Environmental

  • February 26, 2025

    Chicago Nonprofit Sues Trump Over Anti-DEI Orders

    A Chicago-based women's trade group sued the Trump administration in Illinois federal court Wednesday, claiming his recent executive orders restricting federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs are unconstitutional and unlawfully chill the organization's free speech.

  • February 26, 2025

    Lawmakers Say DOI Energy Order Reviews Lack Transparency

    A pair of Democratic federal lawmakers are demanding transparency from the U.S. Department of the Interior on the status of orders by Secretary Doug Burgum to "unleash American energy," saying the agency's leaders have yet to publicly disclose plans for national monuments and land withdrawn from mining development.

  • February 26, 2025

    Enviro Group Says Chemours Is Dumping PFAS In Ohio River

    A nonprofit has asked a West Virginia federal court to stop Chemours from releasing a "forever chemical" into public drinking water sources along the Ohio River.

  • February 26, 2025

    Lloyds Seeks To Trim Oil Cos.' Suit Over Water Pollution Claim

    Certain underwriters at Lloyd's of London urged a New Mexico federal court to toss bad faith claims that two oil and gas companies lodged in a coverage action over the release of a waste byproduct that triggered state-supervised remediation efforts, arguing they haven't even formally denied coverage yet.

  • February 26, 2025

    Wash. Judge Says Officials Are Immune To Energy Code Suit

    A Seattle federal judge has thrown out a building industry coalition's renewed legal challenge to Washington regulations that discourage natural gas appliances in new construction, ruling the state officials named as defendants are protected because they aren't responsible for enforcing the rules.

  • February 26, 2025

    US Chamber Wants Calif. Climate Disclosure Regs Blocked

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups have asked a California federal judge to block the state's corporate climate disclosure rules, arguing companies are already suffering harm due to laws that are "so overinclusive, they flunk any First Amendment test."

  • February 26, 2025

    Judge Won't Disqualify Firm In Solar Co. Fraud Fight

    A federal judge denied Michigan residents' attempt to disqualify attorneys representing a bankrupt solar company's former founding CEO in their fraud case, holding that the law firm's allegedly obstructionist discovery tactics don't amount to an actual conflict of interest.

  • February 26, 2025

    Kirkland-Led Blackstone Wraps $5.6B Energy-Focused Fund

    Private equity giant Blackstone, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, on Wednesday announced that it wrapped its fourth energy transition-focused private equity fund after securing $5.6 billion of investor commitments.

  • February 25, 2025

    DC Judge Blocks Trump's Federal Funding Freeze

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from implementing a federal spending freeze while a group of nonprofits challenge the freeze, calling the measure "ill-conceived from the beginning."

  • February 25, 2025

    Pa. Biotech Co. Can't Escape $4M Trade Secrets Award

    A Delaware vice chancellor declined Monday to nix a nearly $4 million arbitral award issued to Finnish company UPM-Kymmene Corp. in a long-running trade secrets dispute, ruling that a link between the arbitrator and the Finnish company's counsel at DLA Piper was "at most, an attenuated connection."

  • February 25, 2025

    Aircraft Parts Maker Hit With Class Claims Over Explosion

    Philadelphia-area aerospace parts manufacturer SPS Technologies LLC has been hit with a class action over an explosion that resulted in a dayslong blaze at its Abington, Pennsylvania, facility that caused school and business closures as well as evacuations.

  • February 25, 2025

    Sterilization Co. Can't Pin Cancer On Genetics, Jury Told

    A Colorado woman who alleged toxic emissions from a medical sterilization plant caused her breast cancer testified Tuesday in state court that her family's cancer history was not as extensive as she originally believed, as a lawyer for the company pressed her on genetics and other factors that could increase her cancer risk.

  • February 25, 2025

    New Mexico Pueblos Want In On Fed Mineral Lease Ban Suit

    Two Native American pueblos have asked a New Mexico federal judge to let them intervene in a Navajo Nation suit seeking to undo a Biden administration order withdrawing federal land from new mineral leasing around Chaco Canyon, saying it is sacred to all pueblo people.

  • February 25, 2025

    WestRock Blamed For Toxic Vapors In Worker's Injury Suit

    The WestRock packaging company has been hit with a negligence suit in Washington federal court by a worker who claims exposure to fumes from a chemical spill while doing repairs at a Pacific Northwest paper mill caused him to suffer a collapsed lung and later be diagnosed with a tumor.

  • February 25, 2025

    Chicago Escapes Bulk Of Insurer's $26M Willis Tower Suit 

    An Illinois federal judge dismissed the majority of a dozen counts brought by Travelers against the city of Chicago and its water district seeking repayment for $26 million in flood damage to Willis Tower, leaving only common law negligence claims.

  • February 25, 2025

    River Agency Says Harvey Flood Dispute Was Already Decided

    A Texas river management agency urged a state appeals court Tuesday to shut down claims brought by dozens of residents whose properties were flooded by Hurricane Harvey, pointing to a separate appellate court decision that ended similar claims by many of the same people.

  • February 25, 2025

    Petrochemical Cos. Want Judge Out Of Plastic Recycling Row

    Petrochemical companies called on a Missouri federal judge to recuse himself from a proposed class action accusing them of misleading customers about the recyclability of plastic, saying his wife has a direct interest in the case as a Kansas City city council member.

  • February 25, 2025

    Spent Fuel Casks Are Taxable Real Property, NJ Court Rules

    Storage casks housing highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel are subject to taxation as real property, the New Jersey Tax Court ruled Tuesday.

  • February 25, 2025

    Macquarie Investors Fight To Keep Stock-Drop Suit Alive

    Investors accusing Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. of hiding the expected impact of a high-sulfur fuel ban on its oil storage business say that because the U.S. Supreme Court left most of their claims against the company intact, the district court should not grant dismissal on remand.

  • February 25, 2025

    Calif. Wins Remand Of Exxon Plastic Suit, Green Groups Lose

    California convinced a federal judge to remand to state court its lawsuit alleging Exxon Mobil Corp. is responsible for plastic waste and pollution due to deceptive public messaging about recycling, but environmentalists' similar suit will stay in federal court.

  • February 25, 2025

    Utah Asks 10th Circ. To Block EPA's Ozone Standard Finding

    The state of Utah has called on the Tenth Circuit to block a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determination that the state's most populous region is not complying with national ozone standards, saying international emissions are mostly to blame.

  • February 25, 2025

    Wiley Adds Environment And Product Regulation Pro In DC

    Washington, D.C., firm Wiley Rein LLP has expanded its environmental offerings with the addition of a veteran attorney and policy pro.

  • February 25, 2025

    WilmerHale, Cleary Steer $4.1B Thermo Fisher-Solventum Deal

    WilmerHale and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP are the principal advisers on a new agreement for Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. to purchase the purification and filtration business of Solventum for $4.1 billion in cash, according to statements from the companies on Tuesday.

  • February 24, 2025

    9th Circ. Mostly Clears The Way For Mont. Logging Project

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday reversed portions of a Montana federal judge's decision to vacate U.S. Forest Service approval of a controversial Black Ram logging project on the Kootenai National Forest, but told the lower court it had to take a closer look at some of the environmentalists' objections.

  • February 24, 2025

    Dominican Republic Slams Report Favoring $44M Award

    The Dominican Republic has urged a D.C. federal court to reject a magistrate judge's recommendation to enforce a nearly $44 million arbitral award issued after the country terminated a landfill concession, saying there was never an underlying arbitration agreement.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Plaintiff Litigation Strategies For Silicosis Lawsuits

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    A California stone worker's recent $52 million jury award highlights the growing silicosis crisis among employees in the stone fabrication industry — and points to the importance of a strategic approach to litigating silicosis cases against employers and manufacturers, says David Matthews at Matthews & Associates.

  • Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys

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    Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • What's Still Up In The Air After Ruling On Calif. Climate Laws

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    A California federal court's recent ruling on challenges to California's sweeping climate disclosure laws resolved some issues, but allows litigation over the constitutionality of the laws to continue, and leaves many important questions on what entities will need to do to comply with the laws unanswered, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • Cos. Should Inventory Issues To Prep For New Congress

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    As the legislative and oversight agendas of the 119th Congress come into sharper focus, corporate counsel should assess and plan for areas of potential oversight risk — from tax policy changes to supply chain integrity — even as much uncertainty remains, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Conservation Easement Cases Weave Web Of Uncertainty

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    Much of the IRS and Justice Department’s recent success in prosecuting syndicated conservation easement cases can be attributed to the government’s focus on the so-called PropCo ratio, which could indicate treacherous waters ahead for participants and their advisers, even under the incoming Trump administration, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Trump Fossil Fuel Focus Won't End Interest In Clean Energy

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    A second Donald Trump administration is expected to prioritize expanding oil and gas drilling and reducing regulations — but some clean energy investments, including energy storage, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel, will likely continue to garner bipartisan and market support, says Scott Segal at Bracewell.

  • EPA's New Lead Pipe Rule Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently released update to its Lead and Copper Rule is a major step forward in the elimination of lead from drinking water systems, but it lacks meaningful guidance on alternative materials, jurisdictional concerns, cost allocation and other topics, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • What To Expect From State AGs As Federal Control Changes

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    Under the next Trump administration, Democratic attorneys general are poised to strengthen enforcement in certain areas as Republican attorneys general continue their efforts with stronger federal support — resulting in a confusing patchwork of policies that create unintended liabilities for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • In SF Water Case, Justices Signal How Loper May Be Applied

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    Skeptical questions from U.S. Supreme Court justices during oral argument in San Francisco v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offer hints of how the court intends to apply limits on agency regulatory autonomy established last term in Loper Bright, says Karen Cullinane at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Trump Rollback Of Biden Enviro Policies: What To Expect

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    Donald Trump's upcoming second presidential term will usher significant shifts in U.S. environmental and natural resource law and policy — and while the Biden administration is racing to secure its legacy, the incoming Trump administration is making plans to dramatically roll back most, if not all, of Biden's environmental initiatives, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

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