Environmental

  • May 23, 2024

    Alaskan Youth Sue State Over $43B Natural Gas Project

    A group of children is suing Alaska to stop a $43 billion liquefied natural gas project, alleging the endeavor violates their rights under the state constitution to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, liberty and dignity.

  • May 23, 2024

    22 States Seek To Defend EPA Heavy-Duty Truck GHG Rule

    A coalition of 22 Democrat-led states and four cities moved to intervene on Thursday in defense of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's final rule establishing greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, arguing that vacating the rule would lead to direct injuries to state lands and resources.

  • May 23, 2024

    Feds Agree To Clean, Close Dump Site For Tribal Nations

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to properly clean and shut down a 70-year-old solid waste dump site on tribal lands in northern Arizona, saying federal law requirements for its closure haven't been followed since 1997.

  • May 23, 2024

    Enbridge Says Tribe's Trespass Law Could Cost It Millions

    Enbridge Energy told the Seventh Circuit that a Wisconsin tribe's recently publicized trespass ordinance could cause the company to pay millions of dollars in civil penalties if the appeals court rules that its 645-mile crude oil pipeline is trespassing on the tribe's land.

  • May 23, 2024

    FERC Cements 1-Year Window For State, Tribal Water Permits

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday said it will give states and tribes one year to act on water quality certificate requests from developers of any energy project seeking agency approval, the maximum amount of time allowed under the Clean Water Act.

  • May 23, 2024

    Senate Chairs Seek Info On Trump Meeting With Oil Cos.

    The chairs of the Senate's tax and budget committees said Thursday that they were investigating a meeting with former President Donald Trump, oil and energy companies, a trade association where Trump reportedly sought $1 billion in exchange for policy favors.

  • May 23, 2024

    Split Ohio High Court Says Jury Must Mull Drilling Rights Row

    A split Ohio Supreme Court unraveled a trial court ruling in favor of oil and gas rights owner Tera LLC that acted as the basis of a $40 million damages award against Gulfport Energy, reasoning Thursday that there is a "genuine issue of material fact" over the meaning of certain terms in parties' lease agreement.

  • May 23, 2024

    NCAA Can't Move Colo. Athlete Pay Case

    A Colorado federal judge on Thursday rejected a bid by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and collegiate athletic conferences to move athletes' compensation allegations to California, where two similar cases are being heard, highlighting the choice by named plaintiffs to have their claims heard in Colorado.

  • May 23, 2024

    Norfolk Southern Inks $310M Deal To Settle Feds' Spill Suit

    Norfolk Southern Railway Co. on Thursday agreed to a $310 million deal to settle the federal government's legal claims that arose out of the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that released large amounts of contaminants into the air, ground and water.

  • May 22, 2024

    American Air Pilots Win Cert. Over 401(k)'s ESG Investments

    A Texas federal judge on Wednesday certified a class of pilots accusing American Airlines of packing its $26 billion retirement plan with investments that focused too heavily on environmental, social and governance factors, like climate change, and too little on financial returns.

  • May 22, 2024

    Int'l Tribunal Says Countries Must Do More To Protect Oceans

    In a historic unanimous ruling, an international tribunal has concluded that greenhouse gas emissions are polluting the oceans and that nations have an obligation under international law to "take all necessary measures" to prevent, reduce and control these emissions.

  • May 22, 2024

    Founders Of BP's Archaea Looted From Own Co., Suit Says

    A group of fraternity brothers who founded waste management company Noble Environmental Inc. and later sold a venture called Archaea Energy to BP has been hit with a shareholder derivative suit in Delaware Chancery Court alleging the fraternity brothers stole billions of dollars from the company and breached their fiduciary duties to minority shareholders.

  • May 22, 2024

    Feds And Enviro Groups Fight Utah Counties' High Court Bid

    The United States, a Colorado county and five environmental groups are fighting a bid by a coalition of Utah counties to win a U.S. Supreme Court review of a D.C. Circuit decision revoking federal approval of a rail line to transport crude oil from the state.

  • May 22, 2024

    Youths Take Second Crack At Constitutional Climate Suit

    A group of young plaintiffs on Monday made their second attempt at a lawsuit alleging that the Constitution guarantees "a life-sustaining climate system" and that the federal government unconstitutionally discriminates against children by favoring the fossil fuel industry's interests over children's.

  • May 22, 2024

    Mich. Judge Not Satisfied By Atty's Letter Over Flint PR Stunt

    The federal judge overseeing Flint, Michigan, water crisis cases isn't satisfied with a California attorney's letter denying involvement in an alleged smear campaign targeting a lawyer for Flint children, saying Wednesday that if the attorney doesn't provide more substantive information, she will be referred to the State Bar of California.

  • May 22, 2024

    Justices' CFPB Alliance May Save SEC Courts, Not Chevron

    A four-justice concurrence to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's unique funding scheme last week carries implications for other cases pending before the court that challenge the so-called administrative state, or the permanent cadre of regulatory agencies and career government enforcers who hold sway over vast swaths of American economic life.

  • May 22, 2024

    Solar Cell Duties May Inadvertently Crush Domestic Industry

    A bevy of new duty rules on solar cell imports from Asia, coupled with a government investigation instigated by domestic producers unconventionally claiming to protect future homegrown manufacturing, could backfire on the Biden administration's efforts to boost the nascent domestic sector.

  • May 22, 2024

    Developer Had No Duty To Verify Flood Model, Court Hears

    A Houston-area developer indicated before a state appeals court Wednesday that the consequences of entering a judgment in favor of more than 400 homeowners whose properties flooded during Hurricane Harvey would be catastrophic, as their claims boil down to the developer's alleged failure to double-check modeling conducted by an outside consultant.

  • May 22, 2024

    DuPont 'Document Dump' Rattles NC In PFAS Suit

    North Carolina and DuPont on Wednesday battled over what the state called a roughly 5 million-page "document dump" ahead of a looming June 3 discovery deadline in its contamination lawsuit, irking a business court judge in the process.

  • May 22, 2024

    Senate, House Dems Seek DOJ Big Oil Climate Impact Probe

    U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, Democrats from Rhode Island and Maryland, respectively, called on the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday to formally investigate Big Oil companies over their decadeslong effort to conceal the impact of fossil fuels on climate change.

  • May 22, 2024

    $600M Norfolk Southern Derailment Deal Gets Early Court OK

    Consolidated class litigation over last year's fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, cleared a court hurdle Tuesday after a federal judge tentatively signed off on a proposed $600 million settlement between the rail giant and thousands of impacted residents and businesses.

  • May 22, 2024

    EPA Urges Justices To Keep Ozone Fight In DC Circ.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to keep seven consolidated challenges to the EPA's decision disapproving Utah's and Oklahoma's air quality plans in the D.C. Circuit.

  • May 22, 2024

    Oil Tanker Operators To Pay $2M For Dumping Oil From Ship

    The operators of the motor tanker PS Dream pled guilty in Louisiana federal court as part of a $2 million plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice that includes four years of probation, after a whistleblower shared a video of oil being deliberately pumped overboard in January 2023.

  • May 22, 2024

    Mich. Judge Gives Final OK To Engineering Co. $8M Flint Deal

    A Michigan federal judge has granted final approval of an $8 million settlement between a civil engineering company and Flint, Michigan, residents, putting to rest claims the company failed to warn them of likely lead contamination that triggered a drinking water crisis in the city.

  • May 21, 2024

    Pacific Seafood Beats Crab Price-Fixing Claims, For Now

    A California federal magistrate judge on Tuesday dismissed a proposed class action claiming Pacific Seafood fixed the price paid to fishers for Dungeness crab in the Pacific Northwest but will allow the fisherman who filed the suit the opportunity to amend most of his claims.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Maritime Law Issues In 2024: Geopolitics And Sanctions

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    Major challenges are on the horizon for the U.S. maritime sector in 2024, including geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea and ever-evolving sanctions targeting Iran and Russia — which may lead to higher shipping costs and greater compliance burdens for stakeholders, says Sean Pribyl at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial

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    Sam Bankman-Fried's recent trial testimony about his lawyers' involvement in FTX's business highlights the need for attorney-witnesses to understand privilege issues in order to avoid costly discovery disputes and, potentially, uncover critical evidence an adversary might seek to conceal, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.

  • Parsing Treasury's Proposed Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit Rules

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    Regulations recently proposed by the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury concerning two types of tax credits for clean hydrogen production facilities should resolve many of the most pressing questions around qualification for the credits — albeit in a relatively stringent manner, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • How Consumer Product Cos. Can Keep Up With Class Actions

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    Recent cases show California's federal courts and the Ninth Circuit remain the preferred arena for consumers pursuing false advertising and trade deception claims against companies — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products should continue to watch these courts for guidance on how to fight class actions, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • The Competing Goals Of Environmental And Bankruptcy Laws

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    Recent economic pressures combined with environmental liabilities have led to some of the largest bankruptcy filings in U.S. history, meaning debtors and creditors should be aware of the challenges, conflicts and uncertainties that arise at the intersection of these two legal fields, say Andrew Gallo and Duke McCall at Morgan Lewis.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Canada

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    In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Opinion

    Farm Bill Gives Congress 2024's Biggest Enviro Opportunity

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    A new Farm Bill, which Congress hopes to get out before mid-2024, is the main legislative opportunity to accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly practices, as the major environmental laws have been interpreted largely to exempt agriculture from pollution standards that other industries must meet, say Peter Lehner and Carrie Apfel at Earthjustice.

  • What To Expect From High Court In Corp. Disclosure Case

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    Oral argument in Macquarie v. Moab Partners — a case with the potential to significantly alter corporate disclosures and private securities litigation liability — suggests that the U.S. Supreme Court is focused on answering the narrow question presented, say Elizabeth Gingold Clark and Madeleine Juszynski Davidson at Alston & Bird.

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