KEY TAKEAWAYS:   John E. Galloway, founding partner of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr Smith, has died following an illness.   He co-founded the firm in 1987 and helped grow it into a regional litigation practice with 14 offices and more than 140 attorneys.   Galloway was widely respecte d as a trial lawyer and mentor, contributing to the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy and LSU Law‘s Trial Advocacy Program.  He was previously recognized by New Orleans CityBusiness as a Leadership in Law honoree.   John E. Galloway, founding partner of New Orleans-based Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr Smith, has died following an illness, the law firm announced. Galloway retired in 2017 after helping build the firm into one of the Gulf South’s largest defense litigation practices. Galloway co-founded the firm in 1987 alongside three partners and two associates. Nearly four decades later, the firm has grown to more than 140 attorneys practicing in 14 offices across seven states, representing clients in commercial litigation, insurance defense, maritime law, professional liability and other areas. The firm credited Galloway’s leadership and commitment to professionalism with helping shape its culture and long-term growth. Throughout his legal career, Galloway focused on personal injury, property damage and professional liability defense litigation. He was admitted to practice in Louisiana and Texas after earning both his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University. He also remained active in the legal profession through organizations including the New Orleans Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute and the Maritime Law Association of the United States. Galloway served as a faculty member for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy and LSU Law’s Trial Advocacy Program. In 2013, he received the Arceneaux Professionalism Award from the New Orleans Bar Association. Jason P. Waguespack, the firm’s managing director, said Galloway’s influence extended beyond his courtroom accomplishments. “John was a tremendous lawyer, widely recognized for his ability to try cases and his unceasing professionalism. He was also a patient and wise mentor to many of us as we started at the firm and moved up over the years. No matter how busy he was, he would always put down his pen and give you his full attention when you went into his office for advice.” The firm said Galloway’s emphasis on mentorship helped shape generations of attorneys, noting that he consistently made time to advise colleagues despite a demanding practice. Galloway was also recognized by New Orleans CityBusiness as a Leadership in Law honoree. Reflecting on his career at the time, he said, “I believe I chose a career that is important in terms of getting disputes settled in a civil manner.” In its announcement, Galloway Johnson said Galloway’s vision and leadership established the foundation for the firm’s continued growth and that his legacy will endure through the attorneys he mentored and the regional practice he helped build. The firm also noted that he is survived by family and reunited with his wife, Blanche, who died less than four months earlier. ...read more read less