Environmental

Expert Analysis

• Proposed Mass. Enviro Regs Prompt Compliance Questions

  

  The proposed amendments to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act would introduce new assessments for determining unfair or inequitable environmental burden on marginalized populations, but the lack of guidance and a looming implementation deadline leave developers in the dark on how to apply new regulatory concepts, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• How Canceling The Border Wall Affects Gov't Contractors

  

  President Joe Biden's cancellation of the border wall project has left some federal contractors in the lurch, but including protective flow-down termination clauses in their contracts can guard against subcontractor liability and ensure recovery, says Adrien Pickard at Shapiro Lifschitz.

• 4 Antitrust Risk Areas To Watch For Government Contractors

  

  To plan for the increased likelihood of detection and stiff penalties for antitrust violations following the anticipated passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, compliance efforts should focus on joint bidding, dual distribution, legal certifications, and hiring and compensation, say Andre Geverola and Lori Taubman at Arnold & Porter.

• 9th Circ. Chromium Ruling May Expand Water System Liability

  

  The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion in California River Watch v. City of Vacaville, affirming a city's liability for trace amounts of chromium in drinking water, could increase risk for water providers that transport water found to contain molecules of solid waste — even if that water meets applicable regulatory limits, says David Fotouhi at Gibson Dunn.

• Girardi Scandal Provides Important Ethics Lessons

  

  The litigation and media maelstrom following allegations that famed plaintiffs attorney Thomas Girardi and his law firm misappropriated clients' funds provides myriad ethics and professional responsibility lessons for practitioners, especially with regard to misconduct reporting and liability insurance, says Elizabeth Tuttle Newman at Frankfurt Kurnit.

• Series

  Embracing ESG: Jabil GC Talks Compliance Preparation

  

  Tried-and-true compliance lessons from recent decades can be applied to companies’ environmental, social and governance efforts, especially with regard to employee training and consistent application of policies — two factors that can create a foundation for ESG criteria to flourish, says Robert Katz at Jabil.

• 3 Ways CLOs Can Drive ESG Efforts

  

  Chief legal officers are specially trained to see the legal industry's flaws, and they can leverage that perspective to push their companies toward effective environmental, social and governance engagement, says Mark Chandler at Stanford Law School.

• How Law Firms Can Rethink Offices In A Post-Pandemic World

  

  Based on their own firm's experiences, Kami Quinn and Adam Farra at Gilbert discuss strategies and unique legal industry considerations for law firms planning hybrid models of remote and in-office work in a post-COVID marketplace.

• Opinion

  Next Fed Supervision Vice Chair Must Restore Bank Oversight

  

  President Joe Biden's upcoming pick for vice chair of supervision at the Federal Reserve must undo deregulation of the banking industry carried out since 2017, and address emerging threats with an eye toward racial economic inequality, climate-related risks, fintech, liquidity requirements and more, says Phillip Basil at Better Markets.

• 5th Circ. Ruling Aids Policyholder Deductible Calculations

  

  In its recent McDonnel Group v. Starr Surplus Lines Insurance decision, the Fifth Circuit held that the policy's flood deductible language was ambiguous, providing a win for policyholders and a helpful mathematical interpretation for insureds with similar deductible language in their property insurance policies, says Tae Andrews at Miller Friel.

• Shippers Face Risk Even From Voluntary GHG Reductions

  

  As the global shipping industry prepares for mandates to cut maritime greenhouse gas emissions, some shippers are touting voluntary GHG reductions that exceed international requirements — but these efforts are not without potential legal and compliance risks, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

• DC Circ.'s Exploratory Data Ruling Is A Win For Transparency

  

  The District of Columbia Circuit's recent decision in Pavement Coatings v. U.S. Geological Survey, holding that the Freedom of Information Act's deliberative process exemption cannot be invoked to shield exploratory research data, will help hold government scientists accountable and deter federal agencies from manipulating data, say Lawrence Ebner at Capital Appellate Advocacy and David Kanter at Swanson Martin.

• When Antitrust's Consumer Welfare Standard And ESG Collide

  

  The recent debate over antitrust law’s so-called consumer welfare standard means that — depending on how the principle is defined — company collaborations can be viewed as either pro- or anti-competitive, which is relevant for evaluating environmental, social and corporate governance agreements as climate issues take center stage in American and European policy, says Joshua Sherman at Charles River Associates.

• Series

  Embracing ESG: Baker Hughes CLO Talks Sustainability Team

  

  For businesses focused on addressing environmental, social and governance considerations, a legal team that can coordinate sustainability efforts across the company can help to manage risk and compliance issues, anticipate and prepare for change, and identify new opportunities, says Regina Jones at Baker Hughes.

• What Mainstreaming Of Litigation Finance Means For Industry

  

  The rush of new capital and investors into the litigation funding space is expected to bring heightened competition on price and other key deal terms, but litigants will need to be more in tune with individual financiers' proclivities, says William Weisman at Therium Capital Management.