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Energy
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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.
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August 06, 2024
Wind Tower Co. Asks Full Fed. Circ. To Revisit Subsidy Duties
A Federal Circuit panel wrongly concluded that a 10% depreciation rate for deducting costs related to manufacturing facilities set by Canadian law was an unfair trade subsidy that justified countervailing trade duties, a wind tower manufacturer told the court in seeking a rehearing.
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August 06, 2024
NJ Justices Remove 'Routine' Barrier To Compressor Hub
The New Jersey state appeals court misinterpreted the word "routine" in a decision that paused a plan for a natural gas compressor station in the Highlands Preservation Area, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
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August 06, 2024
10th Circ. Says Union Contract Legally Imposed On Okla. Co.
An Oklahoma electric company must accept the successor contract imposed on it by an arbitration board, the Tenth Circuit said Tuesday, upholding an Oklahoma federal court's decision that the pact between Brent Electric Co. and an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local was imposed lawfully.
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August 06, 2024
SEC Defends Climate Disclosure Rules At 8th Circ.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday cited the U.S. Supreme Court's decision axing Chevron deference and the agency's 50-plus year history of considering additional environmental-related disclosures in an effort to defend its recently adopted climate disclosure rules.
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August 06, 2024
Wash. Appeals Court Reverses On Gas Chain Owing State Tax
A Pacific Northwest gas station chain that issued fuel cards to customers must pay the Washington state business tax when cardholders purchase gas from other participating gas station chains as well as from nonparticipating chains, a state appeals court panel said Tuesday, reversing an earlier opinion.
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August 06, 2024
Ariz. Tribe Seeks To Block Lithium Exploration Project
An Arizona tribe is asking a federal district court to block the approval of a lithium exploration project that it says threatens the life of a sacred medical spring used for cultural and religious purposes, arguing the Bureau of Land Management failed to consider its actions on the historic property.
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August 06, 2024
DC Circ. Axes FERC Reauthorizations For Texas LNG Projects
The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday vacated reauthorization orders that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued for liquefied natural gas projects on the Texas Gulf Coast over environmental analysis deficiencies.
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August 06, 2024
39 Law Firms Call On 6th Circ. To Reverse FirstEnergy Ruling
Dozens of law firms have signed on to an amicus curiae brief urging the Sixth Circuit to reverse a decision in a FirstEnergy shareholder litigation, the latest voices in the legal, insurance and business communities to call on the appellate court to reverse an Ohio federal judge's ruling they warn will threaten attorney-client privilege.
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August 06, 2024
Exxon Assistant GC Jumps To Duane Morris As Trial Partner
A longtime attorney at Exxon Mobil Corp. has made the move from in-house to private practice at Duane Morris LLP to begin the next chapter of his career.
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August 07, 2024
Simpson Thacher Pilots Stonepeak's $3B Opportunities Fund
Private equity firm Stonepeak, advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, raised $3.15 billion for a fund dedicated to opportunistic investing in the infrastructure sector, beating the fund's target by over $600 million, according to a Tuesday announcement.
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August 06, 2024
Solar Tech Co. SunPower Hits Ch. 11 With $2B Of Debt
Residential solar technology company SunPower Corporation filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware with more than $2 billion of funded debt obligations and plans for an asset sale.
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August 06, 2024
Paul Hastings Gains Tax Pro In Dallas From McDermott
Paul Hastings announced Tuesday that its meteoric growth in Texas is continuing with the addition of a partner in Dallas who strengthens its global tax practice and came aboard from McDermott Will & Emery LLP.
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August 06, 2024
Energy Dept. Awards $2.2B For 8 Grid Upgrade Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday awarded $2.2 billion of congressional funding for an eight-pack of electric grid projects, including $700 million for a transmission line that would create a new link between the western and eastern portions of the U.S. grid.
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August 05, 2024
Abandoned Gas Wells Class Action Survives 4th Circ. Battle
The Fourth Circuit on Monday rejected EQT Corp.'s and Diversified Energy Co.'s efforts to evade a proposed class action filed by West Virginia property owners who allege they've been harmed by abandoned oil and gas wells.
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August 05, 2024
GSA Makes First Tribal Carbon-Free Electricity Purchase
A Seneca Nation holding company is the first tribal majority-owned business to be awarded a bid from the U.S. General Services Administration to sell carbon pollution-free electricity to the federal agency, a move that's been in the works since at least April.
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August 05, 2024
Nondisclosure Led To 'Apparent Bias' In Nigeria Oil Case
A London court has ordered a tribunal to reconsider an arbitral award issued in a $2 billion case over a funding deal for Nigerian oil fields, ruling that a since-replaced arbitrator had wrongly failed to reveal the total extent of her relationship with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.
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August 05, 2024
SEC Nabs $1M Default Win Against Fuel Tech Co.
A fuel and gas company previously known as Taronis Technologies Inc. must pay a $1 million civil penalty after disregarding U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations it touted nonexistent or exaggerated customer relationships with big customers, including Turkey's government and food processor Smithfield.
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August 05, 2024
Petrobras Manipulating US Law For $2B, 5th Circ. Hints
A Fifth Circuit judge accused a Brazilian state-owned oil company subsidiary of "hiding behind the corporate structure," saying during oral arguments on Monday that subsidiary Petrobras America Inc. was seemingly manipulating American law for treble damages totaling nearly $2 billion stemming from allegations of bribery.
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August 05, 2024
Star Peak Shareholders Consolidate And Amend Class Action
Mix-and-match attorney teams will lead and manage a proposed class stockholder suit alleging damages from the blank check company deal that took artificial intelligence-driven energy storage business Stem Inc. public in April 2021, Delaware's chancellor has ruled.
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August 05, 2024
Ivory Coast Can't Enforce $12M Award In Fla., Oil Co. Says
A Nigerian oil company sued by the Ivory Coast to enforce a $12 million arbitration award over a distribution joint venture has told a Florida federal court that the lawsuit must be dropped, saying the oil company has no ties to the Sunshine State.
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August 05, 2024
Top Groups Lobbying The FCC
The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates nearly 180 times in July on issues ranging from rural broadband to Wi-Fi hot spots for schools and libraries, new payment rates for phone call captioning, spectrum for the electric grid, and more.
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August 05, 2024
Former Refiner Can't Dodge Polluted Water Remedy
A Virgin Islands oil refinery that spewed oil onto neighbors' properties has lost its Third Circuit challenge to a court-ordered program that required it to buy bottled water for residents too poor to buy it themselves.
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August 05, 2024
4th Circ. Revives Duke Monopoly Suit, Orders New Judge
The Fourth Circuit on Monday revived Florida-based NTE Energy Services' lawsuit accusing Duke Energy of squeezing it out of the market in North Carolina, concluding that the lower court should have looked at the big picture of the allegations.
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August 05, 2024
5th Circ. Remands $25M Dispute Over Winter Storm Losses
A Fifth Circuit panel is sending a $25 million dispute between a power trader and a power seller over price-hedging deals that saw losses during Winter Storm Uri back to a district court to determine if the federal court had jurisdiction over the matter.
Expert Analysis
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State Procurement Could Be Key For Calif. Offshore Wind
A recent ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission highlights how the state's centralized electricity procurement mechanism could play a critical role in the development of long lead-time resources — in particular, offshore wind — by providing market assurance to developers and reducing utilities' procurement risks, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.
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Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In May
A look at recent cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court provide guidance on how to succeed on appeal by clarifying the obviousness analysis of design patents, the finality of a judgment, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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A Deep Dive Into The Evolving World Of ESG Ratings
Attorneys at Mintz discuss the salience of environmental, social and governance ratings in corporate circles in recent years, and consider certain methodologies underlying their calculation for professionals, as well as issues concerning the ESG ratings and products themselves.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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Adopting 7 Principles May Improve Voluntary Carbon Markets
The Biden administration's recently issued joint policy statement on improving the integrity of voluntary carbon markets may help companies using carbon credits to offset their emissions withstand scrutiny by government agencies, the public and investors, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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How Act 126 Will Jump-Start Lithium Production In Louisiana
Louisiana's recent passage of Act 126, which helps create a legal and regulatory framework for lithium brine production and direct lithium extraction in the state, should help bolster the U.S. supply of this key mineral, and contribute to increased energy independence for the nation, say Marjorie McKeithen and Justin Marocco at Jones Walker.
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Debate Over CFPB Definition Of Credit Is Just Beginning
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently worked to expand the meaning of credit, so anyone operating on the edges of the credit markets, or even those who assumed they were safely outside the scope of this regulatory perimeter, should pay close attention as legal challenges to broad interpretations of the definition unfold, says John Coleman at Orrick.
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An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants
With PFAS liability exposures attracting increased media attention, now is a good time for companies that could be exposed to liability related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to review existing and past insurance policies, and consider taking proactive steps to maximize their likelihood of coverage, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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Best Practices For Responding To CBP's Solar Questionnaire
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's recently introduced questionnaire to solar importers imposes significant burdens, with the potential for supply chain disruptions and market consolidation, but taking certain steps can assist companies in navigating the new requirements, say Carl Valenstein and Katelyn Hilferty at Morgan Lewis.
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Opinion
It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills
After recent fires at landfills in Alabama and California sent toxic fumes into surrounding communities, it is clear that existing penalties for landfill mismanagement are insufficient — so policymakers must enact major changes to the way we dispose of solid waste, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.