Government Regulatory & Corporate Compliance

Businesses often face overlapping regulatory obligations involving corporate governance, employment practices, environmental compliance, industry-specific regulations, and government oversight. Whether responding to a regulatory inquiry, preparing for an audit, strengthening internal compliance programs, or investigating potential misconduct, organizations need practical legal guidance before issues escalate into enforcement actions or litigation.

Common Regulatory & Compliance Challenges

Corporate Compliance, Internal Investigations & Risk Management
Potential compliance issues often arise long before a government agency becomes involved. Organizations may face concerns involving employee misconduct, whistleblower allegations, regulatory violations, reporting obligations, ethics issues, or other potential violations of federal and state laws. Addressing these issues proactively can help reduce risk, protect business operations and reputation, and minimize the likelihood of costly investigations, enforcement actions, litigation, or financial penalties.

We help organizations address:

• Internal investigations
• Whistleblower complaints and reporting concerns
• Compliance program design and implementation
• Compliance reviews and risk assessments
• Compliance policies, procedures, and codes of conduct
• Compliance monitoring and auditing
• Fact-finding, reporting, and corrective action planning
• Employee and management training
• Review and drafting of compliance-related contractual positions

Agency Investigations, Audits & Enforcement Actions

Companies frequently contact us after receiving a subpoena, civil investigative demand, audit notice, inspection request, or other inquiry from a government agency. We help clients prepare for agency interactions, manage document production, respond strategically, and defend enforcement actions. Experienced counsel can help businesses navigate these matters, minimize disruption, and manage risk.

We assist clients with:

• Responding to agency inquiries
• Preparing for audits and inspections
• Managing responses to document requests
• Coordinating responses to regulatory inquiries and government investigations
• Negotiating resolutions
• Defending regulatory enforcement actions

Employment & Workplace Compliance

Workplace compliance issues often arise following employee complaints, wage and hour audits, workplace accidents, discrimination allegations, government investigations, or changes in federal and state employment laws.  Gordon Arata helps employers proactively address workplace compliance issues and respond effectively to regulatory inquiries and enforcement matters before administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and other state and federal regulators.

We help employers address:

• Compliance with evolving federal and state employment laws and regulations, including the FLSA, NLRA, FMLA, ADA, and related requirements
• Wage and hour compliance
• Employee classification
• Workplace policies and handbooks
• Leave and accommodation requirements
• Workplace investigations
• OSHA-related issues
• Agency audits and investigations
• Employment-related training and risk management counseling

For a more comprehensive overview of our employment counseling, litigation, and workplace compliance services, visit our Labor & Employment page.

Environmental Compliance & Permitting

Environmental, health, and safety regulations create complex compliance obligations for businesses across a wide range of industries. Organizations must navigate an evolving framework of federal and state environmental laws and regulations involving permitting and regulatory approvals, environmental reporting requirements, workplace safety standards, contamination concerns, hazardous materials, inspections, and regulatory enforcement actions. Environmental incidents, industrial accidents, spills, releases, and other crisis situations often require an immediate response to address regulatory obligations, manage agency investigations, minimize operational disruption, and mitigate potential liability.

Businesses may also face environmental liabilities arising from contamination, remediation obligations, asbestos-related issues, toxic tort claims, and legacy litigation.

Gordon Arata advises and represents clients in environmental compliance, permitting and regulatory matters, regulatory enforcement, crisis response, remediation matters, environmental disputes, and related litigation involving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and other state and federal regulatory agencies.

We provide clients advice on:

• Environmental compliance and regulatory counseling
• Permitting and regulatory approvals
• Agency investigations and enforcement actions
• Environmental incident and crisis response
• Spill, release, and contamination matters
• Remediation and corrective action obligations
• Hazardous materials and workplace safety issues
• Environmental disputes, toxic tort claims, and legacy litigation

Our environmental regulatory work is closely integrated with our Environment & Toxic Torts practice, where we help clients navigate environmental claims, agency enforcement actions, remediation, and complex litigation.

Oil, Gas and Energy Regulatory

For decades, Gordon Arata has advised oil, gas, pipeline, storage, and other energy companies on complex regulatory matters throughout Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, and offshore federal waters. Our Energy & Natural Resources attorneys are recognized regionally and nationally for their experience representing clients before state and federal regulatory agencies and guiding projects through every stage of development, operation, and compliance. We represent clients across the energy industry, including independent operators, pipeline and storage companies, service providers, and global energy companies.

Companies operating in the energy sector must navigate an extensive framework of state and federal regulations governing exploration, production, transportation, permitting, environmental compliance, safety requirements, reporting obligations, and operational activities. Gordon Arata helps clients address regulatory challenges, manage compliance obligations, and respond to agency inquiries and enforcement actions affecting onshore and offshore operations.

We assist oil, gas, pipeline, storage and other energy companies and service providers with:

• Regulatory matters before state and federal agencies, both onshore and offshore, involving leases, record title and operating rights, pipelines, rights-of-way, royalties, bonding requirements, and administrative proceedings
• Permitting and regulatory approvals
• Operational compliance requirements
• Plugging and abandonment obligations
• Oil and gas pipeline tariff filings
• Unclaimed property audits
• Agency investigations and enforcement actions

Many of these matters are addressed in greater depth through our Oil, Gas & Energy Regulatory practice, where we advise clients on regulatory compliance, permitting, agency proceedings, and energy development across the Gulf South.