Kenneth Pickering was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 5, 1938, and was admitted to the Bar in 1967. He served as Commissioner of Financial Institutions on two occasions, first from 1976 to 1979, and again from 1985 through 1986, and his legal experience includes the representation of numerous financial institutions in all aspects of banking law and bank regulatory practice, from the chartering process to the merger and acquisition of both healthy and problem institutions. He is often called upon to serve as an expert witness on a multitude of issues involving financial institutions. Ken has been involved in all aspects of public law, representing public bodies in a broad range of matters, including contract negotiations, employment and employee benefit issues, zoning and land-use regulations, expropriation and legislative issues. He continues to serve as general counsel to the Crescent City Connection, a division of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, in New Orleans. Ken is experienced in counseling clients on issues relating to regulation of public utility companies, and represents clients before utility regulatory agencies, including the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He has been involved in all aspects of real estate law, having represented developers, landlords, tenants, lenders and individual and corporate landowners in a wide variety of real estate transactions. He provides counsel to individuals, families and fiduciaries on a wide range of issues involving estate and gift planning, and is experienced in drafting wills and donations. Ken is experienced in all aspects of corporate and business law, including executive compensation and director and officer liability. He has been involved in defending insurance companies and self-insured businesses before state and federal courts on matters ranging from defense of multi-district catastrophic losses to defense of cases involving death, personal injury and property damage of all types. Ken has extensive experience and a solid reputation in governmental relations and legislative practice. He regularly represents clients in obtaining governmental approvals as well as in drafting and testifying on bills before the state legislature.

Ken served as the Chairman of the Louisiana Riverboat Gaming Commission and his experience includes not only the areas of riverboat gaming, but land-based casino gaming, video poker and Indian gaming as well. Ken is admitted to practice before all courts in the State of Louisiana, as well as the U.S. District Court, Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana. Professional activities include memberships in the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, and the Louisiana Bankers Association. He is the Past Chairman and a current member of the Board of Christian Health Ministries Foundation, Chairman of Memorial Medical Center, and serves on the Boards of Baptist Community Ministries, Christian Health Ministries and Men of Fashion. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau.