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Environmental
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June 02, 2025
Trump Taps Vinson & Elkins Atty To Replace FERC Chair
President Donald Trump on Monday nominated a Vinson & Elkins LLP attorney to replace current Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie, whose term expires on June 30.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks
The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.
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How Trump Energy Order May Challenge State Climate Efforts
Even if the Trump administration's recent executive order targeting state and local environmental, climate and clean energy laws, regulations and programs doesn't result in successful legal challenges to state authority, the order could discourage state legislatures from taking further climate action, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.
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EPA's Proposed GHG Reform Could Hinder Climate Regulation
The Trump administration will reconsider the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's landmark 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding, which could leave the U.S. federal government with no statutory authority whatsoever to regulate climate change or greenhouse gas emissions, says David Smith at Manatt.
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Series
Power To The Paralegals: The Value Of Unified State Licensing
Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.
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What Greenwashing Looks Like, And How To Navigate Claims
Recent cases show that consumers seeking to challenge sustainability claims as greenwashing face significant legal hurdles, and that companies can avoid liability by emphasizing context, says Felicia Boyd at Norton Rose.
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11 Tips For Contractors Dealing With DOD Staff Reductions
Defense contractors should prepare for a wide range of disruptions related to procurement and contract administration that are likely amid federal workforce reductions, say attorneys at Covington.
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4 Takeaways From La. Coastal Wetland Damage Verdict
A recent $745 million verdict in a case filed by a Louisiana parish against Chevron for violating a Louisiana environmental law illustrates that climate-related liabilities pose increasing risk and litigation risk may not follow a red state versus blue state divide, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
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10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master
As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.
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How Proxy Advisory Firms Are Approaching AI And DEI
Institutional Shareholder Services' and Glass Lewis' annual updates to their proxy voting guidelines reflect some of the biggest issues of the day, including artificial intelligence and DEI, and companies should parse these changes carefully, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.
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Traversing The Shifting Sands Of ESG Reporting Compliance
Multinational corporations have increasingly found themselves between a rock and a hard place attempting to comply with EU and California ESG requirements while not running afoul of expanding U.S. anti-ESG regimes, but focusing on what is material to shareholder value and establishing strong governance can help, say attorneys at MoFo.
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An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future
Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.
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Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance
Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Series
Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.
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Takeaways From Alaska Justices' Pollution Exclusion Ruling
A recent Alaska Supreme Court ruling that a total pollution exclusion in a homeowners policy didn't bar coverage for carbon monoxide poisoning shows that even when policy language appears unambiguous on its face, courts can still consider the reasonable expectations of an insured to determine applicability, say attorneys at Hunton.
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The Repercussions Of FEMA's Wildfire Cleanup Policy Cuts
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced a decision to cease conducting additional soil tests to confirm that the land is safe and free of toxins after wildfires, meaning people could be moving back into houses unfit for human habitation, potentially leading to years of lawsuits, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.