Environmental

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Wary Of Broader Removal In Coastal Pollution Suits

    U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday questioned a bid by ExxonMobil and Chevron to move Louisiana pollution lawsuits to federal court, appearing hesitant to embrace the companies' argument that their World War II-era oil production clearly was federal in nature.

  • January 12, 2026

    Texas AG Investigating Major Grocery Chains' Pesticide Use

    The Texas attorney general's office on Monday said it has started an investigation into major grocery store chains in Texas that the state accuses of spraying organic produce with pesticides without informing consumers.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Decline To Hear Alaska's Fishing Regulations Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't step into a dispute between Alaska, the federal government and Indigenous groups over a Ninth Circuit order barring the state from opening part of the Kuskokwim River to all fishers and upheld decades of precedent that began with an Ahtna elder's 1984 litigation.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Stay Out Of Nuke Waste Storage Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the D.C. Circuit's dismissal of an anti-nuclear group's lawsuit challenging the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of a temporary nuclear waste storage site in New Mexico.

  • January 12, 2026

    High Court Won't Hear Michigan Tribe's Fishing Pact Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't overturn a Sixth Circuit decision to uphold a 2023 decree governing fishery management in the Great Lakes after a Michigan tribe argued that the agreement was negotiated over its objections and that it will micromanage the waters for the next quarter-century.

  • January 09, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Pollution Lawsuits & Trans Athletes

    The U.S. Supreme Court will kick off the new year by hearing disputes over the constitutionality of state laws banning transgender female athletes from female-only sports and whether state or federal courts are the proper forum for lawsuits seeking to hold major oil companies accountable for harm caused by their oil production activities along Louisiana's coast. 

  • January 09, 2026

    Calif. Climate Laws Violate Free Speech Rights, 9th Circ. Told

    A coalition of business groups urged a Ninth Circuit panel Friday to preliminarily block new California laws requiring large companies to disclose financial risks tied to climate change, arguing the laws are unprecedented and violate the First Amendment, in part by being "completely untethered" to any product or transaction.

  • January 09, 2026

    Alabama Steps Away From Appeal In ACF Water Dispute

    Alabama on Thursday dropped its appeal at the Eleventh Circuit in a fight over water management of the Apalachicola watershed after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agreed to changes proposed by Alabama and Georgia to end the decadeslong water feud.

  • January 09, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Won't Rehear Nev. Tribe's $208M Water Rights Suit

    The Federal Circuit has declined a Nevada tribe's petition for an en banc or panel rehearing on a decision to dismiss $208 million breach of trust allegations against the Bureau of Indian Affairs over water rights.

  • January 09, 2026

    Gov't Tells 4th Circ. SC Residents Can't Challenge Marsh Plan

    The federal government has urged the Fourth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a suit filed by South Carolina property owners challenging the approval of a local marsh mitigation bank plan, arguing the property owners lack Article III standing and their claims are "speculative."

  • January 09, 2026

    Taxation With Representation: King & Spalding, Torys, Milbank

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, power generation company Vistra Corp. acquires Cogentrix Energy from Quantum Capital Group, real estate firm Minto Group partners with Crestpoint Real Estate Investments to take Minto's apartment-focused real estate investment trust private, and engineering services provider Jacobs acquires a remaining stake in PA Consulting.

  • January 09, 2026

    NLRB Must Face Agency Atty's Speech Suppression Suit

    The National Labor Relations Board can't exit a field attorney's suit over her advocacy work with an environmental nonprofit, a Washington federal judge has ruled, finding that she has adequately alleged that her work doesn't violate a federal conflict of interest statute.

  • January 09, 2026

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Trade Secrets Row, A Patient Data Deal

    The North Carolina Business Court closed out the year by tossing a trade secrets fight brought by a corrugated packing manufacturer against its onetime star salesman and signing off on a $2.45 million settlement ending claims a healthcare system sold patients' data to Meta.

  • January 09, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a collapsed investment firm revive a $15 million dispute with a hedge fund, major Hollywood studios bring an IP claim against the U.K.'s largest internet providers over illegal streaming, and the Department of Health and Social Care sue the law firm and barrister representing it in a pharma competition damages case.

  • January 08, 2026

    States Fight To Block EPA From Wiping Out $7B Solar Funding

    A coalition of states urged a Washington federal district judge Thursday to preliminarily block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from cutting solar power grant programs, arguing that without an injunction the Trump administration could transfer $7 billion back to the Treasury and "we will be entirely out of luck."

  • January 08, 2026

    Stoel Rives Picks Up Former K&L Gates Environmental Leader

    Environmental lawyer Ankur Tohan has joined Stoel Rives LLP as a partner in the Seattle office, where he'll focus on renewable energy, carbon capture, power infrastructure and compliance matters, the firm announced Thursday.

  • January 08, 2026

    11th Circ. Told Gov't Knew Of Facility's Impact To Everglades

    Nonprofit groups told the Eleventh Circuit that the Trump administration withheld information on the environmental impact of an immigrant detention center located in the Everglades, saying the federal government worked closely with Florida officials before constructing the facility. 

  • January 08, 2026

    Alito Recuses From Chevron, Exxon Coastal Pollution Case

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday recused himself from considering Chevron and ExxonMobil's effort to place Louisiana pollution lawsuits stemming from the companies' World War II-era production in federal court, just days before the justices hear oral arguments in the case.

  • January 08, 2026

    Wilderness Society Sues Feds Over Land Sale Records

    A nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wilderness is suing the U.S. Department of the Interior and other federal agencies, saying they have violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to share records about Trump administration efforts to sell public lands.

  • January 08, 2026

    NC Wins Appeal To Use Smithfield Funds For Enviro Grants

    The North Carolina Attorney General's Office can continue putting money from a decades-old hog waste agreement toward environmental grants, a state appeals court panel ruled, overturning a lower court order earmarking the money exclusively for public schools.

  • January 08, 2026

    EPA's Water Rule Dispute Paused Amid Legal Uncertainty

    A North Dakota federal judge is holding in abeyance seven states' challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule revision that considers tribal rights in addressing water quality standards until the agency determines if it wants to defend the final law or start a new rulemaking process.

  • January 08, 2026

    Trump Admin Says Climate Grant Class Suit Is Moot

    The Trump administration has told the D.C. Circuit that a proposed class action accusing it of illegally terminating a $3 billion environmental justice block grant program is moot because Congress has rescinded the funds that green groups and local governments are seeking to recover.

  • January 08, 2026

    Judge Says He'll Approve Ideanomics Plan After Revisions

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Thursday that he will approve the Chapter 11 liquidation plan for electric vehicle technology company Ideanomics Inc. once an injunction barring future claims in the plan is narrowed in scope.

  • January 07, 2026

    Trump Exits Climate Pact, UN Orgs. He Says 'Conflict' With US

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he is withdrawing the United States from a decades-old international agreement that brings the world's countries together to take action against climate change, as well as 65 other international organizations and treaties that are "contrary to the interests" of the U.S.

  • January 07, 2026

    Baking Mix Co. Sued Over Alleged Water Pollution In Wash.

    Baking mix manufacturer Continental Mills Inc. was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit in Washington federal court Wednesday by an environmental group that claims the company's Seattle-area plant released wastewater laden with heavy metals into nearby creeks, in excess of legal pollution limits.

Expert Analysis

  • Sales And Use Tax Strategies For Renewables After OBBBA

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    With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act sharply curtailing federal tax incentives for solar and wind projects, it is vital for developers to carefully manage state and local sales and use tax exposures through early planning and careful contract structuring, say advisers at KPMG.

  • Strategies To Get The Most Out Of A Mock Jury Exercise

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    A Florida federal jury’s recent $329 million verdict against Tesla over a fatal crash demonstrates how jurors’ perceptions of nuanced facts can make or break a case, and why attorneys must maximize the potential of their mock jury exercises to pinpoint the best trial strategy, says Jennifer Catero at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Series

    Writing Musicals Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experiences with writing musicals and practicing law have shown that the building blocks for both endeavors are one and the same, because drama is necessary for the law to exist, says Addison O’Donnell at LOIS Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Va. AUSA To Mid-Law

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    Returning to the firm where I began my career after seven years as an assistant U.S. attorney in Virginia has been complex, nuanced and rewarding, and I’ve learned that the pursuit of justice remains the constant, even as the mindset and client change, says Kristin Johnson at Woods Rogers.

  • 7 Document Review Concepts New Attorneys Need To Know

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    For new associates joining firms this fall, stepping into the world of e-discovery can feel like learning a new language, but understanding a handful of fundamentals — from coding layouts to metadata — can help attorneys become fluent in document review, says Ann Motl at Bowman and Brooke.

  • Reports Of Chemical Safety Board's Demise Are Premature

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    Despite the Trump administration's proposal to close down the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, companies should note that the agency recently enforced its accidental release reporting rule for the first time, is conducting ongoing investigations and expects more funding from Congress, say attorneys at Conn Maciel.

  • How Trump's Space Order May Ease Industry's Growth

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    President Donald Trump's recent executive order aimed at removing environmental hurdles for spaceport authorization and streamlining the space industry's regulatory framework may open opportunities not only for established launch providers, but also smaller companies and spaceport authorities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • 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.

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