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Environmental
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September 26, 2024
Offended Texas Judge Formally Vacates Buoy Injunction
A Texas federal judge who took umbrage at a state attorney's suggestion that he may ignore the Fifth Circuit's instruction to lift his injunction on the state's buoy barrier in the Rio Grande ceded to the appellate court on Thursday.
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September 26, 2024
Infighting Plagues SF Leaders With High Court Args Imminent
San Francisco has forged ahead with its effort to convince the U.S. Supreme Court that a federal Clean Water Act permit is too vague for it to comply with, even as a dispute over whether to drop the case has broken out between city leaders.
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September 26, 2024
Causation Claim Came Early, BP Spill Workers Tell 11th Circ.
Cleanup workers of BP's Deepwater Horizon spill who say they were sickened by exposure to crude oil urged the Eleventh Circuit Thursday to reverse a judgment in favor of the company, arguing a Florida judge jumped the gun in tossing expert testimony about the links between their work and the respiratory conditions the workers say they developed.
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September 26, 2024
EPA Cleared Of Allegations Of Mishandling Ohio Derailment
An Ohio federal judge has dismissed allegations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mishandled its response to the 2023 East Palestine train derailment, finding little evidence that government officials wrongly cleared air and water quality as safe enough for residents to return home.
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September 26, 2024
Conn. PFAS Water Pollution Suit Returned To State Court
A Connecticut federal judge has sent back to state court a proposed class action accusing the Connecticut Water Co. of knowingly selling water contaminated with dangerous levels of PFAS and failing to take steps to remove the pollutants, saying the water supply system's arguments are "fatally flawed."
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September 26, 2024
Feds Split $71M Clean Energy Award Between 13 Tribes
The Biden administration is investing $71 million to electrify homes in 13 tribal communities across Indian Country in an effort to close ongoing access to electricity gap problems with clean energy sources.
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September 26, 2024
6th Circ. Upholds Philips' Win In Glass Plant Pollution Suit
The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday stood by a Kentucky federal jury's verdict clearing Philips Electronics of proposed class claims brought by Bluegrass State property owners over pollution, agreeing with the jurors and the lower court that the claims over the company's former glass plant were filed too late.
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September 26, 2024
VivoPower Keeps HQ In UK To Qualify For $21B Gov't Program
Sustainable energy solutions company VivoPower International PLC and hydrogen technology business Future Automotive Solutions and Technologies on Thursday outlined additional terms to their proposed $1.13 billion merger, including settling the combined company's headquarters in the U.K. in order to qualify for potential "significant and attractive" government incentives.
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September 26, 2024
Ga. Judge Halts Election Over Sapelo Island Zoning Change
A Georgia state judge pulled the plug on a special election Gullah Geechee residents of Sapelo Island initiated to try to overturn a McIntosh County zoning change that more than doubled the size of dwellings allowed in their Hogg Hummock community.
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September 26, 2024
11th Circ. Wary Of Ineffective-Counsel Claim In Salmonella Case
Peanut Corp. of America's former president and a food broker convicted for their roles in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened more than 700 in 2008 and 2009 urged the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday to overturn a district court order refusing to vacate their prison sentences.
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September 26, 2024
Qualcomm Eyes Massive Buyout Of Intel, Plus Other Rumors
Qualcomm has approached struggling rival Intel with a takeover offer, Chevron's $53 billion acquisition proposal for Hess is expected to win regulatory clearance, and private Equity Firm BC Partners wants to buy a minority stake in EuroLeague. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.
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September 26, 2024
Texas Energy Co. Is Owed $8.1M Research Credit, Court Told
An energy company that said it developed a method for recycling water produced by fracking is owed $8.1 million in tax credits for research related to developing new oil production methods in the U.S. and Canada, the company told a Texas federal district court.
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September 25, 2024
Arnold & Itkin DQ Bid Says Zeta Defense Atty Is Ex-Employee
Arnold & Itkin has asked a Harris County judge to disqualify the law firm representing a drilling rig owner in litigation spurring from Hurricane Zeta, alleging a defense lawyer previously worked for Arnold & Itkin and improperly sent herself confidential information about the litigation before leaving the firm.
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September 25, 2024
Target Can't Escape Claims Over Deceptive 'Clean' Label
A California federal judge on Wednesday said that Target Corp. still has to face class claims that its Target Clean range of beauty products actually contain chemicals that harm humans and the environment, saying the allegations are a bit "unique" and are not typical product liability claims.
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September 25, 2024
Baltimore Bridge Wreck: 6 Months Later, Claims Mount
A court deadline to challenge liability limits over Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse shows an intense legal battle brewing as the U.S. government, Maryland and private plaintiffs sharpen their claims for damages against the owner and manager of the cargo ship that slammed into the bridge six months ago.
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September 25, 2024
Consultant Wants NC Packaging Patent Fight Tossed
A consultant and owner of a cold-packaging company accused of lying about his patent rights is doubling down on his bid to ditch a rival business's federal lawsuit under North Carolina's abusive patent law, saying he has no intention of accusing the business of infringement.
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September 25, 2024
Fla. Condo's Irma Suit Dismissed After Settlement With Insurer
A Florida federal court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Fort Myers Beach condominium association after it settled with an insurance company for an appraisal award that was allegedly owed for damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
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September 25, 2024
3rd Circ. Preserves Monsanto's Win In Cancer Warning Suit
The Third Circuit refused to reconsider its ruling that federal law preempts a more stringent Pennsylvania statute that mandates cancer warnings on chemicals, preserving Monsanto's win against a man who alleged the company's Roundup herbicide caused his illness.
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September 25, 2024
10th Circ. To Hear Arguments In Utah Monument Row
A Tenth Circuit panel will hear arguments on Thursday in a dispute over President Joe Biden's redesignation of 1.4 million acres of land in Utah that reclaimed the Bears Ears National Monument.
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September 25, 2024
Transco Backers Urge DC Circ. To Revisit Pipeline Ruling
Natural gas and pipeline entities are firing back at a D.C. Circuit ruling that scrapped Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals for a five-state pipeline expansion project being pursued by the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co., with one rival company saying the court's flawed decision sent "shockwaves through the industry."
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September 25, 2024
7th Circ. Judge Surprised Key Argument Left In Footnote
A Seventh Circuit judge seemed unsure Wednesday whether an insurer for Sterigenics could avoid a $75 million legal bill for defending the company from pollution suits, noting that the insurer addressed "the biggest issue in the case" in just a single, vague footnote.
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September 25, 2024
Baker Botts, Latham Lead Natural Gas Producer's $270M IPO
Natural gas producer BKV Corp. on Wednesday priced a $270 million initial public offering below its range, completing a long-awaited IPO nearly two years after filing plans, represented by Baker Botts LLP and underwriters' counsel Latham & Watkins LLP.
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September 25, 2024
11th Circ. Weighs Sovereignty In Ala. Burial Ground Fight
An Eleventh Circuit judge on Wednesday described a lower court's ruling in a dispute between two tribes over an ancient Alabama burial site as problematic, arguing that it failed to evaluate sovereign immunity status on a claim-by-claim basis and instead lumped it together, against precedent.
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September 25, 2024
EPA Can't Justify Calif. Emissions Ruling, High Court Told
Republican-led states told the U.S. Supreme Court the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can't justify a D.C. Circuit decision backing its authorization of a Clean Air Act waiver allowing California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for certain vehicles and run a zero-emissions vehicle program.
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September 25, 2024
US Steel Clears One Hurdle In $14B Nippon Steel Deal
An arbitration board has sided with U.S. Steel amid its union's challenge to a planned $14.9 billion acquisition by Nippon Steel, clearing one hurdle while Nippon continues fighting on another front for approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.
Expert Analysis
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10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep
Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.
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Opinion
It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills
After recent fires at landfills in Alabama and California sent toxic fumes into surrounding communities, it is clear that existing penalties for landfill mismanagement are insufficient — so policymakers must enact major changes to the way we dispose of solid waste, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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EPA Heavy-Duty Vehicle GHG Rules Face Bumpy Road Ahead
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for owners and operators of heavy-duty vehicles are facing opposition from both states and the transportation industry, and their arguments will mirror two pending cases challenging the EPA's authority, says Grant Laizer at Adams and Reese.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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A Look At M&A Conditions After FTC's Exxon-Pioneer Nod
The Federal Trade Commission's recent consent decree imposing several conditions on Exxon Mobil's acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources helps illustrate key points about the current merger enforcement environment, including the probability of further investigations in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors, say Ryan Quillian and John Kendrick at Covington.
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Opinion
US Solar Import Probe's Focus On China Is Misguided
The U.S. Department of Commerce's recent anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation focuses on the apparent Chinese ownership of solar device importers in four Southeast Asian countries — a point that is irrelevant under the controlling statute, says John Anwesen at Lighthill.
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3 Recent Decisions To Note As Climate Litigation Heats Up
Three recent rulings on climate-related issues — from a New York federal court, a New York state court and an international tribunal, respectively — demonstrate both regulators' concern about climate change and the complexity of conflicting regulations in different jurisdictions, say J. Michael Showalter and Robert Middleton at ArentFox Schiff.
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12 Keys To Successful Post-Trial Juror Interviews
Post-trial interviews offer attorneys an avenue to gain valuable insights into juror decision making and get feedback that can inform future litigation strategies, but certain best practices must be followed to get the most out of this research tool, say Alexa Hiley and Brianna Smith at IMS Legal.
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New TSCA Risk Rule Gives EPA Broad Discretion On Science
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent final amendments to its framework for evaluating the risks of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act give it vast discretion over consideration of scientific information, without objective criteria to guide that discretion, say John McGahren and Debra Carfora at Morgan Lewis.
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Perspectives
Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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Series
Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.
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Contractors Must Prep For FAR Council GHG Emissions Rule
With the U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council expected to finalize its proposed rule on the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risk this year, government contractors should take key steps now to get ready, say Thomas Daley at DLA Piper, Steven Rothstein at the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, and John Kostyack at Kostyack Strategies.
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Lessons In High-Profile Jury Selection Amid NY Trump Trial
Richard Gabriel and Michelle Rey LaRocca at Decision Analysis consider how media exposure can affect a prospective juror in a high-profile case, the misunderstood nature of bias, and recommendations for jury selection in these unique situations as the Trump hush money trial continues in New York.