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Louisiana’s business climate on the ballot
Don Briggs,President,Louisiana Oil and Gas Association BATON ROUGE – The presidential elections have come and gone. However, another election is still undecided. On Dec. 8, the residents of Louisiana...
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Poor legal climate leads to higher auto insurance rates
Louisiana has once again earned the dubious distinction of having the most expensive auto insurance rates in the country. A recent USA Today article highlighted the rankings compiled by Insure.com,...
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Throw Me Something, Mister!
Don Briggs,President,Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Louisiana’s business climate is litigious, to say the least. Or to be blunt, our state is extremely sue-happy. Louisiana currently ranks 49th in...
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Former security guard files lawsuit, claims boss said she was ‘too old’
GRETNA – A Jefferson Parish woman is suing her former employer for alleged age discrimination. Elaine Aderholt filed suit against Metro Security Inc. in the 24th Judicial District Court on March. 8....
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More EPA Oversight
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association A shale revolution, shale boom, achieving energy independence, energy security; these are all terms being used in speeches, on television, the...
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The Curious Buddy System Of Louisiana AG Caldwell
Melissa Landry, executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch Generally speaking, there are two kinds of state attorneys general—one focuses his office on rooting out public corruption and...
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The Future of Natural Gas In Louisiana
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association As home to one of the largest natural gas plays in the country, the Haynesville Shale, several potential crude oil plays and the boisterous Gulf...
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A good legislative session for the oil and gas industry
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association The 2013 Louisiana State legislative session has now adjourned for the year. Each year leading up to session, typically one conversation...
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New Climate Change Policy, Same Ole’ Agenda
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Obama announced his new policy for climate change calling for new regulations on carbon emissions. He is committing $8 billion in...
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Looking Back Part III: The Tort Reform Special Session of 1996
Dan Juneau To the Editor: For years the civil justice system in Louisiana was one of the worst in the nation in spite of very few bills being passed by the Legislature to liberalize tort laws and...
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Dangerous Louisiana contingency fee bill heads to the House
Landry Last week the Louisiana Senate passed a bill that could unleash hordes of personal injury lawyers to investigate and harass businesses and individuals across the state in the hopes of securing...
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What Reagan really said about tort reform
Cochran During the recent 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, we read many tributes to him and re-read many of his greatest speeches. I worked for the 1980 Reagan campaign during law...
View ArticleFast food CEO looking for a quick exit from ‘Judicial Hellhole’
The head of a restaurant company, Andrew F. Puzder of CKE Restaurants (the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s), recently announced he’s considering moving the company’s headquarters from...
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Are Excessive Lawsuits Fueling Pain At The Pump?
Landry Next time you are filling up your gas tank, and feeling the pain at the pump, think about this: if the source of your gasoline is Louisiana onshore drilling, then every other time you fill your...
View ArticleLegacy lawsuits more about making green than being green?
Protecting our environment is an important topic for Louisianans. After all, what is a Sportsman’s Paradise without the paradise? This is what makes the delays in the cleanup of Louisiana’s “legacy”...
View ArticleSeesaw laws and missing merry-go-rounds
In a recent article, John Tierney of the New York Times questions a disturbing trend that’s taken over playgrounds across the country. Seesaws are being torn out, jungle gyms lowered and...
View ArticleLegal reform in the Lone Star State; How it works and why Louisiana needs it
It is hard to imagine, but not very long ago, Texas was described by the Wall Street Journal as the “lawsuit capital of the world.” Frivolous lawsuits and settlements were out of control....
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What’s the most ridiculous Louisiana lawsuit?
Landry Abuse. It’s defined as a corrupt practice or the improper and excessive use of something. Like when a man blows up his own home and then abuses the law to make his gas company pay $15 million...
View ArticleOil companies are ignoring environmental laws
To the Editor: I read with interest the published letter from Melissa Landry dated December 15, which made the ludicrous claim that landowners rather than oil companies are causing the delays in the...
View ArticleVeron omits facts
To the Editor: Personal injury lawyer J. Michael Veron’s December 19th tirade on lawsuits and the environment not only is misguided but also thinly veils the self-serving agenda through which he and a...
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Mardi Gras Madness: How to Host a Lawsuit-Free Parade Watching Party
Melissa Landry We’ve all heard the stories. Riders getting sued for tossing coconuts. Fellow parade-goers suing one another over beads, and Carnival krewes getting sued by their members after falling...
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Legacy Lawsuits: The Fight Continues
Don Briggs To the Editor: This week, Dr. David Dismukes with the LSU Center for Energy Studies released a report on the impact of Legacy Lawsuits on conventional oil and gas drilling in Louisiana....
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Legislative Battle Brewing Over Legacy Lawsuits
Melissa Landry To the Editor: As the Louisiana Legislature kicked off with a bang this week, the political stage has been set for a series of historic battles that could drastically impact the...
View ArticleHB 477 Seeks to Stop Double Recovery & Windfall Lawyers’ Fees in Asbestos Cases
After more than 40 years of asbestos litigation, most of the companies responsible for asbestos exposure in the workplace have gone out of business. Many would say that’s a good thing. They might also...
View ArticlePut jobs over trial lawyer profits
Dear Senate President John Alario, Jr. and Senate Judiciary A Chairman Ben Nevers: On behalf of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, I write to express our strong support of Senate Bill 443 and...
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Is Louisiana Attorney General’s Use of Contingency Fee Lawyers Legal?
Landry Is Louisiana’s top law-enforcement officer violating the law by hiring private plaintiffs attorneys to pursue litigation on behalf of the state? That’s the fundamental question raised by the...
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Louisiana Can Learn A Lot from Texas About Creating Jobs, Cutting Lawsuits
Melissa Landry It is no secret that Texas and Louisiana are very different states. They love barbecue. We love gumbo. They are known for big belt buckles. We’re known for white shrimp boots. And on...
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Judicial Elections Important: Don’t let someone else speak for you on...
Melissa Landry Elections have consequences, for better or for worse. And while most voters are focusing on the Presidential election this November, there is another political battle brewing that has...
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Vitter: Finally, An End To Legacy Lawsuit Abuse
U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) In Louisiana, we understand the challenge to increase offshore oil and gas production often gets the spotlight in the media. But, there has been another struggle for...
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Spill Deal’s Big Winners Shouldn’t Be Plaintiffs’ Lawyers
Geoff Morrell In recent weeks, plaintiffs’ lawyers have published opinion pieces in Gulf Coast newspapers attacking BP for identifying grave problems with the administration of a settlement we reached...
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Just More Extortion By The Trial Lawyers
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association This week, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East has filed suit against 97 oil and gas companies seeking payment from them...
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Levee Board Lawsuit – the Latest Chapter in Trial Lawyer Greed
Melissa Landry, executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch The latest chapter on trial lawyer greed exploded onto headlines in newspapers across the country this summer, when a New Orleans...
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‘Jackpot justice’ is bad for Louisiana businesses
Dan Juneau, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers The United States leads the world in a number of...
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Lawsuit Accusations Are Just That
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association The battle between public opinion and truth is under way. Dozens of editorials, newspaper articles and reports have now been written regarding...
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Support Small Businesses, Stop Lawsuit Abuse
Melissa Landry, executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch Small business owners and entrepreneurs face many challenges. From changing health care laws to new taxes and regulations, it is...
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LO&G President: Actual damage not necessary
A common theme right now in Louisiana is legalized extortion. If you need to make a quick dollar, have no fear; a plaintiff attorney will find you. Whether we are referencing the ongoing legacy...
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The BP Oil Spill Settlement Is Wrong For America!
To the Editor: The BP Oil Spill Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL 2179″) officially started on August 10, 2010. The Transfer Order issued on that date by the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict...
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Poor Legal Climate Stealing the Show
While the national political climate is unsteady and the entire country is nervous about how a government shutdown might affect us at home, Louisiana is experiencing an unprecedented economic...
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It’s Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week – Are You Part of the Problem or Part of...
Melissa Landry, executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch This week marks Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week, when groups across the country stop to reflect on the negative effects of lawsuit...
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Clouds gathering on the horizon
Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Irony can be pretty rich sometimes … and a handful of trial lawyers are taking that logic all the way to the bank....
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Trial Lawyers Create Organic Drilling Moratorium
The same song different verse seems to be the new theme for the Louisiana legal climate. While the filing of 28 new lawsuits by the same group of trial lawyers should come as no surprise to the oil and...
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Obamacare: Death of ‘The Rule of Law’
Armstrong You have often heard we are a “nation of laws and not of men.” The words are attributable to John Adams and, while the concept can be found in ancient Greek culture, humankind didn’t take it...
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Killing the Golden Goose
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association A common saying in the South is “Don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg.” In Louisiana’s business environment, this golden goose is...
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Judicial activism one reason for ‘Judicial Hellhole’ label
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association It is no secret that Louisiana has a litigious legal climate. As Louisiana now ranks 49th out of 50 by the United States Chamber of Commerce for...
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Employing Your Family And Enhancing Your Community
The oil and gas industry of Louisiana is the largest employer in the state. Over 30% of our nation’s natural resources flow from or through Louisiana. Whether from the Haynesville Shale in Northwest...
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Legislative Preview: A guide to the top legal reforms to watch in 2014
Melissa Landry, executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch The Louisiana Legislature kicked off the 2014 regular session on March 10, beginning a series of discussions about the most important...
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Stine: Frivolous lawsuits hurt state
The United States has the most expensive civil justice system in the world, doubling the average of other developed nations. According to national estimates, more than 15 million lawsuits will be filed...
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As Legacy Lawsuit Count Rises, Rig Count Falls
Don Briggs, President, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association As we have reached the decade mark for when the first legacy lawsuit was filed in the state of Louisiana, a clear correlation can be observed....
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