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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)…
Defense Base Act Update: Benefits Review Board Addresses Recent Trends in Expert Medical Evidence
Defense Base Act Update: Benefits Review Board Addresses Recent Trends in Expert Medical Evidence
In a recent decision, the Benefits Review Board (BRB) clarified the weight afforded to “treating” physicians’ opinions and endorsed the use of judicial notice of prior Decisions and Orders discussing a “treating” physician’s similarly worded medical reports. In Rogers Avendaño…
Employment Alert Update: District Judge Blocks FTC Ban on Noncompetes
Employment Alert Update: District Judge Blocks FTC Ban on Noncompetes
On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, a federal district judge in Texas permanently blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s Final Rule on Noncompete Agreements on the grounds that the regulation exceeded the agency’s authority. The details of the Rule were addressed in…
Insurance Law Alert: Changes to Louisiana Direct Action Statute Effective August 1, 2024
Insurance Law Alert: Changes to Louisiana Direct Action Statute Effective August 1, 2024
Changes are coming to the Louisiana Direct Action Statute. Under this unique Louisiana law, a plaintiff previously had a right to assert a direct action against an insurer, or against both an insurer and its insured, under broad circumstances. This…
Employment Alert Update: District Court Granted a Preliminary Injunction Staying Enforcement of FTC’s Rule on Noncompetes
Employment Alert Update: District Court Granted a Preliminary Injunction Staying Enforcement of FTC’s Rule on Noncompetes
In our April 24, 2024 Employment Alert: Federal Trade Commission Issues Final Rule Banning Noncompetes, we explained that the new FTC Rule sought to ban most existing noncompete agreements. In July 2024, a federal district court in Texas granted a…
Florida Supreme Court Update: Important Updates to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Effective January 1, 2025
Florida Supreme Court Update: Important Updates to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Effective January 1, 2025
Galloway attorneys in Florida stay on top of the latest updates in the Florida Supreme Court so that they can navigate all procedural requirements while delivering current and clarifying assistance to clients. Significant changes to the Florida Rules of Civil…
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…
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…
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