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industry news
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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…
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…
Legislative Alert: Bill Changes Class Action Rules in Missouri
Legislative Alert: Bill Changes Class Action Rules in Missouri
St. Louis lawyer Jennifer Woulfe actively monitored the recent legislative session in Missouri for rule changes that may impact clients and litigation, including a bill that changes Missouri’s class action rules. With SB 47 passed and signed into law, Missouri’s rule…
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…
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…
Four Galloway Attorneys Named 2026 St. Louis Best Lawyers
Four Galloway Attorneys Named 2026 St. Louis Best Lawyers
Exemplifying its regional reach and talented roster of defense attorneys, Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith and its St. Louis office were included in St. Louis Magazine’s “2026 St. Louis Best Lawyers” list. The annual list recognizes the Midwestern city’s top legal talent that have…
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…
Frederick “Billy” Swaim Presents at 2025 Energy Insurance Americas
Frederick “Billy” Swaim Presents at 2025 Energy Insurance Americas
New Orleans maritime attorney Frederick William (“Billy”) Swaim III led an insightful roundtable discussion at the 2025 Energy Insurance Americas conference that gathered energy industry insiders, insurance professionals, and legal professionals to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing…
Galloway Wins Summary Judgment in Louisiana Medical Malpractice Case
Galloway Wins Summary Judgment in Louisiana Medical Malpractice Case
Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith attorneys Ryan O’Connor and Cody Castle secured a summary judgment win on behalf of the firm’s client, a Louisiana-based emergency medical transport company, in a medical malpractice case in Baton Rouge. Galloway continues to…
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