A pair of recent decisions from the US Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals signals a trend by the judiciary to closely scrutinize agency rulings where, in the past, courts have traditionally maintained a laissez-faire approach.
In Ohio v. EPA, the Supreme Court ruled that an agency action qualifies as arbitrary or
Two days before Christmas, the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal handed down an opinion that should be of note to Louisiana employers. In its opinion, the Court of Appeal held that as a matter of law, an employer can be vicariously liable for damages caused by an employee involved in a motor vehicle accident
A recent 4–3 majority decision [1] from the Louisiana Supreme Court exposes market intermediaries to potential liability for damages caused by products sold by sellers using their platform. In June 2024, the Louisiana Supreme Court answered two certified questions from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana concerning the liability facing
As a business owner, one of the most important decisions of your business career is the decision to sell your business, and once you make the decision to sell, it can be a long and complicated process. To maximize the value of your business and to minimize obstacles and delays in getting to closing, you
Employers nationwide can breathe a collective sigh of relief. On Friday November 15, 2024, District Judge Sean D. Jordan of the federal district court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a motion for summary judgment finding that the Department of Labor’s 2024 Rule – that would have increased the minimum salary level required to
Louisiana’s Senate Bill 1, introduced during the recent 2024 Third Extraordinary Legislative Session, aims to establish specialized business courts in Louisiana through a state constitutional amendment. The bill seeks to amend the constitution and give the legislature the authority to create “specialized” courts. This proposed amendment must first receive two-thirds approval in both the Louisiana
Out-of-state defendants are sometimes surprised to learn that their lack of minimum contacts with the forum state is irrelevant if the lawsuit against them is filed as an adversary proceeding in a federal bankruptcy court. For example, a company or individual that has minimum contacts with the United States as a whole, but not with
Mineral Leases in Louisiana are typically granted for a stipulated length of time, known as the primary term, and for so long thereafter as production in paying quantities continues. As production commences and a mineral lease is extended beyond its primary term, various common issues often arise, many of which are briefly discussed below:
Lease
Late last month, the U.S. Eastern District of New York dismissed a suit by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) against eBay claiming that it sold products that are prohibited under federal environmental statutes.[1] The Court held that eBay is not a “seller” of prohibited products under either the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) or
In a case of first impression, the U.S. 5th Circuit recently held that the Louisiana Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act (LOAIA) does not contain a universal well requirement.
Louisiana is only one of four states that has passed an oilfield anti-indemnity act. Enacted in 1981, the LOAIA renders “null, void and unenforceable” certain indemnification provisions in “agreement[s]