Attorney Profiles

Biography

Jo Ann Lea is an attorney in Baron & Budd’s Louisiana office, where she represents individuals suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.  Before joining Baron & Budd, Jo Ann practiced at Baton Rouge-based LeBlanc and Waddell.  

Jo Ann has been inspired to representing American workers, in part by her own experience as a laborer in a paper mill.  “It’s incredibly satisfying to meet with a client and see in their faces, hear in their voices that you’ve been able to make a real difference for them,” Jo Ann said.  “It may the relief of not having to worry about medical bills or a mortgage for their families, or it may represent a chance for their children or grandchildren to attend college.”

When she’s not working for her clients, Jo Ann enjoys likes to be outdoors—traveling, fishing, boating and learning to play golf.  She and her husband Chris Whittington, Chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party, attend First Presbyterian Church along with their twin daughters.