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Environmental

  • April 15, 2025

    Massive Calif. Fire Assessment Pass-Through Sparks Suit

    Public interest nonprofit Consumer Watchdog sued California's insurance chief in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday to stop him from allowing insurance companies to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in assessment costs as surcharges onto policyholders, claiming the decision was made without any public input, in violation of the state's Administrative Procedure Act. 

  • April 15, 2025

    Dow Says NJ Pollution Suit 'Classic' Case For Federal Court

    Dow Chemical Co. told a Third Circuit panel on Tuesday that the New Jersey attorney general's suit accusing it and other companies of causing widespread groundwater pollution through a product containing a likely cancer-causing compound belongs in federal court, arguing the product was developed for the federal government.

  • April 15, 2025

    Court Abused Discretion In Tesoro Pipeline Row, 8th Circ. Told

    Enrolled members of a North Dakota tribe say a lower court abused its discretion in denying them intervention in a lawsuit challenging the federal government's right-of-way trespassing claims against the Tesoro High Plains Pipeline, arguing it failed to consider the full scope of their interests and rights at stake.

  • April 15, 2025

    Kinder Morgan Must Face $100M Texas Storm Billing Dispute

    A Texas state appeals court said Tuesday that Kinder Morgan must face a suit over $100 million in invoices stemming from a February 2021 winter storm that caused a power crisis in the state, finding that the company hadn't shown it was forced to reduce gas supplied to a customer at the height of the storm.

  • April 15, 2025

    Colorado Judge Tosses Counties' Suit Over $25M Tax Transfer

    A Colorado state judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by seven counties challenging the transfer of $25 million from a state fund aimed at offsetting the impacts of extractive industries, finding in an order that the state Legislature had full authority to move the dollars.

  • April 15, 2025

    Simpson Thacher Advises On $2.2B Cross-Border Power Deal

    Simpson Thacher is advising Canada's Capital Power Corp. on its planned $2.2 billion acquisition of two U.S. natural gas power plants, marking the energy firm's strategic entry into North America's so-called PJM market.

  • April 15, 2025

    DC Circ. Zaps FERC Fight Over Grain Belt Express Line

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Monday said Illinois landowners, farmers and residents fighting the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage transmission project lack standing to challenge a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order that amended its negotiated rate authority.

  • April 14, 2025

    SEC Clears Green Impact Exchange To Enter Market In 2026

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday cleared a proposal by Green Impact Exchange to launch the first sustainability focused national securities exchange, scheduled to begin operating in 2026.

  • April 14, 2025

    Judge Says Barretts Needs Independence To Resolve Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday said he would have to consider ways to increase Barretts Minerals Inc.'s perceived independence from its parent company if he agrees to allow the talc miner to stay in Chapter 11.

  • April 14, 2025

    Allianz Unit Challenges Augusta Golf Club's $2.4M Award

    Allianz SE subsidiary Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. on Friday asked a federal judge to strike down a $2.4 million storm damage appraisal in favor of an Augusta, Georgia, golf club that the insurer said goes far beyond what it agreed to cover.

  • April 14, 2025

    Monsanto's 11th Trial Kicks Off In Seattle Over School PCBs

    Nearly two dozen people told a Washington state jury Monday that they were slowly sickened by Monsanto-made toxins, becoming the largest group yet to try their PCB personal injury claims together in a series of PCB personal injury suits connected to a Washington school.

  • April 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Suit Over Calif. Refinery's Pollution

    A Ninth Circuit panel revived part of a class action that neighbors of a Torrance, California, refinery brought against Exxon Mobil Corp. and Torrance Refining Co. over its pollution, holding that a lower court misconstrued the scope of a trespass claim.

  • April 14, 2025

    Calif. Board Says SpaceX Suit Should Be Grounded For Good

    The California Coastal Commission moved Friday for another dismissal of SpaceX's suit alleging the commission wrongly tried to block its plan to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, saying because the commission's opposition was overridden by the U.S. Air Force, no harm was caused.

  • April 14, 2025

    Feds Push To End Alaska Tribe's Gold Mine Permit Challenge

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a gold mine developer are asking a federal court for permission to move for early dismissal of an Alaskan tribe's remaining claim against an open-pit gold mine near the Yukon border, saying its amended lawsuit doesn't fare better than the original.

  • April 14, 2025

    Trump Admin Moves To Weaken Migratory Bird Protections

    The top lawyer at the U.S. Department of the Interior says the federal government lacks the power to prosecute companies that inadvertently kill federally protected migratory birds, a legal position the department took during the first Trump administration but which was overturned by a federal court in 2020.

  • April 14, 2025

    Enviro Groups Sue Trump Admin Over Webpage Removals

    Environmental and science organizations, including the Sierra Club, filed suit on Monday in D.C. federal court over the Trump administration's removal of federal agency webpages that provided critical information concerning the environment, saying agencies removed the webpages without explanation, leaving the organizations unable to access sources they've long relied on.

  • April 14, 2025

    FTC Joins DOJ In Targeting Anticompetitive Regulations

    The Federal Trade Commission launched a public inquiry Monday to look into reducing regulations that are hindering competition, following a similar move by the U.S. Department of Justice last month.

  • April 14, 2025

    Green Group Urges Update On Gulf Oil Well Risks

    The Center for Biological Diversity has urged a D.C. federal court to order government agencies to update their assessment of derelict offshore oil and gas facilities along the southern coast, saying the stalled decommissioning of aging infrastructure is creating a greater likelihood of an environmental disaster.

  • April 14, 2025

    Chemical Co. Owes $11M In Unpaid Pine Oil Bills, Suit Says

    Arbor Renewables, a manufacturer of pine-based chemicals, was hit with a lawsuit Friday alleging that it owes over $11 million in unpaid invoices to a Georgia-based consumer packaging maker.

  • April 14, 2025

    Colorado Oil Co. Says Hefty Penalties Are Unlawful Taking

    An ailing oil and gas company asked a federal judge Friday to block Colorado orders requiring it to halt some operations and pay $8 million in penalties, arguing that they amount to an unconstitutional taking of its property without compensation.

  • April 14, 2025

    NJ High Court Advances DuPont Appeal In $1B Pollution Suit

    The New Jersey Supreme Court will allow Chemours and E.I. du Pont de Nemours to appeal a trial court's ruling that a small New Jersey town has standing to bring its $1 billion pollution suit, according to a recent order.

  • April 14, 2025

    1st Circ. Can't Hear Class Suit Coverage Row, Oil Co. Says

    A heating oil company urged the First Circuit to toss an appeal its insurers filed following a ruling that they must continue defending the company and several executives in a class action over alleged damage caused by oil containing elevated levels of biodiesel, saying the court doesn't currently have jurisdiction.

  • April 14, 2025

    Four State Govs. Call On EPA To Increase Biofuel Targets

    Governors of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to boost the amount of biofuel blended into fuel supplies as a way to help meet the Trump administration's domestic energy goals and strengthen investment in agriculture and rural communities.

  • April 11, 2025

    Boeing Birth Defect Cases Paused Until Wash. Appeals Ruling

    Lawsuits seeking to hold Boeing liable for birth defects sustained by children of the company's factory workers were put on hold, after a Washington state judge ruled that an appeals court must first decide if companies have a duty of care for the "not-yet-conceived offspring" of their employees.

  • April 11, 2025

    3M Fights 4th Circ. Bid To Undo Removal Of PFAS Suits

    Lawsuits accusing 3M Inc. of "forever chemical" contamination of Maryland and South Carolina waterways should be kept in federal court, the company has argued, urging the Fourth Circuit to decline the states' request for full panel review.

Expert Analysis

  • How Global Data Center Regs May Influence US Policies

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    As regulators around the world react to the growth of data centers, and their increasing consumption of energy, water and land, international policies in this area may influence how the incoming U.S. administration regulates data centers in this country, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Post-Election Implications For The EPA's Methane Rules

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    Amid the U.S. Supreme Court's recent denial of requests to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane rule in two suits, and given the outcome of the election, a complete reversal of the methane rule is expected, but state-level policymaking and enforcement will continue, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • 8 Tech Tips For Stress-Free Remote Depositions

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    Court reporter Kelly D’Amico shares practical strategies for attorneys to conduct remote depositions with ease and troubleshoot any issues that arise, as it seems deposition-by-Zoom is here to stay after the pandemic.

  • What Trump Presidency May Mean For Climate Reporting

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    While the Trump administration will likely take a hands-off approach to climate-related disclosures and rescind regulations promulgated under the Biden administration, state and international ESG laws mean the private sector may not reverse course on such disclosures, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin

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    Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • SEC Action Indicates Continued Focus On ESG Disclosures

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently settled enforcement action against Invesco Advisers provides a road map for how regulatory agencies will continue to focus on ESG-related disclosures going forward, and underscores a focus on greenwashing, say attorneys at V&E.

  • 4 Ways Attorneys Can Emotionally Prepare For Trial

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    In the course of litigation, trial lawyers face a number of scenarios that can incite an emotional response, but formulating a mental game plan in advance of trial can help attorneys stay cool, calm and collected in the moment, says Rachel Lary at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Key Plaintiff Litigation Strategies For Silicosis Lawsuits

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    A California stone worker's recent $52 million jury award highlights the growing silicosis crisis among employees in the stone fabrication industry — and points to the importance of a strategic approach to litigating silicosis cases against employers and manufacturers, says David Matthews at Matthews & Associates.

  • Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys

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    Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • What's Still Up In The Air After Ruling On Calif. Climate Laws

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    A California federal court's recent ruling on challenges to California's sweeping climate disclosure laws resolved some issues, but allows litigation over the constitutionality of the laws to continue, and leaves many important questions on what entities will need to do to comply with the laws unanswered, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

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