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Timely, substantive
industry news
and insights.
From Clerks to Courtroom: Building Stronger Summers at Galloway
From Clerks to Courtroom: Building Stronger Summers at Galloway
Each summer, Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith brings bright, talented, and eager law students to its law clerk program and to the results-driven client service of a premier corporate defense and litigation firm. Clerks go beyond observing – they…
Workers’ Compensation Alert: New Rules on MSA
Workers’ Compensation Alert: New Rules on MSA
A new reporting rule went into effect on April 4, 2025, that could impact employers and businesses in the Gulf South, Midwest, and nationwide. Now, Medicare requires workers’ compensation payers to report MSA (Medicare Set Aside) amounts in any settlement…
Rising to the Challenge: Embracing the New Era of Legal Talent Despite the Decline of New Litigators
Rising to the Challenge: Embracing the New Era of Legal Talent Despite the Decline of New Litigators
Where have all the lawyers gone? Law firms large and small across the country, even those with the strongest and deepest benches, have been asking this question since 2020. Faced with the challenge of a dwindling talent pool, in-house legal…
Balancing Success: How Galloway Attorneys Champion Their Professional and Personal Lives
Balancing Success: How Galloway Attorneys Champion Their Professional and Personal Lives
It’s been said that juggling personal and professional obligations can be like juggling glass and plastic balls. Not every family ball is glass, and not every work ball is glass either. Determining which obligation takes priority – to keep all…
How Employers Traverse the Complex Forest of Employee Leaves
How Employers Traverse the Complex Forest of Employee Leaves
Employee leave laws are incredibly complex with overlapping regulations, evolving expectations, and legal landmines. As a result, employers often can’t see “the forest for the leaves” and can be left tangled in confusion and exposure, trying to navigate the FMLA,…
Texas Legal Alert – Proposed Bills on Texas Property Code
Texas Legal Alert – Proposed Bills on Texas Property Code
Texas House Bill 3289, a proposed bill that could impact the Texas Property Code and construction contracts, is scheduled for public hearing on April 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith attorney Shannon Walla, with decades of…
Longshore/Defense Base Act Update: Chief ALJ Compares Apples to Oranges Following Schulmeister Decision
Longshore/Defense Base Act Update: Chief ALJ Compares Apples to Oranges Following Schulmeister Decision
We previously highlighted the Benefits Review Board’s (BRB) decision in Marcus Schulmeister v. Blackwater USA et al, BRB No. 23-0255 (September 25, 2024) — a matter arising under the Defense Base Act — and how this decision casts doubt over the…
Mind the Gap: Identifying Potential Risks in Construction Contract Language
Mind the Gap: Identifying Potential Risks in Construction Contract Language
Before ground is broken or hammers are put to nails, well-drafted agreements governed by construction contract law set the essential foundation for all parties involved in the construction project, including owners, contractors, and subcontractors. Those in the construction industry should…
Maritime Attorney Jason Waguespack Featured in “The Marine Insurer”
Maritime Attorney Jason Waguespack Featured in “The Marine Insurer”
Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith maritime attorney Jason Waguespack was featured in the January 2025 quarterly edition of “The Marine Insurer.” The text of the article, “When COGSA was challenged,” appears below. From a vessel leaving Vietnam to seeking…
Immigration Policy Changes: Expected Impacts for Corporations and Employers
Immigration Policy Changes: Expected Impacts for Corporations and Employers
Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump emphasized the need for stricter immigration policies, framing corporate immigration reform—an integral aspect of business immigration law— as a crucial element of his “America First” agenda. He pledged to safeguard American jobs by curbing…
Risky Business: Avoiding Hidden Risks in Louisiana Contracts
Risky Business: Avoiding Hidden Risks in Louisiana Contracts
Don’t get stuck with defense and indemnity for damages that aren’t your fault! Indemnity clauses can shift legal and financial exposure onto your business, even when you’re not at fault. If you do business in the energy, transportation, and construction…
Running the Clock: Developing A Section 12 Defense Under the Defense Base Act
Running the Clock: Developing A Section 12 Defense Under the Defense Base Act
A recent decision by the Benefits Review Board may clarify how employers and carriers approach Section 12 notice defense strategies under the Defense Base Act. The Benefits Review Board’s ruling in March 2025 discusses when a claimant is presumed to…
Persistence Pays Off for Houston Attorneys in Construction Litigation Win
Persistence Pays Off for Houston Attorneys in Construction Litigation Win
Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith attorneys in Houston, Texas, persisted in their vigorous construction litigation defense and earned another victory in a case where the Plaintiff sought monetary relief of over $1,000,000. Andy Krone and Les Pickett led the…
Tort Reform in the Bayou State: Louisiana’s Recent Legislative Changes
Tort Reform in the Bayou State: Louisiana’s Recent Legislative Changes
On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Governor Jeff Landry signed several pieces of landmark legislation into law that are poised to significantly impact Louisiana’s insurance industry and insurance-related litigation. This legislative package is aimed at lowering insurance premiums and reducing frivolous…
Galloway Houston Attorneys Secure Summary Judgment in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Galloway Houston Attorneys Secure Summary Judgment in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Houston attorneys Adraon D. Greene and Mikhael Khan successfully defended an appeal of a dismissal of a premises liability case via the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c). The Plaintiff/Appellant appealed the trial court’s dismissal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which…
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