Insights, News & Events
RECENT UPDATES
Timely, substantive
industry news
and insights.
Timely, substantive
industry news
and insights.
Noncompetes on a Rollercoaster: Status of FTC Rule and State Law Restrictions
Noncompetes on a Rollercoaster: Status of FTC Rule and State Law Restrictions
The legal landscape of noncompete agreements in the U.S. has changed significantly. It remains in flux, particularly considering the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) actions regarding its final rule on the matter. Employers – and those keeping up with employment law…
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…
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…
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…
DEI: With Some Employers Moving Away from Past Trends, Where Are They Headed Now?
DEI: With Some Employers Moving Away from Past Trends, Where Are They Headed Now?
Near the end of President Donald J. Trump’s first term in office, he issued an Executive Order titled Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, the purpose of which was to “combat offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating.” The…
Benefits Review Board Allows Claimant Another Bite at the Apple After Settlement
Benefits Review Board Allows Claimant Another Bite at the Apple After Settlement
The Benefits Review Board (BRB) recently reversed a grant of summary decision regarding whether a claimant’s current “left shoulder injury” claim is covered by the parties’ previous settlement for his “left pectoral muscle,” knee, and psychological injuries. In Marcus Schulmeister v.…
Longshore/Defense Base Act: U.S. Dept. of Labor Releases Annual Adjustments for 2025
Longshore/Defense Base Act: U.S. Dept. of Labor Releases Annual Adjustments for 2025
On September 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor issued Industry Notice No. 203 providing the National Average Weekly Wage, the maximum and minimum compensation rates, and the cost-of-living adjustment for Fiscal Year 2025. The annual adjustments under Section 10(h)…
Tidings of Comfort and Custody: Navigating the Holidays After Divorce
Tidings of Comfort and Custody: Navigating the Holidays After Divorce
For some, the holiday season is a time of comfort and joy: holiday-card-picture perfect families with traditions, smiles, and laughter. Other parents are threading the needle carefully, and for those who are separated or divorced, the holidays are accompanied by…
Galloway Achieves Summary Judgment for First Party Case in Fort Lauderdale
Galloway Achieves Summary Judgment for First Party Case in Fort Lauderdale
Edward Krakauer, an attorney in the Fort Lauderdale office of Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith, won a motion for summary judgment in a complex first party residential case. With sophisticated representation, the Galloway team achieved another positive outcome on…
Galloway Prevails in Lafayette Workers’ Compensation Case
Galloway Prevails in Lafayette Workers’ Compensation Case
Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith has prevailed on a complete defense verdict in a workers’ compensation case in Lafayette, Louisiana. Jason Wilson and Jared Nelson secured the dismissal with prejudice. With experience and expertise, Galloway handles complex employment law…
Professionalism and Ethics in an AI-Driven World
Professionalism and Ethics in an AI-Driven World
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly embedded in legal practice and business operations with the intensified implementation of generative AI tools and in-house, proprietary language learning models. The legal profession, in turn, faces new challenges and opportunities in upholding high…
Galloway Secures Win in Texas Oil & Gas Trial
Galloway Secures Win in Texas Oil & Gas Trial
Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith secured a positive outcome in a five day jury trial in Harris County, Texas. Mark “Tiger” Pharr and Jordan White, both in the firm’s Dallas office, successfully represented their client in a complex product…
EVENTS