Walter F. Becker, Jr.

Direct Dial Number: (504) 585-7046
email: 

Mr. Becker is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on criminal and select civil litigation.  He practices out of the New Orleans and Houston offices of Chaffe McCall. 

Prior to joining Chaffe, McCall, Mr. Becker had a nineteen year career as a state and federal prosecutor and personally participated in more than 100 criminal jury trials.  He served as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans from 1983 to 1987 where he was Chief of the Narcotics Division and Chief of the Homicide Division.  From 1987 to 2001, Mr. Becker served as an Assistant United States Attorney in New Orleans where he held the positions of First Assistant United States Attorney and Chief of the Criminal Division.  In 1996, Mr. Becker served as an Associate Independent Counsel in Washington, D.C. 

As a prosecutor, Mr. Becker successfully handled several high profile prosecutions including the RICO prosecution of Peter Marcello.  He also defended the U.S. Government in several civil suits filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act and handled affirmative civil litigation on behalf of the U.S. Government.

Mr. Becker represents individuals and corporations which are under federal or state criminal investigation for, or have been charged with, maritime, environmental, healthcare, tax, RICO, banking/financial, money laundering, securities, customs, campaign finance, antitrust, computer crimes, or other violations.  He also assists corporations with internal investigations and creating corporate compliance programs.  In civil matters, he often assists corporations and individuals who have been victimized to prosecute parallel civil and criminal remedies.  His practice also includes jury research as a jury consultant with the national jury research firm Dimitrius & Associates.

Mr. Becker earned his Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University in 1978 and his Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School in 1982.  He has taught Federal Criminal Litigation at Tulane University College. He is the author of The Maritime Advocate Online article “Recent Trends in Magic Pipe Cases” and The Louisiana Bar Journal article "How to Use a Jury Consultant: A Guide for Trial Attorneys." He is a frequent speaker at CLE and industry seminars.  Chambers USA 2006, 2007, and 2008 selected Mr. Becker as a leading attorney in litigation relating to White Collar Crime and Government Investigations.  In 2007, 2008, and 2009, Mr. Becker was named a Louisiana Super Lawyer by the publishers of Law & Politics, Louisiana Life and St. Charles Avenue magazines.

Mr. Becker is admitted in the State of Louisiana, the State of Texas, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  He is a member of the Federal Bar Association and the American Bar Association.