Heather Waterman Angelico

Heather Angelico quickly and efficiently evaluates claims and the related legal issues to assist her clients in deciding whether the matter should be resolved early or taken through trial. When trial is necessary, Heather has the skills and helpful relationships that come with experience regularly appearing before the United States Department of Labor, Offices of Administrative Law Judges. and Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, as well as the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation.

Heather focuses her practice on the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and Defense Base Act. She has extensive experience defending employers and carriers on matters arising under the Longshore & Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Non-appropriated Fund Instrumentalities Act, the Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation Act, as well as Admiralty and Maritime issues. She also has a great deal of experience handling toxic tort matters.

Prior to working in private practice, Heather served as an Attorney Advisor to the Honorable C. Richard Avery with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges. Her work with Judge Avery focused on issues arising under the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and its extensions.

Heather is passionate about education and regularly volunteers as a judge for “We the People,” a program for high school students sponsored by the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education.

Presentations & Publications

•“Effect of Prior Conditions and Settlements on Subsequent Claims,” presented at DBA Day at the Ballpark in Dallas, July 2025
•“Hot Topics in State Workers’ Compensation and Longshore Claims,” presented to longshore adjusters and adjusters handling multi-state jurisdiction - July 31, 2024
•“Defense Base Act Update: Benefits Review Board Addresses Recent Trends in Expert Medical Evidence,” on Galloway blog, August 2024
•“State Workers’ Compensation and Longshore: Navigating Complex Claims,” presented to LA state workers’ compensation adjusters and longshore adjusters - September 1, 2022
•“Workers’ Compensation in Louisiana: Critical Essentials from Both Sides of the Aisle,” presented to LA workers’ compensation adjusters, June 30, 2021
•“Medical Marijuana in Louisiana Workers’ Compensation,” presented to LA workers’ compensation and liability adjusters - April 28, 2021
•“Handling Ethical and Moral Dilemmas,” presented to LA workers’ compensation and liability adjusters - October 14, 2020
•“Effective and Recorded Statements,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana state workers’ compensation and LHWCA claims, October 16, 2019
•“Workers’ Compensation Defenses and Injuries,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims - August 22, 2018
•“Evaluation of a Louisiana Compensation Claim for Settlement,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims - November 8, 2017
•“Ethical Claims Management,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims- September 13, 2017
•“Medical Issues Under the Longshore & Defense Base Act Pain Management, Orlando Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI),” presented to adjusters who handle LHWCA and DBA claims, employers, and carriers - August 9, 2017
•“Just the Facts: Liability Claims Handling,” presented to adjusters who handle LHWCA claims, Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims, and liability claims - July 19, 2017
•“Introduction to the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act,” April 7, 2017
•“Gilding the Lily: The Genesis of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act in 1927, the 1972 Amendments, the 1984 Amendments, and the Extension Acts,” Maritime Law Association of the United States and Tulane Admiralty Law Institute, 50th anniversary conference - October 2016 (co-authored with Kathleen Charvet, Esq. and Michael Amy, Esq.)
•“Reserving Future Coverage,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims- March 11, 2015
•“When an ‘Other Adjoining Area’ is not a Covered Situs,” LBBS Gulf Coast Legal Update, Summer 2014
•“Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims- May 14, 2014
•“Developing a Litigation Strategy,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation claims- October 30, 2013
•“Basics of the Longshore Act,” presented to adjusters who handle LHWCA claims- October 23, 2013
•“Negotiations & Settlement Strategies,” presented to adjusters who handle Louisiana State Workers’ Compensation and LHWCA claims- May 16, 2012
•“Longshore Basics: Who is a Longshoreman as Defined by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. 901 et seq. ), ” presented to adjusters who handle LHWCA claims- November 12, 2008
•“Recent Developments in Maritime Law,” Tulane Maritime Law Journal, Volume 28, Summer 2004 Edition (co-authorized with Kathleen Charvet, Esq.)

Awards & Recognitions

•The Best Lawyers in America - Admiralty and Maritime Law, Environmental Law, 2026

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