Mr. Ladner concentrates his practice in commercial law and complex litigation, and has extensive experience in oil and gas law, employment, arbitration, and insurance defense. He has been involved in handling cases in both state and federal court at both the trial and appellate level. During the course of a career which spans almost forty years, Mr. Ladner has tried numerous jury and non-jury cases in both state and federal court. His trial resume includes complex commercial matters, employment claims and securities cases. He has had the opportunity of both defending and prosecuting a wide range of lawsuits including cases presenting complex oil and gas issues, Title VII claims and issues of lender and professional liability. His appellate experience has resulted in published decisions on the rights of a co-maker of a note to raise surety status (Krumme v. Moody, 910 P.2d 993 (Okla. 1995)) and the standards governing attorney fees awards (Pezold, Richey v. Cherokee Nation Indus., 52 P.3d 430 (Okla. 2001)).
In addition to an active court docket, Mr. Ladner has considerable experience handling commercial arbitrations. His arbitration experience has included the defense of broker/dealer cases before the National Association of Securities Dealers and the New York Stock Exchange. He successfully arbitrated a case before the American Health Lawyers Association which arose out of the dissolution of a professional corporation owned by medical doctors.
For a number of years, Mr. Ladner has participated in and promoted alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a cost effective and often times more beneficial method of resolving difficult and emotionally charged disputes. He has handled a number of court ordered settlement conferences before federal district judges and magistrates. He also has extensive experience representing parties in private mediations. Because of congested court dockets and a judiciary which is increasingly promoting less costly and time consuming methods of resolving legal disputes, Mr. Ladner anticipates that clients will participate in some form of ADR in every case.
Despite a strong concentration in commercial litigation, Mr. Ladner has considerable experience and expertise in oil and gas transaction work. He has had lead responsibility on a number of significant oil and gas acquisitions including handling the negotiation and drafting of purchase and sale agreements and related due diligence.
Mr. Ladner is a member of the American, Oklahoma and Tulsa County Bar Associations. As a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, he has lectured at seminars on the topics of business torts and professional liability. As a Master of the W. Lee Johnson Chapter of the American Inns of Court, he has been a frequent speaker on current issues of interest to trial lawyers. His volunteer legal work has included representing children in the juvenile court system and serving on several bar committees including the professional responsibility, fee arbitration and legal services committees. He has been honored by Legal Services of Oklahoma for his pro bono service on behalf of that agency. He has been actively involved in various charitable and civic organizations including foundation work for the Tulsa Public Schools and acting as a mentor at the Tulsa Boys’ Home. He previously served as President of the Carver Middle School Foundation.