Environmental

  • August 28, 2025

    Commonwealth Fusion Systems Wraps $863M Funding Round

    Private fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems on Thursday revealed that it clinched an $863 million Series B2 funding round, marking what the company says is the "largest amount raised" among deep tech and energy companies since its 2021 $1.8 billion Series B funding round.

  • August 27, 2025

    Buyers Drop State Claims In Target Deceptive 'Clean' Label Suit

    A proposed class of consumers alleging Target's Clean range of beauty products actually contain chemicals harmful to humans and the environment agreed Wednesday to voluntarily dismiss their specific state law claims without prejudice.

  • August 27, 2025

    Tribe Wins Limited Approval Of Bid To Intervene In Casino Suit

    A California federal judge said the Koi Nation may intervene in the state's lawsuit over a U.S. government plan to put land into trust for the tribe's proposed casino, but she also ruled it hasn't waived its sovereign immunity so it will not be joined to the litigation as an indispensable party.

  • August 27, 2025

    Colorado Sues Mobile Home Park Over Unsafe Drinking Water

    Colorado health officials told a state judge on Wednesday that a local mobile home park's drinking water tested positive for potentially dangerous bacteria, and the mobile home park is violating state law by ignoring mandated further testing and refusing to notify residents of the test results.

  • August 27, 2025

    Solar Co. Failed To Give Proper Layoff Notice, Suit Says

    Solar energy company PosiGen failed to provide proper notice before terminating hundreds of employees as part of a mass layoff affecting workers at sites in Pennsylvania, Louisiana and other states, according to a proposed class action filed in Delaware federal court.

  • August 27, 2025

    Miner, Recreationists Oppose Intervention In Monument Fight

    A California miner and a public recreation nonprofit are opposing bids by nine environmental groups and five tribal nations to intervene "as of right" in a suit challenging the Chuckwalla National Monument's protected status, telling a Michigan federal judge they're not entitled to intervention.

  • August 27, 2025

    Feds, Blue States Clash Over Future Of EV Funding Fight

    The Trump administration says its recent decision to release funding for new electric-vehicle charging infrastructure moots Democratic-led states' litigation challenging the prior revocation of the funding, but the states said they're still being harmed and their lawsuit should proceed.

  • August 27, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Adds Real Estate Pro From DR Horton

    Greenberg Traurig LLP has added a real estate and construction pro, who joins the firm from an in-house role at homebuilding company D.R. Horton, to its real estate practice.

  • August 26, 2025

    Proposed NIH Class Can Join UC Grant Cuts Suit, Judge Says

    A California federal judge ruled Tuesday that a proposed class action seeking to reinstate grants awarded to University of California researchers that were nixed pursuant to President Donald Trump's executive orders can amend the complaint to add researchers whose National Institutes of Health grants have been recently suspended.

  • August 26, 2025

    Mich. Paper Mill Settles Noxious Odor Suit

    After losing their bid for class certification, property owners who complained about a rotten-egg smell coming from a nearby paper mill have reached a deal with Graphic Packaging International, according to an order by a Michigan federal judge, who dismissed the case on Tuesday.

  • August 26, 2025

    Delta To Pay LA Residents $79M For Dumping Fuel On Them

    Delta Air Lines Inc. and a certified class of Angelenos urged a California federal judge to vacate his summary judgment ruling and preliminarily approve their $78.75 million deal under which class counsel would receive up to $26 million to end consolidated litigation over a 2020 jet fuel dumping incident.

  • August 26, 2025

    Farmers Defend Climate Superfund Law Against Challenges

    Farmers and environmentalists are asking a Vermont federal judge to toss the U.S. government's, industry groups' and red states' lawsuits challenging the state's climate change Superfund law, saying it's a lawful method to pay for damages caused by the phenomenon.

  • August 26, 2025

    FOIA Results Wanted Before Ruling In DOGE Disclosure Suit

    A D.C. federal judge said he wants to see how the Trump administration responds to Freedom of Information Act requests submitted in February before deciding on the government's motion to dismiss an environmental group's suit claiming that DOGE teams working in federal agencies have violated transparency laws.

  • August 26, 2025

    Puerto Rico Utility Bondholders Say They'll End Reorg Deal

    A group of Puerto Rican electric utility bondholders have told a New York federal judge they will pull out of a three-year-old deal to support the utility's proposed restructuring plan if it is not confirmed by October.

  • August 26, 2025

    Feds Look To Dismiss Calif. Tribe's $700M Casino Dispute

    The U.S. Department of the Interior, with the backing of two tribes and the California Gaming Association, is looking to dismiss a lawsuit over its decision to temporarily nix eligibility for a proposed $700 million casino and hotel project, arguing it doesn't constitute a final agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • August 26, 2025

    Wash. Cities Settle Yacht Club's Clean Water Act Suit

    Two Washington cities have tentatively settled a yacht club's federal lawsuit claiming the municipalities muddied the waters of its marina by failing to maintain critical stormwater infrastructure and allowing the discharge of silt-laden runoff.

  • August 25, 2025

    Fla. ICE Official Warns Detention Center Closure Risks Safety

    The field office director for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Miami urged a Florida federal court to keep a temporary detention center in the Everglades in operation, saying in a motion to pause an injunction that closing the facility will endanger the community. 

  • August 25, 2025

    Detroit Coke Plant Found Liable For Clean Air Act Violations

    A federal judge on Monday ruled a Detroit facility that produces coke for steelmaking violated the Clean Air Act with increased air pollution, teeing up a trial to determine if parent company DTE Energy shares responsibility.

  • August 25, 2025

    Texas Wants To Back Trump In Calif. Vehicle Waiver Fight

    Texas has told a federal court that California shouldn't be allowed to adopt vehicle emissions standards that are stricter than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's because other states essentially have to go along with them even if they disagree.

  • August 25, 2025

    Feds, Wind Farm Backers Duel For Wins In Permitting Fight

    As the Trump administration moves to halt work on multiple offshore wind projects, the government and wind farm backers have blasted each other's bids for quick wins in litigation challenging the stoppage of all federal reviews of wind projects.

  • August 25, 2025

    Trade Court Remands Belgian Citric Acid Exporter Review

    The U.S. Court of International Trade remanded the U.S. Department of Commerce's antidumping duty investigation of citric acid imports from a Belgium exporter after finding that the government failed to properly account for costs associated with production.

  • August 25, 2025

    Ex-TSA Attorney Among 3 New Lawyers At Kaplan Kirsch

    A former Transportation Security Administration attorney is among three lawyers who recently joined Kaplan Kirsch LLP, a Denver-based law firm that specializes in representing state, local and tribal government agencies on projects such as airport expansions and new rail lines.

  • August 25, 2025

    3 Firms Advise On Crescent's $3.1B Vital Energy Acquisition

    Crescent Energy Co. will acquire Vital Energy Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.1 billion, including Vital's net debt, the companies said Monday, with three law firms advising on the transaction.

  • August 25, 2025

    Unions Ask Judge To Block DOD, EPA From Ending Contracts

    A D.C. federal judge should stop the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and four other agencies from canceling their union contracts, a group of unions said, asking him to block the agencies from complying with an executive order that let them terminate these contracts.

  • August 25, 2025

    Judge Pauses CWA Suit Over Chemours' Ohio River Pollution

    A West Virginia federal judge put a Clean Water Act citizen suit nearing trial on hold as Chemours appeals a preliminary injunction ruling holding that an environmental group can challenge its allegedly excessive discharges of a "forever chemical" into the Ohio River.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing For Trump Pushback Against State Climate Laws

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    An April executive order from President Donald Trump mandated a report from the U.S. attorney general on countering so-called state overreach in climate policy, and while that report has yet to appear, companies can expect that it will likely call for using litigation, legislation and funding to actively reshape energy policy, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • How To Strengthen A Case By Mastering Expert Witness Prep

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    A well-prepared expert witness can bolster a case's credibility with persuasive qualifications, compelling voir dire responses and concise testimony that can withstand cross-examination, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • Harmonized Int'l Framework May Boost Advanced Aircraft

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    International differences in the certification process for advanced air mobility aircraft make the current framework insufficient — but U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's recent announcement of a standards harmonization effort may help promote these innovative aviation technologies, while maintaining safety, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Bills' Defeat Means Brighter Outlook For Texas Renewables

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    The failure of a trio of bills from the recently concluded Texas legislative session that would have imposed new burdens on wind, solar and battery storage projects bodes well for a state with rapidly growing energy needs, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • Texas' Cactus Ruling Clarifies 'Produced Water' Rules

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    The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that mineral interest lessees have the rights to water extracted alongside oil and gas, should benefit industry players by clarifying the rules — but it leaves important questions about royalties unresolved, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • How Political Divisions Are Stalling Pa. Energy Development

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    Despite possessing the nation's second-largest natural gas reserves and a legacy of energy infrastructure, Pennsylvania faces a fragmented and politically charged path to developing the energy resources it will need in the future, thanks to legislative gridlock, divided public opinion and competing energy interests, says Andrew Levine at Stradley Ronon.

  • How Trump's Trade Policies Are Shaping Foreign Investment

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    Five months into the Trump administration, investors are beginning to see the concrete effects of the president’s America First Investment Policy as it presents new opportunities for clearing transactions more quickly, while sustaining risk aversion related to Chinese trade and potentially creating different political risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Justices Rewrite Rules For Challenging Enviro Agency Actions

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    Three recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings — Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, Oklahoma v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and EPA v. Calumet Shreveport Refining — form a jurisprudential watershed in administrative and environmental law, affirming statutory standing and venue provisions as the backbone of coherent judicial review, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

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    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

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