John Houghtaling now manages the firm he started working in as a law student, under the tutelage of the late great trial attorney Wendell Gauthier. Houghtaling has enjoyed an astonishing litigation record amassing over $100 million for individual clients. At 32, Houghtaling purchased the law firm and took over as managing partner of the Gauthier firm, specializing in insurance and business litigation. Houghtaling has been recognized by New Orleans CityBusiness for Leadership in Law 2005-2008. The only attorney in the state to receive this award consecutively for four years, he was inducted into the Legal Hall of Fame in 2009. He manages a staff of 41, including 16 attorneys with offices in New Orleans and Houston.

2010 was a busy year for John Houghtaling, the managing partner of Gauthier, Houghtaling & Williams. Houghtaling coordinated the filing of 280 cases for property owners who suffered damage as the result of hurricane IKE. Houghtaling won a settlement of 13.5M for real estate company for damage to property in hurricane IKE.

In June of 2010 Houghtaling was Recruited to represent and lead a company he formed with actor Kevin Costner. In a joint role as corporate counsel and CEO, Houghtaling partnered with Costner to bring their company Ocean Therapy Solutions to market. Fifteen years prior Costner spent 24 million dollars of his own money to develop an oil separation device designed for large oil spills, but his company was frustrated by the legal, regulatory, and industry red tape that prevented his product coming to market. Following the BP spill Houghtaling worked with local, state and federal government and BP and put the product to use in the effort to clean up the gulf.

As a result of his work during the spill, BP hired John Houghtling as BPs local council in negotiations with the state of Louisiana.