Billy Gibbens, one of New Orleans' most visible criminal-defense lawyers, is trading suits and court filings for safety vests and site plans. He is leaving private practice to become president and general counsel of River Birch LLC, shifting from high-profile trials to running the Avondale/Waggaman landfill as the company pushes major operational and energy projects. He has called the move a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
As reported by NOLA, Gibbens, 51, shut down his law practice last month and is stepping into a role that will put him in charge of River Birch's legal strategy and business operations. The outlet notes that he has represented public officials and other high-profile clients, and that company founder Fred Heebe, 73, has received a recent lung-cancer diagnosis.
From Federal Cases To Trash Mountain
Gibbens built a national reputation in white-collar and criminal defense, clerked for Judge Edith Brown Clement and spent several years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, according to SEMMLaw. His background spans trial work, appellate practice and teaching roles. Colleagues say that mix translates neatly to the world of policy, compliance and corporate risk, giving River Birch a leader who is comfortable with high-stakes litigation and hard-nosed negotiation.
In other words, he is used to pressure, which is handy when your new job involves a massive landfill, big money contracts and neighbors who have opinions.
River Birch's Big Bet On Growth
River Birch describes itself as "the most technically advanced landfill in the USA" and touts a large renewable natural gas plant, according to River Birch Renewables. The company is not shy about expansion: it is pursuing a plan that could grow the landfill's footprint to roughly 540 football fields if regulators sign off, as reported by NOLA.
Bringing in a lawyer with serious courtroom chops and federal-prosecutor experience to run the whole operation signals that River Birch expects tough legal and political questions as it pursues its energy projects and landfill buildout.
Regulators, Permits And A Community Mic
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has scheduled a public event for River Birch on Apr. 21, 2026, at the James C. Simmons Community Center in Avondale as part of the permit review and public-participation process, according to LDEQ. Expect that hearing room to be crowded.
Local reporting has also noted that River Birch assumed management of a Jefferson Parish contract in 2021 and that the parish has made settlement payments related to landfill operations in recent years, adding some recent history to the current review. Coverage of the parish settlement and River Birch's management role is available from WDSU.
Legal Muscle At The Top
Putting a seasoned trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor in the corner office gives River Birch in-house expertise for permit fights, contract negotiations and any follow-on litigation. SEMMLaw documents decades of courtroom practice and appellate work in Gibbens' career, experience that could prove useful as the company navigates state regulators, parish officials and nearby residents.
How his leadership changes the tempo of filings or the tone inside public meetings will only come into focus after the state hearing and any formal permitting decisions. For now, it is clear that River Birch wants someone who knows how to argue a tough case.
Gibbens is starting the job immediately, and River Birch says it will continue to prioritize renewable-gas projects and technological upgrades at its facilities, according to River Birch Renewables. Residents, parish leaders and regulators are likely to be watching closely as the permit process unfolds and the landfill's next chapter begins.
