The Louisiana Court of Appeal recently ruled in favor of Geographic Computer Technologies, L.L.C. (GCT), reversing a lower court's decision that would have transferred a legal dispute to Caddo Parish. The court's decision, issued on October 21, 2026, affects the ongoing legal battle between GCT and its former employee, Thomas Nourse, who is accused of various business misconducts. This ruling is significant as it clarifies the proper venue for legal actions involving business disputes in Louisiana.
The court's ruling came in response to GCT's supervisory writ application, which challenged the September 21, 2026, judgment from the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court. The lower court had sustained Nourse's declinatory exception of improper venue, ordering the case transferred to Caddo Parish, where Nourse resides. GCT argued that the case should remain in Jefferson Parish, where the company is based and where the alleged wrongful conduct occurred.
Background
Geographic Computer Technologies, L.L.C. is a Louisiana limited liability company located in Jefferson Parish. It operates primarily out of Metairie, Louisiana, and all its employees work in Jefferson Parish. Thomas Nourse, the respondent in this case, was employed by GCT as a software developer and infrastructure administrator until November 1, 2025. During his employment, he worked mainly from his home in Caddo Parish.
On August 13, 2026, GCT filed a lawsuit against Nourse in the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court, alleging several claims, including breach of duty of loyalty, violation of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act, conversion, and unjust enrichment. GCT argued that the venue for the lawsuit should be Jefferson Parish because that is where the company sustained damages due to Nourse's actions.
The Ruling
The Louisiana Court of Appeal, in a panel decision composed of Judges Susan M. Chehardy, Marc E. Johnson, and John J. Molaison, Jr., granted GCT's writ application. The court reversed the lower court's judgment, overruling the exception of improper venue and vacating the order to transfer the case to Caddo Parish. The court remanded the case for further proceedings.
In the opinion, the court stated, "GCT sustained its damages in Jefferson Parish. The loss is not an abstraction felt wherever GCT happens to reside; it consists of concrete, locatable events." The court emphasized that GCT's evidence, which was uncontroverted, established that the damages occurred in Jefferson Parish, where the company made payments and conducted investigations related to the alleged misconduct.
The court also noted that a portion of Nourse's alleged wrongful conduct occurred in Jefferson Parish when he installed and configured GCT's GIS Data Updater on a workstation located in River Ridge, Jefferson Parish. The court concluded that the district court erred in its legal reasoning by focusing on Nourse's physical location rather than the location of the wrongful conduct and the damages sustained.
Impact
This ruling has significant implications for businesses operating in Louisiana. It reinforces the principle that venue can be established based on where the wrongful conduct occurred or where damages were sustained, rather than solely on the domicile of the defendant. This clarification can help businesses better understand their legal rights when pursuing claims against former employees or other parties.
Furthermore, the ruling may influence how similar cases are handled in the future, providing a clearer framework for determining proper venue in business disputes. It underscores the importance of presenting evidence to establish venue and the need for courts to consider the specifics of each case rather than relying solely on general rules.
What's Next
The case will now return to the lower court in Jefferson Parish for further proceedings consistent with the appellate court's ruling. Details regarding potential appeals or related cases were not available in the court filing. GCT and Nourse will likely continue to prepare their arguments as the case moves forward in Jefferson Parish.