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Environmental
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April 22, 2025
Audit Finds Calif. Universities' Repatriation Efforts Still Slow
The University of California system, despite years of demands for compliance to a federal law designed to protect Indigenous burial sites, still lacks accountability and urgency to return to tribes the thousands of Indigenous remains and artifacts in its collections, according to a state audit on the process.
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April 22, 2025
Wind Farm Work Stoppage Raises Energy Project Risks
The Trump administration's recent move to freeze construction of a federally approved offshore wind farm has energy infrastructure developers concerned that their permits may not protect them from the government pulling the plug on their projects.
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April 22, 2025
US Intends To Proceed With Ariz. Copper Mine, Justices Told
The U.S. government says there has been no doubt that it intends to proceed with a land exchange in Arizona for a planned multibillion-dollar copper mine, telling the U.S. Supreme Court that its recent notice of publication of a final environmental impact statement for the project does not constitute urgent review.
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April 22, 2025
Ohio Derailment Not Caused By Texas Hurricane, Rail Co. Says
Railcar company GATX Corp. told a federal jury Tuesday that after three weeks of testimony, only a single witness had advanced Norfolk Southern's theory that a 2017 hurricane in Texas caused the hidden damage to a GATX-owned car that would eventually set off the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
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April 22, 2025
Phillips Steps Down As FERC Commissioner
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Willie Phillips stepped down from his role on Tuesday, paving the way for President Donald Trump to install a Republican majority at the five-member agency.
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April 22, 2025
GAO Report Looks At Gen AI's Environmental, Human Effects
Generative AI's promises to boost productivity and transform industries could benefit people, but it also comes with risks of social harm, and its effects on the environment remain unclear, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report released Tuesday.
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April 22, 2025
Nuclear Startup To Go Public Through $475M SPAC Deal
Nuclear startup Terra Innovatum said Tuesday it plans to go public at a valuation of $475 million by merging with special purpose acquisition company GSR III Acquisition Corp., joining several industry peers to go public through a SPAC deal.
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April 22, 2025
At Least 10 Firms Assist On $1B Barrick Gold Alaska Deal
Barrick Gold Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its 50% interest in the Donlin Gold Project in Alaska to Paulson & Co. and Novagold Resources Inc. for $1 billion in cash, in a deal steered by at least 10 law firms.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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Justices Seem Focused On NEPA's Limits In Utah Rail Case
After last month's oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the court appears poised to forcefully reiterate that the National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to review only those environmental impacts within their control, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
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How Trial Attys Can Wield Amended Federal Evidence Rules
Trial lawyers should assess recent amendments to four Federal Rules of Evidence and a newly enacted rule on illustrative aids to determine how to best use the rules to enhance pretrial discovery and trial strategy, says Stewart Edelstein, former litigation chair at Cohen & Wolf.
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Series
Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
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Top 10 Legal Issues This Year For Transportation Industry GCs
General counsel must carefully consider numerous legal and policy challenges facing the automotive and transportation industry in the year to come, especially while navigating new technologies, regulations and global markets, says Francesco Liberatore at Squire Patton.
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Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation
Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
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Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
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Identifying Deepfakes During Evidence Collection, Discovery
Excerpt from
Attorneys must familiarize themselves with the tools used to create and detect deepfakes — media manipulated by artificial intelligence to convincingly mimic real people and events — as well as best practices for keeping this fabricated evidence out of court, says Bijan Ghom at Saxton & Stump.
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Expect Continued Momentum For Nuclear Power In 2025
With increasing electricity demand, growing interest in carbon-free energy and recent policy initiatives favoring atomic power, the future is looking bright for the U.S. nuclear energy industry — and the imminent switch of administrations in Washington is unlikely to change that, say attorneys at Venable.
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An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025
As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
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The Securities Litigation Trends That Will Matter Most In 2025
2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for securities litigation, as plaintiffs and defendants alike navigate shifting standards for omission theories of liability, class certification, risk disclosure claims and more, say attorneys at Willkie.
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What To Watch For In The 2025 Benefits Landscape
While planning for 2025, retirement plan sponsors and service providers should set their focus on phased implementation deadlines under both Secure 1.0 and 2.0, an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and the fate of several U.S. Department of Labor regulations, says Allie Itami at Lathrop GPM.
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How White Collar Enforcement May Shift In Trump's 2nd Term
After President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month, the administration’s emphasis on immigration laws, drug offenses and violent crime will likely reduce the focus on white collar crime overall, but certain areas within the white collar world may see increased activity, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.
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COP29 Offers Pathway To A Global Carbon Market
COP29, the recently concluded United Nations climate conference, represented a breakthrough in the establishment of standards for a global carbon market — and voluntary carbon market participants in the U.S. and elsewhere can enhance the value of their projects by aligning them with these standards, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Series
Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer
From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
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2024 Has Been A Momentous Year For ESG
Significant developments in the environmental, social and governance landscape this year include new legislation, evolving global frameworks, continued litigation and enforcement actions, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has already affected how lower courts have viewed some ESG challenges, say attorneys at Katten.