Jeff Gelpi is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller, where he practices in the environmental and commercial litigation groups. He routinely defends major oil and gas companies in high-stakes lawsuits with exposure in the hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars, primarily involving allegations that historical exploration and production activities caused environmental contamination. Jeff also represents clients in a variety of commercial disputes.
Prior to joining the firm, Jeff served as a law clerk to the Honorable Carl J. Barbier of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (2015-2016). Jeff later served as a law clerk to the Honorable Edith Brown Clement of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (2019-2020). Through his federal clerkships, Jeff brings to his practice diverse litigation experience at both the trial and appellate levels as well as extensive insight into the inner workings of federal courts.
Jeff is listed as a Rising Star by Louisiana Super Lawyers for 2020 and 2023-2024.
- Representation of major oil and gas companies in lawsuits alleging that soil, sediment, groundwater, drinking water, and other types of environmental contamination were caused by oil and gas exploration and production activities, gas processing operations, and refining operations throughout Louisiana
- Representation of major oil and gas companies in oil field legacy litigation involving Louisiana Act 312, as well as claims for alleged breaches of mineral leases, surface leases, and the Louisiana Mineral Code
- Representation of major oil and gas company in connection with claims of environmental property damage related to exploration and production activities resulting in complete dismissal of claims at the summary judgment stage
- Representation of major oil and gas company in connection with claims of regulatory violations resulting in complete dismissal of claims at the peremptory exceptions stage
- Representation of client in claims for toxic exposure, property damage, and nuisance relating to fracking operations in Ohio
Jeff earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University in 2012. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Tulane University Law School in 2015, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an editor of the Tulane Law Review, a member of the Tulane Moot Court Board, and a Legal Research and Writing Senior Fellow. Jeff received the Charles Janvier II Award for his contributions to the Tulane Law Review, Dean Rufus C. Harris Civil Law Awards for his publications on civil law subjects, the James Cooke Johnson Scholarship, and the Dean’s Medal. After graduation, Jeff was appointed to serve as a junior member of the Louisiana State Law Institute.
During law school, Jeff served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Sarah S. Vance, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Jeff also worked as a research assistant to Professor A. N. Yiannopoulos, editing his fifth and final edition of the Civil Law Property volume of the Louisiana Civil Law Treatise, and to Professor Ronald J. Scalise Jr., focusing on Louisiana civil law topics.
- Admitted, Louisiana, 2016; United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana; United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- Louisiana State, American, and Federal Bar Associations (Board of Directors, Younger Lawyers Division of the Federal Bar Association, New Orleans Chapter); Louisiana State Law Institute
- Risks of ESG Within Your Corporation: The Rise in Greenwashing Claims, Association of Corporate Counsel Energy Network Legal Update, June 21, 2023
- Risks of ESG Within Your Corporation: The Rise in Greenwashing Claims, Stay out of Hot Water, A Kean Miller CLE, Houston, TX, April 13, 2023
- Has Prescription Preempted Peremption?: A Plea To Bury the Ghosts of Survival Actions, 89 Tul. L. Rev. 253 (2014)
- Living Separate and Apart Continuously: The Louisiana Supreme Court Relates Disavowal to Divorce in Pociask v. Moseley, 88 Tul. L. Rev. 983 (2014)
- Board Member, Lafayette Square Conservancy