Dismissal of Sucette Harbor case triggers malpractice claims, fee disputes
NEW ORLEANS — LSU Health Foundation New Orleans has filed a malpractice lawsuit against its former attorneys, alleging their handling of the failed Sucette Harbor litigation — including the use of artificial intelligence in court filings — led to the case’s dismissal and potential financial liability.
Download the LSU Health Foundation petition here.
LSU Health Foundation owns the former Al Copeland property at the western end of the Mandeville lakefront, the proposed site of the rejected Sucette Harbor development at the center of the now-dismissed lawsuit.
The lawsuit names both the attorneys individually and their law firms — Jones Fussel LLP and Riess Lemieux LLC — along with attorneys Michael Riess, Johanna Lambert and John Walker.
The lawsuit, filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court, names multiple attorneys and two law firms that represented the foundation in the federal case tied to the proposed Mandeville waterfront development.
In its petition, LSU alleges the attorneys failed to meet professional standards in prosecuting the case, citing errors in legal filings, missed procedural opportunities and the submission of a key brief containing fabricated case citations generated by artificial intelligence.
Learn More…
According to the filing, a June 2025 opposition brief included nonexistent legal authorities — sometimes referred to as “hallucinated” citations — which the court later disregarded. LSU claims the attorneys failed to verify those citations before filing and did not take adequate steps to correct the issue after it was raised.
The foundation further alleges that some attorneys billed for reviewing filings they did not fully examine and failed to properly respond to arguments raised by opposing counsel.
U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long ultimately dismissed the Sucette Harbor lawsuit with prejudice, ending the case. The ruling has since led to additional litigation over attorney’s fees, with the City of Mandeville and Councilman-at-Large Jason Zuckerman seeking to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs.
A printed local newspaper delivered to your mailbox! Subscribe Today!
In the new state court lawsuit, LSU argues the outcome of the federal case was directly caused by its attorneys’ conduct, including the flawed briefing and broader handling of the litigation. The foundation is seeking damages for the loss of its claims and any financial exposure resulting from the dismissal.
The filing marks a significant escalation in the ongoing legal fallout surrounding the Sucette Harbor project, which has spawned multiple disputes across federal and state courts, including an appeal of the dismissal now pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The attorneys named in the lawsuit have not yet publicly responded to the allegations in the new filing.
-30-
© 2026 Mandeville Daily. All rights reserved. Republishing permitted with attribution and link to the original article.
