THOUSANDS HAVE TRUSTED US AND WON.
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Personal Injury and Litigation
$336,582
Breach of Contract for Labor and Services
Client pursued a breach-of-contract claim arising from the failure to pay for labor and services provided.
Result: Successful recovery for unpaid labor and services under the parties’ contract.
$100,000
Settlement Against Iberia Parish Government Following Improper Investigation and Withheld Wages
Client filed suit against Iberia Parish Government arising from an improper investigation conducted by the Iberia Parish Council. The lawsuit sought recovery of unpaid wages and reimbursement of attorney’s fees incurred as a result of the improper investigation.
Result: Case successfully resolved through settlement, providing compensation for the claims asserted Iberia Parish Government.
Family Law
Four Day Intrafamily Adoption Trial Successfully Defended Through the Louisiana Supreme Court – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
A father and stepmother sought an intrafamily adoption of the father’s two minor daughters. Shane E. Romero represented the father and stepmother through a four-day trial, after which the district court granted the adoption.
The biological mother challenged the judgment on appeal. The adoption was AFFIRMED by the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal and the Louisiana Supreme Court, making the adoption judgment final.
Shane also represented the father in related child-support proceedings against the biological mother. After the mother failed to pay child support from a personal-injury settlement she received, the court ordered $50,000 in child support arrearages, attorney fees, and sanctions, including $25,374 in unpaid child support.
Result: Intrafamily adoption granted after a four-day trial and AFFIRMED by the Third Circuit and Louisiana Supreme Court; $50,000 awarded in related child-support arrearage, attorney fees, and sanctions proceedings.
In re ALR and Bar, 17-916 (La. App. 3 Cir. 3/14/18), 240 So.3d 273, rehearing denied and writ denied, (La. 8/31/18), 251 So.3d 413, reconsideration not considered, (La. 11/5/18), 256 So.3d 777; State v. S.R., 18-966 (La. App. 3 Cir. 5/1/19), 271 So.3d 415.
Sole Custody After a 3-Day Trial – 21st Judicial District, Tangipahoa Parish
The mother, who was the domiciliary parent, was arrested for DWI after a single-vehicle accident while the parties’ minor child was in the vehicle. She did not disclose the accident or her DWI arrest to the father.
Shane E. Romero represented the father in seeking a modification of custody. Following a three-day custody trial, the court awarded the father sole custody of the minor child, with the mother limited to supervised visitation.
Result: Sole custody awarded to father; mother’s visitation restricted to supervised visitation.
Successfully Defendant Against $3 Million+ Community Property Reimbursement Claim – 19th Judicial District Court, East Baton Rouge Parish
A physician wife sought more than $3 million in reimbursements from her husband’s separate-property businesses in a community property partition. She claimed that income generated by the businesses, along with mortgage payments and other expenses paid by the businesses during the marriage, entitled her to substantial reimbursement.
Shane represented the husband and filed a declaratory judgment action challenging the wife’s claims. Following presentation of expert testimony and evidence concerning the businesses and the nature of the disputed payments, the court determined that the wife was not entitled to reimbursement from the husband’s separate-property businesses.
Result: $3+ million reimbursement claim successfully defeated.
Louisiana Court Declines Jurisdiction and Children Returned to Their Mother in Florida – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
A mother and her three children were living in Florida when the father abandoned the family and relocated to Oregon. After the mother lost her employment during the COVID-19 pandemic, she temporarily placed the children with their paternal grandparents in Louisiana while she worked to regain financial stability. The understanding was that the children would return to their mother in Florida before the beginning of the school year.
Instead, the grandparents sought ex parte temporary custody and permanent custody, asserting that Louisiana had jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA).
Shane E. Romero represented the mother and immediately challenged Louisiana’s jurisdiction by filing an exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The district court agreed, finding that Louisiana was not the children’s “home state”and that the grandparents could not manufacture the required substantial connection to Louisiana simply by obtaining a temporary custody order.
The court recognized that allowing a temporary placement to create jurisdiction would discourage parents from seeking temporary assistance from relatives when doing so is in the best interests of their children.
The grandparents appealed. On September 8, 2022, the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed the district court’s ruling, expressly finding:
“We find no error in the trial court’s ruling as to jurisdiction.”
The children were returned to their mother in Florida.
Result: Louisiana jurisdiction successfully defeated; grandparents’ custody action dismissed; children returned to their mother in Florida; district court ruling AFFIRMED by the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal.
Temporary Grandparent Custody Order Vacated; Child Returned to Mother – 15th Judicial District Court, Lafayette Parish
Maternal grandparents sought ex parte temporary sole custody of their grandson against their daughter. During the mother’s pregnancy, the grandparents had encouraged her to conceal the pregnancy and birth from the child’s biological father. After the father learned of the custody proceedings, he intervened and sought custody of the child.
Shane represented the mother and filed a Peremptory Exception of Nonjoinder of an Indispensable Party, arguing that the grandparents had failed to name the biological father as a defendant and had failed to provide him with notice of the custody proceedings.
Following a hearing, the court granted the exception and vacated and set aside all temporary custody orders obtained by the grandparents. The child was returned to the mother.
Thereafter, the mother and biological father reached a consent judgment awarding joint custody, with the mother designated as the domiciliary parent.
Result: Grandparents’ ex parte custody orders vacated; child returned to mother; subsequent joint-custody judgment entered with mother designated domiciliary parent.
Sole Custody Awarded; Intrafamily Adoption Granted Later – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
An aunt and uncle sought ex parte temporary custody and ultimately sole custody of twins. Following a temporary custody hearing, the children’s mother and father were limited to supervised visitation.
Shane represented the aunt and uncle in the custody proceedings. At the subsequent Hearing Officer Conference, Shane’s clients were awarded sole custody of the children, with the discretion to determine the parents’ access to the children. The parents were not awarded any specific periods of visitation or custody.
In June 2024, after successfully securing sole custody, Shane’s clients retained him to pursue an intrafamily adoption of the twins. The intrafamily adoption was granted, providing Shane’s clients with permanent legal parental status.
Result: Sole custody awarded to aunt and uncle; parents denied specific periods of custody or visitation; intrafamily adoption subsequently granted.
Supervised Custody Order REVERSED by Third Circuit; Mother Regains Unsupervised Custody- 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
After the father was incarcerated, the paternal grandfather sought custody of the child and obtained an ex parte order suspending the mother’s unsupervised visitation.
Shane represented the mother and challenged the order, arguing that the grandfather’s counsel failed to provide the mother with the notice required by law, failed to provide written reasons why notice should be excused, and that the district court failed to conduct the required hearing within the statutory time limits governing ex parte custody orders.
The district court nevertheless maintained the supervised-visitation order.
Shane then sought supervisory relief from the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. On February 26, 2024, the Third Circuit REVERSED the district court’s ruling, resulting in the mother’s return to unsupervised custody of her child.
Result: Ex parte supervised-custody order REVERSED on appeal; mother restored to unsupervised custody..
Father Awarded Sole Custody After Maternal Relatives Seek Custody – 16th Judicial District Court, St. Mary Parish
Following the child’s mother’s death in an automobile accident in November 2023, the maternal grandmother and uncle filed an ex parte petition for temporary sole custody and sought permanent sole custody of the child. The custody proceedings were initiated after the relatives learned that the child was the beneficiary of a $100,000 life insurance policy.
The child’s father, a Texas resident, retained Shane to protect his parental rights and seek custody of his child.
Following the custody proceedings, the court awarded the father sole custody of the child. The maternal grandmother and uncle were granted limited visitation consisting of one weekend per month and one week during the summer.
Result: Father awarded sole custody; maternal grandmother and uncle limited to monthly visitation and one week of summer visitation.
Ex Parte Order Dissolved; Child Returned to the Mother – 15th Judicial District Court, Vermilion Parish
Father and paternal grandmother sought ex parte temporary sole custody of the children from the mother. Shane represented the mother and immediately challenged the custody order by filing a Peremptory Exception of No Right of Action and Motion to Dissolve the Ex Parte Order.
The challenge argued that La. C.C. art. 133 does not authorize a grandparent to seek custody jointly with a parent, and that the ex parte custody order failed to satisfy the legal requirements governing notice and the establishment of a visitation schedule.
The Court granted the exception and motion, dissolved the ex parte custody order, and returned the children to their mother.
Result: Ex parte custody order dissolved; children returned to mother.
Louisiana Child Custody Action Dismissed; Child Returned to Mother in Texas – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
A Texas-resident mother temporarily agreed for her daughter to live with the father in Louisiana so the child could receive additional reading assistance from her stepmother, a teacher. After the child arrived in Louisiana, the father filed a domestic abuse petition against the mother alleging “sexual grooming.” The Court issued an interim protective order pending a Child Protective Services investigation.
After approximately six months, the father filed a custody action claiming Louisiana had become the child’s “home state” under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). The mother and stepfather had been cleared by CPS, and there was no law enforcement investigation or medical documentation substantiating the allegations.
The mother retained Shane, who challenged Louisiana’s jurisdiction and filed an Exception of Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction, arguing that the father could not improperly use the interim protective order to manufacture Louisiana “home state” jurisdiction.
The father ultimately dismissed his custody action before the hearing, and the child was returned to her mother in Texas.
Result: Louisiana custody action dismissed; attempted establishment of Louisiana home-state jurisdiction defeated; child returned to mother in Texas.
Father Secures Substantially Expanded Custody – 15th Judicial District Court, Acadia Parish
Pediatrician wife filed for divorce against her surgeon husband and sought custody of the children, requesting that she be designated domiciliary parent and that Father’s visitation be limited to every other weekend from Friday through Sunday.
Shane represented Father and prepared to proceed to trial on the custody issues. On the morning of trial, Mother agreed to a substantially expanded custody schedule, providing Father with: Custody every other Thursday through Monday; Every Wednesday preceding Mother’s weekend; Equal custody during school holidays; and 7-and-7 shared custody during the summer.
Result: Father avoided the proposed every-other-weekend schedule and secured a substantially expanded custody arrangement, including 7-and-7 summer custody and significant weekday and holiday time.
Father Awarded Expanded Shared Custody After Trial – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
Mother filed for divorce seeking custody and requesting that Father’s visitation be limited to every other weekend. Father worked a 21-days-on, 21-days-off schedule and retained Shane to protect his custodial rights.
Following trial, the Court awarded the parties shared custody, providing Father with three consecutive five-day periods during each of his periods off work. Mother was awarded an overnight visitation at the conclusion of each five-day period.
Result: Father secured shared custody with three consecutive five-day custodial periods during each 21-day off rotation, substantially expanding his custodial time beyond the every-other-weekend schedule sought by Mother.
.Grandparents’ Custody Action DISMISSED; Father Remains Domiciliary Parent – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
Father, Shane’s client, was the domiciliary parent of his minor daughter when the child’s maternal grandparents filed an ex parte motion seeking temporary custody and ultimately sole custody.
Shane represented Father and defended against the grandparents’ custody claims. Following a two-day trial, the Court DISMISSED the grandparents’ suit, allowing Father to retain his status as the child’s domiciliary parent.
Result: Grandparents’ custody action DISMISSED after trial; Father remained domiciliary parent.
Mother Awarded Sole Custody; Permanent Injunction Issued Against Grandparents – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
Paternal grandparents filed an ex parte motion seeking temporary custody and ultimately sole custody of the minor child. Mother retained Shane to defend her parental rights and oppose the grandparents’ custody claims.
Following trial, the Court awarded Mother sole custody and entered a permanent injunction prohibiting the paternal grandparents from harassing Mother.
Result: Mother awarded SOLE CUSTODY; permanent injunction entered to protect her from harassment by the paternal grandparents.
Paternal Grandparents Awarded Joint Custody With Extensive Custody and Visitation Schedule – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
Paternal grandparents retained Shane to seek custody of their granddaughter. Following the custody proceedings, the Court awarded the grandparents joint custody and established a substantial custody and visitation schedule, including: Every other weekend; Every Wednesday; Alternating school holidays; and 7-and-7 shared custody during the summer months.
Result: Paternal grandparents awarded JOINT CUSTODY with significant weekday, weekend, holiday, and summer custodial time.
Grandmother’s Visitation Action DISMISSED After Trial – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
Maternal grandmother filed a petition against her daughter seeking court-ordered grandparent visitation with her grandchild. Shane represented the child’s mother and defended against the grandmother’s claims.
Following trial, the Court DISMISSED the grandmother’s suit, allowing Mother to retain control over visitation without a court-ordered grandparent visitation schedule.
Result: Grandmother’s visitation action DISMISSED after trial; Mother successfully defended against the grandparent visitation claim.
Physician Wife Awarded Sole Custody, Community Home, and Medical Practice – 16th Judicial District Court, St. Mary Parish
Physician wife retained Shane to handle her divorce, custody, and community property claims. Following the proceedings, Client was awarded sole custody of the children and received the community home.
The Court also dismissed all of Husband’s claims against Client’s medical practice, protecting her separate professional business interests from Husband’s community property claims.
Result: Client awarded SOLE CUSTODY, received the COMMUNITY HOME, and successfully defeated Husband’s claims against her medical practice.
Custody Modified; 13-Year Old Son Relocated to Father in Connecticut – 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
The parties had exercised joint custody of their son, with the mother designated as domiciliary parent and the father, a Connecticut resident, exercising summer visitation.
The father retained Shane to seek a modification of the existing custody arrangement. At age 13, the child expressed a preference to live with his father in Connecticut.
The Court modified custody, resulting in the child relocating to Connecticut to live with his father. The mother was awarded visitation during school holidays and summer vacation.
Result: Custody modified; child now resides with father in Connecticut, with mother receiving school-holiday and summer visitation.
Mother Awarded Sole Custody; Father’s Visitation Restricted to Supervised – 16th Judicial District Court, St. Martin Parish
After the parties exercised shared custody since 2014, the mother retained Shane Romero to seek a modification of the existing custody arrangement.
Following the custody proceeding, the Court awarded the mother sole custody and limited the father to supervised visitation. The father’s visitation could not become unsupervised unless and until he completed a mental health evaluation, received a recommendation from his treating medical provider for unsupervised visitation, and successfully completed both a batter’s intervention program and a co-parenting program.
Result: Mother awarded sole custody; father’s visitation restricted to supervised visitation, with specific conditions required before unsupervised visitation could resume.
Criminal Defense
30-Year Manslaughter Sentence REVERSED; Sentence Reduced to 10 Years, 24th Judicial District Court, Jefferson Parish
Shane conducted legal research and prepared appellate briefing in collaboration with Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino, focusing on double jeopardy, inconsistent prosecutorial positions, and judicial estoppel.
The appellate challenge included the argument that the defendant had a right to appeal the double-jeopardy issue—an argument ultimately upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Following the successful appellate challenge, the client’s 30-year manslaughter sentence was REVERSED. The case ultimately resolved with the client entering a plea to a 10-year sentence with credit for time served.
Result: 30-year sentence REVERSED; client received a 10-year sentence with credit for time served..
The Advocate (December 20, 2022)
DUI and Negligent Injuring Charges DISMISSED, 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish (11/13/2025)
The client was charged with DUI, negligent injuring, and operating an ATV on a roadway following an accident. During discovery, the State produced law-enforcement body-camera and dash-camera footage but was unable to locate the supervising officer’s body-camera recording or the client’s 911 call.
Shane’s review of the available video uncovered significant discrepancies in the law-enforcement recordings. The investigating officer’s body camera captured the supervising officer directing him to turn off his camera. By matching the timelines from the body-camera and dash-camera footage, Shane identified the supervising officer telling the investigating officer, “You have to watch what you say. You just fed yourself. You fed yourself royally.”
The investigating officer’s body-camera footage then contained a 7-minute, 10-second gap. Shortly afterward, the supervising officer was seen using his cell phone in his patrol vehicle, followed by footage showing the investigating officer receiving text messages from the supervising officer.
Shane filed a Motion to Quash the Indictment based on the alleged alteration/editing of law-enforcement video evidence, along with a Motion to Suppress the breath-test results.
On the day of trial, the prosecution DISMISSED the DUI and negligent injuring charges.
Result: DUI and negligent injuring charges DISMISSED on the day of trial following challenges to the integrity of the law-enforcement video evidence and breath-test evidence.
DUI Charge DISMISSED, 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
The client was charged with first-offense DUI following an automobile accident. When law enforcement arrived, the client returned to the scene after calling 911. An open bottle of alcohol was observed in plain view inside the vehicle. After being advised of his Miranda rights, the client declined to perform standardized field sobriety tests.
Following the arrest, law enforcement alleged that the client refused the Intoxilyzer test by providing an invalid sample. A search warrant was then obtained from the New Iberia City Court to obtain the client’s blood for testing.
Shane filed a Motion to Quash the Indictment and Motion to Suppress the Blood-Test Results, challenging the State’s evidence and the circumstances surrounding the warrant and blood draw.
On the day of trial, the prosecution DISMISSED the case.
Result: First-offense DUI charge DISMISSED on the day of trial.
Second-Offense DUI Client found NOT GUILTY After Suppression Motion Granted, 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
The client was arrested for second-offense DUI while sitting in his vehicle in a Waffle House parking lot after an employee called 911 out of concern that he might drive away.
Shane filed a Motion to Suppress the Field Sobriety Tests and Breathalyzer Results, challenging the admissibility of key evidence the State intended to use at trial.
The Court GRANTED the suppression motion, excluding the challenged evidence. At trial, the client was FOUND NOT GUILTY of the second-offense DUI charge.
Result: Suppression motion GRANTED; client FOUND NOT GUILTY at trial..
DUI Client Found NOT GUILTY After Suppression Challenge Based on Language Barrier, New Iberia City Court
The client was charged with first-offense DUI after being stopped for driving without headlights. The client was a Cuban national residing in New Iberia on a work visa and did not speak fluent English.
Despite the significant language barrier, the arresting officer provided the client’s Miranda warnings and instructions for the standardized field sobriety tests and breathalyzer in English. The officer also attempted to communicate breathalyzer instructions through Google Translate.
Shane filed a Motion to Suppress the client’s statements, field sobriety test results, and breathalyzer results, arguing that the client could not provide free and voluntary consent or meaningfully understand the instructions because of the language barrier.
The matter proceeded to a hearing on the suppression motion and ultimately to trial on the merits. The client was FOUND NOT GUILTY.
Result: Suppression challenge litigated through trial; client FOUND NOT GUILTY of first-offense DUI.
Felony Contraband Charges DISMISSED Before Hearing on Defense Motions, 16th Judicial District Court, Iberia Parish
The client was charged with felony possession of contraband in the Iberia Parish Jail, in addition to misdemeanor charges for remaining after forbidden, resisting an officer, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The State initially offered a five-year sentence—the maximum sentence for the felony contraband charge.
Shane filed a Motion for Preliminary Hearing and Motions to Quash and Suppress, challenging the State’s case and the admissibility of its evidence.
Before the Court heard the defense motions, the prosecution DISMISSED the felony contraband charge. The client was subsequently sentenced on the misdemeanor charges with credit for time served.
Result: Felony contraband charge DISMISSED; five-year maximum felony exposure avoided; client received credit for time served on the remaining misdemeanor charges.
Migratory Waterfowl Conviction REVERSED by First Circuit; Sentence VACATED, 16th Judicial District Court, St. Mary Parish
Client was charged with violating La. R.S. 56:118, including exceeding the legal limit for migratory waterfowl and wanton waste. Following trial, client was found guilty of exceeding the migratory waterfowl limit but NOT GUILTY of wanton waste.
Shane appealed the conviction to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal. The First Circuit REVERSED the conviction and VACATED the sentence, finding that the evidence was insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that client violated La. R.S. 56:118.
Result: Conviction REVERSED and sentence VACATED after the First Circuit found the State’s evidence insufficient to prove the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Felony Firearm Charge REDUCED to Misdemeanor; 20-Year Maximum Exposure Avoided, 15th Judicial District Court, Vermilion Parish
Client was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison.
Shane filed a Motion to Quash the Bill of Information challenging the felony charge. Before the Court heard the motion, the State reduced the charge to misdemeanor illegal carrying of a firearm, substantially reducing the potential criminal exposure.
Result: Felony charge REDUCED to misdemeanor illegal carrying of a firearm before hearing on the defense motion; five-year mandatory minimum and up to 20 years of felony imprisonment avoided..
PAST RESULTS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS
Descriptions and summaries about prior cases and settlements found on this website are intended only to provide information about the activities and experiences of Shane Romero and should not be understood as a guarantee or assurance of future success in any matter. The results portrayed were dependent on a variety of facts and circumstances unique to the particular matters described, and do not reflect the entire record. Past results are not a guarantee of future results, and the outcome of your particular case or matter cannot be predicted using Shane Romero’s past results. Every case is unique and different and should be evaluated on its own merits, without comparison to other cases which may have had different facts and circumstances.