moot Court competition. He is a member of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice.

  Link: Jody Lavergne

• 

  Shelley Bouillion

  Attorney

  Shelley Bouillion is a lifelong resident of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. After graduating magna cum laude with a B.S. in accounting from McNeese in 1999, Shelley became employed as a paralegal to Rusty Stutes. Shelley took a sabatical from employment to attend law school at LSU in 2010. In 2013, Shelley returned to Stutes & Lavergne as an associate attorney. Shelley is married to Blake Bouillion, and together, they have three children.

  Link: Shelley Bouillion

• 

  Jeanette DeWitt-Kyle

  Injury Attorney

  Jeanette DeWitt-Kyle is a lifelong resident of Southwest Louisiana. She joined Stutes & Lavergne in 2012. Her practice focuses solely on helping people who have been injured in automobile, truck, industrial, work-related, and other serious accidents. She also helps people who have bad-faith claims against their own insurance companies. Her persistent, passionate advocacy has led to millions of dollars in recovery for her clients in both settlements and trial awards. Jeanette went to school in Moss Bluff and graduated from Sam Houston High School. After high school, she attended the McNeese State University Honors College, graduating summa cum laude in 2008 with two degrees, one in English and one in French. While she was in college, she worked a swing shift on the copy desk at the Lake Charles American Press. After college, Jeanette attended law school at Louisiana State University, graduating with honors in 2011. While in law school, Jeanette consistently earned high grades, including the top grades in her legal writing, family law seminar, Louisiana civil procedure, and family law classes. She was a member of the Moot Court Board and participated in the Law Center’s family law mediation clinic. Jeanette chose to return home to Lake Charles after law school. She clerked for Judge David Ritchie at the Fourteenth Judicial District Court before she joined Stutes & Lavergne. In 2015, she studied case presentation in Napa, Calif., with the well-known trial strategist Rodney Jew. She is a member of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, and Louisiana Association for Justice. Jeanette believes that a good education opens doors, and it is the duty of everyone who has benefited from their education to hold that door open for others. She teaches a U.S. Government class to tenth-graders at Bishop Noland High School, where is she is grateful for a chance to witness the origin story of future senators, surgeons, inventors, and writers. All of Jeanette’s career and personal achievements have had the unconditional support of her amazing husband, Trevor. They have two young children: a son and a daughter. In Jeanette’s spare time, she enjoys growing English roses, reading literary novels, and planning road trips with her family. She loves to learn and is always in the middle of a deep dive into a new and interesting subject. Her son is the same way; both he and his mom enjoy staying up past bedtime to talk about big ideas. Jeanette’s daughter belongs to a lineage of women who value their intellect and are unafraid to use it. She is already earning praise for carrying on the family tradition.

  Link: Jeanette DeWitt-Kyle

• 

  Deil LaLande

  Injury Attorney

  Deil J. Lalande is a personal injury attorney representing clients primarily through personal injury, property damage, and medical malpractice claims. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in Louisiana each of the last 4 years. ​ Deil obtained his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Psychology from McNeese State University. At McNeese, Deil was actively involved as an officer and member of several organizations, as well as a founding member of the McNeese chapters of Pi Kappa Alpha, Order of Omega Society, and McNeese NAACP. ​ Deil received his Juris Doctor in Civil Law from Loyola New Orleans College of Law. He was awarded Top 10 Oral Advocate at the ABA Moot Court Competition in Seattle, WA and coached the National Criminal Procedure team the following year. Deil was President of the Student Bar Association and a member of the Public Interest Law Journal, St. Thomas More Inn of Court, and the Order of Barristers. While in law school, Deil assisted indigent clients as a Rule XX Student Practitioner for the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic in both Criminal Defense and Workplace Justice. He was also chosen as class speaker for the 2016 Loyola College of Law Commencement Ceremony. ​ Prior to working for Stutes & Lavergne, LLC, Deil began his legal career at Davidson Meaux in Lafayette, LA, where he practiced in the areas of civil and commercial defense litigation, with an emphasis on premises liability and employment law. While in Lafayette, he participated in various pro bono services in Lafayette, including representing individuals in divorces and obtaining protective orders for domestic abuse victims. In 2017, he received the Champions of Justice Outstanding Lawyer Award for his service to the Lafayette community. Outside of the office, Deil enjoys cooking and spending time with his family and friends. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys attending several sporting events. He is a proud McNeese alumnus, and he currently serves as an advisor for the Lambda Upsilon Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha.

  Link: Deil LaLande

• 

  Russ Stutes

  Attorney

  Russell "Russ" J. Stutes, III recently began his legal career as an associate attorney at Stutes & Lavergne. Raised in Lake Charles, Russ graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School in 2010. He earned his B.S. in Accounting from LSU in 2015. While at LSU, Russ held various jobs in the Baton Rouge area and helped underprivileged individuals file their yearly tax returns. Russ then graduated from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2018 to obtain his J.D. While in law school, he spent a summer in the LSU Law Abroad program where he attended classes in Lyon, France. On campus, Russ held various positions on the Student Bar Association every year of law school, including 1L Class Representative, SBA Executive Treasurer, and SBA Executive Vice-President. He also participated in the National Tax Moot Court Competition twice, where his team reached the quarterfinals and placed 4th overall in addition to receiving Runner-up Best Brief. He dedicates the majority of his practice to tax and commercial litigation, but also assists clients in general business law, estate planning, and successions matters. He maintains a seat on the board of the Young Lawyers Section of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association. Outside of the office, Russ is married to another lifelong Lake Charles resident, Marissa Fraser Stutes. They spend their free time cheering on the LSU Tigers, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

  Link: Russ Stutes

• 

  Matt Trahan

  Attorney

  Matt Trahan is a lifelong resident of Southwest Louisiana who is committed to giving back to his community maintaining a seat as a member of the Board of Commissioners of Community Center and Playground District No. Four of Ward One, commonly known as the Moss Bluff Park Board. He is married to lifelong Moss Bluff resident, Katie Trahan, and they have a beautiful, young daughter. He recently began his legal career as an associate attorney at Stutes & Lavergne. He graduated from South Beauregard High School in 2013 and earned his B.S. in General Studies from McNeese in 2017. While at McNeese, he played for the McNeese baseball team for two-years, and then, was a student-assistant coach for the baseball team while maintaining the baseball field. Matt did not go the traditional route by going directly to law school, but he held various careers in corrections, law enforcement, electrical trade, and worked at various local auto dealerships on the service and repair side. He then graduated from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2023 to obtain his J.D. with a certificate in Comparative Law. While in law school, he spent his summers interning and clerking at various law firms in the Lake Charles area. He dedicates the majority of his practice to tax and commercial litigation, but also assists clients in general business law, estate planning, and successions matters. He is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association and maintains a seat on the board of the Young Lawyers Section of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association. Outside of the office for nearly a decade, he is a member of the Louisiana High School Officials Association for football and baseball official, and he officiated a state championship football game in 2020. Starting January 2026, he will be the President of the Lake Charles Area Football Officials Association. Matt and Katie spend their free time cheering on the McNeese Cowboys, the LSU Tigers, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

  Link: Matt Trahan