Environmental

  • April 24, 2025

    DOT Drops SDNY Attys Who Accidentally Exposed Case Flaws

    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday it replaced its defense counsel after the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York's Southern District accidentally filed publicly a confidential memo advising the DOT it's "very unlikely" to win litigation challenging the DOT's bid to kill New York's congestion pricing.

  • April 24, 2025

    11th Circ. Considers Sackett's Impact In Clean Water Suit

    Green groups and citizens who alleged Georgia's Sea Island resort misled the Army Corps of Engineers about a wetlands filling project urged the Eleventh Circuit to revive their suit Thursday, with the groups and resort arguing the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Sackett v. EPA worked in their favor.

  • April 24, 2025

    EPA Faces Diverging Input On How To Modify WOTUS Rule

    The Trump administration is being pulled in opposite directions by a wide variety of industry groups that are urging it to take a very narrow view of the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction, and environmental organizations and others who say the law should cover the most waterways possible.

  • April 24, 2025

    2 SPACs Join Recovering Market With $461M In New Capital

    Two special purpose acquisition companies raised $461 million combined through initial public offerings in the past two days in order to pursue mergers targeting several industries, represented by three law firms, extending an uptick in SPAC offerings despite broader market volatility.

  • April 24, 2025

    8th Circ. Quizzes SEC About Fate Of Climate Regs

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been ordered by the Eighth Circuit to say whether it plans to withdraw or rewrite corporate climate disclosure rules that it is no longer defending in court, with the litigation surrounding the rules being put on hold at the request of several blue states until the agency discloses next steps.

  • April 24, 2025

    $1M Settlement In Ga. PFAS Litigation Gets Judge's Final OK

    A Georgia federal judge gave a final sign-off Wednesday to a $1 million settlement that will see a chemical company provide temporary drinking water resources to a northwest Georgia town to end the company's involvement in a suit over the alleged release of forever chemicals into local waterways.

  • April 24, 2025

    DOJ Probing Disney-FuboTV Deal, And Other Rumors

    The DOJ is investigating Disney's proposed FuboTV acquisition, Merck is close to a $3.5 billion deal for SpringWorks, and U.S. investor James Cameron offered $5 billion for a Luxembourg-based mining enterprise. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the last week.

  • April 24, 2025

    Pennsylvania Coal Co. Reaches Cleanup Deal In Ch. 11 Case

    Bankrupt coal-mining company Corsa Coal Corp. told a Pennsylvania judge that it had reached a deal with state regulators that resolves a dispute over water source cleanup obligations, with the debtor agreeing to pay $800,000 to be distributed to contaminated water source users.

  • April 24, 2025

    US Must Pay ND $28M Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

    The United States must pay the state of North Dakota $28 million in damages for its failure to control Dakota Access pipeline protesters, a federal judge determined, saying the judgment is a reminder to the federal government of its role in the larger picture of ensuring peace.

  • April 23, 2025

    CEOs Urge SEC To Ban Political Activists' Proxy Proposals

    The Business Roundtable on Wednesday urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress to quickly reform the shareholder proposal process for public companies, including by banning activists' proposals relating to environmental, social and political issues, saying proxy statements have become "battlegrounds for political debates."

  • April 23, 2025

    Oil Giants Lose Bid To Shake DC 'Greenwashing' Suit

    A D.C. Superior Court judge has refused to throw out a D.C. lawsuit accusing BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell of long misleading consumers about climate change and the central role that their fossil fuel products have played in causing it.

  • April 23, 2025

    Denver Water Says Dam Work Won't Hurt Environment

    The utility Denver Water urged the Tenth Circuit to lift part of a Colorado district court's ruling that stopped construction of a new dam, arguing that allowing construction to go forward won't impact environmental issues that environmental groups are actually concerned about.

  • April 23, 2025

    10th Circ. Says Lower Court Erred On Pollution Coverage

    A Tenth Circuit panel determined Wednesday that absolute pollution exclusions in insurance policies unambiguously prevented a New Mexico property owner from obtaining coverage for underlying contamination litigation, reversing a decision by a district court and saying that court erred "in all key respects."

  • April 23, 2025

    Texas Court Skeptical Of 'Death Star' Standing Argument

    A Texas appellate judge asked the state Wednesday if it expected three of its largest cities to " wait for a thousand tiny cuts" before being allowed to challenge a bill nicknamed the "Death Star" by opponents, which they say infringe on their ability to manage their own affairs.

  • April 23, 2025

    Justices Hint That Fuel Groups Can Fight Emissions Waiver

    U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday appeared to back a contention from fuel industry groups that they have standing to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act waiver allowing California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles.

  • April 23, 2025

    Judge Says Calif. Tribes Can't Intervene In $700M Casino Row

    A District of Columbia federal judge refused on Wednesday to allow three California tribes and a company to intervene in another California tribe's suit accusing the federal government of wrongfully rescinding gambling eligibility for the tribe's $700 million casino project.

  • April 23, 2025

    Plastic Co. Asks 1st Circ. To Undo Class Cert In PFOA Suit

    Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Co. told the First Circuit that a New Hampshire federal judge's overly broad class certification for plaintiffs claiming it contaminated thousands of properties with a toxic forever chemical must be reversed, arguing that it opened courthouse doors to uninjured class members.

  • April 23, 2025

    New Mexico Wildfire Sparks Suit Against Federal Government

    The federal government is being hit with a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Forest Service's alleged failure to follow its own prescribed burn plan, saying the lapse eventually led to the destruction of nearly 46,000 acres in the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico.

  • April 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Asked To Modify Ruling In LA Port Co. Coverage Row

    A Los Angeles port operator's insurer asked a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit to rethink part of its decision ordering a jury trial on the amount of defense costs the operator incurred while litigating pollution claims brought by the city, arguing they improperly relied on a depublished decision.

  • April 23, 2025

    6th Circ. Preserves Enbridge's Pipeline Suit Against Mich.

    The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday said Enbridge Energy LP can pursue its lawsuit challenging Michigan's decision to revoke an easement for a natural gas and oil pipeline, rejecting the state's argument that it was protected by sovereign immunity.

  • April 23, 2025

    Railcar Co. Owes Nothing In $600M Ohio Derailment Deal

    A federal jury on Wednesday freed a railcar company from Norfolk Southern Corp.'s suit seeking a contribution to a $600 million settlement with individuals and businesses impacted by a train derailment and chemical spill in a small Ohio village two years ago.   

  • April 23, 2025

    Insurer Says No Coverage For $7.8M Tornado Damage Suit

    The insurer for a construction inspection company claimed it owed no coverage for a suit alleging the company overlooked deficiencies that contributed to a $7.8 million tornado loss, telling a New Jersey federal court the policyholder had no coverage for professional services gone wrong.

  • April 23, 2025

    Judge Slams TCPA Atty Over Filing With 'No Legitimate Basis'

    A North Carolina magistrate judge on Wednesday chastised a Telephone Consumer Protection Act litigant and his attorney for filing a reply to a discovery motion after the court had already ruled on it, striking the reply from the docket and warning that further filings without "a legitimate basis" could lead to sanctions.

  • April 23, 2025

    Sierra Metals, Alpayana Reach $176M Deal After 'Hostile' Bid

    Toronto-based mining company Sierra Metals Inc. said Wednesday it has reached a preliminary agreement to sell the business to Alpayana Canada in a deal worth approximately $176 million, in a U-turn for the company after characterizing an earlier Alpayana offer as a "hostile" takeover bid.

  • April 23, 2025

    Akerman Adds Womble Bond Renewable Energy Pro In NC

    Akerman LLP has added a former Womble Bond Dickinson LLP partner to the firm's Charlotte, North Carolina, office for its corporate practice group, the firm announced Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Strategies To Help Witnesses Manage Deposition Anxiety

    Author Photo

    During and leading up to deposition, witnesses may experience anxiety stemming from numerous sources and manifesting in a variety of ways, but attorneys can help them mitigate their stress using a few key methods, say consultants at Courtroom Sciences.

  • How Cos. Can Mitigate Increasing Microplastics Liability Risk

    Author Photo

    Amid rising scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe of microplastics' impact on health and the growing threat of litigation against consumer product and food and beverage manufacturers, companies can limit liability through compliance with labeling laws, careful contract management and other practices, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • Strategizing For Renewable Energy Project Success In Texas

    Author Photo

    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has long been a key market for renewable energy projects, but rising financial and regulatory uncertainty means that developers and investors must prepare for inflation and policy risks, secure robust insurance coverage, and leverage tax equity transferability to ensure success, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

    Author Photo

    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • How Latin American Finance Markets May Shift Under Trump

    Author Photo

    Changes in the federal government are bringing profound implications for Latin American financial institutions and cross-border financing, including increased competition from U.S. banks, volatility in equity markets and stable green investor demand despite deregulation in the U.S., says David Contreiras Tyler at Womble Bond.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

  • How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

    Author Photo

    Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

    Author Photo

    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

    Author Photo

    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2025 Spring Antitrust Meeting

    Author Photo

    Leadership changes, shifting priorities and evolving enforcement tools dominated the conversation at the recent American Bar Association Spring Antitrust Meeting, as panelists explored competition policy under a second Trump administration, agency discretion under the 2023 merger guidelines and new frontiers in conduct enforcement, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • What PFAS-Treated Clothing Tariff Bill Would Mean For Cos.

    Author Photo

    In keeping with a nationwide trend of greater restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives would remove tariff advantages for PFAS-treated clothing — so businesses would be wise to proactively adapt their supply chains and review contracts to mitigate liability, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

    Author Photo

    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • What 2nd Trump Admin Means For Ship Pollution Compliance

    Author Photo

    As the second Trump administration's civil and criminal enforcement policies take shape, the maritime industry must ensure it complies with both national and international obligations to prevent oil pollution from seagoing vessels — with preventive efforts and voluntary disclosures being some of the best options for mitigating risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Mass. AG Emerges As Key Player In Consumer Protection

    Author Photo

    Through enforcement actions and collaborations with other states — including joining a recent amicus brief decrying the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has established herself as a thought leader for consumer protection and corporate accountability, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!