Environmental

  • June 09, 2025

    Feds Approve Mont. Coal Mine Expansion Amid Controversy

    The Interior Department has said it will expand by nine years the mining plan for a Montana coal mine at the center of litigation over the mine's environmental impacts, authorizing Signal Peak Energy to recover 57 million tons of coal in a move that aligns with the Trump administration's energy emergency directive.

  • June 09, 2025

    'No Question' DuPont Polluted Delaware River, NJ Court Told

    New Jersey told a federal judge on Monday that it was clear E.I. du Pont de Nemours discharged "forever chemicals" into the Delaware River, wrapping up the majority of a first-of-its-kind series of bench trials over whether the company is liable for contamination at a longstanding manufacturing facility.

  • June 09, 2025

    Tax Court Backs Penalties In $24M Georgia Easement Feud

    An Internal Revenue Service agent properly followed the procedure to secure timely supervisory approval to impose penalties against a partnership for incorrectly claiming a $24 million charitable tax deduction on its Georgia conservation easement donation, the U.S. Tax Court said Monday.

  • June 09, 2025

    Hinshaw Welcomes Insurance Litigator To New Orleans Team

    Hinshaw & Culbertson has added a partner from Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz to its global insurance services practice in New Orleans, where she will represent insurance companies and other entities, the 500-lawyer firm announced Monday.

  • June 09, 2025

    Justices Urged To Keep Pause On 'Breakneck' Gov't Overhaul

    The U.S. Supreme Court should leave in place a California federal judge's order barring implementation of layoffs and reorganizations at various federal departments and agencies, several unions and nonprofits argued Monday, claiming a decision allowing the changes would irreversibly harm the federal government and render Congress and the judiciary powerless.

  • June 09, 2025

    Insurers Must Pay For $7.3M Hail Loss, Property Owner Says

    A dispute among insurers over when a Texas shopping center was damaged in a hailstorm has left the center short of full coverage for a $7.3 million loss, and the owner wants a federal court to ensure that the carriers found responsible will cover what they owe.

  • June 09, 2025

    Feds Argue Koi Nation's Historic Ties Justify Calif. Land Trust

    The Interior Department is looking to dismiss a challenge to its decision to take 70 acres into trust for a proposed tribal hotel and casino project in Sonoma County, California, telling a federal court that the Koi Nation has a significant historical connection to the site.

  • June 09, 2025

    Eco-Friendly Packing Firm Broadway Signs SPAC Merger

    Packaging company Broadway Technology Inc. has announced plans to go public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company Quartzsea Acquisition Corp. in a deal that was built by six law firms and will result in a combined company that trades on the Nasdaq.

  • June 09, 2025

    Iowa Expands Property, Sales Tax Breaks For Data Centers

    Iowa expanded property tax and sales and use tax breaks for data centers to include leased facilities under legislation signed by the governor.

  • June 09, 2025

    Residential Solar Panel Co. Sunnova Hits Ch. 11 With $9B Debt

    Sunnova Energy International, a major residential solar panel designer, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas Sunday, with $8.9 billion in debt amid an industry downturn and uncertainty around the future of government incentive programs for solar projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    High Court Says Software Glitch Led To Early Order List Drop

    An "apparent software malfunction" caused the U.S. Supreme Court's order list to be issued early Friday, orders in which the justices granted certiorari in four cases and refused to take up a long list of other ones, including cases centered on Pennsylvania's election system and the Obama Presidential Center.

  • June 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Obama Center Site Selection Complaints

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to consider claims that federal agencies failed to complete a full environmental review of plans to construct the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park neighborhood.

  • June 06, 2025

    Legislative Reprieve For Texas Green Energy Isn't Permanent

    Texas renewable energy companies dodged another bullet when several bills that would have restricted development died in the state Legislature a second time, but the industry remains on guard for future attempts to more tightly regulate renewable projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    DC Circ. Backs FERC Extension For Southgate Pipeline Work

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday affirmed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's construction deadline extension for the Mountain Valley Pipeline's southern spur, with one judge characterizing a suit challenging it as "typical" of litigation that has stymied American progress.

  • June 06, 2025

    Wyo. Landowners' Attys Score $5M From Anadarko Deal

    A Wyoming federal judge awarded more than $5 million in attorney fees and expenses Friday to attorneys for a class of landowners that accused an oil extraction company of hoarding permits to block oil and gas projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    6th Circ. Sends GM Emissions Fraud Claims Back To Michigan

    The Sixth Circuit on Friday partly revived drivers' claims alleging General Motors deceptively marketed Chevrolet Cruze vehicles as clean vehicles when they were actually outfitted with emissions-cheating software, punting a question of preemption back to Michigan federal court.

  • June 06, 2025

    LA Fire Victims Say AAA, USAA Left Many Unable To Rebuild

    California homeowners accused AAA and USAA of systematically undervaluing the replacement cost of their homes all while advertising adequate coverage and financial security, telling a state court that many cannot now afford to replace or rebuild their homes following the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year.

  • June 06, 2025

    Feds Want Comments On Altering ESA Conservation Rule

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday said it's considering altering a Biden-era rule intended to increase participation in voluntary conservation programs, and asked the public for input.

  • June 06, 2025

    NY Tribe Urges Supreme Court To Overturn Eel Fishing Ruling

    A Long Island tribe is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a Second Circuit ruling that rejected its challenge to New York's regulations on eel fishing harvests, arguing that if the decision is held, it would set a precedent allowing district courts to give up their gatekeeping roles on expert testimony.

  • June 06, 2025

    Arizona Mining Co. Challenges $417M Ruling In Peru Dispute

    Peru breached its U.S. trade agreement by imposing $417 million in penalties and interest on the unpaid royalties of an Arizona-based mining company's local operator, the company said while asking international arbiters to partially annul an award that it claimed mistakenly ignored the issue.

  • June 06, 2025

    US Steel Says Consultant Data Protected By Privilege

    U.S. Steel is fighting subpoenas from neighbors suing the steelmaker over alleged nuisance emissions from its facilities outside Pittsburgh, claiming that recommendations, reports and data from two consultants in the wake of a 2018 fire were covered by various privileges and confidentiality agreements.

  • June 06, 2025

    Feds Tee Up Redo Of Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards

    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday that vehicle fuel economy standards issued by the Biden administration improperly factored electric vehicles into the calculus, resulting in overly stringent standards that the Trump administration will soon revise.

  • June 06, 2025

    4th Circ. Stays Ruling Restoring Frozen Federal Grant Funding

    A split Fourth Circuit panel has blocked a South Carolina federal judge's order directing the federal government to restore 32 congressionally funded grants that were frozen by the Trump administration, while casting doubt on nonprofits' and cities' legal challenge.

  • June 06, 2025

    Goldberg Segalla Adds Toxic Torts Expert In NY

    Civil litigation firm Goldberg Segalla LLP has added a trial lawyer who is an expert in complex asbestos litigation, product liability, personal injury and commercial litigation matters to its toxic torts and environmental law group in Garden City, New York.

  • June 06, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Winston, Stibbe, Weil, Goodwin

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Chart Industries Inc. and Flowserve Corp. merge, Aedifica NV and Cofinimmo NV unite, Sanofi buys Blueprint Medicines Corp., and Kimberly-Clark Corp. sells a majority stake in its international tissue business to Suzano.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Cos. Should Know About U.S. Minerals Executive Order

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    President Donald Trump's new executive order aimed at boosting U.S. mineral production faces challenges including land use and environmental regulations, a lack of new funding, and the need for coordination among federal agencies, but it provides industry stakeholders with multiple opportunities to influence policy and funding, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    Among the most notable developments in California banking in the first quarter of the year, regulators and legislators issued regulations interpreting debt collection laws, stepped up enforcement actions, and expanded consumer protections for those affected by wildfires, says Stephen Britt at Severson & Werson.

  • How The ESG Investing Rule Survived Loper Bright, For Now

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in Utah v. Micone upholding the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 ESG investing rule highlights how regulations can withstand the post-Loper Bright landscape when an agency's interpretation of its statutorily determined boundaries is not granted deference, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • In-House Expert Testimony Is Tricky, But Worth Considering

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    Litigation counsel often reject the notion of designating in-house personnel to provide expert opinion testimony at trial, but dismissing them outright can result in a significant missed opportunity, say David Ben-Meir at Ben-Meir Law and Martin Pitha at Lillis Pitha.

  • Issues To Watch At ABA's Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Attorneys at Freshfields consider the future of antitrust law and competition enforcement amid agency leadership changes and other emerging developments likely to dominate discussion at the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week.

  • Tracking Changes To AI Evidence Under Federal Rules

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    As the first quarter of 2025 draws to a close, important changes to the Federal Rules of Evidence regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the courtroom are on the horizon, including how to handle evidence that is a product of machine learning, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • State Extended Producer Responsibility Laws: Tips For Cos.

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    As states increasingly shift the onus of end-of-life product management from consumers and local governments to the businesses that produce, distribute or sell certain items, companies must track the changing landscape and evaluate the applicability of these new laws and regulations to their operations, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

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    Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • 5 Steps To Promote Durable, Pro-Industry Environmental Regs

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's planned wave of deregulation will require lengthy reviews, and could be undone by legal challenges and future changes of administration — but industry involvement in rulemaking, litigation, trade associations, and state and federal legislation can help ensure favorable and long-lasting regulatory policies, say attorneys at Balch & Bingham.

  • Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

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    As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

  • Key Insurance Issues Likely To Arise From NY Superfund Law

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    The recently enacted New York Climate Change Superfund Act imposes a massive $75 billion in liabilities on energy companies in the fossil fuel industry, which can be expected to look to their insurers for coverage, raising a slew of coverage issues both old and new, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • How Trump Policies Are Affecting The Right To Repair

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    Recent policy changes by the second Trump administration — ranging from deregulatory initiatives to tariff increases — are likely to have both positive and negative effects on the ability of independent repair shops and individual consumers to exercise their right to repair electronic devices, say attorneys at Carter Ledyard.

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

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    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

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