Our roots are planted deep in Louisiana soil. Four generations ago, E.A. Zatarain & Sons began selling root beer, Creole Mustard, olives, spices, and other products that have become an integral part of the Louisiana way of life. As the business grew, so did the influence and community involvement of the Zatarain family.

In 1940, Governor Jimmie Davis asked Charles C. “Charley” Zatarain to serve as chairman of the State Tax Commission. After the struggles of the Great Depression, the Governor felt he needed someone with statewide appeal who could work with parish tax assessors and businesses to break the long-standing “rural parishes against New Orleans” political stalemate, which had divided Louisiana.

Through four different gubernatorial administrations, Charley was reappointed at the urging of both the Louisiana Tax Assessors and the state’s business leaders. Incoming Governor Earl K. Long reappointed Charley to a fifth term, but Charley decided he had served in public office long enough. He and his son Charles Zatarain, Jr. sought advice from Louisiana tax assessors to create Charles C. Zatarain & Son, Louisiana’s first ad valorem tax firm, in 1956.

In 1977, the third generation of Zatarains joined the firm with the addition of Mick Zatarain. Charles C. Zatarain, III, who had helmed a successful law practice and served as Assistant Legal Counsel to Governor Dave Treen, also came on board. Now known as Charles C. Zatarain & Associates, the firm preserved the family’s long-standing bond with parish tax assessors, the Tax Commission, and all facets of government. Mick’s son Michael represented the fourth generation to join the family business in 2009.

The latest chapter in our story was written in 2013 with the creation of Zatarain Consulting Partners, LLC. As the state’s oldest ad valorem tax consulting firm, we understand the importance of adapting to meet the challenges and complexities of the 21st century, and we embrace the opportunity to demonstrate to our clients that they can trust our knowledge base and reputation. For over 75 years, Zatarain Consulting Partners has proved the old adage, “No one knows Louisiana better than the Zatarains.”