Picture of Zoë W. Vermeulen

Zoë W. Vermeulen

Partner

Zoë Vermeulen is a partner in the New Orleans office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2012 and practices in the admiralty and maritime practice group, as well as the labor and employment group.

Representative Experience
  • Assisted in the representation of drilling companies and oil companies in lawsuits filed by offshore workers based on the Jones Act, General Maritime Law, Louisiana state law, and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)
  • Assisted in performing analyses of defense and indemnity issues in drilling and operations contracts, including master service contracts, and in pursing reimbursement of defense fees under defense and indemnity provisions for clients adjudicated free of fault
  • Assisted in the representation of oil and gas companies and platform owners and operators in defense of personal injury and wrongful death claims files under General Maritime Law
  • Assisted in the representation and defense of maritime property damage claims, including claims for rig damage caused by vessel allisions
  • Assisted in the representation and defense of oil and gas exploration companies in claims by non-operating investors, including claims for breach of exploration agreements, breach of joint operating agreements, conversion, and breach of duties owed as a reasonably prudent operator
  • Assisted in the representation and defense of employers against employee claims of discrimination under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act in both EEOC proceedings and lawsuits
  • Assisted in the representation and defense of employers in suits alleging sexual harassment
  • Assisted in counseling and representation of employers in defense of claims brought under wage and hour laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Davis-Bacon Act
  • Assisted in representation and defense of claims asserted under the Fair Housing Act and related civil rights statutes, including § 1981 and § 1982
  • Assisted in preparation and filing of oil and gas liens under the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act
Education

Zoë earned her B.A. in Public Relations from Louisiana State University in 2008. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, in 2012 from Tulane University Law School, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and Moot Court Board.

Admissions
  • Admitted, Louisiana, 2012; United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana; United States Fifth Circuit
Memberships
  • New Orleans, Louisiana State, Federal and American Bar Associations; Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (Marketing Committee Representative New Orleans Chapter); Mariners Club; Association for Women Attorneys; Women's Energy Network
Articles, Publications, Presentations