As managing partner and co-founder of the Gertler Law Firm, Meyer H. “Mike” Gertler has spent decades advocating for Louisianans in complex personal injury, product liability, toxic exposure, mass tort, and class action matters. Mike launched the firm with his father, Judge David Gertler, in 1975, and he continues to lead high-stakes litigation in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.
Profile & Approach
Mike’s practice is built on early investigation, careful expert selection, and trial-ready preparation. He believes leverage at the courthouse drives fairer settlements, so every case is built like it will be tried. Clients and co-counsel look to him for strategy on evidence preservation, complex damages modeling, and multi-defendant coordination in cases that span vehicles, premises, products, medical negligence, industrial accidents, and toxic exposure.
Practice Focus
- Catastrophic Personal Injury & Wrongful Death: (serious crashes, industrial incidents, construction injuries)
- Product Liability & Mass Torts: (consumer products, medical devices, pharmaceuticals)
- Toxic Exposure & Asbestos/Mesothelioma
- Complex Litigation & Class Actions: (including leadership roles in coordinated proceedings)
These areas reflect the firm’s long-standing plaintiff focus in New Orleans and across Louisiana.
Notable Matters & Leadership
Mike helped steer firm leadership in tobacco litigation that resulted in a 10-year, $241 million smoking cessation program for Louisiana residents, an unprecedented remedial program affirmed in key Louisiana appellate rulings and widely discussed in national coverage.
Recognition & Honors
- Super Lawyers®: selections, reflecting peer recognition in personal injury, product liability, and medical malpractice categories. SuperLawyers.com
- Best Lawyers®: listings recognizing work in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Litigation Plaintiffs.
- Firm-level listings in Best Law Firms/Best Lawyers for personal injury and product liability.
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Awards are not a guarantee of outcome. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts and law.
Representative Case Types
- Vehicle & Transportation: multi-vehicle crashes on I-10/I-610, commercial trucking on Crescent City Connection/Westbank Expressway, pedestrian and rideshare injuries.
- Premises & Negligent Security: falls and unsafe condition injuries at hotels, retail centers (e.g., Lakeside, Riverwalk, Oakwood Center), garages, and event venues (Caesars Superdome, Smoothie King Center).
- Product Liability: defective appliances and consumer products, medical devices, and industrial equipment failures.
- Medical Negligence: surgical error, failure to diagnose, birth-related injury.
- Toxic Exposure: asbestos/mesothelioma and other exposure-related injuries in industrial and maritime settings.
(Examples reflect typical New Orleans venues and corridors; they are illustrative, not accusations against specific businesses.)
Results & Client Impact
Mike’s cases focus on restoring stability after life-changing losses medical care, wage replacement, future treatment, life care needs, and loss of earning capacity, and on holding every responsible party accountable (drivers/employers, owners/managers, manufacturers, and insurers). The firm’s long track record includes landmark class results and significant individual recoveries across product, premises, and catastrophic injury litigation. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Education & Admissions
- Tulane University Law School, J.D. (Super Lawyers profile lists law degree and dates)
- Louisiana Bar, admitted 1970.
Leadership, Writing & Community
- Public interest recognition: Mike was named a 2005 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award Finalist by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (now Public Justice) for work on Scott v. American Tobacco Co., the landmark class action that resulted in a court-ordered, statewide smoking cessation program.
- Published writing: Mike authored “Point: Lawyer Advertising Enough is Enough” (Jefferson Bar, Aug/Sept 2016), addressing transparency and consumer protection in lawyer advertising, particularly how results are framed and what information helps the public evaluate counsel.
- Pro bono service: Local coverage highlights Mike’s hands-on pro bono work taking on matters for people with immediate needs (including a neighbor dispute and a prisoner’s writ of habeas corpus) and providing no-fee legal reviews when appropriate.
- Community support: The firm supports Jewish Family Service and other community initiatives, reflecting a long-standing commitment to access to justice and local charities.
- Professional recognition & leadership: Ongoing listings in Super Lawyers® (under Meyer H. Gertler) and Best Lawyers® (including multiple “Lawyer of the Year” honors) underscore Mike’s leadership in plaintiff litigation.
Professional Memberships
- The National Trial Lawyers: (Top 100 – firm materials)
- Listings in Best Lawyers® and Super Lawyers®
Contact
Have a question about a serious injury, product defect, toxic exposure, or mass tort claim in Louisiana? Call (504) 581-6411 to speak with Mike and our team.