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Environmental
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May 02, 2025
Contractors Settle Mass. AG's YMCA Asbestos Claims
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office said Friday that two contractors will pay $150,000 each to settle claims that their faulty asbestos removal at a YMCA might have exposed schoolchildren, building residents and staff to carcinogenic particles.
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May 02, 2025
Groups Seek Order Halting Trump's Restructuring Of Gov't
A California district court must stop federal agencies from moving ahead with President Donald Trump's directive to reorganize and terminate government workers, unions and other groups argued, calling for a temporary restraining order based on alleged harms from the administration's "radical restructuring."
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May 02, 2025
Miner, Recreationists Look To Dissolve Chuckwalla Monument
A miner and an advocacy group have asked a Michigan federal court to revoke the protected status of the Chuckwalla National Monument in a suit that takes aim at presidential power to protect vast areas of federal land.
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May 01, 2025
VW, Audi Say Recall Fixes Nullify EV Fire-Risk Lawsuit
Drivers who claimed Audi of America LLC and Volkswagen Group of America Inc. sold them electric vehicles with defective batteries that could short circuit and catch fire while driving have never actually suffered this alleged issue, the automakers said in their bid seeking to dismiss the proposed class action.
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May 01, 2025
States, Green Groups Look To Vacate NEPA Ruling
States that had asked the Eighth Circuit to revive vacated National Environmental Policy Act regulations are now abandoning their appeal because the White House has eliminated the standards — but they're still asking that a lower court's decision striking down the regulations be overturned.
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May 01, 2025
CR Bard Owes For Plant Neighbor's Illness, Jury Told
A Georgia jury heard in closing arguments on Thursday that C.R. Bard's medical sterilization plant wantonly polluted the air with ethylene oxide and caused a man's cancer, while the company said the man's exposure was nowhere near danger levels.
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May 01, 2025
Insurance Pros Stress Disaster Mitigation In Senate Hearing
A panel of insurance experts stressed in front of a U.S. Senate committee Thursday the importance of mitigation efforts, such as strengthening building codes and hardening homes, as the experts discussed how prices in the property insurance market have soared because of recent natural disasters across the country.
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May 01, 2025
Senate Votes To Strike EPA 'Once In, Always In' Rule Update
The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to eliminate a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule aimed at restricting industrial facilities' harmful air emissions after being reclassified as a less severe pollution source.
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May 01, 2025
Hawaii Tenant's Tainted Water Eviction Claims Survive Ruling
A Hawaii federal judge preserved a tenant's claims that he was effectively evicted from his home when a landlord failed to identify or warn of water contamination caused by leaks in 2021 at a U.S. Navy fuel storage facility on Pearl Harbor.
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May 01, 2025
Calif. AG Can't Dodge ACC Recycling Subpoena Suit
The American Chemistry Council can move forward with its challenge to a since-withdrawn subpoena from the California attorney general tied to a plastics pollution probe, a D.C. federal judge ruled Thursday.
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May 01, 2025
9th Circ. Asked To Revisit Ruling On Guam Munitions Suit
A Ninth Circuit decision allowing a Guam group to challenge an Air Force permit renewal application to detonate expired munitions conflicts with precedent and threatens to burden permit applicants, agencies and courts, the U.S. government said in a rehearing petition filed Wednesday.
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May 01, 2025
Feds Sue To Block State Climate Suits, Superfund Laws
The federal government sued to block two states' climate change Superfund laws and stop two other states from launching threatened lawsuits against fossil fuel companies, saying the states' actions jeopardize national energy security.
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May 01, 2025
House Votes To Axe Another EPA Emissions Waiver For Calif.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the third of three Congressional Review Act resolutions that would undo Clean Air Act waivers that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued for California's vehicle emissions programs.
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May 01, 2025
Sony Eyes $49B Semiconductor Unit Sale, Plus More Rumors
Sony could sell its semiconductor unit for $49 billion, while proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis is considering ending its practice of advising shareholder votes on politically charged topics, and AI startup Nscale plans to raise $2.7 billion in private capital to support the construction of data centers around the world.
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April 30, 2025
Oil Group Drops Suit After DOI Says Leasing Redo Coming
The D.C. Circuit on Wednesday granted the American Petroleum Institute's request to dismiss a suit challenging the U.S. Department of the Interior's 2024–29 offshore oil and gas leasing program after the government promised to develop a more industry-friendly plan.
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April 30, 2025
House Votes To Nix Two Calif. Air Emissions Waivers
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed two Congressional Review Act resolutions that would repeal clean-vehicle waivers for California that were approved by the Biden administration, leaving the fate of the measures up to the Senate.
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April 30, 2025
Amazon's Suit Over Soured Solar Deals Survives Dismissal
Amazon can sue a California-based private equity company and firms tied to a pair of Golden State solar energy developments for allegedly trying to sabotage the projects after signing long-term power purchase deals, a Washington state judge has ruled, rejecting jurisdictional arguments from the defendants.
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April 30, 2025
NAACP Fights Bid To Seal Info In Utility's PFAS Suit
A North Carolina chapter of the NAACP wants to intervene in public water suppliers' forever chemical pollution lawsuit against Chemours and a Corteva subsidiary, saying the information the companies want to conceal should remain available.
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April 30, 2025
Schools Say Norfolk Southern Ducked Postderailment Pledge
The school district for East Palestine, Ohio, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Norfolk Southern, claiming the railroad hasn't made good on its promises to help the district recover after a fiery derailment shook the town in 2023.
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April 30, 2025
Guam School Says Insurer Underpaid Typhoon Coverage
A Florida-based nonprofit organization that owns a high school in Guam accused its property insurer of underpaying its more than $5.1 million typhoon damage claim in bad faith, telling a Guam federal court Wednesday that all amounts due are "well within the value" of its policy.
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April 30, 2025
Ohio Top Court Backs Challenged Solar Farm Approval
Justices at the Ohio Supreme Court affirmed a regulatory board's approval of a 350-megawatt solar farm that some Licking County neighbors opposed — though one justice said the company developing it should have presented information about its potential negative economic impacts.
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April 30, 2025
K&L Gates Hires Ex-White & Case Atty As Partner In Australia
K&L Gates LLP announced it has brought on a former White & Case LLP attorney as a partner for its energy, infrastructure and resources team in its Melbourne, Australia, office.
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April 29, 2025
Fla. AG Drops Claims FEMA Avoided Trump Supporters' Homes
Florida's attorney general said Monday that he has settled a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator over an alleged directive instructing hurricane relief workers to avoid homes displaying signs in support of Donald Trump.
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April 29, 2025
Examining The EPA's Forever Chemical Plans
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to clarify who is liable for forever chemical contamination and hold polluters accountable, though questions remain as to whether current standards could be loosened and how much help could be needed from Congress.
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April 29, 2025
Gore-Tex Maker Seeks Dismissal Of PFAS Suit
The company behind the waterproof fabric brand Gore-Tex urged a Washington federal court to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of manufacturing with toxic forever chemicals while also "greenwashing" its image, arguing that the buyers, who did not actually test their garments, provide no proof that the clothing they bought contains these substances.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed
A bill in the California Legislature that would let victims of climate-related disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires sue oil and gas producers for spreading misinformation about climate change is too vague, retroactive and focused on one industry to survive constitutional scrutiny, says Kyla Christoffersen Powell at the Civil Justice Association of California.
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How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic
The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.
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5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships
Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.
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BlackRock Suit Highlights Antitrust Risks Of ESG
In Texas v. BlackRock, pending in Texas federal court, 13 state attorneys general are suing large institutional investors in the coal business, underscoring key reasons companies may want to alter their approach to developing and implementing policies related to environmental, social, and governance factors, especially if coordination with competitors is involved, say attorneys at Manatt.
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Evidence Rule May Expand Use Of Out-Of-Court Statements
A proposed amendment to Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(A) would broaden the definition of nonhearsay, reflects a more pragmatic approach to regulating the admissibility of out-of-court statements by declarant-witnesses, and could help level the playing field between prosecutors and criminal defendants, say attorneys at Hangley Aronchick.
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How Courts Can Filter Nonmeritorious Claims In Mass Torts
Nonmeritorious claims have been a key obstacle to settlement in many recent high-profile mass torts, but courts may be able to use tools they already have to solve this problem, says Samir Parikh at Wake Forest University.
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Series
Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.
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Opinion
Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence
Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.
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The Math Of Cross-Examination: Less Is More, More Is Less
When conducting cross-examination at trial, attorneys should remember that “less is more, and more is less” — limiting both the scope of questioning and the length of each query in order to control the witness’s testimony and keep the factfinders’ attention, says Thomas Innes at the Defender Association of Philadelphia.
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Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises
“No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.
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Fund Names Rule FAQs Leave Some Interpretative Uncertainty
Although recently released FAQs clarify many specific points of the 2023 expansion to the Investment Company Act's fund names rule, important questions remain about how U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff will interpret other key terms when the end-of-year compliance date arrives, say attorneys at Dechert.
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How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work
Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.
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Tools For Witness Control That Go Beyond Leading Questions
Though leading questions can be efficient and effective for constraining a witness’s testimony, this strategy isn’t appropriate for every trial and pretrial scenario, so techniques like headlining and looping can be deployed during direct examination, depositions and even witness interviews, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.
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Opinion
US Steel-Nippon Merger Should Not Have Been Blocked
The Biden administration's block of the U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel merger on national security grounds was unconstitutional overreach and needs to be overturned, with the harms remedied in federal court, says attorney Chuck Meyer.Â
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10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting
This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.