Thomas M. Hayes, III was named as the 2025 recipient of the Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award from the Louisiana Bar Foundation. The award is presented in memory of Curtis R. Boisfontaine, who served as President of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.
The award was given to Mr. Hayes in recognition of his long-standing devotion to and excellence in trial practice and for upholding the standards of ethics and consideration for the court, litigants, and all counsel. The award also carries a cash stipend to any non-profit law related program providing services in the state of Louisiana and Mr. Hayes selected the Northeast Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Project.
Hayes practiced until 2023 with Hayes, Harkey, Smith & Cascio in Monroe, LA, primarily focusing on representing civil litigants in state and federal courts. He is currently the Chairperson and Immediate Past President for the Louisiana State Law Institute and has been a member of the council for over twenty-five years. He was honored as Distinguished Attorney by the Louisiana Bar Foundation in 2016, and for Distinguished Achievement by LSU Law in 2018.
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