Environmental

  • November 04, 2025

    Wilson Elser Picks Up 6-Atty Team In LA From Booth

    Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP announced Tuesday that it has hired a six-attorney team from the now-shuttered Booth LLP in Los Angeles, including that firm's former managing partner.

  • November 04, 2025

    Kirkland, Davis Polk Steer Aircraft Maker Beta's $1B IPO

    Electronic aircraft and propulsion system manufacturer Beta Technologies made its public debut on Tuesday after raising $1 billion in its upsized initial public offering, with Kirkland & Ellis LLP advising the company and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP advising the underwriters.

  • November 03, 2025

    W.Va., Chamber Say NY Climate Superfund Law Is Preempted

    States and business groups on Friday told a New York federal judge that the state Climate Change Superfund Act is preempted by the Constitution and the Clean Air Act and should be struck down.

  • November 03, 2025

    2nd Circ. Urged To Revive Norfolk Southern Fraud Suit

    The Second Circuit was told Friday that a proposed securities fraud class action against Norfolk Southern Corp. investors should be revived, as the rail giant misled investors by falsely extolling safety commitments while the company winnowed its workforce and cut costs.

  • November 03, 2025

    Meat Giant JBS Inks $1.1M NY AG Deal Over Climate Claims

    New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday that JBS USA Food Co. and an affiliated holding company will pay $1.1 million to support climate-focused agriculture programs in the state as part of a settlement over allegations they misled the public about efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

  • November 03, 2025

    DC Circ. Fight Grows Over Energy Dept.'s Coal Plant Order

    The U.S. Department of Energy is facing an expanded challenge over its move to keep a Michigan coal-fired power plant open, as Illinois and Minnesota have asked the D.C. Circuit to overturn the agency's extension of its emergency order through Nov. 19.

  • November 03, 2025

    Calif. Can't Enforce 'Clean Trucks' Pact, Judge Says

    California cannot enforce a 2023 agreement that would have subjected heavy-duty truck manufacturers to stringent state emissions standards and stiff penalties for noncompliance, after a federal judge signaled that federal law likely preempts the Golden State's standards.

  • November 03, 2025

    Tribe, Coalition Fight 9th Circ. Bid To Nix Ariz. Land Exchange

    An Apache tribe and conservation groups are fighting a Ninth Circuit bid to dismiss their efforts to block a 2,500-acre land exchange within Tonto National Forest, saying the federal government and mining company's arguments inaccurately center on a sentence in the 2014 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act.

  • November 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Asks If New Review Needed For Texas Gas Facility

    A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to explain whether it can greenlight an extension for construction of a liquefied natural gas facility without again reviewing facility emissions, asking Monday what to do with language in the law seemingly calling for another review.

  • November 03, 2025

    2 Firms Guide Eaton's $9.5B Data Center Cooling Push

    Power management company Eaton Corp., based in Ireland with major U.S. operations, announced Monday it will buy the Boyd Thermal business from Boyd Corp. for $9.5 billion, deepening its push into data center infrastructure amid rising demand for power and efficiency.

  • November 03, 2025

    Kirkland, Gibson Dunn Lead $12.8B SM Energy, Civitas Merger

    Independent energy company SM Energy, advised by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and fellow energy company Civitas Resources, led by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, on Monday announced plans to merge in an all-stock deal that gives the combined company an enterprise value of $12.8 billion.

  • October 31, 2025

    Ga. Panel Says McClain Standard Applies In Sterigenics Case

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday vacated a trial court's decision in eight toxic tort bellwether suits claiming harmful emissions from a Sterigenics sterilization plant caused cancer and birth defects, saying the trial court used the wrong legal standard regarding expert testimony in toxic tort cases.

  • October 31, 2025

    Ex-Tech Co. VP Claims She Was Fired For Not Joining Church

    A female former executive at a clean energy technology company has claimed in Pennsylvania federal court that she was terminated from her job after refusing her boss' alleged attempts to convert her to the Church of Latter Day Saints, and that she was told that women are "better suited staying home."

  • October 31, 2025

    5th Circ. Rejects Late Claims Over Arkema Plant Explosions

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday tossed claims that accused chemical manufacturer Arkema Inc. of being liable for property damage caused by one of its industrial plants exploding after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in 2017, ruling that the lower court rightfully determined that the claims are time-barred.

  • October 31, 2025

    Toxic-Water Litigants Slam Expert As 'Rented White Coat'

    An expert witness for the federal government in litigation over contaminated water at the Camp Lejeune military base is merely a "rented white coat" proffering junk science and serving big-industry interests, claimants told a North Carolina federal court this week in a bid to exclude her from the case.

  • October 31, 2025

    Gov't Owes $330K In Fees For NSF Funding Fight, Court Told

    A higher education association seeks more than $330,000 in attorney fees and costs from the government after winning a ruling blocking the Trump administration from cutting certain National Science Foundation funding, according to a memorandum filed in Massachusetts federal court.

  • October 31, 2025

    Enviro Groups Sue FWS Over Butterfly Conservation Failures

    A group of environmental advocacy organizations has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its director, alleging the agency didn't do enough to conserve an endangered butterfly species and left them vulnerable to extinction.

  • October 31, 2025

    Bayer Investors Get Final OK For $38M Settlement, Atty Fees

    A California federal judge has finalized a $38 million settlement between Germany-based Bayer AG and a class of investors who claim the company deceived them about the litigation risks of acquiring Roundup producer Monsanto, with the lead plaintiffs' attorney saying the deal reaffirmed investors' ability to hold foreign companies responsible for violating U.S. securities laws.

  • October 31, 2025

    Pair Of SPAC Listings Raise $375M In IPOs

    Two special purpose acquisition companies have begun trading publicly after raising a combined $375 million through their initial public offerings this week, with Viking Acquisition I bringing in $200 million and Dynamix Corp. III drawing $175 million.

  • October 31, 2025

    Pa. AG Charges Fracking Co. With Multiple Enviro Crimes

    The gas development and gathering arm of New York utility National Fuel Gas Co. has been hit with criminal charges, accused of violating Pennsylvania environmental laws, state Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday.

  • October 31, 2025

    PVC Pipe Makers Say Price 'Conspiracy' Is 'Basic Economics'

    Polyvinyl chloride pipe manufacturers facing antitrust claims over 2020 price increases have told an Illinois federal judge the purchaser plaintiffs have failed to plausibly show there was a per se price-fixing conspiracy, so their suit should be dismissed.

  • October 31, 2025

    Steelworkers Back Offshore Wind Project Targeted By Trump

    The United Steelworkers union is backing U.S. Wind's injunction motion to halt the federal government's reversal of approval of its wind farm off the coast of Maryland, telling a federal judge that the about-face jeopardizes over 500 permanent jobs and $1 billion in labor income over the next 20 years.

  • October 31, 2025

    FERC Faces DC Circ. Fight Over Pipeline Project Revival

    Environmental and homeowner groups have asked the D.C. Circuit to drop the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's reauthorization of a previously abandoned pipeline upgrade project in the Northeast, saying the agency can't simply restore an approval it issued six years ago.

  • October 31, 2025

    Gov't Shutdown Puts Pause On Firefighting Foam PFAS Suits

    A South Carolina federal judge on Friday agreed to stay 22 cases in a multidistrict litigation seeking to hold the U.S. government liable for so-called forever chemical contamination from firefighting foam as the government shutdown continues.

  • October 31, 2025

    Both Sides Claim Victory In Calif. Tribal Gaming Rights Fight

    A federal judge says the U.S. Department of the Interior's decision to temporarily nix gaming eligibility for a proposed $700 million casino project violated a California tribe's due process rights, but both sides are claiming victory as claims of violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and Fifth Amendment against the federal agency were also dismissed.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure

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    While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.

  • How Courts Are Addressing The Use Of AI In Discovery

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    In recent months, several courts have issued opinions on handling discovery issues involving artificial intelligence, which collectively offer useful insights on integrating AI into discovery and protecting work product in connection with AI prompts and outputs, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • How Justices' Ruling On NEPA Reviews Is Playing Out

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court's May decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, narrowing the scope of agencies' required reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, the effects of the ruling are starting to become visible in the actions of lower courts and the agencies themselves, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Deep-Sea Mining Outlook Murky, But May Be Getting Clearer

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    U.S. companies interested in accessing deep-sea mineral resources face uncertainty over new federal regulations and how U.S. policy may interact with pending international agreements — but a Trump administration executive order and provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act should help bring clarity, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw

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    As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.

  • Tips For US Investors Eyeing Middle East Data Centers

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    While Middle East data center investment presents a compelling opportunity in light of renewed U.S.-Gulf cooperation on artificial intelligence and critical technologies, these projects require a nuanced understanding of regional legal and regulatory regimes, says Haykel Hajjaji at Covington.

  • New DOJ Penalty Policy Could Spell Trouble For Cos.

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    In light of the U.S. Department of Justice’s recently published guidance making victim relief a core condition of coordinated resolution crediting, companies facing parallel investigations must carefully calibrate their negotiation strategies to minimize the risk of duplicative penalties, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Clean Energy Tax Changes Cut Timelines, Add Red Tape

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    With its dramatic changes to energy tax credits, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reshape project financing and investment planning — and wind and solar developers, especially those in the early stages of projects, face stricter timelines and heightened compliance challenges, says Dan Ruth at Balch & Bingham.

  • High Court Cert Spotlights Varying Tests For Federal Removal

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    A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to review Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, a case involving the federal officer removal statute, highlights three other recent circuit court decisions raising federal removal questions, and serves as a reminder that defendants are the masters of removal actions, says Varun Aery at Hollingsworth.

  • Trump Air Emissions Carveouts Cloud The Regulatory Picture

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    President Donald Trump's new proclamations temporarily exempting key U.S. industries from air toxics standards, issued under a narrow, rarely-used provision of the Clean Air Act, will likely lead to legal challenges and tighter standards in some states, contributing to further regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

  • How Property Insurers Serve As Climate Change Harbingers

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    Thomas Dawson at McDermott discusses the role that U.S. property insurers may play in identifying and assessing climate risk, as well as in financing climate change adaptation projects, in light of global warming and shifting geopolitical realities.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • Managing Risks As State AGs Seek To Fill Enforcement Gap

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    Given an unprecedented surge in state attorney general activity resulting from significant shifts in federal enforcement priorities, companies must consider tailored strategies for navigating the ever-evolving risk landscape, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • A Deep Dive Into 14 Nixed Gensler-Era SEC Rule Proposals

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month formally withdrew 14 notices of proposed rulemaking, including several significant and widely criticized proposals that had been issued under former Chair Gary Gensler's leadership, signaling a clear and definitive shift away from the previous administration, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

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