Lake Charles Housing Authority v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's

STATE OF LOUISIANA
COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT
P.O. Box 16577
Lake Charles LA 70616
(337) 433-9403

NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION

Robert Michael McHale Jr. James M. Bauer
McHale Law Firm Fields Howell LLP
921 Ryan Street, Suite A 665 8th Street NW
Lake Charles LA 70601 Atlanta GA 30318

Harrece C. Gassery Charles K. Cicero, III
Merlin Law Group, P.A. Merlin law Group, P.A.
201 St. Charles Ave., # 2500 201 St. Charles Ave, Ste. 2500
New Orleans LA 70170 New Orleans LA 70170

Mary Watson Smith Thomas More Flanagan
Law Office Mary Watson Smith Flanagan Partners LLP
3012 42nd Street 201 St. Charles Ave., #3300
Metairie LA 70001 New Orleans LA 70170

Camille Gauthier Javier Delgado
Flanagan Partners LLP Merlin Law Group, P.A.
201 St. Charles Ave., #3300 201 St. Charles Ave, Suite 250
New Orleans LA 70170 New Orleans LA 70170

Dennis Bailey Kansas M. Guidry
Merlin Law Group, P.A. Flanagan Partners, LLP
201 St. Charles Ave., Suite 25 201 St. Charles Ave. #3300
New Orleans LA 70170 New Orleans LA 70170

Judgment on rehearing rendered and
mailed to all parties or counsel of
record on December 4, 2024

REHEARING ACTION: December 4, 2024

Docket Number: 23 00576-CW

LAKE CHARLES HOUSING AUTHORITY
VERSUS
CERTAIN UNDERWRITERS AT
LLOYD'S, ET AL.

Writ Application from Calcasieu Parish Case No. 2022-4487

BEFORE JUDGES:

Hon. Candyce G. Perret
Hon. Jonathan W. Perry
Hon. Ledricka J. Thierry

STATE OF LOUISIANA
COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT
P.O. Box 16577
Lake Charles LA 70616
(337) 433-9403

As counsel of record in the captioned case, you are hereby notified that the ruling on the

application for rehearing filed by Lake Charles Housing Authority is:

APPLICATION FOR REHEARING GRANTED.
WRIT DENIED. Relator, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Capacity
Insurance Corporation, sought a supervisory writ from a judgment which
denied its Declinatory Exception of Improper Venue and Motion to Dismiss
for Forum Non Conveniens. Considering the Louisiana Supreme Court’s
ruling in Police Jury of Calcasieu Parish v. Indian Harbor Insurance Co., et
al., 24-449 (La. 10/25/24), ___So.3d___, insurance policies with a political
subdivision of this state are considered public contracts pursuant to La.
R.S. 9:2778, and are, accordingly, subject to the prohibitory provisions
therein. As La.R.S. 9:2778 clearly evinces a strong public policy against
forum selection clauses in public contracts, we hereby rescind our writ
ruling of January 30, 2024, and deny the writ sought by Relator.

cc: Richard Todd Musgrave, Counsel for the Respondent
Rachel Ann Meese, Counsel for the Respondent
Leah N. Engelhardt, Counsel for the Respondent
Robert Irwin Siegel, Counsel for the Respondent
Sarah R. Smith, Counsel for the Respondent
Richard Edward King, Counsel for the Respondent
James K. Ordeneaux, Counsel for the Applicant
Jennifer Voss, Counsel for the Applicant
Henry Minor Pipes, III, Counsel for the Respondent
Cyril E. Smith, Counsel for the Respondent