Louisiana Gov. Jindal to Sign Bill Blocking Levee Board Lawsuit Against Energy Companies

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced that he will sign legislation that would nullify the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East’s multi-billion dollar lawsuit (using outside contingency fee counsel) against nearly one hundred energy companies for allegedly causing coastal erosion.

This legislation was strongly supported by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform and in-state business organizations. ILR also helped raise public awareness of this issue through a Shreveport Times op-ed published last November.

The governor’s announcement comes on the heels of his signing legislation to curb “legacy lawsuit” abuses against the oil and gas industry.

The law will streamline the processing of such lawsuits, promote regulatory clarity, and discourage frivolous claims. These new legal reform laws are major steps forward for Louisiana’s lawsuit climate, which has ranked 49th out or 50 states in the past three editions of the Lawsuit Climate: Ranking the States report released by ILR.