Environmental

  • March 26, 2025

    Court Can't Hear Everglades Water Dispute, 11th Circ. Says

    Sugar companies challenging the stand-alone use of an Everglades reservoir component that will allegedly reduce water supplies can't raise the dispute in court because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hasn't made a final decision on its operation, according to an Eleventh Circuit opinion.

  • March 26, 2025

    Big Oil Cos. Must Face Tribal Climate Suits In State Court

    A pair of lawsuits by Washington tribes alleging Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 deceived consumers about the climate impacts of burning fossil fuels belong in state court, a federal judge said Wednesday, handing the tribes a win in their venue dispute with the Big Oil companies.

  • March 26, 2025

    FERC Pressed To Reject $26.6B Constellation-Calpine Merger

    Consumer and environmental groups have urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to block Constellation's $26.6 billion purchase of Calpine, saying a tie-up of two of North America's largest independent power producers would reduce competition in the nation's largest regional electricity market.

  • March 26, 2025

    Del. Justices Urged Not To Open Malpractice Suit 'Floodgates'

    Attorneys representing Brockstedt Mandalas Federico LLC and Schochor Staton Goldberg & Cardea PA urged the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject a bid to revive a malpractice suit filed over damages sought for a child's "catastrophic injuries" allegedly caused by contamination from a chicken plant, saying doing so could open "floodgates" for similar suits.

  • March 26, 2025

    Holland & Knight Gains Ex-EPA Regional Leader In Dallas

    Holland & Knight LLP has boosted its ability to serve clients with complex environmental challenges by bringing on a former Environmental Protection Agency regional counsel as a partner in Dallas.

  • March 25, 2025

    Barretts Says Talc Injury Claims Belong To Ch. 11 Estate

    Talc miner Barretts Minerals Inc. sought a Texas bankruptcy court's determination that talc injury claims based on inadequate asbestos testing are property of the estate in its Chapter 11 case, saying the question is a crucial hurdle as the company mediates a potential settlement with its affiliates, unsecured creditors and the future claims representative.

  • March 25, 2025

    Baltimore Bridge Collapse: One Year Later

    Federal accident investigators' recent determination that Maryland could've done more to protect Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge from a devastating collapse may complicate the sprawling legal battle over liability and damages in the year since a cargo ship struck the bridge and crippled a major East Coast transportation hub.

  • March 25, 2025

    Texas Panel Asks If Guadalupe Diversion Meshes With Law

    A Texas appeals panel questioned the state on Tuesday on why it didn't conduct site-specific assessments before issuing a permit to divert water from the Guadalupe River, saying that the Texas Water Code appeared to conflict with the state's process.

  • March 25, 2025

    Dow, PPG Likely To Face Modesto's Contamination Claims

    A California appellate court tentatively ruled Tuesday that the city of Modesto's claims against Dow Chemical and PPG Industries related to perchloroethylene in the city's soil and water at a dry-cleaning site that used a solvent they manufactured weren't filed too late, saying the allegations were encompassed in the original 1998 complaint.

  • March 25, 2025

    Canadian Miner Faces Deadline Over $10M Romania Award

    A cash-strapped Canadian mining company is nearing a deadline to put up security for an approximately $10 million costs award issued to Romania after the country prevailed in the company's $4.4 billion arbitration over a blocked gold and silver mining project.

  • March 25, 2025

    North Carolina OSHA 'Incentive' Suit Dismissed Again

    North Carolina labor officials have once again dodged a corrosion control company's lawsuit claiming the state agency wrongfully incentivized workplace safety inspectors to find violations, after a federal judge accepted a magistrate judge's analysis that the latest suit largely copied one that had already been tossed.

  • March 25, 2025

    Industry Backs BlackRock Over States' 'Crippling' Coal Suit

    Two leading financial industry groups are throwing their support behind BlackRock Inc. and two other asset managers fighting a state-backed antitrust suit over their coal company investments, with one group arguing that forcing the firms to divest would have "crippling effects" for tens of millions of American investors.

  • March 25, 2025

    Utah Tribe 'Doubled-Down' In Bidding Scheme Row, Court Told

    Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other state officials are asking a federal court to dismiss a challenge by the Ute Indian Tribe that accuses them of a racist bidding scheme to prevent a land purchase just outside its reservation, arguing that its claims are precluded by federal law.

  • March 25, 2025

    Justices Grapple With Circuit Courts' Clean Air Act Authority

    U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday indicated they want to preserve circuit courts' jurisdiction over certain regional Clean Air Act disputes but recognized that Congress deliberately prioritized the D.C. Circuit's authority in many important areas of the law.

  • March 25, 2025

    NJ Says NYC Congestion Pricing Fight Ripe For Decision

    The Garden State's legal battle to dismantle New York's congestion pricing program can still advance even while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority fights the federal government's withdrawal of approval for the program in Manhattan federal court, New Jersey's attorneys told a federal judge.

  • March 25, 2025

    LADWP Accused Of 'Massive Cover-Up' In Palisades Fire

    Los Angeles fire victims hit the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power with another lawsuit in California state court Monday, accusing the LADWP of conducting a "massive cover-up" to allegedly hide that its downed power lines had sparked several additional fires that fueled the deadly Pacific Palisades fire.

  • March 25, 2025

    USDA Must Face Logging Emissions Suit, DC Judge Rules

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday rejected the U.S. Department of Agriculture's bid to toss allegations that the U.S. Forest Service never assessed the emissions effect of its logging program under the National Environmental Policy Act from environmental activists, clearing the way for the litigation to proceed.

  • March 25, 2025

    Nelson Mullins Welcomes Alt Energy Transactions Atty In NY

    Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP is bringing a Clean Energy Counsel attorney to its New York office, touting his more than three decades of experience with distributed and utility-scale energy and infrastructure projects in the United States and Latin America, especially in renewable and alternative energy finance and development.

  • March 24, 2025

    Michigan Tribes Exit Line 5 Talks, Citing 'Energy Emergency'

    Six Michigan tribes are withdrawing as cooperating agencies in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' environmental evaluation of Enbridge Energy's permit application for its Line 5 oil project tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac after they said a Trump administration executive order will likely fast-track its approval.

  • March 24, 2025

    Ore. Tribe Backs Hydro Utility's Eminent Domain Bid At Falls

    The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians has asked an Oregon federal judge to approve a utility company's attempt to condemn five acres of public land for the operation of a hydroelectric project, saying another tribe believes wrongly that condemnation would eliminate its fishing platform.

  • March 24, 2025

    4th Circ. Halts Removal Of PFAS Suits Against 3M

    The Fourth Circuit agreed on Monday to halt a panel's split decision allowing 3M to remove to federal court lawsuits brought by Maryland and South Carolina alleging environmental contamination from forever chemicals, while it considers their request for rehearing.

  • March 24, 2025

    Judge Won't Stop Calif. Offshore Lease Fight For Gov't Redo

    A California federal judge has refused to pause litigation challenging extensions for offshore oil and gas leases in the area of a 2015 pipeline spill, saying she wasn't convinced that the U.S. Department of the Interior would seriously reconsider its decision.

  • March 24, 2025

    Camp Lejeune Litigants Expect Global Deal By Year's End

    Veterans and their family members who sued the government over toxic water at Camp Lejeune will likely see a global deal resolving their claims by the end of 2025, according to a report in North Carolina federal court from Jenner & Block LLP and DLA Piper attorneys designated as settlement masters.

  • March 24, 2025

    Judge Slams Pa. County For 'Sneaky' Climate Suit End Run

    A Pennsylvania state judge seemed skeptical Monday that Bucks County's Big-Tobacco style lawsuit against oil companies should move forward, calling out the county for what he said was its commissioners' attempt to avoid scrutiny by filing the lawsuit without first providing the public adequate notice.

  • March 24, 2025

    Norfolk Southern Must Face Investors' Suit Over Safety Claims

    A lawsuit claiming that Norfolk Southern executives propped up stock prices with false claims about the railroad's safety culture has survived the company's motion to dismiss, with a Georgia federal judge ruling Monday that those claims were specific enough to be material for investors who were allegedly deceived up until the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

Expert Analysis

  • Trump Fossil Fuel Focus Won't End Interest In Clean Energy

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    A second Donald Trump administration is expected to prioritize expanding oil and gas drilling and reducing regulations — but some clean energy investments, including energy storage, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel, will likely continue to garner bipartisan and market support, says Scott Segal at Bracewell.

  • EPA's New Lead Pipe Rule Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently released update to its Lead and Copper Rule is a major step forward in the elimination of lead from drinking water systems, but it lacks meaningful guidance on alternative materials, jurisdictional concerns, cost allocation and other topics, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • What To Expect From State AGs As Federal Control Changes

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    Under the next Trump administration, Democratic attorneys general are poised to strengthen enforcement in certain areas as Republican attorneys general continue their efforts with stronger federal support — resulting in a confusing patchwork of policies that create unintended liabilities for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • In SF Water Case, Justices Signal How Loper May Be Applied

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    Skeptical questions from U.S. Supreme Court justices during oral argument in San Francisco v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offer hints of how the court intends to apply limits on agency regulatory autonomy established last term in Loper Bright, says Karen Cullinane at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Trump Rollback Of Biden Enviro Policies: What To Expect

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    Donald Trump's upcoming second presidential term will usher significant shifts in U.S. environmental and natural resource law and policy — and while the Biden administration is racing to secure its legacy, the incoming Trump administration is making plans to dramatically roll back most, if not all, of Biden's environmental initiatives, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • Dissecting New Circuit Split Over SEC's Proxy Adviser Rule

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    The Sixth Circuit recently upheld the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's partial rescission of enhanced conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements for proxy voting advice businesses, creating a circuit split over broader questions concerning the standard for assessing the legality of agency actions in general, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • The Unfolding Potential of Green Hydrogen In Brazil

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    A new federal law in Brazil establishing a legal framework for hydrogen development is the country's latest step toward creating a favorable environment for green hydrogen production, but significant challenges — including high production costs, technological hurdles and a lack of infrastructure — remain, says David Andrew Taylor at Almeida Advogados.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • A Shift In Control Of Congress May Doom These Enviro Regs

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    If the election leads to a change in control of Congress, lawmakers will likely use the lookback provision of the Congressional Review Act to challenge the Biden administration's late-term regulatory efforts — including recent initiatives on air pollutant source classification, lead pipe removal and hydrofluorocarbon emissions, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

  • Election Could Bring Change In Weather For Offshore Wind

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    Under another Trump administration, the offshore wind sector would encounter substantial headwinds, as Trump's policy track record emphasizes fossil fuel dominance and environmental rollbacks, while a Harris victory would likely further entrench the pro-renewable energy stance taken by the Biden administration, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

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