Chopin Law Firm partners present Louisiana tort reform CLE in Greece

Chopin Law Firm partners Phil Lorio and Adam Sanderson led a June 2026 CLE at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law’s Greece Conference in Spetses, Greece, focusing on Louisiana tort reform and its impact on litigation, claims handling and insurance disputes. The session highlighted major statutory changes and pre-filed 2026 bills that could further reshape damages and liability rules in Louisiana.

Why it matters: - Louisiana tort law has changed in ways that affect how claims are investigated, valued, defended, negotiated and tried. - The CLE was aimed at attorneys, claims professionals, insurers and other legal stakeholders who need to adjust strategy to the new rules. - The reforms and pending proposals could alter litigation outcomes, settlement leverage and insurance decision-making in Louisiana.

What happened: - Chopin Law Firm partners Phil Lorio and Adam Sanderson presented a one-hour CLE titled “Navigating the New Bayou: Louisiana Tort Reform 2024–2026.” - Loyola University New Orleans College of Law offered the program through its Greece Conference, held June 11–15, 2026, in Spetses, Greece. - The presentation reviewed major changes to Louisiana tort law and their practical effects on civil litigation and insurance disputes.

The details: - The program covered the extension of Louisiana’s prescriptive period for certain tort claims. - The presentation addressed the near-elimination of the direct action against insurers. - Lorio and Sanderson discussed Louisiana’s shift to a 51% modified comparative fault bar. - The CLE examined the abolition of the Housley causation presumption. - The session also covered collateral source reform and higher No-Pay/No-Play thresholds. - The presenters reviewed closely watched pre-filed bills from the 2026 legislative session. - One proposal discussed was a $5 million cap on general damages. - The firm said the setting in Spetses provided a meaningful backdrop for a discussion of civil law tradition and evolving legal systems.

Between the lines: - The scope of the presentation signals that Louisiana tort reform is being treated as a multi-front change, not a single statutory tweak. - The focus on claims handling and insurance disputes suggests the ripple effects extend beyond courtrooms into underwriting, reserving and settlement practices. - Phil Lorio said the reforms are not just technical changes and will affect how cases are investigated, valued, defended, negotiated and tried. - Adam Sanderson said the goal was to give practitioners a practical framework for issues already emerging in Louisiana courts and claims environments.

What's next: - Legal practitioners and insurers will keep adjusting to the new tort framework as courts begin applying the changes. - The pre-filed 2026 legislative bills could add another layer of change if lawmakers advance them. - The proposed damages cap remains a closely watched potential development for Louisiana civil cases.

The bottom line: - Louisiana tort reform is moving fast, and the CLE in Greece framed the changes as a practical shift that will shape litigation strategy and insurance outcomes across the state.