Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Project Finance
-
February 16, 2024
Canada Liable Under NAFTA For Axed LNG Project, Co. Says
A U.S. company that invested at least $120 million in a since-thwarted liquefied natural gas project maintained that Canada is liable for $1 billion in damages for breaches of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and that the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes has jurisdiction over its claims.
-
February 16, 2024
Feds Tell 1st Circ. Mass. Wind Farm Approval Was Sound
The federal government has said a Massachusetts federal judge properly dumped a challenge lodged by commercial fishing groups seeking to upend federal approvals of the Vineyard Wind project, telling the First Circuit that the record shows federal agencies thoroughly studied the project's potential impacts.
-
February 16, 2024
Ape Farm Says Ga. Officials Monkeying With $300M Bond Deal
The company behind a proposed — and highly controversial — 1.75 million-square-foot monkey rearing facility in southwest Georgia has taken its fight against local officials to federal court, accusing a development authority of trying amid public outcry to back out of a $300 million bond deal to finance the project.
-
February 16, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Paul Weiss, Kirkland
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Diamondback buys Endeavor, KKR & Co. acquires a stake in Cotiviti, and Gilead Sciences Inc. purchases CymaBay Therapeutics Inc.
-
February 15, 2024
FERC Churn Won't Impact Grid Policy Push, Chair Says
A looming commissioner departure that could leave the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission without enough members to fully function is not affecting efforts to finalize a long-awaited overhaul of the agency's electric transmission planning policies, Chair Willie Phillips said Thursday.
-
February 15, 2024
Baker McKenzie Can't Send Malpractice Suit To London
An Illinois state appeals court has rejected a push by Chicago-based Baker McKenzie to transfer to London a legal malpractice suit accusing the international law firm of botching a client's bid to reacquire a coal mine in Russia, saying in a 2-1 decision that Cook County has an interest in deciding the case even if the alleged misconduct stems from attorneys in a Russian member firm.
-
February 15, 2024
New York Says Thruway Doesn't Cut Through Cayuga Land
New York state officials are asking a federal district court to dismiss litigation by the Cayuga Nation that seeks a cut of the tolls collected on the New York State Thruway, arguing that the tribe can't prove it had possession of the land over which the highway was being built.
-
February 15, 2024
DOI Inks Klamath Basin Agreement With Tribes, Water Users
The U.S. Department of the Interior said it has struck an agreement that will see water users and tribes work together in a push to improve the environment and water supplies in the drought-prone Klamath River Basin of southern Oregon and northern California, pledging $72 million for projects.
-
February 14, 2024
USDA Says $20M Will Help Tribes Access Climate Market
Federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native corporations and villages are getting a $20 million bump to broaden their access to emerging climate markets as a way to address ongoing climate change, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.
-
February 14, 2024
Network Group Wants Faster Access To Utility Poles
Federal regulators must push for further reforms in order to expedite talks between utility pole owners and high-speed equipment attachers on how to divvy up pole upgrade costs, a broadband trade group said.
-
February 14, 2024
FCC Must Distribute School IT Funds, Tech Firms Tell DC Circ.
Two tech companies are calling on the D.C. Circuit to force the Federal Communications Commission to release funds to pay for information technology and broadband services the firms provide in elementary and secondary schools around the country.
-
February 14, 2024
Investors Urge Prison As Developers Seek More Briefing Time
Two real estate developers on Wednesday asked for more time to respond to EB-5 investors' request that they be imprisoned for hiding their money instead of paying overdue settlements and sanctions judgments, telling an Illinois federal judge their attorney wrote down the court's deadline incorrectly.
-
February 14, 2024
Energy Co. Says Tribal Court Being Used To Duck $12M Award
Merit Energy Operations is asking a federal district court to block two Wyoming tribes from using the tribal judicial system to vacate a $12.6 million arbitration award against them, saying the move is a blatant attempt to escape the ultimate result in the case.
-
February 14, 2024
Spain Says €23.5M Award To Japanese Co. Can't Be OK'd
Spain is urging a D.C. federal court to nix a Japanese investor's petition to enforce a €23.5 million ($25.2 million) arbitral award it won after Madrid dialed back economic incentives for renewable energy projects, arguing that doing so would force the country to violate European Union law.
-
February 14, 2024
Ill. Judge Says Rezoning Of Historic Hotel Damaged Developer
An Illinois federal judge found that the city of Chicago improperly zoned the historic Pittsfield Building for strictly residential use not long after agreeing with the former owner and developer to zone the property for a new hotel.
-
February 14, 2024
Feds, Power Line Developer Decry Tribes' Suit As 'Too Late'
The federal government and SunZia Transmission LLC, the developer of a 550-mile power line, urged an Arizona federal judge Tuesday to deny a request from tribes and conservations groups for a preliminary injunction halting the project's construction, saying they waited too long to make their challenge.
-
February 14, 2024
NJ Mayor Gets Voice In NY Congestion Pricing Fight
A New Jersey mayor who recently failed to get his lawsuit over New York's congestion pricing plan merged with another case brought by the Garden State government will be allowed to participate in oral arguments against the Empire State, a federal judge has decided.
-
February 14, 2024
Ex-Cognizant Execs Fight Co.'s Bid To Shield Bribe Evidence
Two former Cognizant executives have called on a New Jersey federal court to reject the company's attempt to shield evidence related to a purported bribe as the executives face a criminal trial over a separate bribery scheme.
-
February 14, 2024
11th Circuit Urged To Toss Ga. Developer's Truck Stop Suit
Georgia's Rockdale County is asking the Eleventh Circuit to uphold its victory over a developer's suit against a local zoning ordinance that blocked his QuikTrip truck stop project near Interstate 20.
-
February 13, 2024
Feds Want 'Free Pass' Out Of Climate Suit Trial, Youths Say
Twenty-one plaintiffs suing to force the U.S. government to curb fossil fuel use and cut carbon emissions told the Ninth Circuit on Monday that the government's latest attempt to pause their lawsuit amounts to its shunning procedural rules and asking for "a free pass out of trial" not available to other people.
-
February 13, 2024
Ship Co. Seeks 5th Circ. Redo On $200M Award Enforcement
A German shipowner has asked the Fifth Circuit to reconsider whether to enforce a $200 million arbitral award it won following a deadly chemical explosion on its vessel, saying it never had a chance to respond to the argument that ultimately led to the decision.
-
February 13, 2024
NH Power Plant Says Electricity Deal Is Leaving It Broke
The operator of a biofuel power plant in New Hampshire received the go-ahead from a Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday to keep the lights on for another week while it negotiates over a contract the debtor insists is forcing it to produce electricity for free.
-
February 13, 2024
Apache Agrees To Pay $4M For Air Pollution Violations
Apache Corp. reached a deal Tuesday with the federal government and New Mexico to pay $4 million in civil penalties over allegations the company failed to capture and control air emissions from its oil and gas production operations.
-
February 13, 2024
Squabble Heats Up Over Plans To Move DC NBA, NHL Teams
Billionaire Ted Leonsis' efforts to dislodge his sports teams Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals from the District of Columbia, and put down stakes in Virginia have run into resistance, including from a Virginia state senator and the mayor of Washington, D.C.
-
February 13, 2024
Calif. Clean Energy Storage Secures $350M From Blackstone
Arevon Energy Inc. said Tuesday that it closed on financing for a California renewable energy storage facility, including $350 million from a Blackstone unit in the form of preferred equity, with guidance from three law firms.
Expert Analysis
-
ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
-
Regulators Must Get Creative To Keep Groundwater Flowing
Even as populations have boomed in Sun Belt states like Arizona, California and Texas, groundwater levels have diminished due to drought and overuse — so regulators must explore options including pumping limits, groundwater replenishment and wastewater reuse to ensure future supplies for residential and commercial needs, says Jeffrey Davis at Integral Consulting.
-
Issues To Watch As Biochar Carbon Project Demand Heats Up
Entities considering financing, constructing or operating biochar projects should evaluate the increasing demand for biochar as a soil amendment, the potential to generate revenue from carbon credits and produce other byproducts, and a variety of legal hurdles in this rapidly emerging market, say Mackenzie Schoonmaker and Astrika Adams at Beveridge & Diamond.
-
Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
-
Industry Takeaways From OMB's Final Buy America Guidance
The Office of Management and Budget's recently released guidance on "Buy America" requirements for federal infrastructure projects provides clarity in certain areas but fails to address troublesome inconsistencies with state laws and international trade agreements, so manufacturers and suppliers will need to tread carefully as agencies implement the changes, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth Shaw.
-
New 'Waters' Rule May Speed Projects, Spawn More Litigation
The Biden administration's new rule defining "waters of the United States" in accordance with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision will remove federal protection for some wetlands — which could both enable more development and lead to more legal challenges for projects, says Marcia Greenblatt at Integral Consulting.
-
The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.
-
Rising Interest Rates Bring Risk For Construction Contractors
With rising interest rates causing many construction projects to be slowed or halted, it's important for general contractors to implement safeguard measures against the risk of significant financial losses caused by owner-driven schedule modifications, says Kevin Riexinger at Gfeller Laurie.
-
How Focus On Congruency Affects Corporate Political Activity
Congruency — whether the contributions made by a company-sponsored political action committee align with the corporation's public statements on issues of social responsibility — is undoubtedly the next frontier in the battle over corporate political activity, despite the limited success of shareholder proposals on the issue, says Carol Laham at Wiley.
-
Mont. Kids' Climate Decision Reflects 3 Enviro Trends
A Montana district court's recent ruling in Held v. Montana represents a rare win for activist plaintiffs seeking to use rights-based theories to address climate change concerns — and calls attention to three environmental trends that are increasingly influencing climate litigation and policy, says J. Michael Showalter at ArentFox Schiff.
-
To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation
Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.
-
Strategies For Enforcing Arbitral Awards Against Sovereigns
When a large project or investment in a foreign country is unexpectedly expropriated by a new government, companies often prevail in arbitration — but if the sovereign refuses to pay up, collecting the arbitral award may require persistence, creativity, and a mixture of hard and soft approaches, say Gabe Bluestone and Jeff Newton at OmniBridgeway.
-
Calif. Protected Species Law Changes: Real Fix Or Red Tape?
California's recent amendments to its "fully protected species" statutes create a temporary permitting regime intended to accelerate the building of renewable energy, transportation and water infrastructure in response to climate change — but the new legislation could become another obstacle to the projects it purports to benefit, says Paul Weiland at Nossaman.
-
Perspectives
More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap
Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.
-
What New Offshore Drilling Bond Rules Would Mean For Cos.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's recently proposed changes to when offshore oil, gas and sulfur lessees must post supplemental financial assurance related to their operations provides greater clarity for stakeholders, but some smaller operators may not satisfy the proposal's new credit rating requirements, say attorneys at V&E.