Attorney Philip Cossich Jr., who was known for his advocacy in cases involving environmental protection, died December 29.
Longtime Louisiana trial attorney Philip Cossich Jr., who served on the legal team that won Plaquemines Parish $745 million judgment against Chevron in one of the many lawsuits filed over coastal erosion, died last month as a result of illness.
Cossich, 67, a resident of Belle Chase, was born Sept. 23, 1958, and died at his home on Dec. 29, according to his published obituary. Nola.com reported that the cause of death was pancreatic cancer.
The senior partner of Cossich, Sumich, Parsiola & Taylor LLC, Cossich was respected by both trial and defense attorneys, as well as the judiciary, according to his obituary.
“An incredible storyteller, competitor and advocate, he devoted his professional life to championing the rights of the powerless and the wronged,” the obituary said. “He believed deeply in the cases he brought and in the importance of his work, viewing the law as a way to protect and restore the people, communities and environments he loved so much.”
He also took part in two national settlements involving major environmental issues: the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a resolution of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) drinking water contamination litigation. Cossich’s final case on behalf of Plaquemines Parish is scheduled to be re-examined by the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming year.
The $745 million Chevron verdict and similar civil litigation payouts have been criticized by tort-reform advocates as creating a drag on Louisiana’s economy.
The president of the Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), B. Scott Andrews, a partner at the Baton Rouge law firm Dué Guidry Andrews Courrege, said in a statement emailed to the Louisiana Record that Cossich was proud of his hard work in the legal profession.
“Phil Cossich was a brilliant lawyer who was passionate about cases that addressed environmental protections and accountability,” Andrews said. “He was a strong leader who set high standards for himself and our profession. Phil was passionate about ensuring that a private citizen had access to a fair civil justice system.”
Louisiana elected officials expressed condolences in the wake of his death last month.
“Phil earned his wings (on Dec. 29) leaving the rest of us to grieve his loss,” state Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office said on social media. “He was a great lawyer, and a better friend to many. He will be deeply missed.”
Gov. Jeff Landry said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Cossich was “an unbelievable lawyer and a great guy.”
“Please join Sharon and me in praying for Deena (Cossich’s wife) and the entire Cossich family during this incredibly difficult time,” Landry said.
He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude, from Tulane University in 1980 and a juris doctor degree from Tulane School of Law three years later, according to his law firm. Cossich’s legal expertise focused on personal injury, admiralty, environmental contamination, complex business litigation and insurance law, the law firm reported. He was skilled in hurricane litigation as well.
Cossich’s life was also characterized by his love for the outdoors and his time with children and grandchildren, the latter of whom referred to him as “the Dude,” according to his obituary.
The obituary also said one of the keys to his professional success was that he approached tasks as if he were playing on an athletic field.
“He was only satisfied with his performance if he felt he had left it all on the field – giving up was never an option,” the obituary said. “He fought and loved in the same way: fiercely, completely and with everything he had.”
