A bill in the Louisiana Senate that would have given oil and gas companies a win in the effort to prevent lawsuits against them by parish governments over the loss of coastal wetlands stalled before being taken up by the full body of the Senate.
WASHINGTON – Louisiana tort and legal reform advocates are optimistic about the new year, in spite of a few disappointments in 2019, says the head of a state advocacy group.
The scheme recently announced by private plaintiffs' attorneys, which purports to provide a framework to settle government lawsuits targeting hundreds of energy producers over alleged coastal land loss claims, perfectly illustrates what we've known for a long time: these trial lawyer-driven lawsuits are a farce that have nothing to do with saving the coast.
NEW ORLEANS — Coastal erosion lawsuits that oil and gas producers have fought for more than half a decade are designed to enrich plaintiff attorneys, rather than fix any environmental problems – and Louisianans know it – legal and fuel industry influencers said during recent interviews.
With close to half of the state's 105 House seats open this October due to term limits, the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association see an opportunity for advancing reforms and plans on educating voters on reform-minded candidates.
NEW ORLEANS – Tensions between the U.S. and Iran could lead to higher gas prices as well as impact the Louisiana oil industry as a whole, a recent posting on WVUE's website said.
In the wake of numerous threats against the oil and gas industry of Louisiana, the City of New Orleans has come alongside of six parishes that are suing companies for alleged coastal land loss.
In a recent op-ed, written by Lana Venable, director of the Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch, and published by Watchdog, concerns have been raised about the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ recent appointment of the parish district attorney to conduct damage assessments that are alleged to come from oil and gas development in Terrebonne Parish.
A group of business associations recently hosted a luncheon to discuss the legal climate in the state of Louisiana and to begin planning how to implement legal reform.
Louisiana is a unique state, notable among the others in the nation. We are known for our exquisite Cajun cuisine, a football coach with an often indiscernible southern dialect, and a colorful political climate with seemingly endless elections.
Following the recent elections, the Plaquemines Parish Council, which at one time appeared to be willing to end its involvement in coastal lawsuits against the state's energy industry, now seems to have even more support for continuing the litigation.
Questions are being raised with calls for reform since Louisiana ranked as the 8th worst state in the nation for frivolous lawsuits, excessive judgments and other legal abuses.
The Plaquemines Parish Council, prodded by Council Member Irvin Juneau, recently voted on whether to withdraw from coastal lawsuits against the oil and gas industry.
After the Plaquemines Parish Council voted 4-3 on a measure to withdraw from a coastal lawsuit that threatens the oil and gas industry, Gifford Briggs, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA) published a response to the vote titled "Changing the Trajectory."
The Plaquemines Parish Council recently voted 4-3 in favor of withdrawing from a set of coastal lawsuits filed against oil and gas companies operating in the parish.
A small group of trial lawyers cannot be allowed to ruin Louisiana's future, says the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, after a survey showed that a majority of voters in Plaquemines Parish are opposed to lawsuits being filed against the industry.
As civil litigation costs continue to rise, the entire state of Louisiana is footing the bill, and industry groups such as the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association fear for what excessive litigation might do to the state and the economy if allowed to continue.
