Legal Update: The Fifth Circuit Provides Glimmer of Hope that Statutory Employer Protections Remain a Reliable Legal Defense for Contractors and Owners when Statutory Employee Injuries Occur. Authors: Christopher K. LeMieux and Hannah M. Marler. The recent ruling in Valdivia vs. Brock Industrial Services and Phillips 66 sent shockwaves through the construction industry, as it called into question the applicability [...]

We're excited to welcome Joshua R. Yeager to Riess LeMieux as our newest associate attorney. Josh brings valuable litigation experience from across Louisiana, particularly in property damage disputes in both state and federal court. He previously clerked for Judge Roland Belsome at the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and earned his law degree from Tulane University, where he served [...]

Riess LeMieux is proud to announce that seven of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2025 Louisiana Super Lawyers list: Michael R. C. Riess, Christopher K. LeMieux, Jonathan S. Forester, Michael S. Blackwell, M. Robert C. Riess, Jr., Patrick “Trey” Talley, and Jennifer L. Mura. Super Lawyers is a trusted rating service that recognizes outstanding attorneys across [...]

Legal Update: Craft et al. v. Max Access LLC et al.: Lessons in Indemnity, Comparative Fault, and Procedural Litigation Strategy. Authors: Christopher K. LeMieux In a recent ruling from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Craft et al. v. Max Access LLC et al. (No. 6:22-CV-05899), the court granted a motion for judgment, dismissing Third-Party [...]

DOD No Longer Requires Project Labor Agreements for Large-Scale Federal Construction Projects: A Trend to Come? Authors:  Jonathan S. Forester and Olivia Maynard Contractors are no longer required to use Project Labor Agreements (“PLA”) for any Department of Defense (“DOD”) sourced federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more. This change happened in two ways: 1. Court Ruling (Jan. [...]

Two Important Recent Cases Change the Legal Landscape for Public Works Mandamus Claims. Authors: Christopher K. LeMieux, Antonio Torres and Olivia Maynard 1. First Circuit Court Calls into Question Prior Mandamus Cases in Louisiana Public Contracts: LA Contracting Enterprise, LLC v. South Lafourche Levee District In this case, LA Contracting was awarded a public works contract in which a dispute [...]

Barber Brothers Contracting Company, LLC v. Capitol City, --- So.3d ---, 2024 WL 5162733, 2023-00788 (La. 12/19/24) Louisiana Supreme Court Revisits Damage Awards in Barber Brothers Case: A Closer Look into the Application of Pete v. Boland Marine. Authors:  Christopher K. LeMieux and Emilia Duncan In a recent decision, the Louisiana Supreme Court in Barber Brothers Contracting Co., LLC v. [...]