Environmental

  • February 27, 2026

    Trump Admin Says 9th Circ. Can't Revive Energy Orders Suit

    The Trump administration has urged the Ninth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a lawsuit by youths challenging President Donald Trump's energy-related emergency orders, saying the courts can't be used to micromanage U.S. energy policy.

  • February 27, 2026

    Sunoco Sued Over Pipeline Leak In Philly-Area Neighborhood

    Homeowners in a community north of Philadelphia are suing Energy Transfer, PBF Energy, Delta Air Lines and a host of other energy companies, alleging that their negligence allowed a pipeline to leak a "massive" amount of jet fuel that contaminated the soil, drinking water and air, destroying their properties.

  • February 27, 2026

    Marine's Heart Attack Should Speed Up Cases, Court Told

    Veterans and family members suing over injuries from toxic water at Camp Lejeune on Thursday pushed a North Carolina judge to hasten the pace of the vast litigation, saying that a former military lawyer's recent massive heart attack and the declining health of other plaintiffs underscores the need to get to a quick resolution.

  • February 27, 2026

    Army Corps Fights Bid To Void Alaskan Gold Mining Permit

    The federal government is asking an Alaska district court to deny a bid by several Indigenous communities to vacate a permit associated with a placer gold mining project in the Bonanza Channel near Nome, saying its decision falls well within the "broad zone of reasonableness" under Supreme Court precedent.

  • February 27, 2026

    Taxation With Representation: Linklaters, Wilson Sonsini

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, French electric utility Engie acquires UK Power Networks, Gilead Sciences Inc. buys clinical-stage biotechnology company Arcellx Inc., and The Brink's Co. acquires NCR Atleos in a deal that unites two major companies in the ATM business.

  • February 27, 2026

    Reed Smith Leads Climate Tech Biz In $850M US SPAC Deal

    Renewable energy investor ThomasLloyd said Friday that it has agreed to merge with a special purpose acquisition company, which will allow it to be listed on the Nasdaq stock market at a valuation of $850 million.

  • February 26, 2026

    Self-Driving Truck Startup Raises $113M Before SPAC Merger

    Swedish self-driving truck company Einride said Thursday that it has secured roughly $113 million in capital via a private investment in public equity, or PIPE, financing round ahead of its planned $1.8 billion merger with a special purpose acquisition company.

  • February 26, 2026

    Florida Admits Fed Funds For Immigration Facility Unlikely

    Florida admitted to a federal appellate court that it likely won't be reimbursed for an Everglades detention center used to support the Trump administration's strict immigration policy, even though last year the state's governor told the public that the federal government would fund the facility's construction. 

  • February 26, 2026

    Toyota Nears OK On $436M Class Deal Over Forklift Emissions

    A California federal judge indicated Thursday she'll give preliminary approval to Toyota Industries Corp.'s $436 million class action settlement to resolve claims the auto giant and its subsidiaries misled tens of thousands of business buyers into thinking the emissions of its forklift and construction engines were "the cleanest" in the industry.

  • February 26, 2026

    Judge Won't Block Trump's White House Ballroom Project

    A District of Columbia federal judge rejected a historical preservation nonprofit's bid to temporarily block President Donald J. Trump's plans to turn the White House's East Wing into a ballroom, ruling that the nonprofit's Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional claims fail.

  • February 26, 2026

    Senator Moves To Dismantle Utah National Monument Plan

    A Utah senator has started the formal process of overturning a resource management plan designed to protect an Indigenous national monument by adding a Government Accountability Office opinion on the 1.9-million-acre site to the Congressional Record that could fast-track a vote on the controversial endeavor.

  • February 26, 2026

    Co. Says $1.3B Gov't Fire Retardant Deal Props Up Monopoly

    A Texas-based fire retardant company is accusing the U.S. Forest Service of inking an anticompetitive contract with a competitor valued at more than $1.3 billion, telling the Federal Claims Court this week that the contract creates a "perpetual monopoly" at taxpayers' expense.

  • February 26, 2026

    PacifiCorp Hit With $305M Verdict For Oregon Fire

    Multnomah County jurors have awarded a $305 million verdict to 16 people who sued electric power company PacifiCorp for damages stemming from a Santiam Canyon fire in Oregon.

  • February 26, 2026

    Judge Orders Dam Spill To Protect Columbia River Salmon

    An Oregon federal judge has ordered tailored changes to hydropower dam operations in the Columbia River Basin to protect endangered salmon and steelhead, saying that as a decades-long dispute continues, the guaranteed tribal treaty resource is "disappearing from the landscape."

  • February 26, 2026

    Feds Seek To Pause Fight Over Stopping Empire Wind Project

    The Trump administration has asked a D.C. federal judge to pause litigation challenging its stoppage of the Empire Wind offshore wind project, a move opposed by the project's developers, who previously persuaded the judge to lift the stoppage.

  • February 26, 2026

    BlueScope Turns $11B Bid Down But Still Open To Talks

    Australia's BlueScope Steel Ltd. on Thursday said a revised roughly AU$15 billion ($11 billion) takeover proposal from SGH Ltd. and Steel Dynamics Inc. does not adequately reflect the company's valuation, but it remains open to further discussions.

  • February 26, 2026

    Longtime Civil Rights Attorney Joins DiCello Levitt In DC

    DiCello Levitt has added a former Hausfeld LLP international human rights lawyer who has practiced for 20 years and has represented survivors of the Darfur genocide and families seeking the recovery of Nazi-confiscated artwork.

  • February 26, 2026

    Vanguard Will Pay $29.5M To Settle Red States' ESG Suit

    The Vanguard Group Inc. will pay $29.5 million to settle claims brought by several conservative states accusing it and other large asset managers of driving up coal prices by pressuring publicly traded energy companies to lower their output to meet carbon emission reduction goals.

  • February 26, 2026

    Feds Ask For Early Win In Forest Service Timber Targets Suit

    The government is seeking summary judgment in a lawsuit alleging the U.S. Forest Service failed to consider emissions from its logging program's anticipated timber sales, telling a D.C. federal judge that the plaintiffs' claims are moot after the 2025 budget reconciliation bill set new goals directly.

  • February 25, 2026

    EPA's Cancellation Of Solar Program Is Illegal, States Say

    A coalition of states has urged a Washington federal court to bar the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from clawing back roughly $3 billion in federal funding for solar energy projects, arguing it can't rescind funds already obligated.

  • February 25, 2026

    9th Circ. Upends $8M Asbestos Verdict Against BNSF

    The Ninth Circuit has ruled that BNSF Railway Co. cannot be held strictly liable under Montana law for transporting asbestos-containing vermiculite and letting vermiculite dust collect on tracks and its railyard, upending the $8 million jury verdict awarded to the estates of two former Libby, Montana, residents who developed mesothelioma.

  • February 25, 2026

    BP Says Wash. 'Odors' Suit Smells No Better 2nd Time Around

    BP Products North America Inc. again urged a Seattle federal judge to reject a putative class action over fumes from the petroleum company's Cherry Point Refinery in Blaine, Washington, arguing the two named plaintiffs are poor representatives of the proposed class.

  • February 25, 2026

    BLM Nom Faces Sen. Committee Heat Over Public Lands Stance

    President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday faced tough questions from a Senate energy panel over prior comments he made that advocated for selling off large swaths of public lands.

  • February 25, 2026

    Enbridge Cites 'Painful' Risk In Bid To Delay Line Shutdown

    Enbridge Energy LP insists that a Wisconsin federal court has the authority to pause a looming shutdown of a portion of its Line 5 pipeline, telling a judge that keeping the crude oil and natural gas liquids line running amid an appeal would prevent "painful, irreparable harm" to consumers, workers and energy markets in the U.S. and Canada.

  • February 25, 2026

    Mass. Town Targets Georgia-Pacific, Honeywell In PFAS Suit

    A Massachusetts town has sued several industrial paper manufacturers in federal court, seeking to force the companies to pay for removal of forever chemicals that have contaminated the local water supply.

Expert Analysis

  • Agentic AI Puts A New Twist On Attorney Ethics Obligations

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    As lawyers increasingly use autonomous artificial intelligence agents, disciplinary authorities must decide whether attorney responsibility for an AI-caused legal ethics violation is personal or supervisory, and firms must enact strong policies regarding agentic AI use and supervision, says Grace Wynn at HWG.

  • Resilience Planning Is New Key To Corporate Sustainability

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    While the current wave of deregulation may reduce government enforcement related to climate issues, businesses still need to evaluate how climate volatility may affect their operations and create new legal risks — making the apolitical concept of resilience increasingly important for companies, says J. Michael Showalter at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Cos. Face EU, US Regulatory Tension On Many Fronts

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    When the European Union sets stringent standards, companies seeking to operate in the international marketplace must conform to them, or else concede opportunities — but with the current U.S. administration pushing hard to roll back regulations, global companies face an increasing tension over which standards to follow, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • How EU Is Tweaking Enviro Laws After US Trade Deal

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    While a recent joint statement from the European Union and the U.S. in the wake of their trade deal does not mention special treatment for U.S. companies, the EU's ongoing commitment to streamline its sustainability legislation suggests an openness to addressing concerns raised by the U.S., say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Being A Professional Wrestler Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Pursuing my childhood dream of being a professional wrestler has taught me important legal career lessons about communication, adaptability, oral advocacy and professionalism, says Christopher Freiberg at Midwest Disability.

  • Restored Charging Project Funds Revive Hope For EV Market

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    While 2025 began with a host of government actions that prompted some to predict the demise of the U.S. electric vehicle market, the Trump administration's recent restoration of federal funding for EV charging infrastructure under new terms presents market participants with reason for optimism, says Levi McAllister at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Adapting To The Age Of AI

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    Though law school may not have specifically taught us how to use generative artificial intelligence to help with our daily legal tasks, it did provide us the mental building blocks necessary for adapting to this new technology — and the judgment to discern what shouldn’t be automated, says Pamela Dorian at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Voiding $2M Litigation Funding Sends A Warning

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    A recent Texas bankruptcy court decision that a postconfirmation litigation trust has no obligations to repay a completely drawn down $2 million litigation funding agreement serves as a warning for estate administrators and funders to properly disclose the intended financing, say attorneys at Kleinberg Kaplan.

  • Demystifying The Civil Procedure Rules Amendment Process

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    Every year, an advisory committee receives dozens of proposals to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, most of which are never adopted — but a few pointers can help maximize the likelihood that an amendment will be adopted, says Josh Gardner at DLA Piper.

  • Parenting Skills That Can Help Lawyers Thrive Professionally

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    As kids head back to school, the time is ripe for lawyers who are parents to consider how they can incorporate their parenting skills to build a deep, meaningful and sustainable legal practice, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Teaching Trial Advocacy Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    Teaching trial advocacy skills to other lawyers makes us better litigators because it makes us question our default methods, connect to young attorneys with new perspectives and focus on the needs of the real people at the heart of every trial, say Reuben Guttman, Veronica Finkelstein and Joleen Youngers.

  • Navigating Brazil's Regulations, Incentives For Green Projects

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    Brazil's evolving environmental regulatory framework and ongoing moves to attract international capital for climate-focused projects may appeal to U.S.-based companies and investors interested in sustainable development — but taking advantage of these opportunities requires careful planning and meaningful stakeholder engagement, says Milena Angulo at Guimarães.

  • Federal AI Action Plan Marks A Shift For Health And Bio Fields

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    The Trump administration's recent artificial intelligence action plan significantly expands federal commitments across biomedical agencies, defining a pivotal moment for attorneys and others involved in research collaborations, managing regulatory compliance and AI-related intellectual property, says Mehrin Masud-Elias at Arnold & Porter.

  • Data Center Construction Trends, Challenges In Ill. And Texas

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    Data centers in Illinois and Texas are reshaping the industrial landscape, but this growth brings legal complexity, so developers, contractors and corporate legal departments must have a deep understanding of each state's legal terrain and take a proactive approach to risk management, say attorneys at Hicks Johnson.

  • 5 Key Steps To Prepare For Oral Arguments

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    Whether presenting oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court or a local county judge, effective preparation includes the same essential ingredients, from organizing arguments in blocks to maximizing the potential of mock exercises, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

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