Energy

  • August 08, 2024

    Drilling Permit Suit Must Be Revived, Enviro Orgs. Tell DC Circ.

    Conservation groups are defending their standing to challenge federal approvals of thousands of drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming, telling the D.C. Circuit that they have pressed specific allegations showing that the drilling would harm the environment and their members.

  • August 08, 2024

    Ghana Must Pay $111M In Power Plant Fight, Court Rules

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday issued a default judgment against Ghana for more than $111 million left unpaid on an arbitral award issued by a London tribunal over the country's breach of a power plant operating deal with a subsidiary of commodities giant Trafigura.

  • August 08, 2024

    States, Industry Back High Court Review Of Calif. Waiver

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute and a group of states led by Iowa are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the federal government's decision to continue to allow California to set its own vehicle emissions programs.

  • August 08, 2024

    Dechert Says Merger Abandonments Are Way Up This Year

    In what's shaping up to be a banner year for antitrust enforcers, U.S. merger abandonments hit historic levels in the first half of 2024, according to a new report from Dechert LLP.

  • August 08, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Roche, Thoma Bravo, Klarna

    Roche is considering divesting cancer data specialist Flatiron Health, Thoma Bravo is exploring a sale of compliance software maker Cority, and fintech startup Klarna is preparing a secondary-share sale ahead of a planned IPO. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • August 08, 2024

    DOE To Back Integrated Georgia Solar Plant With $1.45B Loan

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office said Thursday it plans to move forward with a $1.45 billion loan to support Qcells' ongoing expansion of a new integrated solar supply chain manufacturing facility in Georgia.

  • August 07, 2024

    FTC, CFPB Turn Up Scrutiny On Solar Energy Sales Practices

    The federal government on Wednesday stepped up efforts to police shady solar energy sales and financing practices, with the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies releasing consumer advisories and announcing a new partnership to better monitor the industry.

  • August 07, 2024

    NC Court Tosses Resort's Appeal Over Tree-Cutting Loss

    The North Carolina Court of Appeals threw out a resort owner's appeal arguing that Dominion Energy North Carolina cannot remove trees on its property, holding instead that the resort owner abandoned its arguments when it failed to analyze the trial court's final judgment on appeal. 

  • August 07, 2024

    DOE Plans To Invest $30M In Tribal Energy, Colleges

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs plans to invest $30 million to support clean energy planning and transition Native American colleges and universities to carbon-free power sources.

  • August 07, 2024

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: The Battles Making Summer Sizzle

    A 1983 championship basketball team's intellectual property rights and a public feud between Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP and its insurer are among the legal battles that have kept North Carolina Business Court judges and Tar Heel state private practice attorneys busy this summer. In case you missed those and others, here are the highlights.

  • August 07, 2024

    DC Circ. Declines To Block EPA Mercury Air Toxics Rule

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday refused to stay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule tightening mercury and other toxic metal emission standards for some coal-fired power plants as a legal challenge filed by states and industry groups plays out.

  • August 07, 2024

    Blackstone Buys Majority Stake In Renewable-Focused Firm

    Blackstone Inc.-backed private equity funds have agreed to acquire a majority stake in renewable-energy focused engineering firm Westwood Professional Services Inc., under guidance from Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, marking Blackstone's latest bid to support energy transition, according to a Wednesday announcement. 

  • August 07, 2024

    Green Groups Say Export-Import Bank Is Harming Climate

    Environmental and animal rights groups on Wednesday asked the U.S. Department of State to order the Export-Import Bank to stop helping fund projects they said are contributing to climate change.

  • August 07, 2024

    M&A Rebounds, But Success Hinges On Broader Economy

    There was a promising uptick in mergers and acquisitions activity in the second quarter, but the rising uncertainty about the broader economy that fueled Monday's stock market free fall could cause some hesitancy among dealmakers.  

  • August 07, 2024

    Kirkland-Led SPAC Raises $350M To Pursue Energy Targets

    Special purpose acquisition company EQV Ventures Acquisition Corp. began trading Wednesday after it priced a $350 million initial public offering, represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and underwriters' counsel Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, in order to pursue an energy-related acquisition.

  • August 07, 2024

    Emerging Company Duo Join Pillsbury In Austin, Houston

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP announced that a pair of experienced Texas-based attorneys focused on working with emerging growth companies joined the firm's Austin and Houston offices.

  • August 07, 2024

    BP Malpractice Deal Needs Work, 5th Circ. Says

    The Fifth Circuit scrapped a legal malpractice settlement in a consolidated lawsuit alleging attorneys were negligent in representing plaintiffs seeking compensation following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with a panel finding the terms were not mutually agreed upon.

  • August 07, 2024

    FERC Defends Rejection Of Grid Operator's Project Cost Plan

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is asking the D.C. Circuit to deny two electricity cooperatives' petitions challenging its decision to reject a Southwest Power Pool plan to regionally allocate the costs of some transmission projects within the grid operator's 14-state footprint.

  • August 07, 2024

    Pa. Resident Proposes Nuisance Action Over Shell Facility

    A Beaver County, Pennsylvania, resident has filed an amended class action complaint claiming Shell Chemical Appalachia's operation of a petrochemical plant led to the release of noxious substances and other nuisances preventing people in the region from enjoying their properties.

  • August 06, 2024

    From Vets To Labor: The Policies VP Pick Walz Has Backed

    Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Kamala Harris' pick of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate pairs her with a state leader and former lawmaker who has advocated for veterans' rights and public education while also championing a more progressive agenda, from cannabis legalization to abortion care access to stronger union rights.

  • August 06, 2024

    3 Firms Guide AI-Focused Semiconductor Maker's SPAC Deal

    Special-purpose acquisition company byNordic Acquisition Corp. said Tuesday it plans to acquire and take public an artificial intelligence-focused subsidiary of Sivers Semiconductors AB through a deal advised by three law firms.

  • August 06, 2024

    Enviro Groups Seek Penalties For Suncor Refinery Pollution

    Environmental justice groups sued Suncor Energy USA Inc. on Tuesday seeking civil penalties on behalf of people exposed to air pollution near an oil refinery, contending that federal and state regulators have failed to stop the company's ongoing Clean Air Act violations.

  • August 06, 2024

    EPA Seeks DC Circ. Remand Of Good Neighbor Plan

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked the D.C. Circuit to let it take a second look at its plan to reduce smog-forming emissions across several states, arguing a remand is necessary to solve issues recently identified by the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • August 06, 2024

    Fifth Third Bank Faces MDL Bid Over Allegedly Hidden Costs

    A group of consumers is urging the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to centralize in New Jersey five proposed class actions alleging Fifth Third Bank NA's solar panel financing business hid loan costs from consumers.

  • August 06, 2024

    Conn. AG Says Utility Misconstrued Power Plant Cleanup Deal

    The Connecticut Attorney General's Office has told a state court that The United Illuminating Co., now part of Avangrid Inc., raised inapplicable defenses to an environmental cleanup lawsuit by misconstruing an earlier consent decree as a "contract" the government could breach as the utility remediated an abandoned New Haven power plant.

Expert Analysis

  • New State Carbon Capture Laws: Key Points For Developers

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    Multiple states have introduced or expanded legal frameworks for carbon capture and sequestration this year, and while there are some common themes, many of these state laws include unique approaches and requirements — which developers and investors should be aware of when considering potential projects and investment risks, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • New NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule Adds Compliance Complexity

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recently announced final rule on new corporate average fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks will create challenges for manufacturers, which must also comply with the EPA's multipollutant rule and California's zero-emission vehicle programs, say Joanne Rotondi and Hannah Graae at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Series

    After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Loper Bright v. Relentless decision brought an end to Chevron deference, Congress' unique delegation of discretionary authority to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will likely insulate it from the additional judicial scrutiny that other federal agencies will face, say Ryan Lighty and Scott Clausen at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy

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    The National Environmental Policy Act is central to the Biden administration's environmental justice agenda — but the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo casts doubt on the government's ability to rely on NEPA for this purpose, and a pending federal case will test the strategy's limits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Rise Of State And Local Environmental Leadership

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    While Congress is deadlocked, and a U.S. Supreme Court with a hostility toward the administrative state aggressively dismantles federal environmental oversight, state and local governments are stepping up with policies to shape a more sustainable future for all species, says Jonathan Rosenbloom at Albany Law School.

  • NYSE Delisting May Be The Cost Of FCPA Compliance

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    ABB’s recent decision to delist its U.S. depository receipts from the New York Stock Exchange, coupled with having settled three Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions, begs the question of whether the cost of FCPA compliance should factor into a company's decision to remain listed in the U.S., says John Joy at FTI Law.

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