Renaissance Man

When attorney Chip Wagar’s kids were little, they often heard him say, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Well, not everyone can graduate Cum Laude from Tulane Law School, have a thriving time- tested career, raise two children, start a law firm from scratch and pen a novel. Chip Wagar has managed to do all of that.

Chip grew up in Glen Falls, New York and found his way to New Orleans back in the mid ‘70s when he chose to complete his education at Tulane Law School. What he thought would be a three-year stop-over turned out to be the beginning of the rest of his life. He fell in love with the city, and settled in. He put down roots in Mandeville almost 25 years ago and soon became entrenched in the community. As a founding board member of the Mandeville Soccer Club back in the early 1990s he served as Vice President, then President. He organized and was the first tournament director of the “Midnight Madness” Halloween Invitational Soccer Tournament, now in its 16th year and one of the state’s largest for Division 1 teams.

Today, Chip is the managing partner at Chopin, Wagar, Richard & Kutcher LLP, the firm he started with his partners nearly 15 years ago. Located just at the foot of the Causeway at Two Lakeway Center in Metairie, the firm now has some 15 lawyers, over 40 employees, and offers a wide array of legal services to clients here, nationwide and internationally. Chip’s main focus these days is medical malpractice.

Several years ago, a friend asked him to handle a claim for his wife who had sustained a terrible injury during surgery and Chip agreed. It was through this case that he discovered he could be instrumental in offering victims of medical malpractice advice or representation after such a devastating event. He discovered something else during this case; he really liked the field. “Medical malpractice claims are not about punishing the doctor or hospital for a mistake but rather, to compensate someone who is a victim of a deviation from the accepted standard of care,” says Chip. “Think of the victim.” In nearly 80 percent of cases malpractice victims do not even file a claim, but rather suffer in silence. Chip’s advice to anyone who feels they might have a case—seek legal counsel; the earlier the better.

When a person files a malpractice claim, a medical review board must review it before a suit is filed. This board consists of three doctors. (Both the plaintiff and the defense attorneys choose a doctor to sit on the three member board and they work together to choose the third doctor). They review the case and a lawsuit may only be filed after their assessment.

Chip’s staff saves clients time and money because they use their own medical professionals to determine the validity of each claim before they even approach the medical review board. Not every bad result is due to malpractice. Chip also believes doctors and hospitals should not have to defend meritless claims. “We do this as part of our consultation when we take a case at no cost to the client. Sometimes, after we confer with our medical experts, we tell a client that they do not have a valid claim but even in those cases, they leave with a sense of closure.” Chip adds, if you or a loved one has suffered a serious or permanent injury or death you believe was due to a medical mistake, get professional advice as soon as possible. Generally speaking, claimants have one year from the time of the injury to file.

Chip is a seasoned attorney with over 100 civil courtroom cases under his belt and countless other cases he has steered through the state and federal courts. His experience and understanding of Louisiana’s medical malpractice law are matched by his passion for the work. “Medical malpractice is really challenging but satisfying work. I get the chance to take the medical facts and put them in a legal framework. It has really rekindled my enthusiasm for practicing law.”

Chip has shared that enthusiasm for practicing law since 1993 as a faculty member of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, the premier institution for teaching young lawyers how to be a trial lawyers and advocates. He has garnered many accolades over the years including the Marquis award for “Who’s Who in American Law” and as one of City Business’ “Leaders in Law” in New Orleans in 2008.

When he is not practicing law, Chip loves to write. He is now in the publishing phase of his first historical fiction novel. He is also a self-proclaimed “closet gardener” with an affinity for the outdoors and the scenic splendor of the Northshore. He spends many hours cultivating nature’s beauty in his home garden.

Chip Wagar has always believed that if you love something, you will probably be good at it. He attributes his successful protracted career to his love of the law. Five years from now he still sees himself practicing law, maybe writing his second novel, traveling and still adhering to the best advice he ever received. “That advice was from my father,” he says “never stop learning.”

Chopin, Wagar, Richard & Kutcher, L.L.P is located at 3850 North Causeway Blvd., Two Lakeway Center, Suite 900, Metairie, Louisiana, 504-830-3838 or 866-586-2057. Email Chip at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit them on the web at www.chopin.com.