Amber Sheppard

Associate

Amber Sheppard is a life-long Northshore Louisiana native who, alongside her service dog Tubbs, spends her time working with humility and humor for her Louisiana and Mississippi business, trademark, and workers’ compensation clients. Be fierce and kind ® is Amber’s philosophy in life and in the courtroom. You can be a strong advocate for yourself, your clients, and your community without being rude. Prior to joining Pugh Accardo in 2025, Amber served as the Director of Operations for a national gym management company and ran her own practice where she focused on adoptions, business law, disability law, personal injury, and trademark litigation. Amber’s background in representing start-ups and their growing intellectual property portfolios and general counsel matters demonstrates her ability to quickly grasp complex legal issues and provide strategic advise. Thanks to her high-energy and engaging personality, Amber is sought-after nation-wide to present to bar associations, business associations, and the public. As an attorney, her clients have included world-class athletes, international business entities, and multiple start-up turned million-dollar companies she worked with from their inception. Always one to think outside the box, Amber uses her personal experiences as a business owner, strength coach, and attorney to create a strong and confident litigation strategy for her clients. After serving as a Public Defender in Child In Need of Care Cases for years, Amber worked alongside the 22nd Judicial District Court to implement the first therapy dog program in their specialty court system. The firm is excited and proud to have Amber join us and bring her many talents and attributes to both the firm and its clients.

Name:

Amber Sheppard

Email:

Send Amber Sheppard an email

Phone:

985-246-2320

Fax:

985-246-2330

PRACTICE AREAS:

Workers Compensation (Defense)
Copyright Litigation and Registration
Intellectual Property
Trademark Litigation, Opposition and Registration
Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)
Estate Planning
General Business Counsel
Family Law
Nonprofit Law

EDUCATION:

Mississippi College School of Law (J.D., 2013, magna cum laude)
- Law Review
- Moot Court: National Appellate Advocacy Competition Finalist, National Arbitration Competition Finalist
- Best Paper Awards: Appellate Advocacy, Best Brief, Criminal Law, Legal Research I & II, Legal Writing I & II, Torts
Southeastern Louisiana University (B.A., Political Science, 2009, summa cum laude)
- Harold Leu Award

ADMISSIONS:

Louisiana
Mississippi
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana
U.S. District Court Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi

HONORS:

American Bar Association
- Louisiana Free Legal Answers Award, 2022 & 2023
Be Fierce & Kind Canine, Inc.
- Krewe De Paw Olde Towne, grand marshal with Tubbs, 2024
- Louisiana Assisted Outpatient Treatment Court
- 22nd Judicial District Court: Therapy Dog Program
Edge Magazine
- Best Attorney East St. Tammany, 2019-2025
- 40 Under 40, 2021
Habitat for Humanity, Impact Award, 2023
Louisiana State Bar Association
- Century Club Award, 2023 (over 100 hours pro bono)
- Louisiana Free Legal Answers Award, 2022
- Pro Bono Publico, 2025
Sophisticated Woman, Best Attorney East St. Tammany, 2021

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

22nd JDC Bar Association
American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Intellectual Property Law Section
  - Copyrights and Art
  - USPTO Policies and Practices, Vice-chair, 2025
  - Trademark Legislation & Litigation
  - Young Lawyer’s Action Group, 2025 Trademark Report Case Lead and Trademark Subchair
Louisiana State Bar Association
- Intellectual Property Law Section
- Legal Services for Persons with Disabilities, committee member and education subcommittee, 2022-present
Mississippi State Bar Association
International Trademark Association

Community Affiliations:

Be Fierce & Kind Canine, Inc., Director, therapy dog nonprofit, 2021-present
Habitat For Humanity, East St.Tammany, Board of Directors, 2020-2023
Mississippi Barbell, Inc., Director, Olympic weightlifting nonprofit, 2013-present
Northshore Technical Community College, Paralegal Curriculum Advisory Committee, 2024-present

Representative Publications:

Amicus Brief
American Bar Association
- 2024 USPTO Scam Update, 2025
- 2025 Trademark Report, publication in 2026
Court of Paw™: Therapy Dogs, Children’s Activity Book First Place (Bookfest), 2024
FindLaw, attorney author and editor of hundreds of articles
Louisiana State Bar Journal, Court of Paw™: Service Dogs in the Courtroom, 2024
Sophisticated Woman Magazine, assistance dog columns in consumer facing publication, 2022-2023

Representative Presentations:

Business and Intellectual Property Law
- American Association of Legal Consultants, Trademarks 101, 2025
- 22nd JDC Bar Association, Social Media and Ethics for Attorneys, 2025
- Employees v. Contractors, business summits, 2021-2024
- Litigation Ethics For Paralegals, Halfmoon Consulting, 2024 (CEU)
- Mental Health & the Court System, counseling centers, 2021-2024 (CEU)
- Trademarks and Copyrights for Small Businesses, 2025
- Trademarks and Copyrights for Creatives, 2023-2025
- Women in Business National Conference, Top Mistakes Businesses Make & How To Avoid Them, 2021
- East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, Hot to Protect Your Business from Liability, 2018
Louisiana State Bar Association
- Family Law, Lawyers in Libraries Series, 2019-2025
- Navigating Service Dog and Emotional Support Animal Conflicts, 2024 (CLE)
- Navigating Service Dog Laws, Law Talks Series, 2025
- Working With Neurodiverse Populations, 2024 (CLE)
Service Dog or Emotional Support Animals (Ethics or Professionalism CLE)
- Baton Rouge Inns of Court, 2025 (CLE)
- Louisiana State Bar Association, 2023, 2025 (CLE)
- Florida Parishes Vet Association, Assistance Dog Laws for Veterinary Medical Professionals, 2023 (CEU)
- Silver Slipper Casino and Hotels, 2023 (HR Training)
- City of Slidell, 2023 (HR Training with Mayor, police, and parks and recreation)
- Louisiana Mental Health Association Conference, Assistance Dog Laws for Mental Health Prof., 2022 (CEU)
- 22nd JDC Bar Association, Assisted Therapy Dog Program co-presented with Judge Gardner, 2022 (CLE)
- Classroom and teacher presentations, Assistance Dog Differences for Kids, 2019-2025 (CEU)
- In-house business training, 2021-present (HR Training)
Working with Neurodiverse Populations (Professionalism CLE)
- Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2025
- Capital Area Bar Association, Jackson, MS, 2025
- Slidell Bar Association, 2025
- Louisiana State Bar Association, 2024
- Young Lawyers Division of LSBA, 2024
- Law schools, 2023-present