In a significant win for the #MeToo movement, the U.S. Senate passed a bill on Thursday, February 10, 2021, which ensures that employees who are sexually harassed or assaulted in the workplace can pursue their claims in court. The bill invalidates pre-dispute agreements that require individuals to arbitrate claims related to sexual harassment or sexual
Liskow & Lewis
State, Federal Governments Move Toward Wind Energy Leasing in the Gulf of Mexico
Within the first six weeks of 2022, both state and federal governments have taken steps toward offshore wind energy development off the coast of Louisiana.
On February 1, the Climate Initiatives Task Force submitted the Louisiana Climate Action Plan to Governor Edwards. The Plan offers strategies and actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in…
Louisiana Supreme Court Relies on Employment-at-Will Doctrine in Enforcing Private Employer’s Vaccine Mandate
On Friday, January 7, 2022, the Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously upheld a COVID-19 vaccine mandate program that the state’s largest private healthcare system implemented for its employees. Hayes, et al. v. University Health Shreveport, 21-01601 (La. 1/7/22). In doing so, the Court reaffirmed the employment-at-will doctrine, and its decision will likely be cited in…
EEOC Says COVID-19 Can Be a Disability Under the ADA
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced on December 14, 2021, that employees who contract COVID-19 may be protected from discrimination under federal law. This supplements previously issued guidance addressing when people with “long COVID” may be deemed disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
The EEOC’s new guidance clarifies that a person…
NRDA Settlement Reached for 2014 Galveston Bay Oil Spill
On December 3, 2021, the Department of Justice published a notice in the Federal Register of a settlement between Federal and State Trustees and Kirby Inland Marine, LP (“Kirby”) to resolve natural resource damages from a 2014 oil release. On March 22, 2014, a bulk carrier collided with an oil tank barge owned by Kirby…
OCSLA Amendments Pave the Way for Carbon Sequestration in Offshore Federal Waters
The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (the “Act”), which was passed into law on November 15, 2021, included key amendments to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (“OCSLA”) that pave the way for carbon sequestration in offshore federal waters.
Prior to the Act’s passage, OCSLA (as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005) authorized…
11th Circuit Finds Not All Disputed Medical Evidence Must be Construed in a Seaman’s Favor
On Tuesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit addressed the question of whether the 1962 U.S. Supreme Court holding in Vaughan v. Atkinson, 369 U.S. 527 (1962) requires courts hearing maintenance and cure cases to construe disputed medical evidence in the seaman’s favor. In Witbart v. Mandara Spa (Hawaii), LLC…
Property Tax Reductions Due to Hurricane Ida Damage
As announced in Louisiana Tax Commission Statewide Advisory 03-2021 on Hurricane Ida, pursuant to La. R.S. 47:1978.1, Louisiana Assessors in Parishes affected by Hurricane Ida have to reassess property for purposes of the upcoming annual property tax bills to take into account any reductions in fair market value to property as a result of hurricane…
ESG and Derivatives – ISDA’s Latest Publications
This month the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) published two papers further contributing to the dialogue around ESG standards and practices in the derivatives market.
Continue Reading ESG and Derivatives – ISDA’s Latest Publications
Labor and Employment Law FAQs Related to Hurricane Ida
In the wake of Hurricane Ida, many employers are struggling to find ways to maintain their business and protect their most precious asset: their employees. In this article, we review some of the most frequently asked labor and employment law questions facing employers in the aftermath of this catastrophic storm, including payroll issues, attendance issues,…