Rick Schroeder represents individuals and companies who find themselves targeted by law enforcement and government regulatory agencies. He has spent nearly forty years defending clients involved in government investigations, as well as helping them avoid being investigated in the first place.
A New Orleans native who was a National Merit Finalist and high school state debate champion, Rick was appointed to the United States Naval Academy where he was selected as a Company Commander and graduated with merit in 1980. He then served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy until 1991. His active-duty service included deployments in the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, and throughout Southeast Asia, theaters to which he would later return as a corporate compliance lawyer in his civilian life.
After active-duty and while in the naval reserves, Rick attended Tulane Law School, from which he graduated Cum Laude in 1988 and was elected as Chief Justice of Tulane’s Moot Court Board.
Rick then joined one of Louisiana’s largest and most prestigious law firms, Jones Walker, where he worked for over 37 years until his ‘semi-retirement’ as a Senior Partner in 2025. At Jones Walker Rick was a litigator handling both criminal and civil matters throughout his career. Along the way Rick founded and then led for over twenty years Jones Walker’s “Compliance Team”, that handled White Collar Crimes, corporate compliance, and government investigations.
In addition to corporate compliance matters, throughout his legal career Rick stayed in touch with defending and trying criminal cases in court. He joined and eventually was elected President of the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and in 2025 he was the recipient of the LACDL’s most prestigious lifetime achievement award, The Tate Award. He also served for over ten years as a board member of the Innocence Project of New Orleans, including as its chairman.
In his ‘semi-retirement’, Rick is primarily focused on handling selective civil rights and criminal defense cases. He is a federal Criminal Justice Act defense attorney and will consider assisting in selective criminal defense matters in state or federal courts. He also continues to consult with public and private companies on compliance matters, and particularly on handling internal investigations.
Rick has been married for over 45 years to Cathy Clark Schroeder of New Orleans, and they have three children (Jonathan, MD; Jason, MD; Catherine, JD), as well as five grandchildren.
Biographical Information and CV
Business
NOLA Schroeder Law LLC
1040 Saint Ferdinand St.
New Orleans, LA 70117
W: (504) 291-6990
Email: mrschroeder@nolaschroederlaw.com
Employment
NOLA Schroeder Law LLC
2025 – Present
Criminal Defense, Federal and State
Civil Rights and Commercial Litigation
Corporate Compliance Consulting
Jones Walker, LLP
1988-2025
Senior Partner
White Collar Crime, Compliance, Government Investigations
Founder and Compliance Team leader for over 20 years.
Primary outside compliance counsel to large public and private companies.
Lead defense counsel on internal and government investigations involving:
- Fraud
- Bribery
- Corruption
- Embezzlement
- Securities Fraud
- Antitrust violations
- Conflicts of Interest
- International Trade Regulations
Compliance counseling involving:
- Risk Assessments
- Compliance Program Design and Development
- Compliance Training and Testing
- Third Party Due Diligence and Monitoring
- Internal Investigations
International Experience:
Handled investigations and compliance matters for over 25 years involving in-country work in the Americas, Africa, UK, Continental, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia (including extensive experience in Indonesia for over 20 years).
Criminal Defense Experience:
- State and federal criminal defense (30 years)
- Capital case experience
- Criminal Justice Act federal public defender
Military Service
United States Naval Academy Midshipman 1976-1980
U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer 1980-1991
Education
U.S. Naval Academy – B.S. 1980
Tulane Law School – J.D. 1988
Court Admissions
Louisiana Supreme Court – 1988 US Fifth Circuit
EDLA
MDLA
WDLA
Professional Organizations
American Bar Association
Louisiana Bar Association
New Orleans Bar Association
Federal Bar Association EDLA
Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (LACDL)
Awards and Achievements
LACDL Tate Award – Lifetime Achievement Award
LACDL Presidents Award
Former President, LACDL
Former Board Member, Innocence Project New Orleans