Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr.

Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr., focused his practice on state and federal civil trial and appellate litigation, including banking, commercial, insurance, personal injury, insurance coverage, and products liability cases.

Skip has been ranked by his peers and clients in Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, Louisiana Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Philips was selected by his peers as Litigation – Banking and Finance “Lawyer of the Year” in Baton Rouge in the Best Lawyers in America 2020, 2022, and 2025 rankings. In both 2017 and 2018, he ranked among the Top 50 Overall Louisiana Super Lawyers. He is admitted to practice in all Louisiana state courts, the three federal district courts in Louisiana, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Skip is the 2022 recipient of the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award. This award recognizes his long-standing devotion to and excellence in trial practice and for his adherence to the standards of ethics and consideration for the court, litigants, and all counsel. Skip is the 2023 recipient of the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Attorney Award.

Mr. Philips is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), one of the premier legal associations in North America, composed of preeminent members of the Trial Bar and limited to just one percent of the total lawyer population of any state. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality.

Skip formerly served for nine years as the Taylor Porter Managing Partner and for many years as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Philips served as a member of the Council of the Louisiana Law Institute, the Code of Civil Procedure Committee, and the Obligations Committee. He also co-chairs the Institute’s Committee on Torts and Insurance.

He received his J.D. from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1983, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Louisiana Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. He received a B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1972, where he was a distinguished military graduate in the Army ROTC program. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Philips was an investigator in the public corruption section of the Criminal Division of the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Skip previously served as a chair of a Disciplinary Hearing Committee appointed by the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board. He is the former Director of Character and Fitness for the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions and has also served as a bar examiner and assistant examiner.

Mr. Philips is a member of the Baton Rouge and Louisiana State Bar Associations. He is a former president of the Louisiana Association of (Civil) Defense Counsel.

Mr. Philips is a past chair of the Board of Directors of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and past chair of the Board of Franciscan High School. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors of the Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society and Plaquemine Bank and Trust Company. Skip is a member of the Board of Directors of Future PAC, as well as a former member of the Board of Directors of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. He is past chair of the South Louisiana Super Region Committee, a joint economic development endeavor of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Greater New Orleans, Inc. He is a former chair of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Bar Foundation and a former member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.

Skip is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and a retired major general in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was last assigned as Commanding General, 377th Theater Sustainment Command, New Orleans, Louisiana, where he commanded more than 30,000 Army Reserve soldiers in the United States.

• Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D., 1983
• Louisiana State University, B.S., Business Administration, 1972

• Louisiana, 1983
• Supreme Court of the United States, 2005

• Baton Rouge Bar Association
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Louisiana Bar Foundation (Past President)
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (LADC)
• Louisiana Law Institute (Council Member, Torts and Insurance Committee Co-Chair)
• Louisiana Bankers Association (Bank Counsel Section Member)
• The Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc. (Former Member)
• Baton Rouge Area Chamber and GNO, Inc. (SOLA Committee, Immediate Past Chair, Regional Committee)
• Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (Immediate Past Chairman of the Board)
• Future PAC (Board of Directors)
• Louisiana Arts & Science Museum (Advisory Council)

• Patriot Award Recipient (2023)
• Louisiana Bar Foundation – Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award Recipient (2022) and Distinguished Attorney (2023)
• AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)
• Louisiana Bar Foundation (Fellow, President’s Award, 2020)
• Louisiana Super Lawyers – Top 50 in Louisiana (2017 and 2018)
• Best Lawyers in America – Litigation – Banking and Finance “Lawyer of the Year” in Baton Rouge (2020, 2022, 2025)
• Best Lawyers in America – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance (2011-2026)
• Chambers USA – General Commercial Litigation
• Baton Rouge Bar Association President’s Award (2018)
• LSU Law Center Distinguished Achievement Honoree (2018)
• Baton Rouge Volunteer Activists Award, The Emerge Foundation (2019)