On August 12, 2016, the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued an Emergency Administrative Order to provide relief from otherwise applicable state-issued environmental permit terms and rules in order to manage the situations created by the unprecedented flooding in southern Louisiana. The Order is available here. The Order applies to the
Louisiana in General
Courts Finally Clarify Louisiana Property Tax Appeal Deadline
The statutory and regulatory deadline for appealing an adverse decision of the Louisiana Tax Commission (the “Commission”) is clearly thirty (30) days, but identifying the event that triggers commencement of the deadline has not always been easy. The applicable statute provides that the appeal deadline runs from the date the decision is “entered,” while the…
Jefferson Parish Land Loss Suit Dismissed
The first of many coastal land loss lawsuits filed by Louisiana coastal parishes has proceeded to judgment, with the result being the dismissal of the case based on the failure to exhaust administrative remedies prior to filing suit.
Since the filing of the politically-charged Southeastern Louisiana Flood Protection Authority lawsuit, four parishes – Plaquemines, Jefferson,…
Partial Certificates of Substantial Completion – a “Trap for the Unwary”
Louisiana law is clear – all claims against a contractor or design professional arising out of the planning, construction, design or building immovable or movable property must be brought within 5 years of the date of registry in the mortgage office of acceptance of the work by the owner. If no such acceptance is recorded…
Peremption: A Legal “Bar” Sufficient to Circumvent the Louisiana Oilfield Indemnity Act
In the recent Fifth Circuit case of Hefren v. Murphy Exploration & Production Company, USA, et al., 2016 WL 1637758 (5th Cir. April 25, 2016), the court took up the riveting issue of contractual defense and indemnification. All levity aside, the issue addressed by the court is one that arises in nearly every case…
Obama Administration Announces Onerous Regulations on Emissions For All New and Existing OCS Oil and Gas Facilities
On March 17, 2016, the Obama Administration announced through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) its newly proposed air quality emission regulations for offshore oil and gas activities. According to BOEM, the primary benefit of this rule is “to ensure that offshore facilities and operations are in compliance with the air quality objectives and…
EDLA Confirms That LHWCA Medical Benefits Are Not Subject To Collateral Source Rule
The application of the collateral source rule is a common dispute in personal injury litigation because it affects the amount of recoverable damages in the case. When it applies, the defendant is potentially on the hook for a higher amount of past medical expenses, typically, the amount invoiced by the medical providers. When it does…
Contract Claims Still Viable for “Imperfect” Contractors under the Louisiana Public Works Act
On May 3, 2016, the Louisiana Supreme Court held that the notice and recordation requirements of the Louisiana Public Works Act do not bar a suit on contract by a subcontractor against the general contractor’s surety. The Court’s opinion is nuanced, and dependent on the meaning and word choice of certain terms in the Louisiana…
Third Circuit Rules on Louisiana’s Construction Anti-Indemnity Statute
By the Kean Miller Construction Team
On April 6, 2016, Louisiana’s Third Circuit Court of Appeal issued a ruling on the question of whether the state’s relatively new anti-indemnity statute affects a defendant’s ability to assert the “statutory employer” defense for purposes of workers compensation. Blanks v. Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, LLC, No. 15-1094,…
A Brief Examination of “Mineral Acre” and “Royalty Acre” in Louisiana
Terminology employed in oil and gas exploration may often become antiquated. In this regard, this comment is intended to introduce the reader to the dated and potentially confusing terms “mineral acre” and “royalty acre.” Although the author is not a large proponent of the use of such terms, they are part of the fabric of…