Alito Recuses From Chevron, Exxon Coastal Pollution Case

By Keith Goldberg

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday recused himself from considering Chevron and ExxonMobil's effort to place Louisiana pollution lawsuits stemming from the companies' World War II-era production in federal court, just days before the justices hear oral arguments in the case.

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States Fight To Block EPA From Wiping Out $7B Solar Funding

By Dorothy Atkins

A coalition of states urged a Washington federal district judge Thursday to preliminarily block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from cutting solar power grant programs, arguing that without an injunction the Trump administration could transfer $7 billion back to the Treasury and "we will be entirely out of luck."

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Texas Court Mostly Reverses $27M Exxon Explosion Verdict

By Y. Peter Kang

A Texas appellate court on Thursday largely vacated a $27 million jury verdict against ExxonMobil related to a 2019 explosion at a Houston-area petrochemical plant, citing insufficient evidence to support the damages awarded to three injured workers.

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EPA's Water Rule Dispute Paused Amid Legal Uncertainty

By Crystal Owens

A North Dakota federal judge is holding in abeyance seven states' challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule revision that considers tribal rights in addressing water quality standards until the agency determines if it wants to defend the final law or start a new rulemaking process.

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Trump Admin Says Climate Grant Class Suit Is Moot

By Keith Goldberg

The Trump administration has told the D.C. Circuit that a proposed class action accusing it of illegally terminating a $3 billion environmental justice block grant program is moot because Congress has rescinded the funds that green groups and local governments are seeking to recover.

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Venezuela Says Citgo Auction Marred By Conflicts

By Caroline Simson

Venezuela pressed the Third Circuit Thursday to overturn an order greenlighting the nearly $6 billion sale of Citgo to satisfy billions of dollars of the country's debt, arguing that the underlying attachment orders are void and that the proceeding was marred by "obvious" conflicts of interest.

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Pipeline Co., Contractor Pull Plug On Fuel Terminal Fight

By Kelcey Caulder

A pipeline company and a contractor it hired to build a $22.4 million fuel terminal have agreed to end the company's suit alleging it was owed at least $600,000 because of missed deadlines and shoddy workmanship, according to a filing in Georgia federal court.

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Odebrecht To Pay Investors $17.3M To End Bribe-Scheme Suit

By Katryna Perera

An investment firm and its affiliated trusts will receive over $17 million from Brazilian engineering conglomerate Odebrecht SA and two subsidiaries to resolve, before a scheduled trial this month, a suit over an alleged far-reaching bribery scheme, with a New York federal judge ordering final judgment in the suit Thursday.

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11th Circ. Asked To Undo 'Deeply Flawed' Securities Ruling

By Emilie Ruscoe

Florida-based energy company NextEra Energy Inc. wants the full Eleventh Circuit to reconsider a panel decision to revive an investor lawsuit against the utility operator, asserting that unless undone, the decision would leave the circuit with "the nation's most permissive loss-causation standard."

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NY Judge Backs Windfarm Award Against Vietnam Bank

By Joyce Hanson

A New York federal judge has granted an arbitral award petition favoring a Chinese company against a Vietnamese bank following a dispute over a crane lease for a windfarm project, rejecting arguments that the court lacked jurisdiction and the dispute belonged elsewhere.

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Judge Says He'll Approve Ideanomics Plan After Revisions

By Rick Archer

A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Thursday that he will approve the Chapter 11 liquidation plan for electric vehicle technology company Ideanomics Inc. once an injunction barring future claims in the plan is narrowed in scope.

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Stoel Rives Picks Up Former K&L Gates Environmental Leader

By Ben Adlin

Environmental lawyer Ankur Tohan has joined Stoel Rives LLP as a partner in the Seattle office, where he'll focus on renewable energy, carbon capture, power infrastructure and compliance matters, the firm announced Thursday.

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Series

Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.

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New Assistant AG For Fraud Will Report To White House

By Courtney Bublé

Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday the creation of a new assistant attorney general role for fraud, which will be overseen by him and the president.

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US Atty In NY Northern District Serving Unlawfully, Judge Says

By Stewart Bishop

A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday held that the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York is unlawfully serving in his position, the latest in a string of rulings disqualifying prosecutors appointed by President Donald Trump.

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Calif. Judge Will Resign, Cop To Workers' Comp Fraud

By Lauren Berg

A California state judge has agreed to resign and plead guilty to a felony fraud charge after prosecutors alleged he knowingly hired a physician previously convicted of healthcare fraud to prepare medical reports to submit to the state's workers' compensation program, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

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Brief

House OKs $540M For Imperiled Legal Services Corp.

By Emily Sawicki

The "minibus" appropriations bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday includes a lifeline $540 million allocated toward the nonprofit Legal Services Corp. — representing a reduction of $10 million, or 3.6%, compared to fiscal year 2025's budget — whose funding the White House previously suggested should be slashed.

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La. Judge Is Senate's 1st Judicial Confirmation Of 2026

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 53-40 on Thursday to confirm former acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook to be a district judge in the Western District of Louisiana.

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