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Environmental

  • June 05, 2025

    Feds Invest Millions To Revitalize Former Coal Mine Sites

    The U.S. Department of the Interior is doling out $130 million to help states and tribes redevelop former coal mine sites.

  • June 05, 2025

    Ill. Judge Tosses Dredged Waste Suit After Feds Pull Site Plan

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit challenging a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to expand a disposal site that stores sediments dredged from Chicago waterways, citing the agency's withdrawal of its decision over the Lake Michigan shoreline facility.

  • June 05, 2025

    Honduras Decries Solar Plant Arbitration Seeking $160M

    Honduras has urged an international tribunal to dismiss arbitration claims two Guatemalan citizens lodged seeking roughly $160 million for broken agreements involving a solar plant, calling them "an abuse of the investor-state dispute settlement system."

  • June 05, 2025

    Judge Wants Details On Harm From Trump Wind Farm Pause

    A Massachusetts federal judge Thursday asked a coalition of states and a clean-energy advocacy group for more specifics about the harm they allegedly will be caused by the Trump administration's decision to pause wind farm permitting, and said he wanted to move forward with a trial "promptly."

  • June 05, 2025

    Calif. Assembly OKs Exemption For Returned Tribal Land

    California land that is transferred to a federally recognized Native American tribe would be exempt from state real estate transfer tax under a bill passed in the state Assembly. 

  • June 04, 2025

    Ex-Ga. Chemical Plant Owners Sued For Toxic Waste Dumping

    The owner of an abandoned northwest Georgia chemical plant filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against its former owner-operators alleging that they left hundreds of drums of toxic waste behind, resulting in its new owner facing federal prosecution and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up.

  • June 04, 2025

    Feds Say 'No Viable Path' Forward For Calif. High-Speed Rail

    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Wednesday that the California high-speed rail's overblown budget and ongoing mismanagement indicate that there's "no viable path" to completing the project on schedule, so the federal government is preparing to pull nearly $4 billion in funding.

  • June 04, 2025

    Judge Grills Kidde-Fenwal About Missing Info In Disclosures

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday questioned why firefighting foam maker Kidde-Fenwal did not include in plan disclosures details about the recoveries its creditors can expect under its Chapter 11 proposal, as the debtor prepares to send its reorganization plan out for a vote.

  • June 04, 2025

    Trump Ordered To Explain Why Layoffs Don't Flout Injunction

    A California federal judge ordered the Trump administration Wednesday to explain why preparations for layoffs at the State Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development do not violate an injunction she issued last month, saying she needed more details about the agencies' plans to evaluate their compliance.

  • June 04, 2025

    Idaho Mining Co. Hit With Suit Over Dump Site Contamination

    The U.S., Idaho and Native American tribes have hit Nu-West Industries Inc. with a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act lawsuit, alleging that hazardous substances from phosphate mining are being generated and disposed of at a dump site owned by the company within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

  • June 04, 2025

    NC Biogas Co. Sanctioned For Breaking Deal With Lenders

    A North Carolina biogas company has been ordered to fork over a six-figure judgment in an ongoing legal battle with its lenders as a sanction for flouting a state court order related to its pursuit of a renewable energy project.

  • June 04, 2025

    Donlin Gold Says Vacatur Not Warranted In Alaska Mine Case

    A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision confirms that government approvals for a large gold mine in Alaska should not be thrown out even if an agency botched some aspects of an environmental review, the company behind the project told a federal judge.

  • June 04, 2025

    Winston & Strawn, Cravath Guide $19B Industrial Tech Merger

    Chart Industries Inc. and Flowserve Corp. said Wednesday they have agreed to merge in an all-stock deal that values the combined entity at $19 billion, giving it the "scale and resilience" needed to compete, with Winston & Strawn LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP providing legal guidance.

  • June 03, 2025

    Profs Back Shinnecock Tribe In Long Island Fishing Rights Suit

    A group of law and history professors have backed the Shinnecock Indian Nation in three tribal members' lawsuit claiming New York state and Suffolk County wrongly engaged in a pattern of criminal prosecutions against them for fishing in waters where they have aboriginal rights to fish.

  • June 03, 2025

    Empire Wind Foes Target Feds' Reversal On Stop-Work Order

    A coalition opposed to the Empire Wind project off New York and New Jersey sued the Trump administration Tuesday in New Jersey federal court, saying the administration never justified its decision to lift a stop-work order weeks after pausing construction.

  • June 03, 2025

    BlackRock, Vanguard Want Red States' Coal Suit Extinguished

    Asset managers BlackRock Inc. and The Vanguard Group Inc. have urged a Texas federal judge to toss a suit brought by a coalition of Republican-led states alleging the firms ran a scheme to drive up coal prices as part of an "investment cartel," arguing the case rests on "implausible premises."

  • June 03, 2025

    PacifiCorp Faces $100M Ask In Newest Oregon Wildfire Trial

    Oregonians, including a photographer and a charter boat operator, started the latest trial against utility PacifiCorp over wildfire damage Tuesday, with their lawyer telling a jury the 10 property owners deserve some $100 million for the fraught experiences they endured.

  • June 03, 2025

    Fed. Bill Pushes For Streamlined Access To Tribal Disaster Aid

    A trio of Washington state federal lawmakers has reintroduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would fast-track the process for tribal nations to apply for resources to manage the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters, and address their environmental resiliency and relocation goals.

  • June 03, 2025

    US Withdraws From El Paso Tribal Land Ownership Dispute

    The U.S. says it no longer wants to intervene in a dispute between the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and the city of El Paso, Texas, over 155 acres of land, a shift in position from the prior administration that argued it never authorized non-Native Americans to usurp the tribe's property.

  • June 03, 2025

    Energize Capital Secures $430M For 3rd Venture Fund

    Climate solutions investor Energize Capital, advised by Foley Hoag LLP, on Tuesday announced that it has clinched its third fund after securing $430 million of limited partner commitments.

  • June 03, 2025

    Oregon Sen. OKs Extending Brownfields Property Tax Break

    Oregon would extend its program of local property tax incentives for brownfield development for six years under legislation passed unanimously by the state Senate on Tuesday.

  • June 03, 2025

    Calif. Mazda Oil Leak Deal Dooms NC Class Claims

    Mazda has escaped class claims alleging leaky valve stems caused cars to burn excessive oil when a North Carolina federal judge ruled that the driver didn't opt out of a similar class action settlement across the country in California.

  • June 03, 2025

    The Law360 400: A Look At The Top 100 Firms

    A rebound in client work sent the nation’s largest law firms into growth mode last year, driving a wave of hiring, mergers and strategic moves that reshaped the top tier of the Law360 400. Here's a preview of the 100 firms with the largest U.S. attorney headcounts.

  • June 03, 2025

    Wachtell-Led Viper Energy Paying $4.1B For Sitio Royalties

    Viper Energy Inc. said Tuesday it will purchase mineral and royalty interests investment firm Sitio Royalties Corp. for approximately $4.1 billion, including net debt of approximately $1.1 billion, in a deal steered by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Vinson & Elkins LLP.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ga. Residents Urge Panel To Revive Sea Island Roads Fight

    A pair of Glynn County, Georgia, residents urged the state's Court of Appeals to revive their lawsuit seeking to prevent the Sea Island Co. from denying public access to roads on Sea Island that they say were never properly transferred to the company.

Expert Analysis

  • Expect Continued Antitrust Enforcement In Procurement

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    The scope of federal antitrust enforcement under the second Trump administration remains uncertain, but the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, which collaborates with federal and state agencies to enforce antitrust laws in the government procurement space, is likely to remain active — so contractors must stay vigilant, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • Emerging Energy Trends Reflect Shifting Political Landscape

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    As the Trump administration settles in, some emerging energy industry trends, like expanded support for fossil fuel production, are right off of its wish list — while others, like the popularity of Inflation Reduction Act energy tax credits, and bipartisan support for carbon capture, reflect more complex political realities, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Tax-Free Ways To Help Employees After The LA Wildfires

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    Following the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, there are various tax-free ways to give employees the resources and flexibility they need, including simpler methods like disaster relief payments under Internal Revenue Code Section 139 and leave-sharing programs, and others that require more planning, says Ligeia Donis at Baker McKenzie.

  • Improving Comms Between Trial Attys And Tech Witnesses

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    In major litigation involving complex technology, attorneys should employ certain strategies to collaborate with companies' technical personnel more effectively to enhance both the attorney's understanding of the subject matter and the expert's ability to provide effective testimony in court, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • As EPA Backs Down, Expect Enviros To Step Up Citizen Suits

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    As President Donald Trump's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draws down federal enforcement efforts, environmental groups will step into the void and file citizen suits — so companies should focus on compliance efforts, stay savvy about emerging analytical and monitoring methods, and maintain good relations with neighbors, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Series

    Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.

  • Rethinking How To Engage Shareholders, Activists Via Proxies

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    ​​​​​​​This proxy season, companies should consider visually driven proxy statements that highlight the board's strengths, the alignment between executive compensation and performance, and a commitment to sustainability and risk management to earn the support of investors and fend off hostile acquirers, say Craig Clay and Ron Schneider at DFIN.

  • Opinion

    Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay

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    Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

  • 5 Key Takeaways From Energy Secretary's Confirmation

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    The recent confirmation hearing for U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted several important themes, including his vision for transforming the DOE, his nuanced stance on renewables, and a renewed emphasis on energy abundance and affordability, says Connor McCulloch at Ankura Consulting Group.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

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    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example

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    Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

  • Steel Cases Test Executive Authority, Judicial Scope

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    Lawsuits challenging former President Joe Biden’s order blocking the merger of Japan's Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel may shape how future administrations wield presidential authority over foreign investment in the name of national security, says Hdeel Abdelhady at MassPoint Legal.

  • What Calif. Bill Could Mean For Battery Energy Storage

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    A newly proposed bill in the California Legislature would place major restrictions on the development of battery energy storage system projects in the state — but with Gov. Gavin Newsom's strong support for clean energy technology, the legislation will likely face significant obstacles, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 3 Ways Trump Can Nix SEC's Climate Disclosure Rules

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    Given President Donald Trump's campaign statements and agency appointments, it's likely that his administration will try to annul the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate disclosure rules, but his options for doing so present unique opportunities and challenges, with varying levels of permanence and impact, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

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