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Environmental
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April 29, 2025
Koi Nation Can't Intervene In Casino Row, Court Told
The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is fighting a bid by a fellow California tribe at the crux of a dispute over the Interior Department's decision to take 70 acres into trust for the construction of a proposed hotel and casino project, arguing it lacks any justification to do so.
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April 29, 2025
Michigan Asks Justices To Sustain Remand Of Pipeline Fight
The Michigan attorney general on Tuesday told the U.S. Supreme Court that there's no need for it to review a Sixth Circuit decision remanding to state court a lawsuit seeking to shut down an Enbridge Energy LP crude oil and natural gas pipeline.
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April 29, 2025
Trump Can't Reorganize Gov't Without Congress, Groups Say
President Donald Trump lacks the power to reorganize the executive branch and push for mass terminations of workers when Congress hasn't given its blessing, unions and other groups told a California federal court.
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April 29, 2025
PacifiCorp Hit With $11M Verdict In Latest Wildfire Case
A Portland, Oregon, jury awarded around $10.8 million in noneconomic damages Tuesday to nine plaintiffs who suffered property damage in a group of 2020 wildfires attributed to PacifiCorp's negligence, with the awards likely to be increased to account for punitive damages.
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April 29, 2025
FERC Wrongly Greenlighted Kan. Grid Projects, DC Circ. Told
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unlawfully approved a Kansas electric co-operative's transmission development projects despite rejecting a regional grid operator's plan to divide the costs of such projects, the D.C. Circuit heard Monday.
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April 29, 2025
Sullivan M&A Chief Sees Opportunities Amid Tariff Turmoil
After a rocky start to 2025, the mergers and acquisitions landscape is grappling with economic volatility, shifting trade policies and a complex regulatory environment. But even in a "choppy" market, there are always deals to be made, says Melissa Sawyer, global head of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP's M&A group and co-head of its corporate governance practice.
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April 29, 2025
2 Insurance Firms Join Frozen IPO Pipeline Seeking $440M
Two insurance companies joined the roster of candidates for initial public offerings on Tuesday by launching plans to raise about $440 million combined under guidance from six law firms, potentially unlocking a stalled pipeline.
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April 29, 2025
Kirkland Guides Allied Industrial On $300M Fund Close
Houston-based Allied Industrial Partners has closed its inaugural fund at its $300 million hard cap, achieving the objective under the legal guidance of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
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April 29, 2025
Stonepeak Buying Stake In Spain's Repsol For $340M
Vinson & Elkins LLP-advised Stonepeak has agreed to purchase a 46.3% stake in Latham & Watkins LLP-advised Repsol's 777-megawatt solar and storage portfolio in the U.S. for $340 million, according to a Tuesday announcement.
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April 28, 2025
Pulled Decision Dooms Chicago Disposal Site Suit, Feds Say
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urged an Illinois federal judge to toss a suit challenging its decision to expand a disposal facility that stores sediments dredged from Chicago waterways now that it has withdrawn that decision.
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April 28, 2025
Ag Groups Say 'Common Sense' Means Standing In EPA Suit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hit back Monday at a contention by agricultural groups that "common sense" gives them standing to challenge a 2024 rule that changes the type of gasoline car manufacturers are required to test for fuel economy.
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April 28, 2025
Biz Groups Fight NY's Bid To Join Their Climate Suit With States'
Fossil fuel industry groups countered the New York attorney general's bid to transfer their lawsuit fighting a $75 billion tab they must pay for climate change adaptation projects, saying joining their suit with one from a group of Republican states would serve neither justice nor judicial economy.
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April 28, 2025
Veolia Settles Flint Water Crisis Claims For $53M
A Michigan federal judge entered final judgment Monday in litigation brought by the state of Michigan and about 26,000 individuals against Veolia North America alleging it prolonged the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, after a $53 million settlement was approved earlier this month.
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April 28, 2025
EPA Waiver Lifts Summer Ban On High-Ethanol Fuel Sales
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday formally suspended the usual summer ban on sales of higher-ethanol gasoline blends, the fourth year in a row the agency has done so.
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April 28, 2025
Ziploc 'Microwave Safe' Bags Shed Microplastics, Buyer Says
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. falsely markets Ziploc bags and containers as "microwave safe" and suitable for use in freezers despite knowing they are made from materials that shed microplastics into food when the products are used as directed, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.
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April 28, 2025
FAIR Plan Failed To Pay For LA Fire Smoke Claims, Suit Says
Another group of California homeowners has accused the state's insurer of last resort of illegally denying and underpaying claims for smoke damage following the Los Angeles wildfires despite its obligation to cover all fire-related damage under California law, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.
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April 28, 2025
Green Group Says Shell Case Discovery Fees Are Too Costly
A Philadelphia-based environmental group suing Shell over pollution from a Western Pennsylvania chemical plant balked at a federal court's order that it pay 15% of the cost to resolve a discovery dispute, arguing it could be left with a potentially devastating tab.
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April 28, 2025
EPA Restarts Voluntary Retirement Program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday refreshed its effort to convince employees to take a voluntary retirement package that was rolled out in the early days of the Trump administration but has been dormant until now.
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April 28, 2025
Nikola Seeks Court OK For $9M Climate-Credit Sale Process
Electric truck maker Nikola Corp. has asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to approve a sale process for environmental credits the company earned by selling zero-emission vehicles, saying it has secured an $8.97 million bid that will set a floor price for the assets.
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April 28, 2025
EPA Touts Intention To Act On PFAS Contamination
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it's planning a series of actions to address pollution from forever chemicals, including the designation of a leader for PFAS regulation and issues at the EPA.
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April 28, 2025
10th Circ. Says EPA Overlooked Colo. Air Pollution Concerns
The Tenth Circuit on Monday said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inappropriately approved changes to Colorado's air pollution standards that a green group claimed allow regulators to disregard emissions during drilling, fracking and well completion processes.
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April 25, 2025
PacifiCorp Should Pay $96M To Wildfire Victims, Jury Told
Nine plaintiffs who fled from wildfires started by PacifiCorp's negligence should get $95.5 million in noneconomic damages, an Oregon state jury heard in closing arguments Friday, while PacifiCorp's lawyer told the jury to focus on what the evidence actually supports and award roughly $2.2 million in that category.
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April 25, 2025
Okla. Backs Wind Farm At 10th Circ. In Osage Mineral Dispute
Oklahoma is backing Enel Power in its Tenth Circuit bid to undo a $4.2 million judgment and order requiring it to remove 84 wind turbines from the Osage Nation reservation, saying the project provides tax revenue, employment and a stable power source for tens of thousands of homes.
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April 25, 2025
SPAC Deals Are Buzzing Again Despite Tariff Turmoil
Amid heavy volatility that has largely frozen traditional initial public offerings, deal teams are launching more special purpose acquisition companies, an alternative market to typical IPOs that so far has shown few ill effects from tariff-related uncertainty.
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April 25, 2025
Interior's Energy Permits Plan Has Legal And Practical Risks
The U.S. Department of the Interior's plan to truncate environmental reviews and accelerate the approval process for certain energy projects could be vulnerable to lawsuits, given the legwork needed to ensure project reviews are sufficient.
Expert Analysis
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How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of Eye Contact At Trial
As a growing body of research confirms that eye contact facilitates communication and influences others, attorneys should follow a few pointers to maximize the power of eye contact during voir dire, witness preparation, direct examination and cross-examination, says trial consultant Noelle Nelson.
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Series
Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.
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Hawaii Climate Insurance Case Is Good News For Energy Cos.
The Hawaii Supreme Court's recent ruling in a dispute between an oil company and its insurers, holding that reckless conduct in the context of activities that can cause climate harms is covered by liability policies, will likely be viewed by energy companies as a positive development, say attorneys at Fenchurch Law.
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Cos. Must Brace For New PFAS Regulations And Litigation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed adding over 100 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to the Toxic Release Inventory — and with increasing scrutiny of PFAS from the states and the plaintiffs bar as well, companies should take steps to reduce risks in this area, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Opinion
6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School
Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.
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Implications Of NY Climate Case For Generating Facilities
Regardless of how Greenidge Generation LLC v. New York Department of Environmental Conservation develops on remand, this decision has immediate repercussions for generating facilities seeking permit applications and renewals in New York, likely involving Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act considerations, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.
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Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware
Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Teaching Your Witness To Beat The Freeze/Appease Response
In addition to fight-or-flight, witnesses may experience the freeze/appease response at trial or deposition — where they become a deer in headlights, agreeing with opposing counsel’s questions and damaging their credibility in the process — but certain strategies can help, says Bill Kanasky at Courtroom Sciences.
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Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out
In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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How Litigation, Supply Chains Buffeted Offshore Wind In 2024
U.S. offshore wind developers continue to face a range of challenges — including litigation brought by local communities and interest groups, ongoing supply chain issues, and a lack of interconnection and transmission infrastructure — in addition to uncertainty surrounding federal energy policy under the second Trump administration, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.
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What Bisphenol S Prop 65 Listing Will Mean For Industry
The imminent addition of bisphenol S — a chemical used in millions of products — to California's Proposition 65 list will have sweeping compliance and litigation implications for companies in the retail, food and beverage, paper, manufacturing and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity
Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Permitting, Offtake Among Offshore Wind Challenges In 2024
Although federal offshore wind development started to pick up this year, many challenges to the industry became apparent as well — including slow federal permitting, the pitfalls of restarting permits after changes in project status, and the difficulties of negotiating economically viable offtake agreements, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.
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Series
Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.
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Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review
For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.