'Internal Affairs' Doctrine Trims Pa. Gas Investors' Lawsuit

By Matthew Santoni

A federal judge trimmed a Pennsylvania family's lawsuit claiming two oil and gas companies wrongly failed to pay out dividends for their shares, reasoning that while the family could make some claims as individual investors, they could not demand to oust board members and shut down one company because those were "internal affairs" under Delaware law.

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Kirkland, White & Case Guide Brookfield's $7B Aypa Buy

By Al Barbarino

Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to acquire Aypa Power from funds managed by Blackstone Energy Transition Partners in a deal valuing the battery storage developer at about $7 billion, with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and White & Case LLP advising.

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Baker Botts, Vinson Steer Matador's $1.3B Oil Operations Deal

By Nate Beck

Dallas-based oil and gas company Matador Resources said Thursday that it plans to buy an EnCap Investments subsidiary operating in the Permian Basin for $1.3 billion and separately acquire acreage in Texas and New Mexico from another EnCap company in a deal guided by Baker Botts LLP and Vinson & Elkins LLP.

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Q&A

She Has A Point: Foley & Lardner's Laura Ganoza

By Theresa Schliep

Laura Ganoza's representation of her client in an infringement suit over a resort's trademarks was notable for being particularly vigorous, according to opposing counsel Sarah Ring of Porter Hedges LLP, who said the Foley & Lardner LLP partner "was a strong advocate" in the case.

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Hawaii, Green Groups Fight EPA Rebuff Of Regional Haze Plan

By Tom Lotshaw

Hawaii and environmental groups asked the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday to overturn a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to partially reject a plan the Aloha State submitted to improve air quality in national parks that would have retired some older power plants.

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Panel Says Interest Must Wait Until Drilling Costs Are Repaid

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado appellate panel unanimously held Thursday in a first impression ruling that the holder of an overriding royalty interest carved out of a nonconsenting oil and gas owner's stake can't collect payments until consenting owners who fronted development costs have recovered those costs and a statutory penalty.

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Trump Touts Pledge As Ratepayer Protection From AI Boom

By Nate Beck

President Donald Trump during a Thursday event urged utilities, data center developers and states to sign a voluntary pledge to prevent average ratepayers from shouldering the cost of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

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Judge OKs $27.5M Cost Agreement For Calif. Cleanup Suit

By Tom Lotshaw

A California federal judge Wednesday approved a $27.5 million agreement a Golden State regulator and seven companies submitted for litigation over the cleanup of a former lead smelting and battery recycling facility near Los Angeles.

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Interior Energy Pro Joins Holland & Hart In DC As Of Counsel

By Tracey Read

The former U.S. Department of the Interior's deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management has a new role at Holland & Hart LLP's Washington, D.C., office.

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Series

Being A Singer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Before law school, I spent seven years trying to make it as a professional singer in Los Angeles, and nearly everything I learned about preparation, humility, confidence and more has followed me into my legal practice, says Jessica Caterina at Moses & Singer.

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How Does In-House Pay Compare? Take The Law360 Survey

How do in-house salaries vary across industries, roles, and organizational revenue? What compensation tools are companies using to lure top talent? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's In-House Compensation Survey.

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Simpson Thacher Warned Co. About Deal Terms, Jury Told

By Cara Salvatore

A retired Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP partner who handled the fundraising vehicle alleged to have destroyed Patriot National Inc. told a Florida jury Thursday that he flagged deal terms that later became detrimental to the insurance services company.

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ABA Rips DOJ's 'Absurd' Firm Subpoenas In Documents Fight

By Emily Sawicki

The American Bar Association has blasted as "absurd" the government's move to subpoena law firms as an attempt to avoid a documents request from the organization amid allegations the Trump administration worked to intimidate law firms into conforming with his policy goals through executive orders last year.

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Judge's Deportation Probe 'Off The Rails,' DOJ Tells DC Circ.

By Britain Eakin

The Trump administration urged the full D.C. Circuit to either order U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to terminate his criminal contempt inquiry into the administration's Alien Enemies Act removals last year, or order him to forgo live testimony in the probe.

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Jack Smith's Lawyers Say Criminal Referral Twists Testimony

By Courtney Bublé

Former special counsel Jack Smith's legal team has said the criminal referral a U.S. Congress member sent the Department of Justice to investigate Smith is based on a "spurious claim."

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500-Member NYC Public Defender Union Ends Strike

By Andrea Keckley

The first and so far only New York City public defender union to go on strike this year announced on Wednesday that its approximately 500 members are returning to work after reaching a tentative agreement with their managers.

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Patent Atty Sues USPTO Over 'Flawed' Disciplinary Procedure

By Hailey Konnath

An Ohio patent lawyer Thursday accused the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of using an unlawful "pay for play" system for its disciplinary proceedings against attorneys, claiming the disciplinary proceedings are "inherently biased" and rigged against him and others facing discipline.

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Senate Confirms 2 Judges, Advances Ohio And Colo. Picks

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate on Thursday voted 48-47 to confirm Judge Daniel Traynor of the District of North Dakota to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and 49-44 to confirm Antonio M. Pozos, a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, as a judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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