  I describe a model for heavy meson decays based on an effective quark-meson
lagrangian. I consider the heavy mesons S with spin and parity J^P=(1+,0+), H
with J^P=(1-,0-) and T^mu with J^P=(2+,1+), i.e. S and P wave heavy-light
mesons. The model is constrained by the known symmetries of QCD in the mQ ->
infinity limit for the heavy quarks, and chiral symmetry in the light quark
sector. Using a very limited number of free parameters it is possible to
compute several phenomenological quantities, e.g. the leptonic B and B** decay
constants; the three universal Isgur-Wise form factors: xi, tau(3/2), tau(1/2),
describing the semi-leptonic decays B -> D(*) l nu, B -> D** l nu; the strong
and radiative D* decays; the weak semi-leptonic decays of B and D into light
mesons: pi, rho, a1. An overall agreement with data, when available, is
achieved.
