Zoë W. Vermeulen

Zoë Vermeulen brings proven skill to advising businesses regarding labor and employment, commercial litigation, offshore energy, and admiralty/maritime law matters. As an advocate and service provider, she is considerate of her client’s specific needs without losing sight of the evolving legal framework in which they are required to operate.

Zoë is that trusted employment law advisor, strategic HR partner, and tempered yet formidable advocate employers need to succeed. She delivers a highly personal and focused approach to guiding organizations through the challenges and opportunities of managing today’s workforce.

Zoë’s labor and employment practice is extensive and ranges from compliance counseling to dispute resolution and state and federal court litigation. She also advocates client rights before administrative agencies and through behind-the-scenes and often discrete and tactical negotiation. She litigates claims of wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Moreover, she resolves disputes involving invasion of privacy, wrongful termination, and other employment-related torts and liabilities brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ADA, FMLA, the Davis-Bacon Act, and other state and federal laws. Zoë also negotiates and documents high-level executive compensation and other employment contracts.

In addition, Zoë represents energy industry businesses – particularly oil and gas and pipeline companies – involved in the litigation of lease disputes, joint operating agreements, contractual and indemnity obligations, offshore decommissioning matters, IBLA appeals, General Maritime Law (GML) issues, Jones Act and Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) matters, high-exposure personal injury claims, and maritime contracts. She prosecutes and defends master service contracts and pursues reimbursement of legal fees under defense and indemnity provisions for clients adjudicated free of fault.

Zoë brings proven skill to litigating maritime property damage claims, including claims for rig damage caused by vessel allisions and claims by non-operating investors, including breach of exploration agreements, breach of joint operating agreements, conversion, and breach of duties owed as a reasonably prudent operator. Moreover, she prepares and files oil and gas liens under the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act.