Bio
Throughout her career, Diana's legal practice has primarily focused on commercial litigation and casualty defense. She has assisted clients with disputes involving commercial, construction, and maritime services contracts, commercial sales and leases, property damage, maritime lien enforcement, insurance coverage, and open accounts, among other issues.
At Irwin Fritchie, Diana has incorporated her litigation experience - as well as the analytical skills she acquired in her previous career as a medical speech-language pathologist - to expand her practice into other areas, including products liability, premises liability, environmental and toxic torts, and pharmaceutical and medical device litigation.
Diana is admitted to practice in all Louisiana federal, state, and appellate courts. She is a member of the Federal Bar Association and the Dartmouth Lawyers Association. In addition, Diana serves on the RIDE New Orleans board of directors as secretary and as treasurer of the Algiers Point Association.
Honors & Affiliations
Civic Affiliations
- RIDE New Orleans, Secretary
- Algiers Point Association, Treasurer; Member of the Transportation, Civic Engagement, Grants,
and Membership Committees - American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Professional Affiliations
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Dartmouth Lawyers Association
News
Publications & Presentations
Publications and Presentations
Diana J. Masters & Chelsea C. Crews, What Qualifies as Necessaries Under the Commercial
Instruments and Maritime Liens Act?, OFFSHORE WINDS (Dec. 14, 2018),
https://www.offshorewindsblog.com/2018/12/14/what-qualifies-as-necessaries-under-thecommercial-
instruments-and-maritime-liens-act/
Diana J. Masters & Chelsea C. Crews, Explicit Designation of Vessels Key for Suppliers
Navigating CIMLA, OFFSHORE WINDS (Feb. 1, 2019),
https://www.offshorewindsblog.com/2019/02/01/explicit-designation-of-vessels-key-forsuppliers-
navigating-cimla/
Comment, Tube Feeding in Cognitively Impaired Nursing Home Patients and the Flawed Legal
Framework Guiding Decision Making, 39 T. Jefferson L. Rev. 1 (2016).
Note, Mutual Pharmaceutical Co. v. Bartlett and the Demise of Recovery for Consumers of
Generic Drugs, 60 Loy. L. Rev. 399 (2014).
Leonard, L. B., Deevy, P., Kurtz, R., Chorev, L. K., Owen, A., Polite, E., Elam, D., Finneran, D.
(2007). Lexical aspect and the use of verb morphology by children with specific language
impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 50, 759-777, Co-author under
maiden name (Diana Elam).
Practice Areas
Admissions
- Louisiana State Courts
- United States District Courts for the Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana
- United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Education
J.D., Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, magna cum laude (2016)
M.S., Purdue University (2005)
B.A., Dartmouth College, magna cum laude, Rufus Choate Scholar (2002)