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Energy
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December 09, 2024
Ill. Congresswoman Denies Undue Influence From Madigan
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski was called to the witness stand Monday in the racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, where she testified that while she received multiple job recommendations from Madigan as a former senior aide to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, those candidates were only hired if they were qualified.
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December 09, 2024
Beveridge & Diamond Picks Up Longtime DOJ Enviro Litigator
Beveridge & Diamond PC has hired the former chief of the law and policy section at the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, who is bringing his more-than 26-year government experience in environmental law to the D.C. team, the firm announced Friday.
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December 09, 2024
Justices Spurn Worker's Challenge To 'Honest Belief' Firing
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a Fourth Circuit decision holding that a Baltimore utility's "honest belief" that a worker was misusing medical leave justified the employee's termination, according to high court orders released Monday.
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December 07, 2024
Up Next: Environmental Reviews, Wire Fraud & TM Awards
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear its final set of oral arguments for the 2024 calendar year starting Monday, including disputes over the proper scope of federal environmental reviews and whether corporate affiliates can be ordered to pay disgorgement awards in trademark infringement disputes.
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December 06, 2024
DC Circ. Mulls If EPA Can Set Rules Based On Predicted Tech
At least one member of the D.C. Circuit did not seem to be picking up what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was putting down in defense of a rule that would give coal-fired power plants until 2032 to meet certain emissions standards that critics claim are impossible.
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December 06, 2024
J&J Seeks New Talc Trial As Developer Seeks $30M More
As Johnson & Johnson seeks to toss the underlying verdict, a real estate developer and cancer patient who was awarded $15 million in compensation from a talc trial jury has asked a Connecticut state judge to award another $30 million to punish the company for allegedly putting "profits over people."
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December 06, 2024
Feds Want Full DC Circ. To Reverse Panel's NEPA Regs Ruling
Two D.C. Circuit judges who ruled a White House agency lacks authority to issue regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act violated a cornerstone legal tenet and must be overturned, according to the federal government.
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December 06, 2024
Shell, Equinor Creating UK Oil Giant As Sea Basin Matures
Shell UK Ltd. and Equinor UK Ltd. are joining forces to create what they said will be the largest independent oil and gas company in the U.K., citing declining production in the "once-prolific basin" of the North Sea as the impetus for the 50-50 joint venture.
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December 06, 2024
Ex-Conn. Utility Execs May Get Reprieve From 2nd Indictment
Two former Connecticut utility company executives who are weeks away from beginning federal prison sentences entered pretrial diversion agreements with the government on Friday that would allow them to escape a second raft of charges alleging that they conspired to misuse public money.
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December 06, 2024
1st Circ. Affirms Mass. Wind Energy Permits
A three-judge First Circuit panel rejected a pair of fishing industry challenges to environmental permits for the massive — and now paused — Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.
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December 06, 2024
Canada's Chinese Import Surtaxes Expected To Raise $334M
Canada's new surtaxes on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products are estimated to generate CA$473 million ($334 million) over the next five years, though the EV surtax on its own is likely to cause a dip in revenue, a government analysis said.
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December 05, 2024
SolarEdge's CEO, CFO Can't Escape Securities Lawsuit
A New York federal judge ruled Wednesday that a proposed securities class action accusing SolarEdge Technologies Inc. of misrepresenting the demand for its solar energy products in Europe will go on against two of the company's top executives, saying investors adequately pled the executives knowingly misrepresented distributors' inventory levels.
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December 05, 2024
Gov't Efficiency Push Is A 'New Day,' House Speaker Says
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spoke excitedly Thursday about the new government efficiency operation helmed by billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and touted the budding bipartisan lineup of a congressional caucus that will work with it.
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December 05, 2024
3rd Circ. Affirms ConocoPhillips Ruling On $8.5B Debt
The Third Circuit on Thursday affirmed a ruling paving the way for ConocoPhillips' participation in an auction for control of the U.S. oil giant Citgo to enforce an $8.5 billion debt against Venezuela.
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December 05, 2024
3rd Circ. Unsure Pa. Regulator Had Right To Deny Project
Third Circuit judges appeared wary on Thursday of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's argument that its take on the necessity of a transmission project trumps a federal agency's determination, at one point questioning how any such project could be completed if the court accepted its argument.
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December 05, 2024
Utah Defends Effort To Wrest Land From Feds At High Court
Utah told the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday that its proposed lawsuit accusing the government of unconstitutionally hoarding and profiting from public lands in the state belongs before the justices and that the government's recent response strengthens its case.
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December 05, 2024
Ex-CEO Of Solar Biz ISun Says Ch. 11 Plan Doesn't Add Up
The former CEO of solar power company iSun is asking a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject the company's proposed Chapter 11 plan, saying it fails to provide for payment of priority claims, including his own deferred paychecks.
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December 05, 2024
NC Town Sues Duke Energy Over Climate Change 'Deception'
A small town in North Carolina is suing Duke Energy for what officials characterized as a decades-long "deception campaign" about climate change, including allegedly misleading residents about the dangerous effects of fossil fuels and delaying the transition to cleaner energy.
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December 05, 2024
Jones Day Reps CNX On $505M Deal For Natural Gas Biz
CNX Resources Corp. said Thursday it has agreed to acquire for about $505 million the natural gas upstream and associated midstream business of Apex Energy II LLC, a portfolio company of funds managed by Carnelian Energy Capital Management LP.
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December 05, 2024
McKinsey Unit To Pay $123M Over South Africa Bribe Scheme
The African unit of consulting giant McKinsey & Co. will pay about $123 million to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into an alleged scheme to bribe South African government officials for contracts with state-owned companies.
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December 05, 2024
DC Circ. Won't Revisit Ruling On Bush-Era Mining Regulation
The D.C. Circuit said Thursday it won't reconsider a June panel decision that upheld a 20-year-old mining regulation that removed limits on the amount of land around a mining site that can be used for secondary activities such as waste disposal.
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December 05, 2024
Feds Invest $849M For Water Infrastructure Improvements
An $849 million investment from the Biden administration will support 77 water infrastructure development projects throughout the country's western states and tribal communities that are located along major river basins in an effort to restore canal capacity, sustain treatment, replace aging hydropower production equipment and provide maintenance to older project buildings.
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December 05, 2024
Battery Recycling Firm To Go Public Via $250M SPAC Merger
Renewable energy-focused Ace Green Recycling Inc. has agreed to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition company Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II in a deal that values Ace Green's equity at $250 million, both parties have announced.
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December 05, 2024
Hunton Gains Capital Markets Pro In Dallas From V&E
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has boosted its capital markets practice in Dallas with a former Vinson & Elkins LLP deal lawyer who has particular expertise in the mining and natural resources sector of the energy industry.
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December 04, 2024
Fla. Ex-Rep Sues Associate Connected To Foreign Agent Case
A former Florida congressman has sued an associate in Miami-Dade County over a breach of contract, alleging that he disclosed a confidential legal memorandum to law enforcement officials and others in connection to a federal indictment charging the ex-lawmaker with unlawfully lobbying on behalf of Venezuela.
Expert Analysis
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State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape
Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.
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Review Shipping Terms In Light Of These 3 Global Challenges
Given tensions in the Middle East, labor unrest at U.S. ports and the ongoing consequences of climate change, parties involved in maritime shipping must understand the relevant contract provisions and laws that may be implicated during supply chain disruptions in order to mitigate risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Cos. Face Increasing Risk From Environmental Citizen Suits
Environmental citizen suits stepping in to fill the regulatory vacuum concerning consumer goods waste may soon become more common, and the evolving procedural landscape and changes to environmental law may contribute to companies' increased exposure, say J. Michael Showalter and Bradley Rochlen at ArentFox Schiff.
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8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney
A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.
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Navigating Complex Regulatory Terrain Amid State AG Races
This year's 10 attorney general elections could usher in a wave of new enforcement priorities and regulatory uncertainty, but companies can stay ahead of the shifts by building strong relationships with AG offices, participating in industry coalitions and more, say Ketan Bhirud and Dustin McDaniel at Cozen O’Connor.
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How The 2025 Tax Policy Debate Will Affect The Energy Sector
Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming U.S. election, 2025 will bring a major tax policy debate that could affect the energy sector more than any other part of the economy — so stakeholders who could be affected should be engaging now to make sure they understand the stakes, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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3rd Circ. Hertz Ruling Highlights Flawed Bankruptcy Theory
The Third Circuit, in its recent Hertz bankruptcy decision, became the latest appeals court to hold that noteholders were entitled to interest before shareholders under the absolute priority rule, but risked going astray by invoking the flawed theory of code impairment, say Matthew McGill and David Casazza at Gibson Dunn.
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Opinion
This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process
In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Int'l Agreements Are Key For Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal
By replacing fossil fuels, nuclear energy has the potential to offer a major contribution to the global fight against climate change — but ensuring that nuclear power is safe and sustainable will require binding, multinational agreements for safe nuclear waste disposal, say Ryan Schermerhorn and Christopher Zahn at Marshall Gerstein.
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Series
Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers
Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.
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Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA
After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.
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How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future
As the electric vehicle market expands, and federal and state incentives and mandates intended to promote EV use come into effect, owners and operators of multifamily residential properties should be prepared to meet the growing demand for onsite EV charging infrastructure, say Sydney Tucker and Andreas Wokutch at Frost Brown.
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Conn. Court Split May Lead To Vertical Forum Shopping
As shown by a recent ruling in State v. Exxon Mobil, Connecticut state and federal courts are split on personal jurisdiction, and until the Connecticut Supreme Court steps in, parties may be incentivized to forum shop, causing foreign entities to endure costly litigation and uncertain liability, says Matthew Gibbons at Shipman & Goodwin.
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Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys
Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.
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Enviro Policy Trends That Will Continue Beyond The Election
Come October in a presidential election year, the policy world feels like a winner-take-all scenario, with the outcome of the vote determining how or even whether we are regulated — but there are several key ongoing trends that will continue to drive environmental regulation regardless of the election results, say J. Michael Showalter and Samuel Rasche at ArentFox Schiff.