News and Events
Riess LeMieux Attorneys Named to 2021 Best Lawyers® in America List
Riess LeMieux is pleased to announce that four of the firm’s lawyers have been named to the 2021 Edition of Best Lawyers in America. Michael R. C. Riess, Christopher K. LeMieux, Michael D. Lane, and Michael S. Blackwell have been recognized in the fields of Construction Law, Construction Litigation, and Admiralty and Maritime Law.
Riess LeMieux Welcomes Patrick “Trey” Talley to the Firm
Riess LeMieux is pleased to welcome Patrick "Trey" Talley to the firm. Trey is a recent graduate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University and also has a Structural Engineering degree from Clemson University. The firm is excited about his technical experience that will allow him to assist in advising clients on construction-related issues.
Construction Industry Legislative Update – August 2020
Several important laws affecting the construction industry—and businesses in general—were passed by the Louisiana Legislature during the 2020 Regular and Extraordinary Sessions and signed into law by the Governor, including partial tort reform, business and individual protections related to COVID-19, and new laws affecting the construction industry in particular.
Sanctions for Lost or Destroyed ESI: FRCP 37(e)’s Application Amid the Advancement of Technology
Mike Lane and Michael Levatino co-wrote an article for Under Construction, a publication of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, discussing bad faith litigants and the destruction of electronically stored information (ESI).
Annual Construction Law Seminar: Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty
Please join us and mark your calendars for our Annual Construction Law Seminar: Dealing With Risk and Uncertainty. The firm will host this annual event for clients and friends of the firm. The webinar will cover a broad range of topics impacting the construction industry, including how to navigate COVID, labor and employment issues, and recent legislation and case law.
Christopher LeMieux to Speak on Legal Panel at LAGC Conference
Christopher K. LeMieux will be participating in a legal panel at the Louisiana Associated General Contractors Summer Conference. The panelists will discuss recent legal decisions that may impact construction industry. The Conference will be held in Miramar Beach, Florida on July 29-August 2.
Can Liquidated Damages Be Withheld on a Public Project? It May Depend on the Project’s Location
In the 2020 Regular Session, the Louisiana Legislature attempted to resolve an apparent circuit split among the First and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeal by codifying the requirements for a public entity to withhold liquidated damages (LDs) on public projects. House Bill 758 was originally intended to allow LDs to be withheld on all public contracts. However, after much debate, the bill was limited to “flood protection” and “integrated coastal protection” projects.
Legal Update: Sierra Frac Sand, L.L.C. v. CDE Global Limited
The U.S. Fifth Circuit, applying Texas law, affirmed a decision to dismiss a case under the doctrine of forum non conveniens, based on a forum-selection clause contained in a document incorporated into the parties’ contract, even though the plaintiff was not aware of the existence of the forum-selection clause. As a result, the Texas company was required to litigate its contractual dispute in Northern Ireland.