Ever wondered about the seemingly daunting world of contracts: the myriad of pages and often boring mechanical reading, not to mention those terms and conditions written in legalese? For most of us, not really. That’s for sure. But sometimes contractual disputes can be interesting. Ever hear the saying don’t mix…
When someone with a family and a business suddenly dies, sensitive estate issues arise and can often become complicated, especially if the decedent was in the midst of strained business negotiations or when the death was the result of a suicide. In these situations, it’s essential for surviving family members…
Ponzi schemes ultimately come to an end and unfortunately cause a lot of pain, suffering, and litigation. The Stanford Ponzi scheme is no exception. As demonstrated in the following case, the complex nature of such schemes demonstrates the need for excellent legal representation if you are the victim of an…
This post continues our discussion on the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal’s analysis of the public policy exception in Article V(2)(b) of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (“New York Convention”). As discussed in the previous post, Article V(2)(b) of the New York…
The world we live in today is more interconnected than ever before. International commerce has led to rapid economic development in the United States and abroad. As more and more firms participate in international commerce, complex legal disputes arise. International disputes involve a multitude actors of different nationalities, implicating…
This post follows up on our discussion of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling requiring that a contradictory hearing is held before striking a defendant’s deficient answer and entering a default judgment in favor of a plaintiff. In this case, the defendant (Dirt Worx of Louisiana, L.L.C.) wrote a letter…
In Louisiana, the plaintiff initiates a civil lawsuit by filing a petition with the Clerk of the Court and serving the defendant with a copy of the petition and citation. The defendant must answer the plaintiffís petition or risk a default judgment. A default judgment is a binding judgment in…
Good news for professionals; potentially bad news for consumers. Affixing a professional seal to a document does not alone expose a professional to liability if the professional does not directly offer any services to the consumer. The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal recently heard a case that dealt with…
When entering into a contract it is important to read all the terms, especially the general provisions near the end of the agreement. Oftentimes those provisions state that a party must waive their right to a jury trial and settle all disputes arising from the contract by arbitration. Arbitration is…
Parties to a lawsuit are required to submit evidence in support of their claim. Depending on the piece of evidence, the court may demand very specific evidence; and in such circumstances, complying with the mere spirit of the order to produce evidence may not be enough for the court. A…