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Environmental

  • June 02, 2025

    Emotional Distress Claim Dropped In Ohio Derailment Lawsuit

    An industrial tube maker dropped an emotional distress claim from a seven-count complaint seeking to hold Norfolk Southern liable for the fallout to local businesses impacted by a February 2023 train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio, according to an order released Monday.

  • June 02, 2025

    PG&E, Lenders Hit With Suit Over Solar Panel 'Scheme'

    Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. and several other companies were accused in California federal court of running a "bait-and-switch" scheme in which they saddle homeowners with hidden fees after tricking them into financing solar panel installations through zero-interest loans.

  • June 02, 2025

    FERC 'Never' Considered Costs Of NW Pipeline, 5th Circ. Told

    The state of Washington told a Fifth Circuit panel Monday that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission " never rationally considered what the true costs" were for a TC Energy Corp. pipeline expansion project in the Pacific Northwest.

  • June 02, 2025

    DHS To Waive Environmental Laws For Border Wall In Arizona

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday said it will waive a slew of environmental laws to facilitate border wall construction near Yuma, Arizona, an area the government says has a high amount of border crossing and drug trafficking.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ashurst, King & Wood Guide $9.1B Soul Patts Merger Plan

    Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd. and building products maker Brickworks Ltd. plan to merge into a company with a market capitalization of AU$14 billion ($9.1 billion), aiming to eliminate a decades-old cross-shareholding structure and create a unified entity, the Australian investment firm disclosed on Monday.

  • June 02, 2025

    Immunity Shields Mich. AG From Flint Water Prosecution Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a wrongful prosecution lawsuit brought by a former aide to ex-Gov. Rick Snyder against the Michigan attorney general and Wayne County prosecutors, ruling that immunity shields the prosecutors from liability over their handling of charges against officials in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.

  • June 02, 2025

    US Looks To Dodge Suit Over Gulf Oil Well Risks

    The federal government is asking a federal court to toss environmentalists' lawsuit alleging that it's ignoring the fact that owners of retired offshore oil and gas drilling infrastructure are failing to properly shut down the facilities.

  • June 02, 2025

    Sunnova Energy Sends Unit Into Ch. 11 With Over $100M Debt

    A unit of residential solar company Sunnova Energy International Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court with up to $500 million in both assets and debt, saying it has considered a potential sale of the business or a restructuring deal.

  • June 02, 2025

    Va. Landfill Says Waste Treatment Costs Sent It Into Ch. 11

    The owner of a closed-down Virginia landfill has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with just over $183 million in debt, saying its costs for treating toxic wastewater exploded after an ex-employee falsified reports.

  • May 30, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Unblock Trump's Gov't Overhaul

    A split Ninth Circuit on Friday refused to lift a California federal judge's preliminary block of President Donald Trump's executive order directing layoffs at federal agencies, handing a win to a coalition of unions, nonprofits and cities that argue the order exceeded the president's authority.

  • May 30, 2025

    Enviro-Focused Community Bank Exits FDIC Consent Orders

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has freed Maryland-based Forbright Bank from the penalty box, terminating a pair of consent orders that had restricted its growth and required anti-money laundering improvements.

  • May 30, 2025

    Court Sinks Iowa Farm's Challenge To 'Swampbuster' Law

    An Iowa federal judge has rejected a farm owner's effort to overturn the "Swampbuster" conservation law that aims to protect wetlands in agricultural areas, ruling that the statute passes constitutional muster.

  • May 30, 2025

    Shell Speculated About Conn. Environment Goals, Group Says

    Two Shell Oil Co. subsidiaries speculated about Connecticut's regulatory goals while using the draft of a new state permit to interpret a prior permit governing a New Haven petroleum terminal, relitigating theories a judge rejected in 2023, an environmental group has said in its challenge to the terminal's flood readiness plans.

  • May 30, 2025

    Judge Says Stalled Colo. Dam Construction Poses Big Risks

    A Colorado federal judge has reversed course and will no longer bar Denver Water from completing a half-built dam, writing in an order that while the project was approved without a proper environmental review, there could be serious risks to people as well as the environment if the dam remains uncompleted.

  • May 30, 2025

    DOE Yanks $3.7B In Funding For Clean Energy Projects

    An ExxonMobil hydrogen project in Texas and carbon capture projects throughout the U.S. are among two dozen clean energy projects that have seen a combined $3.7 billion in funding rescinded by the Department of Energy, the agency said Friday.

  • May 30, 2025

    No Point In Vacating NEPA Ruling, Gov't Tells 8th Circ.

    The Trump administration on Friday urged the Eighth Circuit to preserve a North Dakota federal judge's decision striking down Biden-era National Environmental Policy Act regulations, a ruling that states and environmental groups say should be vacated.

  • May 30, 2025

    Mass. Transportation Agencies Sued For $1.2M In Runoff Fees

    Boston's Water and Sewer Commission is accusing the Massachusetts transportation and public transit agencies of failing to pay a new stormwater assessment that went into effect last year.

  • May 30, 2025

    Wachtell, Akin Steer EOG On $5.6B Energy Deal

    Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld are advising EOG Resources Inc. on an agreement to acquire Encino Acquisition Partners from the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for $5.6 billion including debt, EOG said on Friday. 

  • May 30, 2025

    Trump Admin Says States Can't Fight Wind Permit Pause

    The Trump administration said a Massachusetts federal judge should reject states' push to block a decision to pause permitting for wind energy projects, saying their claims amount to nothing more than a policy disagreement with no place in court.

  • May 30, 2025

    Mass. Can't Delay Developer's Suit Over Brownfields Credit

    Massachusetts tax officials who have taken more than two years to consider the appeal of a denied brownfields tax credit must hand over the administrative record in the case so that a developer can pursue a motion for judgment on the pleadings, a state court justice has ordered.

  • May 30, 2025

    Strathcona Lobs $4.3B Offer For MEG, Snags PE Investment

    North American oil producer Strathcona Resources Ltd. on Friday launched an unsolicited takeover offer to acquire Canadian thermal oil producer MEG Energy Corp. in a cash-and-stock deal, while simultaneously announcing a $662 million investment from Waterous Energy Fund in connection with the transaction.

  • May 29, 2025

    Shell Told To Disclose Climate Risk Docs In RI Terminal Case

    A Rhode Island federal judge Thursday ordered Shell Oil Co. to answer the Conservation Law Foundation's inquiries concerning its knowledge behind the construction and operation of a bulk storage terminal in Providence that the conservation group claims is unprepared for flooding and other weather events expected in a changing climate.

  • May 29, 2025

    Projects Get Some NEPA Relief, But How Much Is Unknown

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision limiting judicial review of environmental analyses of infrastructure projects, combined with the Trump administration's drive to ease approval processes, may boost developers' optimism — but the extent to which reviews can be narrowed remains unknown.

  • May 29, 2025

    Monsanto-Funded Researcher Influenced Panel, Jury Hears

    A Missouri jury hearing the latest trial over cancer claims related to Monsanto's glyphosate pesticides heard Thursday that a Monsanto-funded researcher was able to change the course of a prestigious international panel weighing the chemical's carcinogenicity.

  • May 29, 2025

    Judge Sees No Harm In BLM Drill Permits Near Colo. Grassland

    A Colorado federal judge said an environmental group failed to show standing for a suit challenging the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's refusal to mitigate surface pollution from oil and gas wells on state and private lands on and around the Pawnee National Grassland.

Expert Analysis

  • Nixing NRC Oversight Of Small Reactors Could Cut Both Ways

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    A lawsuit in a Texas federal court aims to abolish the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's authority over small modular reactors, which the plaintiffs contend will unleash new and innovative technology — but the resulting patchwork of state regulations could increase costs for the nuclear industry, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

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    All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • New York Climate Superfund Law May Face Preemption Fight

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    New York state's new climate superfund law highlights a growing trend of states supplementing their climate litigation efforts with legislative initiatives — but it will likely encounter the same federal preemption questions raised about state and local lawsuits seeking redress for climate harms, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

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    State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Updated FWS Regs Will Streamline Right-Of-Way Permitting

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    Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's final rule covering rights-of-way across lands administered by the service will bring increased up-front fees and stricter permit terms and conditions, it also provides a clearer application process and should reduce permitting delays and total costs, say attorneys at Holland & Hart.

  • Nippon, US Steel Face Long Odds On Merger Challenge

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    Following the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' review of Japan's Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, the companies face a formidable uphill battle in challenging the president's exercise of authority to block the deal on national security grounds, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • The Compliance Trends And Imperatives On Tap In 2025

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    The corporate ethics and compliance landscape is rapidly evolving, posing challenges from conflicting stakeholder expectations to technological disruptions, and businesses will need to explore human-centered, data-driven and evidence-based practices, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • Hydrogen Regs Will Provide More Certainty — If They Survive

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    Newly finalized regulations implementing the Section 45V clean hydrogen tax credit allow producers more flexibility, and should therefore help put the industry on more solid footing — but the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress will have multiple options for overturning or altering the regulations, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

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    The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Climate Disclosure Spotlight Shifts To 2 Calif. Laws

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    With Donald Trump's election spelling the all-but-certain demise of the proposed federal climate disclosure rules, new laws in California currently stand as the nation's only broadly applicable climate disclosure requirements — and their brevity is both a blessing and a curse, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

  • Final Hydrogen Tax Credit Regs Add Flexibility For Producers

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    The recently released final regulations implementing the Inflation Reduction Act's clean hydrogen production tax credit offer taxpayers greater flexibility, reducing risk and creating more certainty for investments in the industry, thus diminishing — but not eliminating — the risk of legal challenges to the regulations, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • How Decline Of Deference Will Affect Trump Policymaking

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    An administrative law regime without Chevron deference may limit the Trump administration’s ability to implement new policies in the short term, but ultimately help it in the long term, and all parties with an interest in regulatory changes will have to take a fresh approach to litigation, say attorneys at Covington.

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