
Biography
Martha Y. Curtis is a founding member (partner) of Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, L.L.C. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her Juris doctorate, summa cum laude, from Tulane Law School where she served as Senior Managing Editor of the Tulane Law Review.
Ms. Curtis has extensive appellate advocacy experience, having argued extensively before the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and numerous appellate courts in Louisiana and Texas. She also has significant trial experience, serving as first chair for jury trials taken to verdict and bench trials taken to judgment. Ms. Curtis is a FINRA arbitrator.
Before beginning private practice, Ms. Curtis clerked for The Honorable W. Eugene Davis on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1990 to 1991.
Ms. Curtis has received numerous recognitions including Lawdragon (1 of 500 Leading Litigators in America), Best Lawyers in America (Insurance Law), Benchmark Litigation Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys ( Louisiana Local Litigation Star); Louisiana Super Lawyers (Insurance Coverage); New Orleans Magazine(Top Lawyers); and New Orleans City Business (Leadership in Law and one of Women of the Year).
Ms. Curtis also has authored several scholarly articles and has been a faculty member on numerous Continuing Legal Education panels for both the legal profession and the judiciary.
Representative Cases
- In re Texas Brine Co., LLC, 879 F.3d 1224 (10th Cir.2018)
- Smith v. Regional Transit Authority, 827 F.3d 412 (5th Cir. 2016)
Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell A-V rated since 1999
- Senior Managing Editor, Tulane Law Review
- Rittenberg-Weinstein Award, Tulane Law Review
- Harry S. Truman Scholar from Louisiana, Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
- 2025 Best Lawyers
Classes & Seminars
- Louisiana Coverage Issues, Perrin Conferences
- Construction CPM Conferences
- A City Below Sea Level Rises Above: Exploring the Legal Impacts of Katrina Over the Last Decade, Loyola University, College of Law
Professional Associations
- FINRA Arbitrator, 2019 - Present
- GNO Federal Credit Union, Member of the Board of Directors, 2016 to Present
- Tulane Law Review, Board of Advisory Editors, Member, 1992 to Present
Past Positions
- McGlinchey Stafford, Partner, 1998 to 1999, Associate, 1991 to 1997
- U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge W. Eugene Davis, Law Clerk, 1990 to 1991
Pro-Bono Activities
- New Orleans Spring Fiesta Association, Legal Advisor on Advisory Board, 2012 to Present, 2012 to Present
- Past President, Society of the Founders of the City of New Orleans
- Past President, Our Lady of Mercy Academy Alumnae Association
Published Works
- The Status and Evolution of First-Party Property Insurance Bad Faith Claims After Hurricane Katrina, 62, Loy. L. Rev. 25, 2016
- Tort Law Desk Reference: A Fifty-State Compendium, Contributing Editor, 2015
Fraternities or Sororities
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Omicron Delta Kappa


Practice Areas
- Insurance Law
- Appellate Advocacy
- Litigation
Education
- Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana
- J.D. - 1990
- Honors: summa cum laude
- Honors: Order of the Coif
- Honors: John Minor Wisdom Award
- Law Review, Tulane Law Review, 1988, 1990
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville
- B.A. - 1987
- Honors: summa cum laude
- Honors: History Honors
- Honors: Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
- Major: English & History
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana, 1990
- Texas, 2000
- U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 1991
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 1991
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 1991
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1992
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1992
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 1992
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1993
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi, 1997
- U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, 2013
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1991
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2006
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2003