Environmental

Expert Analysis

• Why Colo. Stay Of Trump's Water Rule Is Noteworthy

  

  Following a Colorado federal court's statewide stay of the Trump administration's new Clean Water Act rule, it seems likely the rule will be invalidated in the state — further complicating a national patchwork of definitions of "waters of the U.S." and possibly influencing other courts considering injunction requests, say Christine Jochim and Michael Smith at Brownstein Hyatt.

• Opinion

  Time To Consider Percentage Rental Agreements For Lawyers

  

  It has long been the law that attorneys cannot use percentage rental agreements because doing so would constitute an impermissible sharing of fees with nonlawyers, but such arrangements can help lawyers match expenses with revenues in lean times like now, say Peter Jarvis and Trisha Thompson at Holland & Knight.

• Rebuttal

  The Remote Jury Trial Is Not A Bad Idea

  

  A recent Law360 guest article argued that the fundamental genius of the jury trial can only exist in a live setting in a courtroom, but the online process is at least as fair as its in-person counterpart, says Pavel Bespalko at Tricorne.

• 'Settle And Sue' Malpractice Cases Have New Clarity In Calif.

  

  A California state appellate court's recent decision in Masellis v. Law Office of Leslie F. Jensen provides a road map for proving causation and damages in settle-and-sue legal malpractice cases — an important issue of long-standing confusion, says Steven Berenson at Klinedinst.

• What You Say In Online Mediation May Be Discoverable

  

  Mediation conducted online with participants in different states makes it harder to determine where communications were made, increasing the risk that courts will apply laws of a state that does not protect mediation confidentiality, say mediators Jeff Kichaven and Teresa Frisbie and law student Tyler Codina.

• EPA Limits On States' Project Reviews Likely To Face Lawsuits

  

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently announced rule limiting the scope of states' reviews of planned energy infrastructure projects will likely mean more litigation between states and the federal government — and more uncertainty for businesses and other stakeholders, says Philip Sholtz at Goldberg Segalla.

• 10 Tips For A Successful Remote Arbitration Hearing

  

  As I learned after completing a recent international arbitration remotely, with advance planning a video hearing can replicate the in-person experience surprisingly well, and may actually be superior in certain respects, says Kate Shih at Quinn Emanuel.

• 10 Key Changes In EPA Fuel Regulation Overhaul Plan

  

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently proposed overhaul of fuel regulations deserves close review, given the breadth of its coverage, the potential implications of revised emissions compliance mechanisms, and new enforcement questions, says Sarah Grey at Arnold & Porter.

• Opinion

  To Achieve Diversity, Law Firms Must Reinvent Hiring Process

  

  If law firms are truly serious about making meaningful change in terms of diversity, they must adopt a demographically neutral, unbiased hiring equation that looks at personality traits with greater import than grades and class rank, says Thomas Latino at Florida State University College of Law.

• Cybersecurity Steps For Law Firms Amid Heightened Risks

  

  With large swaths of the population indoors and primarily online, cybercriminals will be able to exploit law firms more easily now than ever before, but some basic precautions can help, says Joel Wallenstrom at Wickr.

• 4 Tips For Defending Consolidated Cases

  

  Consolidation of plaintiffs may be a trend we'll see more of in the aftermath of COVID-19 court closures, with added risks for those defending such cases before a jury, but running a targeted voir dire and incorporating a strong case theme could go a long way, says Christina Marinakis at Litigation Insights.

• Opinion

  Strict Calif. Vapor Intrusion Guidance Threatens Development

  

  The conservative standards set by California's recently released draft guidance on vapor intrusion may require unnecessary and expensive testing and mitigation, hindering local economic development, say Charles White and Peter Duchesneau at Manatt.

• Justices' Superfund Ruling May Change Settlement Process

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian, addressing the interplay of federal and state environmental statutes, may encourage homeowners and other interested parties to get involved in the Superfund settlement process, say Ed Cohen and Tim Briscoe at Thompson Coburn.

• Opinion

  It's Time For Law Firms To Support Work-From-Home Culture

  

  Now that law firms are on board with fully remote work environments, they must develop policies that match in-office culture and align partner and associate expectations, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

• Opinion

  Republicans Keep Confirming Unqualified Judicial Nominees

  

  What emerges from the group of 200 federal judges confirmed by the Senate under President Donald Trump is a judiciary stacked with young conservative ideologues, many of whom lack basic judicial qualifications, says Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.