Galloway Managing Director to Receive Icon Award from New Orleans CityBusiness
Jason P. Waguespack, Managing Director at Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith, has been named a 2026 Icon Award recipient by New Orleans CityBusiness. The honor recognizes business leaders with an ongoing influence on the region’s economic development.
Waguespack has served as Managing Director of Galloway, a full-service defense firm founded in New Orleans, since 2009. He has dedicated his legal career to protecting maritime businesses and has invested in New Orleans’ economy and culture for over 35 years. A native New Orleanian, Waguespack combines strategic leadership, legal experience, and civic investment in partnership with his clients and the community.
He is one of just 20 honorees for this year’s prestigious award who will be recognized in both the November 15 issue of CityBusiness and at a reception on November 2.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the Icon Award. As a New Orleanian, it has been my privilege to give back to the fabric of this city,” Waguespack said. He added, “I share this recognition with my colleagues, cllients, and the community that shaped my career. Thank you to New Orleans CityBusiness, and as an Icon Award recipient, I will continue to champion the people, industries, and cultural institutions that move New Orleans forward.”
Jason Waguespack
In his tenure as Managing Director, Jason Waguespack has spearheaded Galloway’s expansion from five offices in three states to 14 offices in seven states today, while continuing to grow its New Orleans presence. Under his leadership, the Firm has grown to 140 attorneys and over 350 employees, supporting jobs and economic activity in the region. Galloway will proudly celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2027, and Waguespack is focused on continued hiring and long-term investment in New Orleans to meet client demand and strengthen the region’s economy.
Waguespack focuses his legal practice on litigation and arbitration related to all aspects of maritime and international law. He represents owners, charterers, operators, P&I clubs, and other marine insurers in marine casualty losses and contract disputes, including collisions, cargo claims, charter party disputes, regulatory and environmental matters, and personal injuries. Under his leadership, Galloway has become a top-tier firm with a nationally ranked maritime and admiralty practice representing the businesses that drive commerce through the Port of New Orleans and the greater Gulf South.
Additionally, Waguespack is an adjunct professor of law at Tulane University Law School, where he teaches maritime charter parties, and an adjunct faculty member at Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, where he teaches international business law. Through his teaching, he has helped prepare hundreds of students for careers in maritime law and international business, many of whom remain in New Orleans and contribute to its workforce and economy.
Recognized for professional and civic leadership, Waguespack is a past President of the New Orleans Bar Association, NOBA’s Distinguished Maritime Lawyer (2023), and a New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law Hall of Fame honoree, among others. He is Chairperson of the Board at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, serves on the board of the New Orleans Film Society and the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, and supports many civic organizations in New Orleans.
