Christy Johnson grew up in Alaska and worked on commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea, Pacific Ocean, and South Pacific. After ten years at sea, Ms. Johnson retired her fishing boots and obtained her Bachelors and Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga and Gonzaga Law School. Ms. Johnson then became licensed to practice law in Alaska where she practiced family law for a brief period. Not happy with the practice of family law and wanting to stay true to her roots, Ms. Johnson moved to New Orleans and obtained her Legal Masters in Maritime/Admiralty Law from Tulane Law School. Following the completion of her Legal Masters program, Ms. Johnson became licensed in Louisiana and spent ten years working as a defense attorney handling personal injury cases under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), the Defense Base Act (DBA), and the Jones Act. In January 2019, Ms. Johnson left the defense bar and formed Mainstay Law LLC where she focusses her practice on representing injured workers’ under the LHWCA and the DBA.

Because of her extensive offshore experiences and her maritime defense work, Ms. Johnson brings a unique perspective to her practice. She understands the hardships faced by those who work, and are injured, in austere environments. Furthermore, Ms. Johnson has personal knowledge as to how insurance carriers view workers’ compensation cases such as yours and how they develop their defense strategies against you. This gives Ms. Johnson an ability to help you navigate through your workers’ compensation case and best preserve your rights to medical and indemnity benefits under the LHWCA and the DBA. Ms. Johnson’s DBA practice takes her across the nation and around the world so wherever you reside, Ms. Johnson is ready to stand up for you.

Studies:

• Bachelors Degree from Gonzaga University in 2002
• Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga School of Law in 2005
• LL.M (Legal Masters) in Maritime/Admiralty Law from Tulane Law School in 2009

Admitted to practice in the following:

• All state courts of Alaska and Louisiana
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
• United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana
• United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana
• United States District Court, Southern District of Texas

Professional Memberships:

• American Bar Association
• Louisiana Bar Association
• Department of Labor Joint Bar Association
• Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group
• National Association of Certified Mediators
• Association for Conflict Resolution
• Port of New Orleans Mariners’ Club – President 2019

Michael Wawrzycki grew up in the Great Lakes region of New York, obtaining both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Binghamton University, before moving to New Orleans in 2003 to attend Tulane University Law School.  Since graduating in 2006, Mr. Wawrzycki has worked in a wide variety of legal fields, practicing at a large plaintiffs’ personal injury firm, small- to medium-sized defense firms, and as corporate in-house counsel.  The bulk of his experience, however, is in admiralty litigation, including personal injury cases under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), the Defense Base Act (DBA), and the Jones Act.  In November 2020, Mr. Wawrzycki joined Mainstay Law LLC, where he focuses his practice on representing injured workers under the LHWCA and the DBA.

Having worked for both plaintiffs and defendants; individuals, small companies, and large insurers; Mr. Wawrzycki has an advanced understanding of what admiralty claimants need to prove in court, how defense attorneys will go about trying to defeat those claims, and why courts rule as they do on pertinent legal issues.  This provides Mr. Wawrzycki with the capacity to help you with your workplace injury claim and preserve your rights to medical and indemnity benefits under the LHWCA and DBA.  Mr. Wawrzycki is ready to fight for you, no matter where you reside, no matter your circumstance.

Studies:

• Bachelor’s Degree from Binghamton University in 1998
• Master’s Degree from Binghamton University in 2001
• Juris Doctorate from Tulane University in 2006

Admitted to practice in the following:

• All state courts in the state of Louisiana;

• United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
• United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana
• United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana

• United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

Professional memberships:

• Louisiana Bar Association
• New Orleans Bar Association
• Department of Labor Joint Bar Association
• Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group

Pierce was born and raised in and around Chicago, IL.  He moved to New Orleans in 2002 for college at Tulane University and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 2011.  Since graduating, Pierce has dedicated his practice almost exclusively to claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and Defense Base Act (DBA).  He served a two-year term as attorney advisor to the Hon. Clement J. Kennington, OALJ (Covington) before defending employers and insurance carriers in LHWCA and DBA claims.  Pierce also has experience defending Jones Act, Louisiana state workers’ compensation, and liability claims.

Pierce brings his years of experience assisting with the adjudication of claims and defending employers to representing injured workers.  His knowledge of all facets of a claim gives him a unique perspective in helping injured workers secure the benefits they are entitled to.

Studies:

• Bachelor’s Degree from Tulane University in 2006
• Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 2011

Admitted to Practice in the following:

• All state courts in the state of Louisiana;
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana;
• United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana;
• United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana;
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Professional memberships:

• Louisiana Bar Association
• New Orleans Bar Association
• St. Thomas More Inn of Court
• Department of Labor Joint Bar Association
• Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group

Mark T. Tufts

Mark Tufts was born and raised in New Orleans. He received his undergraduate degree in finance from Louisiana State University in 2012. In 2015, Mark obtained his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. At the same time, Mark also obtained a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University New Orleans School of Business. After law school, Mark practiced nearly six years defending employers and insurers in claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and the Defense Base Act (DBA).

In mid-2021, Mark decided to join his former colleagues at Mainstay Law to start representing injured workers under the LHWCA and DBA. Similar to Mainstay’s other attorneys, Mark believes that his years of defense experience provides a unique and critical perspective in helping injured workers successfully pursue their claims.

Frank W. Gerold

Frank W. Gerold received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1975. Mr. Gerold then secured a National Association of Securities Dealer’s license and worked with First Investors Corporation for a year, selling mutual funds to investors. In 1979, he earned his Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s School of Law. While in law school, he was elected President of the Criminal Law Association.

Mr. Gerold is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and was sworn into the bar in November 1979. He is currently admitted to the State Bar of Texas, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Tax Court. For the past 42 years, Mr. Gerold has devoted his practice to civil litigation, primarily in the defense of corporations and individuals involved in commercial, tort and personal injury matters. He has also performed legal services on behalf of Claimants/Plaintiffs in both commercial and personal injury matters involving questions of Texas law.  Mr. Gerold has appeared in state and federal proceedings in several jurisdictions including Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and California. He has also given presentations on Alternative Dispute Resolution, as well as presentations on depositions, discovery, and expert witness practice in Texas. Mr. Gerold was Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization from 1997 – 2007 when he elected not to continue that certification. Mr. Gerold has served and testified as an expert witness on Attorney’s fees.

Since 2010, Mr. Gerold’s practice involved the Defense Base Act and the War Hazards Act. He has handled numerous cases before the OWCP and has tried thirteen (13) cases as sole counsel for Employers and Carriers at Formal Hearings before Administrative Law Judges. Mr. Gerold has also filed appeals of ALJ decisions to the Benefits Review Board. From 2017 – 2018, Mr. Gerold prepared over 110 War Hazard briefs on behalf of Carriers. From 2018 to January 2022, Mr. Gerold was responsible for the workup and handling of approximately 60 cases at the OWCP and OALJ levels.  In February 2022, Mr. Gerold left the defense bar and became an attorney at Mainstay Law LLC wherein his representation focuses on helping injured workers entitled to LHWCA and/or DBA benefits.

Terri Herring-Puz

Terri L Herring-Puz grew up in Sunny Southern California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 1984 with a B.A. in Psychology and minors in Political Philosophy and Political Science. She received a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from the University of Puget Sound, School of Law in 1987.  Terri has spent her career representing injured workers – both those covered by Washington State’s Industrial Insurance Act and those covered under the Federal Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act, and its extensions, including NAFA, and DBA.

She joined Mainstay Law in early 2023 and brings with her decades of experiences and a passion for protecting injured workers. She now focuses exclusively on representing injured workers under the LHWCA and the DBA. She takes seriously the promise of sure and speedy benefits for those injured at work and will fight tirelessly to hold employers and their insurance carriers accountable for those promised benefits.

Ryan Bintz grew up in the Chicagoland area and obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Following his graduation in 2007, he was commissioned as a Marine Corps Officer and served the next six years on active duty. As an Infantry Officer with the First Marine Regiment and the Second Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, Ryan served aboard U.S. Naval vessels and operated in over a dozen countries including Afghanistan, Cuba, South Korea, the Philippines. He continued his service as a reserve officer, deploying to support humanitarian civic assistance operations abroad. In 2019, Ryan obtained his Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from Illinois Tech’s Chicago-Kent College of Law. For the next two years, he practiced in various fields of litigation and investigation in Chicago and the Quad Cities. In 2022, he joined Mainstay Law LLC, where he focuses on representing injured workers under the Defense Base Act.

With his decade of experience partnering with defense contractors overseas, Ryan appreciates the hardships and risks faced by those who work to support the United States’ defense activities abroad. While his diverse professional and legal background allows him to effectively advocate on behalf of international clients, his unique perspective regarding their experience drives his zealous representation of their interests.

J. Garrett Cambron

Garrett grew up in Greenville, Indiana, a small suburban town just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. In 2015, he graduated from Indiana University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economic Consulting and Public Policy Analysis from the internationally recognized Kelley School of Business. Garrett always aspired to follow the footsteps of his father, a police officer, and to serve the community. Albeit a different facet of the legal system, after completing undergraduate school, he decided to follow his aspirations, pursue his juris doctorate, and, in 2018, he graduated from University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.

In the years following law school, Garrett dedicated himself representing injured individuals and helping them to receive the compensation they unquestionably deserved. Indeed, his practice primarily focused on fighting for individuals hurt by the actions of Fortune 500 companies. This experience has allowed Garrett to acquire invaluable knowledge and skills which he will use go to battle for you and get the justice you deserve no matter how big or small the offending party.

Studies:

• Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University – Bloomington
• Juris Doctorate from University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law

Admitted to Practice in the following:

• All state courts in the state of Kentucky
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
• United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky

Professional Memberships

• Kentucky Bar Association
• Worker’s Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG)

Shelbi Gatlin

Shelbi Gatlin was born and raised just outside of Dallas, Texas. Prior to law school, she served in various positions as a social worker in the fields of inpatient psychiatric care, early education, elderly care, criminal justice, and public health. After taking a hand in various legislative-reform initiatives, law school became her obvious next step. While pursuing her degree, Shelbi externed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and clerked at a local medical-legal partnership. She also assisted on pro bono cases involving reproductive justice matters and prisoners’ rights. Upon graduation, Shelbi continued working in the public interest, advocating for the legal rights of people with disabilities in all parts of Louisiana. From 2019-2021 she clerked for the Honorable Bernadette D’Souza with the Orleans Parish Civil District Court. She then joined the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, where she learned from distinguished leaders of climate-impacted Gulf Coast communities, and practiced in the areas of environmental law, administrative law, and civil rights protection.

In August 2022, Shelbi joined Mainstay Law, where her unique professional background, especially as it relates to mental health and psychiatric conditions, enhances her abilities to problem-solve, communicate effectively, and best advocate for our clients.

Adam Denman

Adam Denman is the Firm Administrator for Mainstay Law. Although the firm is based in Seattle, Mr. Denman worked with the Founder and Managing Partner to create a completely virtual law firm that now spans across the globe with lawyers located across the United States and clients in numerous countries. Mr. Denman grew up in Houston, Texas where he received a full scholarship to Houston Baptist University through their Sports Medicine Department to pursue a double major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as part of their Pre-Med program. Mr. Denman completed his education through Purdue University Global and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, Mr. Denman spent 10 years as a paralegal specializing in the defense of employers and insurance companies with respect to claims brought against them under the LHWCA and DBA as well as assist the insurance companies with their applications to the U.S. government under the War Hazards Compensation Act. In early 2020, Mr. Denman left the defense bar and joined Mainstay Law at its infancy. He has been instrumental in the formation of Mainstay Law and its many successes. Mr. Denman has managed teams of attorneys and paralegals over many years on both the defense and claimant bars and has specialized in the training and implementation of billing processes and procedures for various law firms with a focus on efficient and effective billing practices.

Bryan Scruggs

Bryan Scruggs is a paralegal with Mainstay Law. Mr. Scruggs was born in Petaluma, California, but grew up in Mississippi, where he attended Mississippi School of the Arts. He went on to receive a full scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, and eventually, moved to New Orleans, Louisiana where he now resides. Mr. Scruggs was the General Manager of one of the most reputable establishments in the French Quarter until 2021, at which point he shifted career paths and joined the team of Mainstay Law as a Legal Assistant. Although he had no prior experience in litigation, through hard work and quick study, Mr. Scruggs was promoted to Paralegal in March of 2022.

Everett Fields

Everett Fields a Kansas native, graduated from Texas Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice and minor in Psychology in 2015 and earned a Master of Legal Studies with a certificate in Business Law from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 2020. Mr. Fields has worked as a legal assistant and paralegal specializing in Defense Base Act, LHWCA, and WHCA claims, in addition to personal injury suits since obtaining his bachelor’s degree. Mr. Fields began his career in 2015 aiding attorneys in the defense of employers and insurance carriers in DBA, LHWCA, and WHCA claims from onset through Formal Hearing and, with respect to Defense Base Act cases, and occasionally handling appeals at the Benefits Review Board, and Fifth & Ninth Circuits. Mr. Fields joined Mainstay Law as a paralegal in 2022 after relocating to Chicago, Illinois.

Kabengwa Keneth

Kabengwa Keneth was born and raised in Entebbe, Uganda. He is an Office Manager for Mainstay Law.  Keneth holds a diploma in Operations Management from Alison which has afforded him the professional development and accolades to manage the complexities of Mainstay Law’s office in Entebbe.

In Uganda, there are many men and women who served in warzones and put their lives on the line to protect U.S. Military Personnel and Civilian Contractors supporting U.S. Military efforts – especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. This led Keneth to join Mainstay Law in 2020 to help his community that returned from warzones with various workplace injuries. He has worked with Mainstay Law navigating the complexities of international clientele in Uganda and surrounding countries. Keneth assists Mainstay Law to ensure that workers who are truly suffering an injury or illness as a result of their overseas employment get the legal representation that they deserve.

Katelynn Iha

Katelynn Iha is a legal assistant with Mainstay Law. Ms. Iha was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where received her Bachelor’s of Arts in English and a Minor in Business. She is also enrolled in a post-baccalaureate computer science program. Katelynn moved to Seattle, Washington in 2019 and joined the Mainstay team in August 2022. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, weightlifting, and cooking new recipes.