John-Michael Lomzenski
Associate

Overview

A young attorney with experience ranging from the courtroom to transactional matters, John-Michael is firmly committed and singularly focused on working with clients to achieve their objectives. He is a creative thinker who develops solutions for complex legal problems.

After graduating cum laude from Tulane University Law School, John-Michael was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 2020 and began private practice in Lake Charles that same year. In 2023, he joined the firm of Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry. Since beginning his practice, a primary focus of his practice area has been assisting and advising clients in connection with the creation of wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and working with families to assist in the administration of estates and trusts. He strives to be a compassionate advocate and advisor to his clients to help guide them for the efficient and orderly distribution in accordance with the loved one’s intent. He has also successfully litigated concerning contested estates and trusts issues, such as the interpretation of a Last Will and Testament and a Trustee’s failure to distribute trust assets in accordance with the trust instrument. For these matters, due to their often personal and difficult nature, he strives to guide his clients to a satisfactory and timely resolution.

John-Michael also routinely assists clients in a real estate and oil & gas related matters. From relatively straightforward matters such as the preparation of owner-financed instruments to voluntary partitions to more complex matters such as the creation of a Louisiana limited liability company to hold a foreign revocable trust’s interest in Louisiana mineral royalties, the creation of restrictive covenants of a newly created residential subdivision, to litigation involving the adverse possession of a client dating over 50+ years and the recognition of his ownership via acquisitive prescription, he cherishes any opportunity to work with clients to accomplish their real estate needs from its sale, acquisition, and development.

John-Michael is also able to work and assist with clients in a wide spectrum transactional related matters including the creation and dissolution of various types of business entities for small businesses or real estate holdings, creation of joint venture agreements, preparation of commercial and residential leases, and advisement to clients on employment related matters.

An active participant in the local bar, John-Michael has served as a board member of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association - Young Lawyers Division and Co-Chair for the Southwest Louisiana Title Examiner’s Roundtable.

Originally a native of Bogalusa, Louisiana, John-Michael, along with his wife, Hailey, are glad to call Southwest Louisiana “home” for years to come. He respectfully requests a two-day “grace” period after his LSU Tigers lose any football game to Hailey’s alma mater, Texas A&M.

Representative Experience

  • Assisted Local Counsel in reference to the acquisition by an out-of-state business entity of four Louisiana commercial properties as party of a larger $70+ million multi-state transaction, including addressing zoning, licensing, and tenant issues, as well as the review of the acquisition and security agreements related to the acquisition by the client of Louisiana-specific properties.
  • Has advised and worked with nearly 60+ succession representatives in their management and administration of all sizes of estates ranging from small and large, including amicable resolution of complex issues such as the tax implications of the estate’s receipt, as a named beneficiary, of an IRA, partition of community property estate between surviving spouse and non-related intestate heirs, and the satisfaction of a forced heir’s legitime by allocation of specific estate assets to provide for simplest resolution for all parties post-close of a decedent’s succession.
  • Successfully litigated and obtained amicable resolution on behalf of client against defendant regarding breach under commercial lease agreement of oil field equipment used in the western United States
  • Successfully “cleared” title to residential real estate inherited by a client by successfully litigating and obtaining a court judgment via a possessory action filed against alleged titled owners.
  • Successfully litigated and obtained settlement in the full amount of the cost to fully construct a recreational residence, an amount exceeding $200,000+, in a case whereby a client’s recreational residence was completely destroyed by property of a third-party.
  • Successfully probated a nuncupative Last Will and Testament over 55+ years old to assist the sale of commercial real estate along the I-10 interstate.
  • Assisted in the preparation of an investment agreement between the client, investor, and producer of a food and music festival.

Education

  • Louisiana State University. B.A., 2017
    • Honors: summa cum laude
    • Majors: Political Science and Psychology
  • Tulane University School of Law, J.D., 2020
    • Honors: cum laude

Professional Associations

  • Louisiana State Bar Association.
  • Southwest Louisiana Bar Association
  • Southwest Louisiana Bar Association – Young Lawyers Division
    • President Appointee Board Member – 2022
  • Southwest Louisiana Title Examiner’s Roundtable
    • Co-Chair – 2022-2023

Contact Details

Phone: 337-433-9436

Associate