Analysis

Microplastics Focus May Force Change In Biz Practices

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed it's considering research that could lead to microplastics regulation, and although policies may be years away, businesses are already facing pressure to change their practices from increasing state regulation and consumer litigation.

Petition attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Say Fuel Groups Can Fight Emissions Waiver

By Keith Goldberg

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said that fuel industry groups can challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act waiver that has allowed California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mich. AG, Enviro Groups Fight Feds' Coal Plant Order

By Carolyn Muyskens

Michigan's attorney general and several environmental groups want to undo the federal government's order forcing a retiring power plant to stay open through the summer, saying the energy crisis cited in the order doesn't exist.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Science Research Funding Cuts Blocked By Mass. Judge

By Hailey Konnath

A Massachusetts federal judge Friday prohibited the Trump administration from cutting certain National Science Foundation research funding associated with facilities and administrative costs, ruling that the policy runs afoul of multiple laws and the government hasn't adequately explained its reasoning.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ga. County Seeks Extension Of Feds' Sewer Update Deadline

By Kelcey Caulder

Georgia's DeKalb County has again asked a federal judge for more time to come into compliance with a federal consent decree requiring it to upgrade its sewer systems, arguing that recent assessments of the project have made the decree's timeline "substantially more onerous."

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mich. Says Feds Can't Block AG's Climate Tort Suit

By Carolyn Muyskens

The Trump administration's lawsuit to block Michigan from suing fossil fuel companies for climate harms is based on guesswork about a hypothetical lawsuit and should be dismissed, Michigan argued Friday.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FERC Pauses Regulations To 'Speed Up' Natural Gas Projects

By Isaac Monterose

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently made moves including the enactment of a one-year waiver on a construction authorization policy in order to "speed up" natural gas infrastructure projects in the U.S., the agency has announced.

4 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EPA Told To Explain Its Crop-Based Fuel Standards

By Jared Foretek

The D.C. Circuit on Friday returned a mixed opinion on challenges from green groups to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023-2025 renewable fuel standards, upholding the agency's volume-setting process but ruling that its climate change analysis was arbitrary and capricious under the Clean Air Act.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Attys Face Sanctions For 'Sweeping' Copying Of Firm's Motion

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge has ordered The Neil Jones Food Co.'s defense counsel to explain why she shouldn't sanction them for filing a dismissal motion that appears to plagiarize a losing motion filed by another firm in another case in the district, slamming the "sweeping copy and paste" conduct as "patently unacceptable."

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

2nd Circ. Backs Chubb's Win In $49M Sandy Coverage Fight

By Hope Patti

The Second Circuit on Friday cemented a Chubb unit's win in a decade-long dispute over a chocolatier's bid for an additional $49 million in coverage for Superstorm Sandy losses, affirming a decision denying the chocolatier's requests to set aside a jury verdict or hold a new trial.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DC Circ. Rejects Chicago Suburbs' Rail Merger Challenge

By Matthew Perlman

A D.C. Circuit panel has rejected a petition from Chicago suburbs that are challenging the approval of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.'s $31 billion merger with Kansas City Southern Railway Co., finding that regulators addressed the environmental and other concerns the communities raised.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Taps Atty Dropped By Biden For Eastern Ky. Fed. Court

By Ali Sullivan

President Donald Trump has announced plans to nominate former Kentucky Solicitor General Chad Meredith to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Future Of Enviro Crimes Under Trump's Federal Regs Order

President Donald Trump's recent executive order about fighting overcriminalization in federal regulations creates new advocacy opportunities for defense counsel to argue that particular environmental crime investigations and matters ought to be limited or declined based on the policy priorities reflected in the order, say attorneys at Sidley.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Sidley, Covington Partners Launch White Collar Boutique

By Phillip Bantz

The former global co-head of Sidley Austin LLP's white collar defense and investigations practice has joined an ex-white collar partner from Covington & Burling LLP to launch a boutique litigation firm based in New York.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Absolutely Disgusting': Litigant's Stashed Gum Irks Judge

By Hailey Konnath

A Florida federal judge admonished a plaintiff for sticking her chewed gum to a courtroom table, leading to a federal prosecutor getting the gum stuck to her skirt later, calling it "absolutely disgusting" and saying he "never dreamed" he would have to "write an order like this."

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

737 Max Families Push For Special Prosecutor In Boeing Case

By Linda Chiem

Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes have asked a Texas federal judge to appoint a special prosecutor in Boeing's criminal conspiracy case, saying the U.S. Department of Justice's latest nonprosecution agreement with the American aerospace giant sets a dangerous precedent for corporate defendants to evade accountability.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Many Foreign Firms Could Face Stricter Access To US Markets

By Tom Zanki

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's reevaluation of the definition of a foreign private issuer could have far-reaching consequences, potentially tightening access to U.S. markets for companies based in China and beyond, lawyers say.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Supreme Court Won't Leapfrog DC Circ. Over Trump's Tariffs

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from two Illinois-based toy makers challenging President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs to consider their case before it is reviewed by the D.C. Circuit.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Boies Schiller Fights DQ Bid In Law Firms' Fee Dispute

By Madison Arnold

Boies Schiller Flexner LLP pushed back on a bid to disqualify the firm in a Florida state court case between pharmaceutical mass tort firms and their former counsel, in which Boies Schiller is both representing itself as a defendant and its co-defendants, arguing there is no conflict because all their defenses are the same.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Backs 'Legitimate' Bar Membership Admission Rules

By Lauren Berg

The Ninth Circuit on Friday tossed a challenge to local rules in district courts in the circuit requiring lawyers to be bar members in the state where the court is located in order to seek general admission, saying admission rules aren't unconstitutional and there are several "legitimate reasons" for the rule.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NJ Court Greenlights Beasley Allen Attys In Talc Litigation

By George Woolston

A New Jersey state judge will allow two Beasley Allen Law Firm attorneys to represent a California couple in their suit accusing Johnson & Johnson of selling carcinogenic talc-based baby powder and appear pro hac vice despite the company's vehement opposition.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

This past week in London has seen Pogust Goodhead face legal action from mining giant BHP Group, Trainline bring a procurement claim against the Department for Transport, Sworders auction house sue Conservative peer Patricia Rawlings, and Nokia hit with a patents claim by Hisense. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

A new report showed a dip in the average size of corporate legal teams over the last year, and an attorney focused on special purpose acquisition companies is predicting the Trump administration's friendly stance on cryptocurrency will spawn a wave of new cryptocurrency-related ventures going public in the coming months. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton and Andrea Keckley

WilmerHale leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Federal Circuit vacated a $300 million patent infringement jury verdict against Apple, based on instructions by a Texas federal judge that the appellate court panel determined to be erroneous.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »