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Environmental

  • June 09, 2025

    Residential Solar Panel Co. Sunnova Hits Ch. 11 With $9B Debt

    Sunnova Energy International, a major residential solar panel designer, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas Sunday, with $8.9 billion in debt amid an industry downturn and uncertainty around the future of government incentive programs for solar projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    High Court Says Software Glitch Led To Early Order List Drop

    An "apparent software malfunction" caused the U.S. Supreme Court's order list to be issued early Friday, orders in which the justices granted certiorari in four cases and refused to take up a long list of other ones, including cases centered on Pennsylvania's election system and the Obama Presidential Center.

  • June 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Obama Center Site Selection Complaints

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to consider claims that federal agencies failed to complete a full environmental review of plans to construct the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park neighborhood.

  • June 06, 2025

    Legislative Reprieve For Texas Green Energy Isn't Permanent

    Texas renewable energy companies dodged another bullet when several bills that would have restricted development died in the state Legislature a second time, but the industry remains on guard for future attempts to more tightly regulate renewable projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    DC Circ. Backs FERC Extension For Southgate Pipeline Work

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday affirmed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's construction deadline extension for the Mountain Valley Pipeline's southern spur, with one judge characterizing a suit challenging it as "typical" of litigation that has stymied American progress.

  • June 06, 2025

    Wyo. Landowners' Attys Score $5M From Anadarko Deal

    A Wyoming federal judge awarded more than $5 million in attorney fees and expenses Friday to attorneys for a class of landowners that accused an oil extraction company of hoarding permits to block oil and gas projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    6th Circ. Sends GM Emissions Fraud Claims Back To Michigan

    The Sixth Circuit on Friday partly revived drivers' claims alleging General Motors deceptively marketed Chevrolet Cruze vehicles as clean vehicles when they were actually outfitted with emissions-cheating software, punting a question of preemption back to Michigan federal court.

  • June 06, 2025

    LA Fire Victims Say AAA, USAA Left Many Unable To Rebuild

    California homeowners accused AAA and USAA of systematically undervaluing the replacement cost of their homes all while advertising adequate coverage and financial security, telling a state court that many cannot now afford to replace or rebuild their homes following the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year.

  • June 06, 2025

    Feds Want Comments On Altering ESA Conservation Rule

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday said it's considering altering a Biden-era rule intended to increase participation in voluntary conservation programs, and asked the public for input.

  • June 06, 2025

    NY Tribe Urges Supreme Court To Overturn Eel Fishing Ruling

    A Long Island tribe is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a Second Circuit ruling that rejected its challenge to New York's regulations on eel fishing harvests, arguing that if the decision is held, it would set a precedent allowing district courts to give up their gatekeeping roles on expert testimony.

  • June 06, 2025

    Arizona Mining Co. Challenges $417M Ruling In Peru Dispute

    Peru breached its U.S. trade agreement by imposing $417 million in penalties and interest on the unpaid royalties of an Arizona-based mining company's local operator, the company said while asking international arbiters to partially annul an award that it claimed mistakenly ignored the issue.

  • June 06, 2025

    US Steel Says Consultant Data Protected By Privilege

    U.S. Steel is fighting subpoenas from neighbors suing the steelmaker over alleged nuisance emissions from its facilities outside Pittsburgh, claiming that recommendations, reports and data from two consultants in the wake of a 2018 fire were covered by various privileges and confidentiality agreements.

  • June 06, 2025

    Feds Tee Up Redo Of Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards

    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday that vehicle fuel economy standards issued by the Biden administration improperly factored electric vehicles into the calculus, resulting in overly stringent standards that the Trump administration will soon revise.

  • June 06, 2025

    4th Circ. Stays Ruling Restoring Frozen Federal Grant Funding

    A split Fourth Circuit panel has blocked a South Carolina federal judge's order directing the federal government to restore 32 congressionally funded grants that were frozen by the Trump administration, while casting doubt on nonprofits' and cities' legal challenge.

  • June 06, 2025

    Goldberg Segalla Adds Toxic Torts Expert In NY

    Civil litigation firm Goldberg Segalla LLP has added a trial lawyer who is an expert in complex asbestos litigation, product liability, personal injury and commercial litigation matters to its toxic torts and environmental law group in Garden City, New York.

  • June 06, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Winston, Stibbe, Weil, Goodwin

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Chart Industries Inc. and Flowserve Corp. merge, Aedifica NV and Cofinimmo NV unite, Sanofi buys Blueprint Medicines Corp., and Kimberly-Clark Corp. sells a majority stake in its international tissue business to Suzano.

  • June 05, 2025

    'Sparse' OPM Record On Mass Firings Backs Win, Unions Say

    A "sparse and self-serving" record provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management still shows the agency unlawfully directed federal agencies to fire probationary employees en masse, so a California federal court can reach a final decision now and "unwind" those terminations, a coalition including unions and advocacy groups said Thursday.

  • June 05, 2025

    USDA Sued Over Ending 600 Grants Via Flawed Form Letters

    A group of environmental and food sustainability nonprofits hit the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a lawsuit in D.C. federal court Thursday, accusing the Trump administration of unconstitutionally exceeding its authority by abruptly rescinding nearly 600 grants via "minimally edited form letters" that had errors and lacked detailed explanations.

  • June 05, 2025

    Feds Slam 'Flawed' Critique Of Camp Lejeune Water Expert

    The U.S. Department of Justice pushed to keep its water quality expert in North Carolina federal court on Wednesday, saying that the Camp Lejeune toxic water plaintiffs' critique of him was "fundamentally flawed" and experts on both sides relied on some of the same science.

  • June 05, 2025

    SEC Beats Challenge To Stricter Shareholder Proposal Rule

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge Thursday upheld the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's rule that raises eligibility requirements for submitting shareholder proposals, disagreeing with investor advocacy groups that the requirements "severely impair" investors' input on corporate policies.

  • June 05, 2025

    States Push To Block Feds From Slashing EV Charging Funds

    Sixteen states have pressed a Washington federal judge to block the Trump administration from cutting off congressionally approved funding for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure projects, saying state budgets and procurement processes are being upended by the administration's unilateral actions.

  • June 05, 2025

    2 Firms Guide Vermillion In $120M Sale Of US Assets

    Vermilion Energy Inc., advised by Torys LLP and Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, said Thursday it has struck a deal to sell its remaining U.S. assets for $120 million in cash, completing its exit from the country and continuing its broader plan to refocus on long-term, gas-weighted assets in Canada and Europe.

  • June 05, 2025

    Feds Invest Millions To Revitalize Former Coal Mine Sites

    The U.S. Department of the Interior is doling out $130 million to help states and tribes redevelop former coal mine sites.

  • June 05, 2025

    Ill. Judge Tosses Dredged Waste Suit After Feds Pull Site Plan

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit challenging a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to expand a disposal site that stores sediments dredged from Chicago waterways, citing the agency's withdrawal of its decision over the Lake Michigan shoreline facility.

  • June 05, 2025

    Honduras Decries Solar Plant Arbitration Seeking $160M

    Honduras has urged an international tribunal to dismiss arbitration claims two Guatemalan citizens lodged seeking roughly $160 million for broken agreements involving a solar plant, calling them "an abuse of the investor-state dispute settlement system."

Expert Analysis

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

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    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • House Bill Tax Tweaks Would Hinder Renewable Projects

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    Provisions in the budget reconciliation bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would rapidly phase out clean energy tax credits, constrain renewable energy financing arrangements and impose sweeping restrictions on projects with foreign ties, which may create compliance and supply chain issues for many developers, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • What Gene Findings Mean For Asbestos Mesothelioma Claims

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    Recent advances in genetic research have provided substantial evidence that significant numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases may be caused by inherited mutations rather than asbestos exposure — a finding that could fundamentally change how defendants approach personal injury litigation over mesothelioma, say David Schwartz at Lumanity and Kirk Hartley at LSP Group.

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Oft-Forgotten Evidence Rule Can Be Powerful Trial Tool

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    Rule 608 may be one of the most overlooked provisions in the Federal Rules of Evidence, but as a transformative tool that allows attorneys to attack a witness's character for truthfulness through opinion or reputation testimony, its potential to reshape a case cannot be overstated, says Marian Braccia at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

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    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake As Trump Admin Targets Carbon Markets

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    Trading in greenhouse gas emissions and reductions has long been touted as a way to leverage market forces to tackle climate change cost-effectively, and that theory may be put to the test amid momentous progress and fresh challenges, particularly as the Trump administration takes aim at climate initiatives, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

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    Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Tariff Strategies For The US Renewable Energy Sector

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    The Trump administration's tariff actions over the last few months are challenging for the renewable energy industry — but there are strategies for contending with the uncertainty, including diversifying supply chains, seeking certification about equipment origins, and adding tariff-related language to supply contracts and offtake agreements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.

  • 3 Tax Issues Manufacturers Should Watch In 2025 Budget Bill

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    As Congress works toward a budget reconciliation bill, manufacturing companies should keep a keen eye on proposals to change bonus depreciation, the qualified business income deduction and energy tax credits, which could have a significant impact on capital-intensive industries, say attorneys at Frost Brown Todd.

  • Trump Rule Would Upend Endangered Species Status Quo

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    The Trump administration's recent proposal to rescind the regulatory definition of "harm" in the Endangered Species Act would be a tectonic shift away from years of established regulatory practice, with major implications for both species protection and larger-scale conservation efforts, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Becoming A Firmwide MVP

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    Though lawyers don't have a neat metric like baseball players for measuring the value they contribute to their organizations, the sooner new attorneys learn skills frequently skipped in law school — like networking, marketing, client development and case evaluation — the more valuable, and less replaceable, they will be, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • Calif. Climate Superfund Bill Faces Legal, Technical Hurdles

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    California could soon join other states in sending the fossil fuel industry a massive bill for the costs of coping with climate change — but its pending climate Superfund legislation, if enacted, is certain to face legal pushback and daunting implementation challenges, says Donald Sobelman at Farella Braun.

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