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Environmental
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April 21, 2025
EPA Tells Enviro Justice Employees Reductions Are Coming
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued reduction in force notices to employees in the recently shuttered environmental justice and civil rights office, as part of the agency's plan to carry out President Donald Trump's order to get rid of all diversity, equity and inclusion positions.
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April 21, 2025
Calif. Judges Who Lost Homes Sue LA Over Palisades Fire
A California federal judge and a retired federal magistrate judge whose homes were destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire have sued the city of Los Angeles over the deadly inferno, saying two water reservoirs drained by the city's water department for repairs prior to the blaze substantially caused their losses.
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April 21, 2025
'Embarrassed' Judge Can't Yet Rule On Woolsey Fire Suit
A Los Angeles judge told attorneys from Southern California Edison and the state of California on Monday he is "embarrassed" that he is unable to yet rule on the government's motion for summary adjudication in its complaint seeking recovery of funds distributed to local agencies during the devastating Woolsey Fire in 2018.
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April 21, 2025
New Cos. Added As 7 Other Firefighter Unions Join PFAS Suit
Seven firefighters unions have joined a proposed class action accusing 3M Co., DuPont and safety gear companies of knowingly exposing first responders to cancer-causing "forever chemicals" in their protective equipment, according to a newly amended complaint filed in Connecticut federal court.
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April 21, 2025
AFGE Units Ask Court To Nix Agencies' Labor Contracts Suit
American Federation of Government Employees affiliates told a Texas federal court Monday to dismiss a lawsuit from the Department of Defense and other federal agencies asking the court to allow termination of collective bargaining agreements, saying the government does not have standing.
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April 21, 2025
Wind Farm Co. Asks 10th Circ. To Undo Osage Teardown Order
Enel Green Power North American Inc. is asking the Tenth Circuit to reverse a lower court's $4.2 million judgment and order requiring it to remove 84 wind turbines from the Osage Nation reservation, arguing that its conclusion of continuing trespass for the retention of backfill rocks is unprecedented and illogical.
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April 21, 2025
Offshore Leasing Withdrawal Ruling Not Moot, Court Told
Environmental groups on Friday insisted an Alaska federal judge can reinstate her decision barring the Trump administration from undoing former President Barack Obama's withdrawal of offshore waters from oil and gas leasing, blasting the government's contention that the ruling remains moot.
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April 21, 2025
DOL Tells 5th Circ. It May Rescind Biden-Era ESG Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor told the Fifth Circuit on Monday it's considering rescinding a Biden-era rule allowing retirement fiduciaries to consider issues like climate change and social justice when choosing investments, according to filings in a suit challenging the rule from conservative states and energy companies.
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April 21, 2025
Feds Vow To Cut NY Funds If Congestion Pricing Stays On
The U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday amplified threats to pull federal funding for Manhattan roadway projects if congestion pricing continues, saying state officials now have until May 21 to explain why they're flouting a federal directive to halt the "unconscionable" program.
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April 21, 2025
Microchip Co. Wants USPTO To Apply New Rules Retroactively
A California company behind a new kind of energy-efficient microchip says it's retained a former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director in order to make the case that the agency's new rules over discretionary denials should be retroactively extended by seven days, in order to wipe out a partially successful patent challenge from a Chinese rival.
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April 21, 2025
Calif. Homeowners Say Insurers Colluded To Limit Coverage
California property owners affected by the Los Angeles wildfires accused over 300 insurers of conspiring to eliminate competition in the marketplace, forcing consumers to instead obtain fire insurance from the state's insurer of last resort, according to two lawsuits filed in state court.
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April 21, 2025
Interior Says Offshore Air Rule Challenge Must Be Nixed
The U.S. Department of the Interior and an oil and gas industry group on Friday said that the agency got it right in 2020 when it abandoned an Obama-era proposal to revise air pollution rules for offshore oil and gas operations.
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April 21, 2025
Unions Score Block On Orders To Fire Probationary Workers
A California federal judge blocked the Office of Personnel Management from ordering federal agencies to fire probationary employees and stopped several agencies from heeding its directives, but he declined to order them to rehire the workers they've already let go.
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April 21, 2025
3 Firms Guide Brazilian Energy Producer's $155M SPAC Deal
Brazilian oil refiner PX Energy on Monday agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company Papaya Growth Opportunity Corp. I in a deal that will take PX public in the United States at an estimated $155 million value, guided by three law firms.
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April 21, 2025
Baker Botts Adds Enviro Ace From In-House Role In Houston
Baker Botts LLP announced Monday that it has added a partner in Houston who brings more than 25 years of environmental law experience, including more than a decade on the legal team at Koch Industries.
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April 21, 2025
CMOC Buying Lumina Gold For $420M
China's CMOC Group Ltd. has agreed to acquire Vancouver-based Lumina Gold Corp. in an all-cash deal valued at CA$581 million ($420 million), Lumina said Monday, as the miner looks to expand its gold portfolio in Latin America.
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April 21, 2025
Conn. Utility Says Regulators Must Hear PFAS Class Case
Eversource Energy subsidiary Aquarion Water Co. of Connecticut on Monday said claims that it failed to protect consumers from PFAS chemicals boil down to accusations that a proposed class paid too much for water, asking a state superior court judge to toss a lawsuit that rate regulators hadn't seen first.
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April 21, 2025
Solar Co. Oya Gets OK On Ch. 11 Liquidation After Asset Sales
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday confirmed solar energy producer Oya Renewables' bid to liquidate through Chapter 11 under a plan supported by creditors, months after the company sold most of its assets for $39 million.
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April 19, 2025
Up Next At High Court: Preventive Healthcare, LGBTQ Books
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in five cases this week, including disputes over the constitutionality of a task force that sets preventive healthcare coverage requirements, a school district's introduction of LGBTQ-themed storybooks and whether parties can establish standing based on harms affecting third parties.Â
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April 18, 2025
Enviro Groups Tell 10th Circ. Denver's Dam Appeal Ill-Timed
Environmental groups have asked the Tenth Circuit to preserve a lower court's order halting construction on a Denver dam, saying a stay requested by the city was filed prematurely.
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April 18, 2025
Apache Ask High Court For Quick Ruling In Oak Flat Land Row
An Apache nonprofit behind the effort to save an ancient worship site from destruction in Arizona is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly rule on its petition after the federal government announced it is moving forward with plans to transfer the site to Resolution Copper for mining.
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April 18, 2025
NC High Court Snapshot: Livestock Litigation Takes Limelight
The North Carolina Supreme Court's April lineup will find the justices delving into a squabble over backyard chickens in a residential neighborhood and a consumer fraud class action with Home Depot in the crosshairs.
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April 18, 2025
Ill. Justices To Weigh Scope Of Standard Pollution Exclusions
The Illinois Supreme Court will consider whether pollution exclusions in standard-form commercial general liability policies apply to industrial emissions allowed under a regulatory permit, the court said Thursday, agreeing to take up a question certified by the Seventh Circuit.
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April 18, 2025
Trump Admin Pushes Ahead With New Offshore Oil Leases
The U.S. Department of the Interior on Friday said it's "unlocking the full potential" of offshore oil and gas lease sales on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, a rebuke to the Biden administration's conservative approach to development.
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April 18, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Global Payments Inc. buys Worldpay from GTCR and FIS, Intel Corp. sells a stake in its Altera business to Silver Lake, KKR acquires OSTTRA from S&P Global and CME Group, and Canada's Capital Power Corp. nabs two U.S. natural gas power plants.
Expert Analysis
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Post-Election Implications For The EPA's Methane Rules
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.
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Series
Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
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.
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8 Tech Tips For Stress-Free Remote Depositions
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.
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What Trump Presidency May Mean For Climate Reporting
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.
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Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin
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.
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SEC Action Indicates Continued Focus On ESG Disclosures
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.
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4 Ways Attorneys Can Emotionally Prepare For Trial
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.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
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.
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Key Plaintiff Litigation Strategies For Silicosis Lawsuits
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.
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Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys
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.
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What's Still Up In The Air After Ruling On Calif. Climate Laws
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.
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Series
Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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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Cos. Should Inventory Issues To Prep For New Congress
As the legislative and oversight agendas of the 119th Congress come into sharper focus, corporate counsel should assess and plan for areas of potential oversight risk — from tax policy changes to supply chain integrity — even as much uncertainty remains, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Conservation Easement Cases Weave Web Of Uncertainty
Much of the IRS and Justice Department’s recent success in prosecuting syndicated conservation easement cases can be attributed to the government’s focus on the so-called PropCo ratio, which could indicate treacherous waters ahead for participants and their advisers, even under the incoming Trump administration, say attorneys at Polsinelli.