Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith

National Take Your Dog to Work Day means more in Galloway's Lafayette office. Associate Hayden Presley and his guide dog Sawyer make a dynamic duo who continually push boundaries and break barriers. Sawyer assists Hayden in navigating daily tasks so Hayden can consistently step up on behalf of his clients. We're proud to have Hayden, Sawyer, and all our furry office companions on our team! #TakeYourDogToWork #NationalTakeYourDogToWorkDay #ServiceDogs #OfficeDogs #MansBestFriend #VisuallyImpaired #LouisianaLawyer #GalloWAY

Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith has secured a significant victory in a cargo loss claim case in federal court. Managing Director Jason Waguespack and Associate Sam Fuller led the firm's efforts in representing our client. The case involved the ocean carriage of 333 containers of cargo from Vietnam to San Diego aboard a vessel chartered by our client. The vessel encountered a dangerous low-pressure system after leaving Vietnam, and during the hazardous weather conditions, the stow collapsed, causing cargo damage with a claimed value of over $25 million. The cargo owners aggressively pursued multiple theories of recovery, involving depositions, thousands of documents, and various experts, in an effort to defeat the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act’s (COGSA) limitation of liability. At the close of discovery, the parties filed competing motions for partial summary judgment on the issue of the applicability of COGSA and its per package limitation. Galloway’s motion argued that COGSA was applicable and damages should be limited to $500 per package. After eight months, the Court issued a 91-page decision, finding that COGSA and its $500 per package limitation are applicable to this carriage – a significant and positive outcome for our client. Galloway partners with our clients as trusted advocates, and our team goes the extra mile to get the best possible results for our clients. Our dedicated 24/7 Emergency Response Team provides rapid response and immediate representation for maritime cases such as this one. We are committed to protecting our clients’ business with proactive representation, diligence, and extensive expertise in specialized industries. #Maritime #CargoLoss #Claims #LouisianaLawyer #GallowayLawFirm #LegalExcellence

Our firm loves to celebrate milestones and special occasions with our team members. Last week, our #LafayetteLouisiana office hosted a joint baby shower for Associate Myles Sonnier and Paralegal Cara Kidder who are each expecting a baby boy this July. In addition to baby needs and plenty of diapers, Myles and Cara were gifted Galloway onesies for their new bundles of joy. Please join us in congratulating Myles, Cara, and their families! Galloway takes pride in its familial, small-firm feel with large firm resources and cases. We recognize individual and team accomplishments, knowing that when one Galloway team member shines, we all do. #OfficeBabyShower #NewBaby #LouisianaLawyer #GallowayLawFirm

Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr, & Smith has been recognized for the third year in a row as a leading firm in Louisiana for insurance law by Chambers USA. As one of the most respected and referenced legal directories in the world, Chambers and Partners bases and validates its ranking system with extensive and exhaustive third-party research with clients, legal peers, and industry leaders. Managing Director Jason Waguespack commented, "With gratitude to our clients for participating in this research and for trusting us as partners, our firm’s ranking in Chambers USA is a validation of our attorneys’ hard work, fierce advocacy, and representation that goes above and beyond to exceed expectations. Daily, I am filled with pride for Galloway’s rich history, the dynamic strides we are taking today, and the bright future ahead. Chambers and Partners is the world's leading legal rankings and insights intelligence company. For over 30 years, Chambers has differentiated the very best legal talent by identifying and ranking law firm departments and lawyers globally. Galloway attorneys provide results-driven representation, strengthened by the firm's regional reach and years of positive outcomes as valued business partners and advocates for their clients. Our firm has been consistently recognized as a premier bad faith and extra-contractual defense firm in the Gulf South, and our attorneys have significant expertise in all areas of insurance defense, including claims, coverage disputes, and liability. Galloway's expert trial attorneys are trusted to handle complex, significant insurance litigation matters. Our 24/7 Emergency and Rapid Response Team provides immediate representation and counsel to investigate, produce evidence, and advise when accidents occur in the maritime, transportation, and other industries. Galloway's responsiveness is crucial to handling a large volume of claims and lawsuits following hurricanes and other catastrophic events. #Chambers #Insurance #Claims #Louisiana #GallowayLawFirm 

Galloway continues to grow its robust team of experienced attorneys with the addition of two lawyers in #Georgia and #Louisiana. We are excited to welcome them to our team of client champions delivering result-driven representation in the Gulf South. We've searched extensively for a great fit within our growing Atlanta market to work alongside Director Tujuana McGee, JD, M.P.A. We're excited to announce that Allison Escott  has joined Galloway, bringing her almost two decades of experience advocating for clients through mediation and litigation. Focusing on #construction, #transportation, and #insurance, she takes the title of "Counselor" very seriously, valuing the responsibility of counseling clients. Allison commented, "I'm very excited to join the growing and dynamic Atlanta Galloway office. The team not only values partnerships and prioritizes client advocacy, but also draws from a wide breadth of experience throughout the Southeast to work toward an effective and positive resolution for our clients." Representing another area of growth in our firm, Associate Trevor McFarlain will be working with Lindsay Meador Young to expand our family law practice. He's a homegrown talent for our Lafayette, Louisiana, office, growing up in Eunice, LA. With experience in commercial litigation, professional liability, and insurance defense, Trevor is a great fit for our firm to advocate for clients and their families in matters of divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, adoptions, community partitions, pre-nuptial agreements, and post-nuptial agreements. Welcome aboard, Allison and Trevor! #GallowayLawFirm #LegalExcellence

Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith proudly announces the release of a new book written by Director Tim Hassinger. Published by Lexis Nexis, "Louisiana Civil Procedure with Forms" is a practical, step-by-step resource and will be a necessity in legal libraires for those practicing in Louisiana's state courts. A recognized and respected litigator, Tim manages our Greater New Orleans offices and has over 27 years of experience in navigating the intricacies of Louisiana courts by representing companies and insurers in personal injury, commercial, and insurance coverage litigation. Focused on advancing the clarity and quality of legal writing, Tim is an Advisory Editor of the Loyola Maritime Law Journal, a Life Member of Scribes: The American Society of Legal Writers, and served on the editorial boards of the Louisiana Bar Journal and The Scribes Journal of Legal Writing, as Editor of Briefly Speaking, the quarterly publication of the New Orleans Bar Association. Galloway was founded in New Orleans over 35 years ago, and though our firm has expanded its reach across the Gulf South and Midwest, our roots and our foundation remains strongly in Louisiana. Practicing law in Louisiana requires knowledge, preparation, and skill. And our team of Louisiana lawyers have all of those, with the valuable insights and the results to prove it. Our firm has been a legal defense leader, putting us in a position to make a difference for our clients before, during, and after trials in Louisiana state courts. With Galloway attorneys representing clients at all levels of Louisiana courts, readers of "Louisiana Civil Procedure with Forms" can count on our knowledge to put themselves in the best position for positive outcomes when trying cases in Louisiana. To purchase a copy, visit the LexisNexis webstore by clicking the link in the comments. #LegalWriting #Author #NewBook #LouisianaLawyer #LouisianaLaw #GallowayLawFirm #LegalExcellence

Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr, & Smith celebrates Juneteenth and its historic significance in the Gulf South and America. Our firm honors Freedom Day, as Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, announcing the end of slavery. Initiatives of our Diversity Committee ensure that we not only actively embrace our diverse and inclusive workforce, but also play an important role in advancing and leading the legal profession to a new level of inclusivity. Within our firm, we are committed to empowering diverse voices in leadership positions and across our thirteen offices. To that end, Galloway is currently fulfilling the rigorous certification process for the Mansfield Rule, which is designed to ensure all talent at participating law firms have a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership. Our scholarship program supports law students at law schools associated with historically Black colleges and universities, and our firm annually participates in events that promote diverse voices in our community, such as the Minority Corporate Counsel Association Law Firm Diversity Survey, the LSBA Minority Job Fair, and the Texas Minority Counsel Program. Join us in celebrating Juneteenth and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community and in our country. #Juneteenth #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #GallowayLawFirm

We wish all dads and father figures a very special and happy Father's Day! Thank you, dads, for the numerous ways you support, guide, teach, and form us. Fatherhood can be a gift that looks different for everyone, and we recognize fathers of all kinds today - those with one or more child, those who have lost their fathers, those wanting to be a father, stepfathers, grandfathers, fur dads, and all those with a paternal and mentoring presence. From all of us at Galloway, we hope all fathers have an incredible day! ⛳️🔨👔

Galloway attorneys in Florida recently participated in the Florida Defense Lawyers Association annual Florida Liability Claims Conference in Orlando. When they were not participating in the excellent presentations, our lawyers connected with many professional colleagues, friends, and new connections in the insurance and claims industry. Galloway was proud to be a Diamond sponsor. Director Nicole Fluet serves on the Board of Directors for the FDLA. Joining Nicole at the conference were Directors Edward Krakauer, Anna Pearl Kirkpatrick, Special Counsel Mark Lehman, and Associates Athina Lehovitis, Esq., Chinyere J. Nwagbuo, Esq., and Jeanneth Miranda. In case you missed it, Athina was awarded the 2024 Young Lawyer Award by the FDLA during the conference. Our attorneys are already looking forward to the next generation of insurance leaders in Florida! #FDLA #FLCC #FloridaLawyer #Insurance #Claims #GallowayLawFirm #LegalExcellence

Galloway Directors Carolyn Geoghegan and Branch M. Sheppard secured another complete victory in United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, as the Court granted the firm's Motion for Summary Judgment on all six counts in a mortgage litigation case. From the beginning, our attorneys believed that the facts did not support the Plaintiff's claims or monetary damages Plaintiff sought in excess of $5,000,000. In this case, the Plaintiff alleged he was entitled to fee simple ownership of his home and avoidance of his parent's mortgage after his parents passed away, and he claimed intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, slander of title, unjust enrichment, and sought actual and punitive damages and attorney's fees among other categories of damages. Carolyn and her team developed a strategy to successfully argue against the claims, asserting that our client had legal justification to pursue its interest in the Property and maintain a valid and subsisting mortgage lien. The Court agreed and also granted the client's Counterclaim for judicial foreclosure of the Property, finding that our client had a statutory right to foreclose. With local, results-driven representation supported by our regional reach, Galloway's expert strategy made the difference in this case, securing a win for both the firm and our clients.