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industry news
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Reframing the Question to Achieve the Intended Result in DBA Cases
Reframing the Question to Achieve the Intended Result in DBA Cases
Two recent decisions issued by the Office of Administrative Law Judges in December 2025 highlight the continued filings of subsequent claims and the effects (if any) of the settlement of prior claims. Both decisions focus on whether the settlement language…
Recreational Immunity in the Gulf Coast: Hunt, Fish, and Limit Risk
Recreational Immunity in the Gulf Coast: Hunt, Fish, and Limit Risk
Hunting and fishing are central to life in Louisiana’s “Sportsman’s Paradise.” In the marshes and woodlands, outdoor recreation regularly intersects with landowner liability and recreational immunity, shaping how properties are opened and managed for non-commercial purposes. Liability risks often turn…
Vessel Purpose in Offshore Platform Contracts
Vessel Purpose in Offshore Platform Contracts
Expectation vs. Reality: The importance of clearly outlining a vessel’s purpose in offshore platform contracts after Earnest, Offshore Oil Servs., and Genesis Energy A trio of Fifth Circuit opinions further analyzed the two-prong test created in In re Larry Doiron,…
Community Property in Louisiana: Partition Made Clear
Community Property in Louisiana: Partition Made Clear
For some South Louisiana families, dividing assets after a marriage ends can feel confusing and overwhelming. Yet, a community property partition doesn’t have to be chaotic or combative. With clarity, practical guidance, and a legal team that’s both emphatic and…
2026 Louisiana Employment Law Update: Unemployment and Hiring Changes
2026 Louisiana Employment Law Update: Unemployment and Hiring Changes
Q1 Compliance Considerations for Employers As 2026 begins, Louisiana employers and those tracking employment law should be aware of two new employment-related statutes affecting unemployment insurance administration and hiring practices. While neither law creates new employee-facing mandates, both introduce operational…
Third‑Party Litigation Funding: A Guide for In‑House Counsel
Third‑Party Litigation Funding: A Guide for In‑House Counsel
Corporate legal departments continue to monitor the growth and impact of third-party litigation funding (TPLF). As funding models evolve and disclosure norms remain unsettled, in-house counsel face mounting questions about risk, effective strategies, legal system drivers, trends, and governance. We…
Keep RTW Working in 2026: Strategies to Beat Open Market Wages
Keep RTW Working in 2026: Strategies to Beat Open Market Wages
Workers’ Compensation Strategies Trending in 2026 Across Mississippi and throughout the Gulf Coast and Midwest, returning injured employees to work is an increasing trend for workers’ compensation matters in 2026. Employers and risk managers are reinforcing light duty and modified…
When Energy and Construction Public Policy Collide in Texas
When Energy and Construction Public Policy Collide in Texas
The Texas Prompt Payment Act in Oil and Gas Construction In December 2024, the Texas First Court of Appeals in Houston addressed a novel question: the mineral exemption under the Texas Construction Prompt Payment Act (Chapter 28 of the Texas…
Refining Removal? A Question for the U.S. Supreme Court
Refining Removal? A Question for the U.S. Supreme Court
New Orleans Maritime Attorney Published in “Following the Fifth” Kathleen Charvet, an admiralty and maritime attorney in Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith’s New Orleans office, has published an article in the inaugural edition of Following the Fifth, a new publication from the Bar Association…
Pay Transparency & FLSA Bonuses: Key Issues for Southeast Employers
Pay Transparency & FLSA Bonuses: Key Issues for Southeast Employers
Compliance Considerations for the End of the Year With many employers finalizing year-end bonuses and preparing for 2026 recruiting, questions continue to arise regarding pay transparency requirements and the proper classification of bonuses under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA).…
Reframing the Question to Achieve the Intended Result in DBA Cases
Reframing the Question to Achieve the Intended Result in DBA Cases
Two recent decisions issued by the Office of Administrative Law Judges in December 2025 highlight the continued filings of subsequent claims and the effects (if any) of the settlement of prior claims. Both decisions focus on whether the settlement language…
Recreational Immunity in the Gulf Coast: Hunt, Fish, and Limit Risk
Recreational Immunity in the Gulf Coast: Hunt, Fish, and Limit Risk
Hunting and fishing are central to life in Louisiana’s “Sportsman’s Paradise.” In the marshes and woodlands, outdoor recreation regularly intersects with landowner liability and recreational immunity, shaping how properties are opened and managed for non-commercial purposes. Liability risks often turn…
Vessel Purpose in Offshore Platform Contracts
Vessel Purpose in Offshore Platform Contracts
Expectation vs. Reality: The importance of clearly outlining a vessel’s purpose in offshore platform contracts after Earnest, Offshore Oil Servs., and Genesis Energy A trio of Fifth Circuit opinions further analyzed the two-prong test created in In re Larry Doiron,…
Galloway Associate Named Best Lawyer Under 40 in Dallas
Galloway Associate Named Best Lawyer Under 40 in Dallas
Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith Associate Berenice Medellin Pruettiangkura has been named a Best Lawyer Under 40 in Dallas by D Magazine, a peer-voted recognition honoring rising legal talent in the Dallas legal community. View the full list. Berenice Medellin Pruettiangkura Berenice…
Jason Waguespack Elected Chairperson of Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Jason Waguespack Elected Chairperson of Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Jason Waguespack, Managing Director of Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith, has been elected Chairperson of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. He has served on the museum’s Board of Trustees since 2020, most recently as Board Treasurer. “It is an honor…
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