Environmental

  • January 26, 2026

    10th Circ. Affirms $17M Atty Fee In Gas Well Royalty Case

    On the third go around in the Tenth Circuit, a class led by Chieftain Royalty Co. on Monday had its $17.3 million attorney fee award unanimously affirmed for a settlement resolving a gas well royalty dispute, despite objections from two class members.

  • January 26, 2026

    DOJ Can't Sue Mich. To Stop 'Hypothetical' Climate Claims

    A Michigan federal judge ruled on Saturday that the U.S. Department of Justice cannot preemptively block the state from filing climate-related claims against the fossil fuel industry, adding there's no precedent for such a move being allowed in the long history of state litigation against national industry groups.

  • January 26, 2026

    Truck Makers Say Calif. Delaying 'Clean Trucks Pact' Fight

    Heavy-duty truck manufacturers on Monday accused California officials of trying to delay litigation over a 2023 agreement that would saddle manufacturers with stringent state emissions standards and stiff penalties for noncompliance in the coming years.

  • January 26, 2026

    Tribe, Enviro Groups Look To Vacate Alaska Gold Mine Permit

    Conservation groups and an Alaskan tribe are seeking to void a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to expand gold mining operations at the headwaters of the Johnson River, arguing that the agency violated a slew of environmental laws regarding potential effects to Cook Inlet beluga whales.

  • January 26, 2026

    Minnesota Appeals Court Won't Toss Climate Change Suit

    A Minnesota appeals court on Monday affirmed a lower court's decision not to toss the state's lawsuit alleging that Exxon Mobil Corp., Koch Industries Inc. and the American Petroleum Institute concealed the climate change risks of fossil fuels.

  • January 26, 2026

    Texas Wind Farm Owner Hits Ch. 11 With $108M In Debt

    A wind farm owner in North Texas has filed for Chapter 11 protection with $108 million in debt, saying a winter storm in 2021 put it on a path to conflict with a partner in a defunct hedging agreement, with the partner eventually installing leaders to restructure the debtor.

  • January 26, 2026

    USA Rare Earth Secures $3.1B Of Federal And Private Funding

    Mining company USA Rare Earth Inc. on Monday announced that it is set to receive $3.1 billion of new funding through collaborations with the U.S. government and a private investment in public equity funding commitment, in deals shaped by three law firms.

  • January 26, 2026

    Kansas Refinery Pollutes, Violates EPA Decrees, Suit Says

    A proposed class of Coffeyville, Kansas, residents on Monday sued the company behind an oil refinery and fertilizer facility, saying it has been in repeat violation of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consent decrees as it continues to pollute the environment and, thus, drive up environmental damage and cancer rates.

  • January 26, 2026

    Canada's Allied Gold Agrees To $4B Sale To China's Zijin Gold

    Canadian gold producer Allied Gold said Monday it has agreed to be bought by Zijin Gold International in an all-cash deal valued at about CA$5.5 billion ($4 billion). 

  • January 26, 2026

    Calif. Gaming Org. Fights Tribe's Bid To Join $700M Casino Suit

    A District of Columbia federal judge on Monday granted the California Gaming Association's amicus brief bid to oppose a California Indian tribe's potential dismissal motion against another tribe's fight with the federal government over a $700 million casino project in Vallejo, California.

  • January 26, 2026

    2 Firms Guide Data Center, Grid Parts Builder Seeking $1.5B

    Forgent Power Solutions, a manufacturer serving industrial and data center customers, said Monday that it expects to raise an estimated $1.5 billion in an upcoming initial public offering advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP and Latham & Watkins LLP.

  • January 23, 2026

    Trump Admin's EV Infrastructure Funding Pause Vacated

    A Seattle federal judge said Friday that President Donald Trump's administration overstepped its statutory powers and broke federal law by abruptly freezing approved funding for new electric vehicle charging infrastructure last year, vacating the program's suspension and siding with 20 states and environmental groups who challenged the move.

  • January 23, 2026

    Rivian Can't Ditch Latest Investor Suit Over EV Production

    A California federal judge refused Thursday to toss a proposed class action alleging Rivian and its top brass misled investors about its 2023 production capabilities and demand for electric vehicles, rejecting Rivian's arguments that the securities claims cannot proceed in light of the Ninth Circuit's recent Sneed v. Talphera ruling.

  • January 23, 2026

    Mich. AG Sues Major Oil Co. 'Cartel' Amid Fight With DOJ

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed an antitrust suit in federal court against BP, Shell, Chevron, Exxon and the American Petroleum Institute on Friday, claiming they conspired to maintain market dominance by steering money away from renewable energy and using a bevy of other tactics including intimidation and information suppression.

  • January 23, 2026

    Feds' Wind Farm National Security Claim Faces Skepticism

    Federal courts aren't buying the Trump administration's argument that construction of offshore wind farms should be halted for national security reasons, with some judges suggesting that the government isn't making its claim in good faith.

  • January 23, 2026

    Mich. Residents Can Pursue City's Insurer In Lead Water Case

    A Michigan federal judge on Thursday allowed a class of Benton Harbor residents a chance to pursue $25 million from the city's insurer over toxic lead levels in municipal water, citing the city's inability to pay settlements and the residents' risk of a "Pyrrhic victory" if they prevail at trial.

  • January 23, 2026

    DC Circ. Backs FERC In Oil Pipeline Pricing Dispute

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday denied a petition challenging the method used by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to determine the value of oil flowing through an Alaskan pipeline, finding the agency correctly considered inflation and other factors.

  • January 23, 2026

    Calif. Urges 9th Circ. To Block Sable Pipeline Permit

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday asked the Ninth Circuit to shut down the Trump administration's emergency approvals for Sable Offshore Corp.-owned onshore pipelines, calling it another "unlawful power grab" that violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • January 23, 2026

    Green, Tribal Orgs. Fear Utah Lawmaker 'Attack' On Monument

    Environmental and tribal groups have warned that Utah's Republican members of Congress are planning to launch an "attack" against the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument as they seek to overturn a resource management plan designed to protect the public land as an ecological and cultural resource.

  • January 23, 2026

    $7B Grain Belt Power Line Project Can Move Forward In Ill.

    The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday allowed Grain Belt Express LLC to move forward with plans to stretch a high-voltage direct current transmission line across nine southern Illinois counties as part of a $7 billion power supply project, reversing a lower court that said the company behind the project hadn't properly shown that it could finance it.

  • January 23, 2026

    Enviros Seek Quick Win In Mont. National Forest Logging Row

    A group of environmental nonprofits is asking a federal district court for a summary judgment win in their challenge to a plan to clear-cut 12,331 acres in Montana's Flathead National Forest, saying the project's biological opinion does not reflect the litany of construction that is already underway adjacent to the property.

  • January 23, 2026

    Ill. Justices Deem Permits 'Irrelevant' To Pollution Exclusion

    Whether emissions are allowed under a permit is "irrelevant" when determining whether a commercial general liability policy's pollution exclusion applies to a claim made over those emissions, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Friday.

  • January 22, 2026

    Smucker Pet Food Buyers Win Cert. In PFAS Disclosure Fight

    A California federal judge certified Thursday a class of Golden State consumers who accuse The J.M. Smucker Co. of failing to disclose risks of so-called PFAS forever chemicals in certain pet food packaging, rejecting Smucker's arguments, among others, that PFAS exposure is too individualized for classwide resolution.

  • January 22, 2026

    Transportation Cases To Watch In 2026

    Clashes over the scope of federal preemption in personal injury cases involving freight brokers and motor carriers, the Trump administration's gutting of Biden-era vehicle emissions standards and cuts to states' transportation and infrastructure funding are among the court battles that transportation attorneys are monitoring in 2026.

  • January 22, 2026

    Fla. Archaeologist Says Stolen Artifact Claims Ruined Career

    A Florida archaeologist filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against a Maryland nonprofit and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official, alleging she damaged his reputation and ruined his career with false claims that he trafficked stolen Native American human remains. 

Expert Analysis

  • Avoiding Unforced Evidentiary Errors At Trial

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    To avoid self-inflicted missteps at trial, lawyers must plan their evidentiary strategy as early as their claims and defenses, with an eye toward some of the more common pitfalls, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • 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.

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