Environmental

  • September 11, 2025

    Energy Giants Largely Defeat Climate Change RICO Suit

    A Puerto Rico federal judge on Thursday mostly threw out, for good, racketeering and antitrust claims accusing a slew of energy industry companies of misrepresenting the climate dangers of fossil fuel products in causing a pair of hurricanes, though she declined to throw out some of the claims with prejudice.

  • September 11, 2025

    Ex-Nikola CEO Seeks To Undo Investor Class In Fraud Case

    Former Nikola CEO Trevor Milton on Thursday asked an Arizona federal judge to decertify at least part of a class of investors accusing him and the company of exaggerating the viability of Nikola's technology and its business prospects, arguing the lead investors didn't identify and contact class members during discovery.

  • September 11, 2025

    CFTC Withdraws Biden-Era Voluntary Carbon Credit Guidance

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has withdrawn Biden-era guidelines that were intended to foster transparency and deter manipulation in the emerging market for voluntary carbon credits.

  • September 11, 2025

    Judge Won't Sink Calif. Offshore Oil Platform Suit

    A California federal judge has rejected Sable Offshore Corp.'s bid to toss a lawsuit accusing the federal government of failing to make the company update safety and pollution-control plans, saying the government's decision to not require an update doesn't sink green groups' allegations.

  • September 11, 2025

    Muscogee Can Continue Fight Over Ala. Burial Grounds

    A federal district judge has conditionally allowed the Muscogee Creek Nation to renew its challenge against an Alabama tribe in a dispute over a sacred burial site, saying it must first cure its sovereignty pleading problem before refiling the complaint.

  • September 11, 2025

    Trump Admin Should Release Climate Panel Docs, Judge Says

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday encouraged the Trump administration to voluntarily turn over records from a recently disbanded panel that environmental groups say worked secretly with regulators to justify a proposed reversal of the government's longstanding position that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health.

  • September 11, 2025

    State Regulators Press FERC To Back $21.8B MISO Grid Plan

    Utility commissions in favor of a $21.8 billion transmission development plan told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week that other state commissions challenging the plan are mischaracterizing their policy differences as tariff violations.

  • September 11, 2025

    IRS Forfeits Opposition In $37M Easement Dispute, Court Told

    Two partnerships seeking to reinstate their combined $37 million tax deductions for donating adjoining Georgia conservation easements told the Eleventh Circuit that the IRS has effectively forfeited its opposition to their claim that the U.S. Tax Court made valuation errors in reducing their tax breaks.

  • September 10, 2025

    Trump Admin's Push To Sunset Energy Regs Faces Hurdles

    Legal obligations and practical challenges may hamstring the Trump administration's efforts to wipe out as many energy regulations as possible, making the moves vulnerable to lawsuits while creating uncertainty for the energy industry.

  • September 10, 2025

    Consumers Defend Challenge To Nippon-US Steel Merger

    Consumers urged a California federal judge Wednesday not to dismiss their challenge to Nippon Steel's now-closed purchase of U.S. Steel Corp., arguing they've fixed an earlier lawsuit's shortcomings.

  • September 10, 2025

    Biz Groups Ask 4th Circ. To Revisit Ethylene Oxide Class Suit

    Business groups have urged the Fourth Circuit to reconsider a recent ruling that allowed a West Virginia woman's proposed class action to proceed against Union Carbide Corp. and Covestro LLC over ethylene oxide exposure, arguing that she doesn't have ground for her medical-monitoring claims.

  • September 10, 2025

    Unions' Challenge To Fed. Layoffs, Reorganizations Proceeds

    The Trump administration must continue facing a union-backed challenge to its federal worker layoffs and agency reorganizations, a California federal judge ruled, tossing the administration's argument that the U.S. Supreme Court cast enough doubt on the suit's legitimacy by pausing an injunction to justify dismissing the case.

  • September 10, 2025

    FERC Urged To Drop 'Ill-Conceived' Pipeline Review Updates

    Gas industry groups urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to accept Secretary of Energy Chris Wright's request to scrap plans for greater environmental reviews for pipeline approvals, agreeing that they exceed FERC's authority and undermine regulatory certainty.

  • September 10, 2025

    BLM Says It Will Rescind Biden-Era Land Conservation Rule

    The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday said it will roll back the Biden administration's Public Lands Rule, which the agency says improperly prioritizes land conservation over uses like energy development and livestock grazing.

  • September 10, 2025

    SC Residents Ask 4th Circ. To Revive Marsh Development Suit

    A group of South Carolina residents urged the Fourth Circuit to reverse the dismissal of their suit challenging a federal plan to develop tidal marshland that's allegedly already part of a state public trust that bars development.

  • September 10, 2025

    $7M Ida Damage Case Settles Amid 5th Circ. Arbitration Fight

    A New Orleans property owner and its insurers have resolved a dispute over coverage for a $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim, amid a fight over whether the matter belonged in arbitration, the parties told the Fifth Circuit.

  • September 09, 2025

    PacifiCorp Fire Property Wasn't 'Lost' But 'Taken,' Jury Told

    The latest wildfire damage trial against PacifiCorp began Tuesday with the stories of 10 Oregon property owners who, a jury was told, didn't "lose" their property but had it "taken" by an irresponsible utility.

  • September 09, 2025

    7 Enviro Cases To Watch At The Supreme Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a slew of environmental cases for the coming term, including jurisdiction disputes in pipeline and pollution cases, a challenge to a Washington state climate change law and Monsanto's bid to undo a $1.2 million weed killer cancer award.

  • September 09, 2025

    NY Climate Law Challenge Moved To Join Similar Case

    A federal judge has denied business groups' bid to keep a suit challenging New York's climate Superfund law in the Southern District of New York, saying they must pursue the case in the Northern District where Republican-led states brought similar litigation first.

  • September 09, 2025

    States, Oil Groups Push For Wins In Drilling Ban Fight

    Republican-led states and oil and gas industry groups pushed for a victory in their lawsuits challenging now-rescinded Biden-era memos that closed off federal waters to offshore drilling, telling a Louisiana federal judge that the memos were clearly unconstitutional.

  • September 09, 2025

    Calif. Bashes EPA's Effort To Toss Truck Emissions Petitions

    California, along with a group of states and cities, urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to reject the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's motion to dismiss petitions challenging Clean Air Act waivers allowing the Golden State to make its own truck emissions standards, saying separate litigation should first play out.

  • September 09, 2025

    Mitsubishi Accused Of Dodging Pollution Regs With Deception

    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. was hit with a proposed class action in Washington federal court Monday by a commercial fisher accusing the company of deploying a deceptive sales tactic to circumvent federal emissions regulations for marine engines and replacing engines with cheaper, dirtier alternatives that don't comply with U.S. laws. 

  • September 09, 2025

    Band-Aid Buyers Defend Standing, Claims In J&J PFAS Suit

    A proposed class of consumers is urging a New Jersey federal court to deny a motion by Kenvue Inc. and Johnson & Johnson seeking to dismiss claims that the companies hid the presence of a group of chemicals known as PFAS in Band-Aid products.

  • September 09, 2025

    11th Circ. Told Insurers Wrongly Denied $5.6M To Railroad Co.

    A Florida railroad company incurred minimal losses from Hurricane Irma in 2017 because it took measures to protect its property, but insurers unfairly used the preventive efforts to justify denying coverage for $5.6 million worth of costs under an all-risk policy, it told an Eleventh Circuit panel on Tuesday.

  • September 09, 2025

    11th Circ. Urged To Revisit Pause Of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Suit

    Environmental groups and a Florida tribe challenging the immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" have asked the Eleventh Circuit to reconsider its order pausing the case while Florida appeals a preliminary injunction, arguing that it is "overbroad, unnecessary and prejudicial."

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Voiding $2M Litigation Funding Sends A Warning

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    A recent Texas bankruptcy court decision that a postconfirmation litigation trust has no obligations to repay a completely drawn down $2 million litigation funding agreement serves as a warning for estate administrators and funders to properly disclose the intended financing, say attorneys at Kleinberg Kaplan.

  • Demystifying The Civil Procedure Rules Amendment Process

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    Every year, an advisory committee receives dozens of proposals to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, most of which are never adopted — but a few pointers can help maximize the likelihood that an amendment will be adopted, says Josh Gardner at DLA Piper.

  • Parenting Skills That Can Help Lawyers Thrive Professionally

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    As kids head back to school, the time is ripe for lawyers who are parents to consider how they can incorporate their parenting skills to build a deep, meaningful and sustainable legal practice, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Teaching Trial Advocacy Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    Teaching trial advocacy skills to other lawyers makes us better litigators because it makes us question our default methods, connect to young attorneys with new perspectives and focus on the needs of the real people at the heart of every trial, say Reuben Guttman, Veronica Finkelstein and Joleen Youngers.

  • Navigating Brazil's Regulations, Incentives For Green Projects

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    Brazil's evolving environmental regulatory framework and ongoing moves to attract international capital for climate-focused projects may appeal to U.S.-based companies and investors interested in sustainable development — but taking advantage of these opportunities requires careful planning and meaningful stakeholder engagement, says Milena Angulo at Guimarães.

  • Federal AI Action Plan Marks A Shift For Health And Bio Fields

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    The Trump administration's recent artificial intelligence action plan significantly expands federal commitments across biomedical agencies, defining a pivotal moment for attorneys and others involved in research collaborations, managing regulatory compliance and AI-related intellectual property, says Mehrin Masud-Elias at Arnold & Porter.

  • Data Center Construction Trends, Challenges In Ill. And Texas

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    Data centers in Illinois and Texas are reshaping the industrial landscape, but this growth brings legal complexity, so developers, contractors and corporate legal departments must have a deep understanding of each state's legal terrain and take a proactive approach to risk management, say attorneys at Hicks Johnson.

  • 5 Key Steps To Prepare For Oral Arguments

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    Whether presenting oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court or a local county judge, effective preparation includes the same essential ingredients, from organizing arguments in blocks to maximizing the potential of mock exercises, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • Definitions Of 'Waters Of The United States' Ebb And Flow

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    The issue of defining whether "waters of the United States" include streams and channels that sometimes have water and sometimes do not has been fraught since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 Rapanos decision, but a possible new rule may help property owners stay out of court, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.

  • Unpacking A New Era of Compliance For Submarine Cables

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    After decades of operating under its old regulatory framework, the Federal Communications Commission has modernized its oversight of submarine cable infrastructure, which presents a complex array of legal and policy challenges, including heightened national security vulnerabilities, say attorneys at Troutman.

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