Environmental

  • June 03, 2025

    Energize Capital Secures $430M For 3rd Venture Fund

    Climate solutions investor Energize Capital, advised by Foley Hoag LLP, on Tuesday announced that it has clinched its third fund after securing $430 million of limited partner commitments.

  • June 03, 2025

    Oregon Sen. OKs Extending Brownfields Property Tax Break

    Oregon would extend its program of local property tax incentives for brownfield development for six years under legislation passed unanimously by the state Senate on Tuesday.

  • June 03, 2025

    Calif. Mazda Oil Leak Deal Dooms NC Class Claims

    Mazda has escaped class claims alleging leaky valve stems caused cars to burn excessive oil when a North Carolina federal judge ruled that the driver didn't opt out of a similar class action settlement across the country in California.

  • June 03, 2025

    The Law360 400: A Look At The Top 100 Firms

    A rebound in client work sent the nation’s largest law firms into growth mode last year, driving a wave of hiring, mergers and strategic moves that reshaped the top tier of the Law360 400. Here's a preview of the 100 firms with the largest U.S. attorney headcounts.

  • June 03, 2025

    Wachtell-Led Viper Energy Paying $4.1B For Sitio Royalties

    Viper Energy Inc. said Tuesday it will purchase mineral and royalty interests investment firm Sitio Royalties Corp. for approximately $4.1 billion, including net debt of approximately $1.1 billion, in a deal steered by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Vinson & Elkins LLP.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ga. Residents Urge Panel To Revive Sea Island Roads Fight

    A pair of Glynn County, Georgia, residents urged the state's Court of Appeals to revive their lawsuit seeking to prevent the Sea Island Co. from denying public access to roads on Sea Island that they say were never properly transferred to the company.

  • June 02, 2025

    Budget Bill Would Deepen Residential Solar's Woes

    A Sunnova unit's bankruptcy declaration — the latest among dozens of solar companies that have struggled to stay afloat — adds to evidence of a floundering residential solar industry, which now faces further diminishing prospects under the federal budget reconciliation bill.

  • June 02, 2025

    DOI Looks To Void Biden Era Rule On Alaska Arctic Drilling

    The U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday it wants to rescind a 2024 Biden administration rule limiting fossil fuel production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, saying the regulation hinders energy development in a 23-million-acre area on the state's North Slope.

  • June 02, 2025

    PacificCorp Fights Wash.'s Carbon Limit Program At 9th Circ.

    PacificCorp urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to revive claims alleging Washington's carbon emissions cap-and-invest program unconstitutionally discriminates against out-of-state customers by imposing emissions allowances for power exported out of state, while Washington argued that the lawsuit seeks to create a "loophole" that would result in a "free pass" on emissions.

  • June 02, 2025

    Feds Say Groups' AmeriCorps Dispute Belong In Claims Court

    The Trump administration is fighting a bid by more than a dozen nonprofits to block the firing of thousands of AmeriCorps employees and the cancellation of $400 million in grants and programs, arguing that the allegations can only be addressed by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

  • June 02, 2025

    Trump Taps Vinson & Elkins Atty To Replace FERC Chair

    President Donald Trump on Monday nominated a Vinson & Elkins LLP attorney to replace current Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie, whose term expires on June 30.

  • June 02, 2025

    Trump Renews Call For Justices To Lift Gov't Overhaul Pause

    President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to lift a California federal judge's order barring the implementation of layoffs and reorganization plans at various federal departments and agencies, arguing the order imposes nonexistent congressional limits on his presidential authority.

  • June 02, 2025

    Justices' Rail Order Irrelevant To Merger Row, DC Circ. Told

    Chicago suburbs challenging federal approval of Canadian Pacific's merger with Kansas City Southern urged the D.C. Circuit on Monday to pay no heed to the U.S. Supreme Court decision restricting government environmental reviews, arguing their own case challenges "other" deficiencies in addition to a failed consideration of broader climate impacts.

  • June 02, 2025

    Emotional Distress Claim Dropped In Ohio Derailment Lawsuit

    An industrial tube maker dropped an emotional distress claim from a seven-count complaint seeking to hold Norfolk Southern liable for the fallout to local businesses impacted by a February 2023 train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio, according to an order released Monday.

  • June 02, 2025

    PG&E, Lenders Hit With Suit Over Solar Panel 'Scheme'

    Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. and several other companies were accused in California federal court of running a "bait-and-switch" scheme in which they saddle homeowners with hidden fees after tricking them into financing solar panel installations through zero-interest loans.

  • June 02, 2025

    FERC 'Never' Considered Costs Of NW Pipeline, 5th Circ. Told

    The state of Washington told a Fifth Circuit panel Monday that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission " never rationally considered what the true costs" were for a TC Energy Corp. pipeline expansion project in the Pacific Northwest.

  • June 02, 2025

    DHS To Waive Environmental Laws For Border Wall In Arizona

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday said it will waive a slew of environmental laws to facilitate border wall construction near Yuma, Arizona, an area the government says has a high amount of border crossing and drug trafficking.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ashurst, King & Wood Guide $9.1B Soul Patts Merger Plan

    Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd. and building products maker Brickworks Ltd. plan to merge into a company with a market capitalization of AU$14 billion ($9.1 billion), aiming to eliminate a decades-old cross-shareholding structure and create a unified entity, the Australian investment firm disclosed on Monday.

  • June 02, 2025

    Immunity Shields Mich. AG From Flint Water Prosecution Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a wrongful prosecution lawsuit brought by a former aide to ex-Gov. Rick Snyder against the Michigan attorney general and Wayne County prosecutors, ruling that immunity shields the prosecutors from liability over their handling of charges against officials in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.

  • June 02, 2025

    US Looks To Dodge Suit Over Gulf Oil Well Risks

    The federal government is asking a federal court to toss environmentalists' lawsuit alleging that it's ignoring the fact that owners of retired offshore oil and gas drilling infrastructure are failing to properly shut down the facilities.

  • June 02, 2025

    Sunnova Energy Sends Unit Into Ch. 11 With Over $100M Debt

    A unit of residential solar company Sunnova Energy International Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court with up to $500 million in both assets and debt, saying it has considered a potential sale of the business or a restructuring deal.

  • June 02, 2025

    Va. Landfill Says Waste Treatment Costs Sent It Into Ch. 11

    The owner of a closed-down Virginia landfill has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with just over $183 million in debt, saying its costs for treating toxic wastewater exploded after an ex-employee falsified reports.

  • May 30, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Unblock Trump's Gov't Overhaul

    A split Ninth Circuit on Friday refused to lift a California federal judge's preliminary block of President Donald Trump's executive order directing layoffs at federal agencies, handing a win to a coalition of unions, nonprofits and cities that argue the order exceeded the president's authority.

  • May 30, 2025

    Enviro-Focused Community Bank Exits FDIC Consent Orders

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has freed Maryland-based Forbright Bank from the penalty box, terminating a pair of consent orders that had restricted its growth and required anti-money laundering improvements.

  • May 30, 2025

    Court Sinks Iowa Farm's Challenge To 'Swampbuster' Law

    An Iowa federal judge has rejected a farm owner's effort to overturn the "Swampbuster" conservation law that aims to protect wetlands in agricultural areas, ruling that the statute passes constitutional muster.

Expert Analysis

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Cleanup Claim Characterization Key For Timeliness Inquiry

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    The Tenth Circuit's recent ruling in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. NL Industries, determining that ARCO's contribution claim was timely, highlights the importance of accurately characterizing a claim for recoupment of environmental cleanup costs as a cost-recovery action or contribution to avoid dismissal or recharacterization of the claim, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • How To Create A Unique Jury Profile For Every Case

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    Instead of striking potential jurors based on broad stereotypes or gut feelings, trial attorneys should create case-specific risk profiles that address the political climate, the specific facts of the case and the venue in order to more precisely identify higher-risk jurors, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • 6th Circ. Ruling Paves Path Out Of Loper Bright 'Twilight Zone'

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright ruling created a twilight zone between express statutory delegations that trigger agency deference and implicit ones that do not, but the Sixth Circuit’s recent ruling in Moctezuma-Reyes v. Garland crafted a two-part test for resolving cases within this gray area, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • CO2 Oil Recovery Vs. Carbon Capture: Key Legal Differences

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    As more states seek primacy over carbon capture and storage wells, it is increasingly important for companies to understand the regulations surrounding CCS, and how they differ from the arguably less complex legal framework for the closely related technology of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery, says Sarah Milocco at Husch Blackwell.

  • Recent Cases Suggest ESG Means 'Ever-Shifting Guidelines'

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    U.S. courts have recently handed down a number of contradictory decisions on important environmental, social and governance issues, adding to an already complex mix of conflicting political priorities, new laws and changing regulatory guidance — but there are steps that companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Future Of The Superfund PFAS Rule

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent grant of a pause in litigation while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviews the Biden-era designation of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous" under the Superfund law creates new uncertainty for companies — but more lawsuits are likely as long as the rule remains in effect, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • Managing Anti-Corporate Juror Views Revealed By CEO Killing

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    After the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson laid bare deep-seated anti-corporate sentiments among the public, companies in numerous industries will have to navigate the influence of related juror biases on litigation dynamics, say Jorge Monroy and Keith Pounds at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Opinion

    California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed

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    A bill in the California Legislature that would let victims of climate-related disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires sue oil and gas producers for spreading misinformation about climate change is too vague, retroactive and focused on one industry to survive constitutional scrutiny, says Kyla Christoffersen Powell at the Civil Justice Association of California.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

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