Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory launches law firm after winning election

Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory opened a new law practice after winning election in November as a potential workaround to allow him to keep his business while in office.

Guillory’s new firm, Acadiana Family Law, LLC, was officially incorporated with the state on Dec. 9, according to records from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office that show Guillory as the owner and an employee from his personal practice as its official agent.

Guillory said Monday he will own and oversee the new firm but he won't actively practice law.

"I’m not going to be practicing because I’m a full-time mayor-president," Guillory said.

"I’m the owner-operator," he added. "The responsible attorney is Brandy Dupuis. If Brandy has questions, sure she can call me. We’ll make time after hours or maybe I’ll swing over there on a lunch break."

Guillory drew criticism for his non-committal responses last fall to claims that he would continue to practice law after taking office. But during a debate before the election, the new mayor-president said he understood the position was a full-time job and would "do my very best to close out my cases before I’m sworn in."

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“I have to close down my practice, the brick and mortar practice,” he said in November.

The new firm appears to be his solution to that situation.

State regulations don't prevent attorneys who hold public office from practicing law except in special cases, like certain judges, Charles Plattsmire, of the state's Office of Disciplinary Counsel, said Monday.

Still, Lafayette's Home Rule Charter calls the mayor-president's position a full-time job, and prevents Guillory from engaging in any non-government “business that would interfere with or detract from the performance of duties as mayor-president.”

Guillory said Monday he has received legal opinions that clear him to own the new practice while serving as mayor-president.

Firm's ads lacked attorneys' names

The newly created Acadiana Family Law first appeared on Nov. 27, when a Facebook page and a website for the firm were created, less than two weeks after the Nov. 16 election.

That Facebook page's slogan reads, “Family Law...it’s all that we do,” and explains that the firm “consists of proud, dedicated, and fearless family law attorneys." As of Monday, the page didn’t include the names of any of the firm’s employees or Guillory.

Since December, the firm has run a pair of ads through its Facebook page claiming to be “the top family law attorneys in Acadiana” and soliciting new clients. But Guillory’s name is absent, which could put him in trouble with the Louisiana State Bar Association.

The Louisiana State Bar Association’s rules require that “all advertisements and unsolicited written communications pursuant to these rules shall include the name of at least one lawyer responsible for their content.”

It is unclear whether Facebook ads fall under the bar association's rules for electronic advertisements, which don't differentiate between electronic ads and social media ads.

Guillory said Monday that he wasn't certain the Facebook ads fell under that provision but, if so, it was an oversight that could be quickly corrected.

"I’m not perfect. I am human, and I feel like that’s an easy fix going forward," he said.

Before Sunday, the firm's incorporation records were the only documents tying Guillory’s name to the new firm, despite the company’s use of the same phone number and address as Guillory’s personal law firm. On Sunday, Guillory’s name and the name of another attorney were added to the bottom of the firm’s website.

Nearly all of the language on the new firm’s website is copied verbatim from the website of Guillory’s personal firm, with changes made to remove Guillory’s name and identifying information.

His original firm, the Law Office of Joshua S. Guillory, LLC, was incorporated in 2012, shortly after he finished his law degree and joined the state bar.

Attorneys added to website Sunday

According to ownership records, the new firm’s website outlining its various family law services was created on Nov. 27, but Guillory’s name didn’t appear anywhere on that website before Sunday, and it doesn’t appear in the site’s ownership records at all.

On Sunday, Guillory’s name was added to the bottom of the new firm’s website as its owner and licensed attorney. Brandy Dupuis was also added to the website Sunday as the firm’s responsible attorney. Dupuis was admitted to the bar in 2002 and most recently operated her own firm.

Archived copies of the website show it before and after the names were added Sunday.

Before that, the site did not disclose the number of attorneys working for the firm, nor the names of any employees, and included several discrepancies in its descriptions as to whether the firm consists of one attorney or many.

Guillory said Monday the website was updated to include his name and Dupuis' over the weekend for "full candor."

"I went ahead and put my name on as operator and licensed attorney. So that should be updated," he said. "Personally, I don’t think there’s much here."

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