Bringing a wealth of litigation and management experience to The Lanier Law Firm, Charles Herd concentrates on Jones Act maritime-related claims, asbestos/products liability cases and commercial matters.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Mr. Herd earned his bachelor of arts degree in 1978 from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was Student Body President. Mr. Herd then worked for a bank in Louisville, Ky., as a bank officer from 1978-1981. In 1981, he began law school at the University of Louisville School of Law, where he was on the Dean's List and earned his law degree in 1983. Mr. Herd earned a Master of Laws in Admiralty from Tulane Law School in New Orleans in 1985. He served as judicial law clerk to Federal Judge Lansing Mitchell of the Eastern District of Louisiana, and clerked for various law firms during this period.
Mr. Herd moved to Houston in 1985, where he joined and later was named Partner in the Admiralty Department for the firm of Fulbright & Jaworski. In 1996, he founded and became the Managing Partner of the Houston office of Fowler, Rodriguez & Chalos, where he grew the office from two to 10 lawyers. Mr. Herd joined The Lanier Law Firm in 2002 to continue to represent clients in Jones Act seaman cases, maritime-related claims, asbestos/products liability disputes, and commercial cases. In 2009 alone, Mr. Herd successfully resolved 12 different cases in which clients received an average award of $751,888.00.
Mr. Herd is licensed to practice in various state and federal courts in Texas, Louisiana and Kentucky. He was admitted to practice within the Supreme Court of the United States in 2005. He is further licensed to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.He is a member of and held offices in the Mariners Club of Houston, Maritime Law Association of the United States, Houston Marine Arbitration Association, and Propeller Club of the United States, Houston and Louisville Chapters. He also is a trained arbitrator. Mr. Herd has used his extensive experience in maritime and workers' compensation law to produce published works and teach seminars.
He resides in Houston with his wife Jenny and their two young children, Ashlyn and Charlie. Mr. Herd is an active leader in Cub Scouts and church activities, and he enjoys hiking, camping and sailing.
