Analysis

EPA's Policy Repeals May Spell Exit From Climate Regulation

By Keith Goldberg

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest move to undo Biden-era greenhouse gas emissions rules lays legal groundwork for the agency to completely abandon climate change regulation, though it remains to be seen whether courts will endorse a full-blown retreat.

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Conn. Agency Rejects Avangrid Units' Bids For Higher Rates

By Tom Lotshaw

Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority decreased rates for Avangrid Inc. subsidiaries Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. and Southern Connecticut Gas in a pair of decisions issued after a state judge remanded prior decisions on their rate amendment applications for additional proceedings.

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CFTC Probing Carbon Credit Markets, Enforcement Chief Says

By Aislinn Keely

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Enforcement Director David Miller said Wednesday that the division is investigating carbon credit markets as part of his agency's commitment to policing fraud in emerging markets.

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House Clears Russia Sanctions Bill With New Tariff Powers

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday that would enhance President Donald Trump's economic tools to pressure Russia and Iran, including new tariff authorities to impose duties on imports from countries found to economically support Russia, sending the bill to his desk.

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EU Eyes Canada As First Associate Member Amid Rift With US

By Dylan Moroses

The European Union may take steps to include Canada as its first associate member in the wake of growing U.S. trade uncertainty, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday.

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Troutman, Latham Lead $585M Midstream Assets Sale

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Private midstream company Silver Creek Midstream Holdings LLC, advised by Troutman Pepper Locke LLP, on Wednesday revealed that it is selling its Powder River Basin crude oil midstream assets to Latham & Watkins LLP-advised Plains All American Pipeline LP and Plains GP Holdings in a deal valued at roughly $585 million.

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Brief

Oil Parts Co. Moves To Settle Suit Over Trimmed Wages

By MJ Koo

About 2,500 offshore oil and gas workers have asked a Texas federal court to approve a settlement resolving claims that their employer failed to include quarterly retention bonuses in overtime pay calculations, according to court filings seeking collective certification and settlement approval.

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10th Circ. Clears The Way To Fill Denver's Expanded Reservoir

By Elaine Briseño

The Tenth Circuit has cleared the way for Denver Water to begin filling an expanded reservoir that holds the city's water supply, finding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not err when approving a permit for the project.

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Brief

Power Plant Drops $14M Lost Revenue Coverage Fight

By Tom Lotshaw

The owner of a power plant in Dover Plains, New York, voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit accusing Factory Mutual Insurance Co. of wrongfully withholding more than $14 million in coverage for revenue losses stemming from an outage.

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Solar Co. Users Seek OK On $15M Deal To End Defect Claims

By Mike Curley

A proposed class of solar panel users is asking a Wisconsin federal court to give final approval to a $15 million settlement to end claims that components of the solar systems are defective and prone to overheating.

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DTE Faces Suit Alleging Retaliation Over Fermi 2 Safety Data

By Susan Smiley

A longtime employee of utility DTE Electric Co.'s Fermi 2 nuclear energy plant has said he was forced out of his job because he reported safety data discrepancies to upper management and human resources, accusing the company of retaliation in Michigan federal court.

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EU Threatens To Block MMG's $500M Nickel Mine Deal

By Bryan Koenig

European Union antitrust enforcers took the next step Wednesday toward blocking MMG's planned purchase of Anglo American's nickel business out of concern the buyer, which is majority owned by the Chinese government, could divert supplies of an alloy needed for stainless steel production.

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Willkie Hires Ex-Akerman Data Center Pros For Dallas Office

By Isaac Monterose

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has hired four former Akerman LLP real estate attorneys as partners for its data centers and digital infrastructure team in Dallas, the firm announced Wednesday.

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NJ's Greenbaum Rowe Launches New Data Center Practice

By Nate Beck

New Jersey firm Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP said Wednesday that it has launched a data center development and infrastructure practice to support lenders, operators, investors and other parties involved in developing the projects.

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1 Year And $1B Later, Trade Fraud Remains Key Priority

The Trade Fraud Task Force's success obtaining major settlements in its first year, along with the Justice Department signaling long-term commitment to customs enforcement, shows that importers should plan to make global supply chain oversight a board-level priority for years to come, says Kimberly Paschall at Riley Safer.

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Why Pa. Push For Brownfield Renewables May Not Be Enough

A recent executive order from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro directed state regulators to expedite siting of clean energy development on former industrial sites — but additional reforms may be needed to effectively eliminate barriers to these types of projects, says Louis Dodge at Langsam Stevens.

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Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Cultivating Good Judgment

Law schools generally overlook the role that solid judgment skills play in real-world practice, but attorneys can bridge the gap by strengthening their abilities to assess a case’s strengths and weaknesses, develop and execute effective strategies, and provide clear recommendations to clients, says Manny Caixeiro at Venable.

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Burford Exec, Holland & Knight Adviser Open AI-Native Firm

By Andrea Keckley

Two veterans of the legal industry announced on Wednesday that they have teamed up to launch FairPlay Law, an AI-native firm based in Manhattan and focused on representing employees.

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Michael Best Combines With NY-Based Kane Kessler

By Kevin Penton

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP announced Wednesday that it is combining with New York-based firm Kane Kessler PC, adding 36 attorneys and a Big Apple presence to a firm that ranked 143rd on Law360's list of the nation's largest law firms.

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Protesters Say Feds' Fight Shows Need For Misconduct Probe

By Lauraann Wood

The U.S. government's opposition to a special investigation of prosecutorial misconduct that "poisoned" a now-dismissed criminal conspiracy case suggests Chicago prosecutors are still shielding critical details regarding the extent of official communications preceding the prosecution, underscoring the probe's necessity, protesters argued Tuesday.

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Apple Backs Its $132K Fee Ask Over 'Bad Faith' Subpoenas

By Bonnie Eslinger

Apple has urged a California federal magistrate judge to grant its $132,700 attorney fee request as a sanction against plaintiff consumers' lead lawyer in antitrust litigation claiming Google muscles out rival search engines, but said Apple's counsel doesn't want to disclose their "highly and competitively sensitive" negotiated legal rates.

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Newman Saga Prompts Bill To Limit Judicial Suspensions

By Courtney Bublé

The long-running saga over Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's fitness to remain on the court has exposed "major flaws" in the judicial accountability system, according to a Republican member of the House who introduced a bill Wednesday to reform it.

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Brief

Senate Panel Weighs 6 Trump Judicial Picks From Red States

By Courtney Bublé

Six nominees for U.S. district judge appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for their nomination hearing.

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