George Lato
George is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a graduate of Catholic High School. He obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University. He practices Social Security Disability Law and is a sustaining member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, and the Baton Rouge Bar Association. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Louisiana and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.
George is a former teacher at the LSU Paralegal Studies Program, where he taught Computer-Assisted Legal Research to Paralegal Students. His practice is dedicated to Social Security Disability law. His first disability case was in 1991. George says that a lot has changed since then, but helping the disabled get the benefits they deserve is always rewarding.
He attends the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives Conferences annually, and at the 2019 conference in New Orleans, Bill and George gave a presentation on How to Survive Step 1 in the Sequential Evaluation Process.
Gulf South Disability Lawyers handles disability claims throughout the country and focuses on the Gulf South Region of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.
Bill Matthews
William C. “Bill” Matthews, Jr., is an attorney whose practice is focused exclusively in the area of Disability Law, primarily Social Security Disability, and he is very knowledgeable in the area of mental, psychological, and psychiatric impairments. Bill lives outside of Lafayette, Louisiana, and grew up in Central Louisiana, graduated from Pineville High School, and obtained both undergraduate and graduate degrees from LSU in Baton Rouge. After nearly a decade of hard work, Bill enrolled in LSU Law School, where he graduated, and he was admitted to the practice of law in 1990. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Louisiana.
Bill is a sustaining member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) and a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He attends the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives Conferences annually, and at the 2019 conference in New Orleans, Bill and George gave a presentation on How to Survive Step 1 in the Sequential Evaluation Process.
Before, during, and after college, but before attending Law School, Bill spent many years working in multiple jobs across a wide range of industries. This experience has given him a unique insight into many different types of jobs and workplaces, and helps him to better understand the working challenges his clients may face when they suffer from the impacts of a disabling condition. A former Merchant Marine, Bill spent time as a blue-water seaman and also worked in Louisiana’s offshore oil industry. He has worked in the timber industry, the transportation and package delivery industry, and in the furniture delivery business. Bill uses the knowledge gained from all of these experiences to advocate on behalf of all of his clients, whose disability prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful activity. Whether you are overwhelmed by the thought of facing a Federal bureaucracy or your claim has already been denied, Bill looks forward to helping you with your claim.
He can be reached by email at bill@gulfsouthdisability.com or in our Acadiana Office at 855-778-7999.
Fielding Matkins
Fielding Matkins grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. Fielding graduated in 2013 from Captain Shreve High School. While in college, he played baseball for the Northwestern State University Demons for two seasons, where he was named to the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2014 and 2015.
Following a career-ending injury, Fielding finished his undergraduate education at LSU and, in 2017, obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. While attending LSU, Fielding was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society and served on the executive board of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He continued his education at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
During his time at LSU Law School, Fielding served as the Executive Director of Programming for the Student Bar Association. In 2020, Fielding earned his Juris Doctor and Diploma in Comparative Law from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
Currently, he is the Managing Partner for Gulf South Disability Lawyers.
Legal Association Memberships
- Federal Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
- Louisiana Association for Justice
- Louisiana Bar Association
- Member Baton Rouge Bar Association
- New Orleans Federal Bar Association
- National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
- Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled
Admitted to Practice in:
- All Louisiana state and local jurisdictions
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
Honors and Awards
- Named “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers – Workers’ Compensation (2025 & 2026)
- Named “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers – Personal Injury – Plaintiffs (2026)