Claire Babineaux-Fontenot

2008 Louisiana Role Model

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer for  Wal-Mart, grew up in an incredible home in Opelousas, LA. Claire attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and was the first person in her family to receive a college degree. She received her J.D. from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. One of her first acts as a lawyer was to finalize the adoption of three of her siblings. Claire holds a L.L.M. in Taxation from Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, TX and attended the Kellogg School of Management Executive Training Program.

Claire supports a variety of causes, including advocacy for African Americans and women and was recently named a Diversity Champion by Diversity Edge Magazine. She has spoken to groups across the country, including National CASA Conference, The Links, Incorporated and the Louisiana Foster and Adoptive Parents State Conference. She has also served on the Board of Directors of many professional and civic organizations.

Immediately prior to joining Wal-Mart, Claire served as Partner-in-Charge of the law firm of Adams & Reese (Baton Rouge office) where she practiced in the areas of tax and general commercial litigation. She also held the post of Dispute Resolution Practice Group Leader for the Southwest Region of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PWC). Before joining PWC, she was appointed by the Governor of the State of Louisiana to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Legal Affairs at the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Claire is married to Barry Fontenot, also of Opelousas and has two children, Barry Jr. and Sydney. The family resides in Springdale, AR.  Claire has enjoyed a great deal of professional success, but she has always maintained perspective. She said, “My God and my family come first.  I am grateful to have worked in environments that compliment those priorities.”