Environmental

  • January 14, 2025

    Both Michigan US Attys Resign Ahead Of Inauguration

    Michigan's U.S. attorneys, Dawn Ison in the Eastern District and Mark Totten in the Western District, announced their departures this week ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

  • January 14, 2025

    Monsanto Hit With $100M Jury Verdict In 10th Seattle PCB Trial

    A Washington state jury said Tuesday that Monsanto should pay $100 million to four people who claim they developed various health issues from PCB exposure at a school facility, far less than the $4 billion requested by 15 plaintiffs but still adding to the $1.1 billion in losses the chemical giant already faces over the site.

  • January 14, 2025

    EPA Warns Of Possible Forever Chemical Risk In Fertilizer

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said that forever chemicals present in fertilizers could pose a health risk to people living or working on or near farms, a finding that could result in new regulations.

  • January 14, 2025

    Apollo, Standard Chartered Form $3B Strategic Partnership

    Private equity giant Apollo and international banking group Standard Chartered PLC on Tuesday announced that they have formed a long-term strategic partnership under which the two will contribute up to a combined $3 billion to go towards clean energy and transition financing.

  • January 14, 2025

    Connecticut Transfer Station Cases Settle Ahead Of Trial

    On the eve of jury selection, a lawsuit that started as a dispute over a $3 million transfer station performance bond and bloomed into a multipronged contract and unfair trade practices battle, as well as a companion case, have settled, Connecticut state court records show.

  • January 13, 2025

    FERC Defends Limited Review Of Cross-Border Gas Pipeline

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told the D.C. Circuit it properly confined its review of a gas pipeline that crosses the Texas-Mexico border to a 1,000-foot segment known as a border facility, arguing that regulating the entire U.S. segment would exceed the agency's authority.

  • January 13, 2025

    Flint Legionella Victim's Estate Seeks OK On $1.5M Settlement

    The mother of a woman who died of Legionnaires' disease after years of drinking the city of Flint's water is asking a Michigan federal court to approve a $1.5 million to settlement that would bring to an end her wrongful death claims.

  • January 13, 2025

    SoCal Edison Hit With Flurry Of Suits Over Eaton Fire

    Southern California Edison was hit with multiple lawsuits by Altadena fire victims in California state court Monday, accusing the investor-owned public utility of negligently managing power-line equipment that on Jan. 7 purportedly sparked the Eaton Fire, which has already damaged over 7,000 structures and killed at least 16 individuals.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Won't Grab The State Climate Tort Reins, For Now

    The U.S. Supreme Court appears unwilling to determine the fate of climate change lawsuits against fossil fuel companies until state courts have at least grappled with the substance of the allegations made by state and local governments.

  • January 13, 2025

    Newsom Waives Permits, Enviro Rules To Rebuild LA Faster

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an executive order Sunday suspended state environmental rules and permitting in coastal areas, a move intended to help rebuild from wildfires causing extensive destruction in Los Angeles.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Won't Review 11th Circ.'s Cancer Cluster Decision

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it won't review the Eleventh Circuit's affirmation of a favorable jury verdict for defense contractor Pratt & Whitney, which was found to have failed to exercise reasonable care when disposing radioactive materials, but also freed it from liability for the cancer cases that emerged in a Florida neighborhood.

  • January 13, 2025

    NJ Groups Sue To Revoke Offshore Wind Farm Approvals

    A group of environmental and business organizations are alleging in New Jersey federal court that federal approvals awarded to a Shell-backed developer's offshore wind projects violate a number of environmental statutes, and they are looking to halt the construction of two offshore wind facilities located just under nine miles off the Garden State coast.

  • January 13, 2025

    Manufactured Housing Groups Seek Early Win Against DOE

    Two manufactured-housing trade groups pushed for an early win in Texas federal court in their suit against the U.S. Department of Energy over an energy conservation rule for manufactured housing that the groups claimed failed to hit "a rational balance between energy conservation and affordable housing."

  • January 13, 2025

    Trump Taps Gibson Dunn Partner For EPA's No. 2 Post

    President-elect Donald Trump said he intends to nominate David Fotouhi, a partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, to serve in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's No. 2 post during his administration.

  • January 13, 2025

    Attys Seek $4.4M In Fees For Gas Well Plugging Settlement

    Attorneys from Bailey & Glasser LLP and Appalachian Mountain Advocates asked a West Virginia federal court for $4.4 million in fees, in a settlement that will require Diversified Energy Co. to more than quadruple its plans for plugging inactive oil and gas wells it had obtained from EQT in six states.

  • January 13, 2025

    Mich. AG Says She Is Immune From Flint Water Suit

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has told a federal court she is immune from allegations that she stripped due process rights from former Gov. Rick Snyder's aide when he was among the officials indicted in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.

  • January 13, 2025

    Natural Gas Exporter Venture Global Gears Up For $2.2B IPO

    Liquefied natural gas producer Venture Global Inc. on Monday launched plans for an estimated $2.2 billion initial public offering, potentially marking the year's first billion-dollar-plus listing, represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and underwriters counsel Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.

  • January 13, 2025

    Dems Seek Postponement Of Interior Secretary Hearing

    Democrats on the U.S. Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Monday asked for the nomination hearing for secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior to be delayed, claiming they haven't received the requisite documents.

  • January 13, 2025

    V&E Brings On Former Texas Enviro Agency Leader

    Vinson & Elkins LLP announced Monday that the former chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has joined the firm as a partner in Austin, boosting the firm's offerings to clients with environmental considerations.

  • January 13, 2025

    CFIUS Grants Nippon, US Steel Extension To Abandon Deal

    The government committee that reviewed Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel before President Joe Biden blocked the deal earlier this month has granted an extension until June for the companies to abandon the deal, according to a U.S. Steel securities filing Monday.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Want Solicitor General To Weigh Alaska Land Feud

    The U.S. Supreme Court asked the solicitor general Monday to weigh in on a review petition filed by an Alaskan property owner embroiled in a land feud with his neighbor.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Wants DOJ's Input In Wash. Port Water Permit Row

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the U.S. solicitor general to weigh in on a dispute over whether private lawsuits can proceed in federal court when they seek to enforce permit conditions that go beyond what's required by the Clean Water Act for discharging substances into state water bodies.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Reject Utah's Effort To Wrest Land From Feds

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Utah's claims that the federal government is stifling economic activity in the state by unconstitutionally hoarding and profiting from public lands.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Pass On Challenge To Mass. Offshore Wind Project

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the federal government's approval of a large offshore wind energy project in the waters off of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Again Refuse To Review State Climate Torts

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday again refused to wade into climate change tort litigation brought by state and local governments against fossil fuel companies, rejecting a request by energy giants to nix a suit lodged by Honolulu.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight

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    Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Useful Product Doctrine May Not Shield Against PFAS Liability

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    Courts have recognized that companies transferring hazardous recycled materials can defeat liability under environmental laws by showing they were selling a useful product — but new laws in California and elsewhere restricting the sale of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances may change the legal landscape, says Kyle Girouard at Dickinson Wright.

  • CFTC Anti-Fraud Blitz Is A Warning To Carbon Credit Sellers

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    With its recent enforcement actions against a carbon offset project developer and its senior executives for reporting false information about the energy savings of the company's projects, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is staking out its position as a primary regulator in the voluntary carbon credit market, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • A Narrow Window Of Opportunity To Fix Energy Transmission

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    A post-election effort of the coming lame-duck congressional session may be the only possibility to pass bipartisan legislation to solve the national grid's capacity deficiencies, which present the greatest impediment to realizing state and federal energy transition and emissions reduction goals, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • How Project 2025 Could Upend Federal ESG Policies

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    If implemented, Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's policy playbook for a Republican presidential administration, would likely seek to deploy antitrust law to target ESG initiatives, limit pension fund managers' focus to pecuniary factors and spell doom for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate rule, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Navigating FEMA Grant Program For Slope Fixes After Storms

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    In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it is critical for governments, businesses and individuals to understand the legal requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant programs to obtain funding for crucial repairs — including restoration of damaged infrastructure caused by landslides and slope failures, says Charles Schexnaildre at Baker Donelson.

  • Key Insurance Implications Of Hawaii's Historic GHG Ruling

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    In Aloha Petroleum v. National Union Fire Insurance, the Hawaii Supreme Court became the first state court to classify greenhouse gasses as pollutants barred from insurance coverage, a ruling likely to be afforded great weight by courts across the country, say Scott Seaman and Gar Lauerman at Hinshaw & Culbertson.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

  • To Report Or Not To Report Others' Export Control Violations

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    A recent Bureau of Industry and Security enforcement policy change grants cooperation credit to those that report violations of the Export Administration Regulations committed by others, but the benefits of doing so must be weighed against significant drawbacks, including the costs of preparing and submitting a report, says Megan Lew at Cravath.

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