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Energy
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August 20, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
A nearly record-breaking attorney fee got the nod in Delaware last week, along with Chancery Court settlements involving an international private jet service and a chain of trampoline parks. New disputes involved a famous burger restaurant chain, a computer-chip maker, a now-defunct genomic science company, and a historic manor house in west London.
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August 19, 2024
FERC Can't OK Calif. Hydropower Permit Delays, DC Circ. Told
A Northern California water district has told the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wrongly concluded that the state water board did not waive its Clean Water Act permitting authority with regard to two hydroelectric dam projects, adding that it is not blocked from arguing so.
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August 19, 2024
Red States Seek To Block Interior Mining Violation Rule
A coalition of Republican-led states has asked a D.C. federal court to block the U.S. Department of the Interior from implementing a rule that strengthens requirements for states to respond to federal and citizen notifications of possible violations of federal mining law.
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August 19, 2024
California Rips Challenge To Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation
California officials have urged a federal judge to toss a lawsuit from trade groups challenging new regulations requiring large commercial truck and bus fleets to start transitioning to electric and be completely zero-emission by 2036 and beyond, saying the mandates haven't even been enforced yet.
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August 19, 2024
ND Tribe Says State Has No Right To Riverbed Mineral Rights
The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation says North Dakota has no claim to mineral rights beneath a portion of the Missouri River within the tribe's reservation, arguing that despite a federal opinion that held the property belongs to the tribe, the state has allegedly issued oil and gas leases for the site.
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August 19, 2024
2nd Circ. Keeps Macquarie Suit Alive After High Court Remand
The Second Circuit on Monday once again greenlighted an investor lawsuit accusing Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. of hiding the expected impact of a high-sulfur fuel ban on its oil storage business, saying that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Macquarie's favor had little impact on the circuit court's earlier ruling that the case should move forward.
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August 19, 2024
Conn. Agencies Defend Rebuff Of Utility's $131M Rate Increase
Three Connecticut agencies, including its utility rate watchdog, have defended the state's rejection of United Illuminating Co.'s proposed three-year rate increase of $131 million, saying in Connecticut state court that regulators properly trimmed the company's request to $23 million in its first year from its $90 million request.
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August 19, 2024
Ethanol Co. Investors Say $9M Arbitration Award Was Stolen
Class B members of a Colorado ethanol company claim they have been denied their share of a $9 million arbitration award resulting from an action against the managing entity of the company for allegedly engaging in a pay-to-play scheme with vendors in exchange for those vendors sponsoring a National Hot Rod Association team.
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August 19, 2024
Groups Urge EPA To Ban Dispersants Used In Deepwater Spill
Two advocacy groups on Monday petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to immediately stop using two chemical dispersants that were used after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and that they say cause a variety of health problems including cancer.
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August 19, 2024
5th Circ. Won't Upend BP Win In Deepwater Cleanup Suit
The Fifth Circuit won't grant an extension on discovery deadlines to a worker who alleges he was harmed by exposure to toxins during the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, saying the discovery he seeks wouldn't be enough to save his suit against BP Exploration & Production Inc. and BP America Production Co.
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August 19, 2024
DQ'd Judge Should Have Kept Quiet, Tax Challengers Say
A Michigan federal judge who disqualified himself from homeowners' challenge to a $217 million dam repair tax assessment put his "thumb on the scale of justice" by improperly commenting on legal questions as he bowed out, according to homeowners seeking to have the comments rescinded.
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August 19, 2024
Hogan Boosts DC Energy, IP Teams With A&O Shearman Atty
Hogan Lovells has hired a new global regulatory and intellectual property practice partner, who is joining the firm in Washington, D.C., after a little more than two and half years with Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, Hogan Lovells announced Monday.
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August 19, 2024
Security Co. Can't Toss Worker's Sex Harassment Suit
A Maryland federal judge has declined to throw out the bulk of a woman's suit against a Baltimore utility and a security firm alleging that she was fired for ending a sexual relationship with her supervisor, only tossing her wrongful termination claim.
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August 19, 2024
HUD Joins 6-Year Strategy To Beat Extreme Heat
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said it's partnering with two dozen federal agencies for an initiative focused on implementing solutions for extreme heat dangers in communities.
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August 19, 2024
DTE Energy Looks To Sink Workers' Login Pay Suit
Energy company DTE Energy told a Michigan federal court that customer service employees who sued it for unpaid off-the-clock work received more than double the minimum wage and that federal labor law preempts their breach of contract claims, arguing their suit can't stand.
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August 19, 2024
Refiners Seek EPA Biofuel Reg Waiver, Citing Shortfall
A national trade group for refiners is asking a D.C. federal judge to order the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to partially waive cellulosic biofuel blending requirements for 2023, arguing the agency overestimated how much would be available, causing refiners an estimated $237 million in compliance costs.
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August 19, 2024
Convenience Store Co. SQRL Hits Ch. 11 With Over $1B Debt
Convenience store chain SQRL Service Stations filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court with more than $1 billion of debt after fending off a pair of involuntary bankruptcies from its creditor.
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August 16, 2024
The Biggest Texas Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report
Texas has seen a bevy of major decisions, including a $1.4 billion settlement with Facebook over alleged biometric data collection, a ruling banning gender-affirming care for minors, and the conclusion of a long-running securities case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. Here's some of the biggest decisions so far this year.
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August 16, 2024
SEC Climate Rules Backed By Wave Of Amici At 8th Circ.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has received a wave of support for its recently adopted climate disclosure rules from various consumer advocacy, environmental, investor and academic groups, which told the Eighth Circuit the measures are necessary and within the agency's authority.
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August 16, 2024
Stay Lifted On $110M Coal Co. Suit As Arbitration Drags On
A Missouri federal judge has grudgingly lifted a pause on litigation between several insurance companies and a St. Louis coal producer after its mines sustained more than $115 million in fire damage, saying it can pursue claims against domestic insurers separately from insurers seeking arbitration.
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August 16, 2024
Feds To Appeal Platinum Win Over Zero Loss, Count Toss
Federal prosecutors have notified the Second Circuit that they'll appeal a judge's findings that the loss amount in the case of Platinum Partners co-founder Mark Nordlicht was zero and the wire fraud conspiracy counts against Nordlicht and another would be dismissed, despite Nordlicht's conviction.
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August 16, 2024
Nikola, Romeo Power Targeted In Del. Derivative Complaint
A former Romeo Power Inc. stockholder has launched a double derivative suit seeking derivative damages from nine former Romeo directors and officers in part through derivative claims via Nikola Corp., which acquired Romeo in August 2022 for a fraction of the company's once $1 billion-plus valuation.
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August 16, 2024
Deal Struck After Jury Clears US Well On Halliburton Patents
U.S. Well Services LLC and Halliburton Energy Services Inc. have agreed to a settlement in principle to resolve their long-running patent infringement dispute, which has seen several patents invalidated, according to a joint motion the parties filed after a jury cleared U.S. Well of infringing three still-registered Halliburton patents.
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August 16, 2024
6th Circ. Won't Rethink Sending Pipeline Fight To Mich. Court
The Sixth Circuit stood by a decision to send a lawsuit seeking to shut down an Enbridge Energy LP crude oil and natural gas pipeline back to a Michigan state court Friday, denying Enbridge's request for a hearing in front of the full appellate court.
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August 16, 2024
9th Circ. Upholds Tribe's Win In Washington Dam Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Friday upheld an order requiring that a Washington hydroelectric company alter its rock pile dam on the Puyallup River, handing another win to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which says the dam is threatening several species of endangered fish.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
NEPA Final Rule Unlikely To Speed Clean Energy Projects
A recent final rule from the White House Council on Environmental Quality purports to streamline federal environmental reviews to accelerate the construction of renewable energy infrastructure — but it also expands consideration of climate change and environmental justice, creating vast new opportunities for litigation and delay, says Thomas Prevas at Saul Ewing.
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Tips For Companies Tapping Into Commercial Cleantech
A recent report from the European Patent Office and European Investment Bank examining the global financing and commercialization of cleantech innovation necessary for the green energy transition can help companies understand and solve the issues in developing and implementing the full potential of cleantech, says Eleanor Maciver at Mewburn Ellis.
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Series
Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.
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In Debate Over High Court Wording, 'Wetland' Remains Murky
Though the U.S. Supreme Court's decision limiting the Clean Water Act’s wetlands jurisdiction is now a year old, Sackett v. EPA's practical consequences for property owners are still evolving as federal agencies and private parties advance competing interpretations of the court's language and methods for distinguishing wetlands in lower courts, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.
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5 Lessons From Ex-Vitol Trader's FCPA Conviction
The recent Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering conviction of former Vitol oil trader Javier Aguilar in a New York federal court provides defense takeaways on issues ranging from the definition of “domestic concern” to jury instruction strategy, says attorney Andrew Feldman.
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Geothermal Energy Has Growing Potential In The US
Bipartisan support for the geothermal industry shows that geothermal energy can be an elegant solution toward global decarbonization efforts because of its small footprint, low supply chain risk, and potential to draw on the skills of existing highly specialized oil and gas workers and renewable specialists, say attorneys at Weil.
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Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues
In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.
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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance
A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.
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Salvaging The Investor-State Arbitration System's Legitimacy
Recent developments in Europe and Ecuador highlight the vulnerability of the investor-state arbitration framework, but arbitrators can avert a crisis by relying on a poorly understood doctrine of fairness and equity, rather than law, to resolve the disputes before them, says Phillip Euell at Diaz Reus.
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NY's Vision For Grid Of The Future: Flexible, Open, Affordable
Acknowledging that New York state's progress toward its climate goals is stalling, the New York Public Service Commission's recent "Grid of the Future" order signals a move toward more flexible, cost-effective solutions — and suggests potential opportunities for nonutility participation, say Daniel Spitzer and William McLaughlin at Hodgson Russ.
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Bid Protest Spotlight: Unwitting Disclosure, Agency Deference
Roke Iko at MoFo examines two U.S. Court of Federal Claims decisions highlighting factors to consider before filing a protest alleging Procurement Integrity Act violations, and a decision from the U.S. Government Accountability Office about the capacity of an agency to interpret its own solicitation terms.
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Series
Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.
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A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System
As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.
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What A Louisiana Ruling Means For Pipeline Crossings
After a Louisiana appeals court's recent ruling on a conflict between two pipeline projects, operators and developers should review pipeline crossings to ensure that they occur at safe distances — and keep in mind the value of crossing agreements for protecting both sides in case of a dispute, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.
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Opinion
Climate Change Shouldn't Be Litigated Under State Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court should reverse the Hawaii Supreme Court's October decision in Honolulu v. Sunoco that Hawaii could apply state law to emissions generated outside the state, because it would lead to a barrage of cases seeking to resolve a worldwide problem according to 50 different variations of state law, says Andrew Ketterer at Ketterer & Ketterer.