Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Environmental
-
June 02, 2025
Trump Renews Call For Justices To Lift Gov't Overhaul Pause
President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to lift a California federal judge's order barring the implementation of layoffs and reorganization plans at various federal departments and agencies, arguing the order imposes nonexistent congressional limits on his presidential authority.
-
June 02, 2025
Justices' Rail Order Irrelevant To Merger Row, DC Circ. Told
Chicago suburbs challenging federal approval of Canadian Pacific's merger with Kansas City Southern urged the D.C. Circuit on Monday to pay no heed to the U.S. Supreme Court decision restricting government environmental reviews, arguing their own case challenges "other" deficiencies in addition to a failed consideration of broader climate impacts.
-
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.Â
-
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.
Expert Analysis
-
Opinion
After Fires, Calif. Must Streamline Enviro Reviews For Housing
Recent waivers to the California Environmental Quality Act and other laws granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite reconstruction of residential property damaged in the Los Angeles wildfires are laudable — but given the state's widespread housing shortage, policymakers should extend the same benefits to other communities, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
-
State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
-
Perfecting Security Interests In Renewable Energy Tax Credits
The ability to transfer renewable energy tax credits has created new opportunities for developers, investors and lenders, but it also raises important questions regarding when and how the security interests in these credits are perfected — questions that must be answered definitively to protect credit claims and transactions, says Harry Teichman at Stinson.
-
Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist
Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
-
Opinion
We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment
As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
-
High Court Water Permit Ruling Lacks Specificity
The enforcement impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in San Francisco v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may not be significant, because while the ruling makes clear that certain water permit provisions must instruct permittees on how to achieve stated goals, it doesn’t clarify the level of necessary instruction, says Daniel Deeb at ArentFox Schiff.
-
The PFAS Causation Question Is Far From Settled
In litigation over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the general causation question — whether the type of PFAS concerned is actually capable of causing disease — often receives little attention, but the scientific evidence around this issue is far from conclusive, and is a point worth raising by defense counsel, says John Gardella at CMBG3 Law.
-
Series
Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.
-
3 Del. Bankruptcy Cases Highlight US Trustee Objections
As three recent Delaware bankruptcy cases show, debtors who seek approval of a stalking horse bid protections agreement should be prepared for the U.S. Trustee Office's objections, including if the proposed classification for the bid protections is a superpriority administrative expense claim, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.
-
Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw
As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.
-
After CEQ's Rollback, Fate Of NEPA May Be In Justices' Hands
The White House Council on Environmental Quality recently announced its intention to rescind its own National Environmental Policy Act regulations, causing additional burdens to existing NEPA challenges, and raising questions for regulated entities and federal agencies that may only be resolved by a pending U.S. Supreme Court case, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
-
Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession
For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.
-
4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy
This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.
-
Cleanup Claim Characterization Key For Timeliness Inquiry
The Tenth Circuit's recent ruling in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. NL Industries, determining that ARCO's contribution claim was timely, highlights the importance of accurately characterizing a claim for recoupment of environmental cleanup costs as a cost-recovery action or contribution to avoid dismissal or recharacterization of the claim, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.
-
A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.