Rittenberg, Samuel & Phillips, LLC
Message from Rittenberg, Samuel & Phillips, LLC:
The law firm of RITTENBERG, SAMUEL & PHILLIPS, LLC, ceased operations on August 31, 2026.
Attorney William Rittenberg retired several years ago.
Attorney Larry Samuel retired from the daily practice of law representing individual clients on August 31, 2026. His email address is [email protected]
Attorney M.H. Phillips continues in the full-time practice of law, handling wills, probate, successions and trusts. He has moved his office to another suite in the same building and can be reached at:
M.H. Phillips Attorney at Law LLC
1539 Jackson Avenue
Suite 630
New Orleans, LA 70130
Telephone: 504-524-5555 Extension 19 Present email address: [email protected]
Message from attorney Larry Samuel:
After 49 years of practicing law, I retired from the daily practice representing individual clients on September 1, 2026. I will serve as a consultant for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and its locals.
To my clients: I thank you for the trust and confidence that you placed in me. I hope that I lived up to your expectations.
To the members of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the local Federation unions throughout Louisiana:
To say that it has been my honor and my privilege to represent the LFT and the LFT locals in Louisiana would be a huge understatement. When I began law school over 50 years ago in 1975 I had no idea where my career would lead. In 1977, when I graduated from law school and passed the Bar Examination, I began as an Associate with the law firm of Nelson, Nelson & Lombard, and was mentored by John P. “Jack” Nelson, Jr., one of the finest lawyers – and finest people – I have ever met. He represented the United Teachers of New Orleans, and I worked on cases with him. We then began to represent the Jefferson Federation of Teachers.
In 1980, Jack left the law firm to become the Director of the Law Clinic at Loyola Law School. I then formed my own law firm, continuing to represent UTNO and JFT, which then led to representing the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and members of the other local unions throughout the state, affiliated with the LFT.
It has been an amazing ride for 49 years, getting to know and work with incredibly dedicated union leaders and educators throughout the state. I have the utmost respect for what each of you do, under very difficult circumstances.
I will continue to spread the word that public school educators are over-worked, under-appreciated, under-paid, constantly under undeserved attacks. I am confident, though, that LFT leadership will continue to improve the working conditions of its members.
If you are a member of the Federation and have a problem, or if I handled a matter for you, please call your local Federation leadership or office, or call LFT at 225-923-1037.
The LFT and the local affiliated unions have retained new legal counsel. I am pleased with their selections and I am working with each of them to make this a smooth transition.
Once again, we thank our clients for the trust and confidence that you placed in us.