Environmental

  • 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."

  • September 09, 2025

    Post-Chevron, DC Circ. Again Backs FERC Solar Ruling

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday stuck to a decision backing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's conclusion that a hybrid solar facility qualified for small-scale power producer perks, following a U.S. Supreme Court-ordered rethink due to the elimination of the so-called Chevron deference.

  • September 09, 2025

    Feds Say Lejeune Litigants Can't Link Chemical To Illnesses

    The U.S. government asked a North Carolina federal judge to bar veterans and family members suing over injuries from toxic water at Camp Lejeune from claiming that one particular substance caused various diseases at issue in the litigation.

  • September 09, 2025

    Tribes, Enviro Orgs. Urge 9th Circ. To Halt Oak Flat Land Swap

    The U.S. and a copper mining company can't defend a federal law authorizing a land exchange in Arizona's Tonto National Forest, conservation groups and an Apache tribe told the Ninth Circuit on Monday, arguing that requirements for mining the site are unmet due to an inadequate final environmental impact statement.

  • September 09, 2025

    Cenovus Energy Selling WRB Refining Stake For $1.4B

    Cenovus Energy said Tuesday it has struck a deal to sell its 50% stake in WRB Refining LP to Phillips 66 for $1.4 billion, as the Canadian energy company cashes out of a long-standing refining partnership.

  • September 08, 2025

    Split 4th Circ. Axes States' Challenge To Trump Admin Layoffs

    A split Fourth Circuit panel held Monday that a coalition of states doesn't have standing to sue the Trump administration over the mass firing of thousands of probationary government employees, finding that it was the employees — not the states — who "suffered the brunt of the harm" underlying the case.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • How Sustainability Reporting Changed In The 1st Half Of 2025

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    Sustainability reporting is evolving rapidly, with fewer S&P 500 companies publishing reports in the first half of 2025 than in the same period last year, suggesting that companies are becoming more selective and intentional about their reporting, say analysts at Orrick.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Texas AUSA To BigLaw

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    As I learned when I transitioned from an assistant U.S. attorney to a BigLaw partner, the move from government to private practice is not without its hurdles, but it offers immense potential for growth and the opportunity to use highly transferable skills developed in public service, says Jeffery Vaden at Bracewell.

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