Alexandria, LA

Digger Earles

After graduating law school in 2004, Digger returned home to rural Louisiana and went straight to work, trying his first case the week after being sworn in as a lawyer. Since then, Digger has spent his entire career representing individuals and entities in civil litigation and successfully representing clients in complex personal injury cases. “I always wanted to be in a position to help people, and I love the role being a lawyer allows to me to play,” he says. “I’ve always hated bullies and enjoy helping people combat bullies and large corporations. Digger has represented individuals in all facets of litigation, from filing the initial claim in state and federal courts, through trial, through courts of appeal and through the Louisiana Supreme Court. He has been admitted to practice in Louisiana State District Courts, Louisiana Appellate Courts, the Louisiana Supreme Court and in federal courts, including the Western, Middle and Eastern District of Louisiana, the Southern District of Mississippi, the Southern District of Texas and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. “One of the things I find most satisfying is helping people put the pieces of their lives back together after a serious accident or life-changing event,” says Digger. “These are difficult times, and I can help them to take a step back and relax, knowing we are here to take care of everything.” Digger has an unmatched work ethic and upholds the highest ethical standards. He is a member of the American Association of Justice, the Louisiana Association for Justice, the Louisiana Bar Association, the Avoyelles Parish Bar Association and various local, civic and religious organizations. “When I’m not practicing law, you can find me with my wife and my children, just kicking back and enjoying our great state and our family time,” he says. “I love the outdoors, I love to hunt, I love to fish, and just be outside with my family and friends.”

David Laborde

David has spent his entire career successfully representing injured individuals in complex personal injury cases. “Initially, I thought I wanted to go to school to be a doctor, but soon realized I really wanted to be a lawyer like my father,” David says. “In the legal world, my father, a lawyer and a judge, is my hero.” Upon graduating from LSU in 1988 and Tulane Law School in 1991, David worked for the Honorable Juan Torruella of the United States First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. Upon completing his clerkship, David returned home to Louisiana and entered private practice in Lafayette, founding Laborde Law Firm in 1995. “I’ve lived out of the country and in other parts of the country, and there’s nothing like living in Louisiana, from the people to the culture to the food,” he says. David has served a diverse client base. He’s fluent in Spanish and has represented Native American Indians before various Native American, state and federal tribunals and agencies. “It’s very satisfying to know you that you made a difference in someone’s life and helped them during a time they were really in need,” says David. David is rated as a distinguished personal injury lawyer by his peers and upholds the highest ethical standards. He is recognized as a top trial lawyer and is a life member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is a member of the Louisiana Association for Justice, the Louisiana Bar Association, the Lafayette Parish Bar Association and other local and civic organizations. “I’ve represented young people who have suffered some horrific injuries,” he recalls. “One young lady was paralyzed and having spent many hours with her through recovery, though adjusting to a new lifestyle, it made me appreciate how important it is that we can make a person’s life more comfortable in a terrible situation.” David has represented individuals in all facets of litigation, from filing the initial claim in state and federal courts, through trial, through courts of appeal and through the Louisiana Supreme Court. He has been admitted to practice in Louisiana State District Courts, Louisiana Appellate Courts, the Louisiana Supreme Court and in federal courts, including the Western, Middle and Eastern District of Louisiana, the Southern District of Texas and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Daniel Snellings

Dan’s work goal is to utilize his extensive litigation experience as a valued member of the Laborde Earles litigation team to provide injured victims with high-caliber, expeditious, successful legal representation. For over thirty years Dan has stood firm to these goals, handling large-loss complex state and federal court litigation in the following areas: automobile/eighteen-wheeler negligence, class actions, maritime, product liability, sexual abuse, premises liability, toxic torts, and breach of contract. Prior to obtaining his law degree from Tulane Law School, Dan worked consulting minority-owned businesses on behalf of the Small Business Administration while obtaining his M.B.A. from Loyola University. Dan is a Louisiana native and has practiced before forty-four of the state’s sixty-four parishes. Dan is an avid Saints fan and fisherman, having caught 399 different species of fish on hook and line. Dan has been married for thirty-five years, and has four children and two grandchildren.

Ben Alexander

Ben is a litigation attorney with the Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers. He graduated from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU with a Juris Doctorate and a Bachelor of Civil Law degree in 2004. After law school, he joined a multi-state defense firm and immediately began working on catastrophic personal injury cases in the offshore, oil and gas, construction and trucking industries, while at the same time litigating insurance coverage and indemnity disputes. Ben provides valuable high stakes litigation experience, having worked on multiple catastrophic personal injury and damages cases, including the "In re: Deepwater Horizon" Multi-District Litigation that arose from the BP Macondo oil spill. "I place my focus and efforts on gaining a full understanding of the client and the case. And I always strive to utilize the full depth of my experience, study, research, investigation, and empathy to achieve the best possible result for the client in the most efficient way possible." Ben has authored Continuing Education Materials for fellow lawyers in the area of admiralty and maritime law and has served as an annual speaker on Insurance Law for the LSU Law Center’s CLE program. After 13 years of defense practice, Ben decided to change roles and use his skills and experience to help individuals who have been injured in an accident through no fault of their own. Ben is a Louisiana native, having grown up in Ville Platte in Evangeline Parish, which is located in the middle of the State and at the northern part of Acadiana or 'Cajun Country'. After law school he made Lafayette his home, but devotes much of his time traveling throughout Louisiana's towns and courtrooms in order to serve his clients' legal needs. He also maintains a Texas law license and handles Texas cases as well.

Robert (“Rob”) Marionneaux Jr

Focusing his legal career on catastrophic injury and death cases, Rob Marionneaux has been fighting for justice on behalf of victims of negligence across Louisiana for over 25 years. He understands the significance of providing support, compassion, and excellent legal representation to individuals facing tragedies and disputes.

Sam Spurgeon

Reared in Alexandria, Louisiana, Samuel J. Spurgeon is the founder of his own hometown-based law firm. Throughout his career, his practice has been primarily focused on personal injury. As an undergraduate, Mr. Spurgeon attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree. Remaining in the state, he then pursued his legal education at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, and he was awarded his Juris Doctor in 2012. Outside the scope of his practice, Sam enjoys serving his community in many professional capacities. He currently serves as the President of the Alexandria Bar Association, Treasurer of the Alexandria Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Chair for the Board of Commissioners for the England Authority (AEX Airport and England Airpark), an appointed post by the Rapides Parish Police Jury. He has been selected by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for six consecutive years (2019-2024). He is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and a member of the Louisiana Association of Justice. He is admitted to practice before all Louisiana State Courts. Mr. Spurgeon is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana. Sam is married to his beautiful and supportive wife Abbie and they have 5 children.

Scott Higgins

Scott Higgins grew up in Slidell, Louisiana but has been proud to call Lafayette his home since graduating from LSU Law School in 2000. Scott is licensed to practice law before all Louisiana District Courts, The United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and all United States District Courts in Louisiana. Scott is also licensed to practice law in Texas. In Scott’s experience as an attorney, he has devoted his practice to personal injury litigation, consisting primarily of automotive, products and premises liability claims, wrongful death actions, and cases involving traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. In addition, he is also a litigator for offshore and maritime accidents, commercial trucking accidents, medical malpractice, toxic torts and complex multi-party litigation. His experience and versatility are unmatched. Although he has received many awards and been recognized multiple times for his professionalism and skill, Scott says his greatest career successes have been the friendships he has forged with clients from all walks of life. When he isn’t advocating for his clients, Scott can be found traveling with his wife and two boys, playing golf, hunting or fishing. You will also find him wearing black and gold on Sundays, as he is a life long Saints fan, even in the bag-head days.