Oil Giants Can't Move Chicago's Climate Suit, 7th Circ. Says

By Rae Ann Varona

The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday kept the city of Chicago's climate deception suit against BP, Shell and other oil giants in Illinois state court, saying the oil companies could not lean on their fuel production for the federal government to remove the case to federal court.

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Limetree Refinery Cos. Reach $35M Deal In Toxic Leak Action

By Rick Archer

Affiliates of the former operator of a U.S. Virgin Islands oil refinery have reached a $35 million settlement of proposed class action claims from local residents concerning water contamination from oil releases five years ago.

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Adani Denies $10B Offer Led To DOJ Dropping Case

By Stewart Bishop

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, the chairman of multinational conglomerate Adani Group, on Wednesday told a Brooklyn federal judge that his offer to invest $10 billion in the U.S. had nothing to do with a U.S. Department of Justice decision to drop criminal charges claiming he and others orchestrated a $250 million bribery to secure solar energy contracts and deceive investors.

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CIT Judge Says Order Incoming For Next Tariff Refund Phase

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. Court of International Trade judge overseeing U.S. Customs and Border Protection's development of a duty refund system for tariffs struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court forecast new directions for the government as it prepares another phase of its tariff refund system, according to an order published Wednesday.

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Analysis

Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To The US Supreme Court's Term

By Jeff Overley

Federal appeals courts had wide-ranging successes and struggles during the U.S. Supreme Court's recently completed term: One had its best showing in years following its worst showing in years; one felt déjà vu after recently starting to find favor with the justices; and one saw its reputation for independence occupy a rare role in the Supreme Court spotlight.

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Russia Sanctions Bill Goes Too Far On Tariff Power, Dems Say

By Jack McLoone

A reworked version of a bipartisan bill aimed at sanctioning Russia over the war in Ukraine wrongly places too much tariff power in the hands of President Donald Trump, some leading congressional Democrats said.

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Brief

Canada, Brazil Sign Customs Coordination Pledge

By Dylan Moroses

Brazil and Canada signed a new agreement to exchange information and collaborate on addressing cross-border customs matters, according to a joint statement.

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Pa. Energy Co. Accused Of 'Massive' Leak Into Neighborhood

By P.J. D'Annunzio

Pennsylvania-based Monroe Energy LLC has been hit with a putative class action in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas alleging that its negligence in maintaining a gasoline storage facility resulted in a "massive" spill that contaminated the properties of nearby residents.

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1st Circ. Says Sending GE PCB Suit To State Court Was Error

By Mike Curley

A First Circuit panel has reversed an order remanding to state court a woman's suit over General Electric Co.'s alleged improper disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, saying the trial court wrongly concluded that GE couldn't take advantage of the federal officer removal statute.

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Texas Appeals Court Flips $9M Misrepresentation Verdict

By Spencer Brewer

A Texas appellate court reversed a $9 million verdict awarded to an energy engineering and construction company, saying the construction company failed to show economic harm beyond the loss of a contractual benefit and therefore its negligent misrepresentation claim was barred.

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Ex-Senate Committee Chief Counsel Rejoins Hunton

By Jack Rodgers

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has rehired a former Republican chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who started her career with the firm as an environmental law associate before its 2018 merger.

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Energy Regulatory Pro Returns To Baker Botts In Texas

By Christine DeRosa

Baker Botts LLP has welcomed back the former co-chair of its energy regulatory practice group in the Lone Star State following a stint in-house.

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Troutman Adds Norton Rose Corporate Energy Pro In Houston

By Lynn LaRowe

Troutman Pepper Locke LLP announced Wednesday that it has added a former Norton Rose Fulbright attorney in Houston who brings decades of experience structuring and negotiating energy-sector deals.

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How Does Your Compensation Stack Up? Take Our Survey

Is your compensation keeping pace with the rate of inflation? Do you know what your colleagues made last year? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's Law Firm Compensation Survey.

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Simpson Thacher Put Co. Out Of Business, Fla. Jury Told

By Cara Salvatore

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP put an insurance services company out of business with a poorly constructed private securities offering, the company's founder told a Florida state jury Wednesday in opening arguments for trial in his suit alleging the law firm owes him more than $100 million.

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New Conn. High Court Rules Put Filers On Hook For AI Errors

By Aaron Keller

The Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts have published new generative artificial intelligence rules which took immediate effect this week, outlining additional paths for sanctions as the justices weigh the fate of a landlord's attorney who admitted his filings contained ChatGPT-induced errors.

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Cornyn, Tillis Still Waver On Blanche AG Bid After Hearing

By Courtney Bublé

Todd Blanche had his nomination hearing to be attorney general on Wednesday and two key Republican senators still have yet to say if they will support him.

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Senate Confirms Fla. Judge Pick Tied To Trump Pulitzer Case

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 51-46, along party lines, Wednesday to confirm state Chief Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz for the Southern District of Florida.

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Apple Allowed To Question Withdrawing Hagens ICloud Client

By Bryan Koenig

A California federal judge has allowed Apple to impose conditions on the withdrawal of a Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP client as a named plaintiff from an iCloud antitrust case, concluding that the consumer's information could be "relevant to spoliation sanctions" or Hagens Berman's adequacy as class counsel.

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Polsinelli, Doctor Seek Toss Of 'Bad Faith' Patent Claims

By Elliot Weld

Polsinelli PC and a doctor who has been a client of the law firm have asked Mississippi and Tennessee federal courts to throw out Zavation Medical Products LLC and Choice Spine LLC's allegations that the firm and its client violated respective state laws by bringing "bad faith" patent infringement claims, saying the statutes the medical device makers rely on can't be brought by distributors or manufacturers.

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Trump Swiftly Fires Court-Appointed Seattle US Atty

By Lauren Berg

Almost immediately after being sworn in as Seattle's new U.S. attorney Wednesday morning, former King County Superior Court judge and federal prosecutor Roger Rogoff was fired by President Donald Trump.

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Dems Probe Clayton's Independence, 2020 Election Views

By Tom Lotshaw

During a Wednesday confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's pick for national intelligence director, Democratic lawmakers pressed Jay Clayton to explain whether predecessor Tulsi Gabbard should have traveled to Georgia to oversee a search warrant executed at a Fulton County election facility, which she testified the president asked for.

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