Tom Wagner and Mike Bagot grew up in New Orleans and practiced law together for several years in one of the City's oldest firms. When we formed the firm in 1986, our aim was to foster a professional practice which was personal and flexible, for the benefit of client and counsel alike. We hoped to take our work seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously. We learned that effective and personal representation, which is adaptive to the particular needs of each client, results in long term relationships with our clientele. Over time our practice has grown. Our lawyers represent business and employers in a wide range of commercial, environmental, marine and litigation matters. The Firm also has an extensive practice in insurance, casualty and personal injury litigation. Our experience includes a wide variety of result-oriented representation in property damage claims and personal injury defense involving major casualties on land, at sea, and offshore, including mobile rigs, pipeli nes and fixed facilities.
Wagner, Bagot & Rayer, L.L.P. attorneys have experience in handling both transactional and litigation corporate matters. We have successfully represented our corporate clients in the following situations...
Business Disputes
Our experience includes a wide variety of result-oriented representation in property damage claims and personal injury defense involving major casualties on land, at sea, and offshore, including mobile rigs, pipelines and fixed facilities. In addition to the negotiation and preparation of contracts, and commercial and contract disputes, we counsel clients in connection with environmental laws, liabilities, international treaties and agreements, such as environmental disputes, damages and cleanup from oil and chemical spills, hazardous waste site remediation and insurance coverage disputes.
In an en banc decision, the Fifth Circuit held that to be covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, an employee must work at a location “bordering on or contiguous with navigable waters,” rejecting a broader definition of “adjoining navigable waters.” New Orleans Depot Services, Inc. v. OWCP, 11-60057 (5th Cir. 2013)(en banc). The claimant performed maintenance on shipping containers and chassis at a yard surrounded by commercial establishments and 300 yards from navigable water, which the Court found was not a covered situs under the LHWCA. The Court did not reach the issue of whether maintenance of shipping containers and chassis satisfied the maritime status requirement of the LHWCA. Judge Clement wrote a concurring opinion arguing that the claimant also did not satisfy the LHWCA status requirement because he was not “engaged in maritime employment.”
The Firm has earned a distinguished reputation in the practice of admiralty and maritime law, representing shipowners, charterers, marine suppliers, stevedores and insurers in all manner of claims involving personal injuries, property damage, cargo, contractual disputes, collision, grounding, sinking and shipboard fires, as well as extensive experience in passenger vessel cases.
Tom Wagner and Mike Bagot grew up in New Orleans and practiced law together for several years in one of the City’s oldest firms. When we formed the firm in 1986, our aim was to foster a professional practice which was personal and flexible – for the benefit of client and counsel alike. We hoped to take our work seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously. We learned that effective and personal representation, which is adaptive to the particular needs of each client, results in long term relationships with our clientele. Over time our practice has grown. Our lawyers represent business and employers in a wide range of commercial, environmental, marine and litigation matters. The Firm also has an extensive practice in insurance, casualty and personal injury litigation.