Environmental

  • September 16, 2024

    Why A Tactic In The Youth Climate Change Battle Is Risky

    Young people suing the federal government for sweeping changes to climate policy are trying a new tactic, filing a mandamus petition in the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to get their case to trial. But some lawyers are worried the tactic may backfire, limiting the opportunity for others to use the courts to wage climate battles, experts told Law360. 

  • September 16, 2024

    Biden Methane Rule Is Gov't Overstep, ND Judge Rules

    The Biden administration can't enforce a rule aimed at curbing methane gas emissions from federally held oil and gas leases in a coalition of Republican-led states led by North Dakota after a federal judge found the states had sufficiently shown the government may have overstepped its authority.

  • September 16, 2024

    Ex-Cadwalader Litigation Co-Head Among Duo Added By V&E

    Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP's former global litigation group co-chair is one of two ex-partners in New York bringing their practices to Vinson & Elkins LLP, according to a Monday announcement.

  • September 16, 2024

    Carlyle Commits $1B To Clean Real Estate Finance Co.

    Investment giant Carlyle said Monday that it has taken a stake in and committed $1 billion to real estate finance company North Bridge, which will be used toward green commercial upgrades.

  • September 13, 2024

    The 2024 Regional Powerhouses

    The law firms on Law360's list of 2024 Regional Powerhouses reflected the local peculiarities of their states while often representing clients in deals and cases that captured national attention.

  • September 13, 2024

    NJ Jury Puts $26M Price Tag On Land In Development Battle

    A New Jersey federal jury found that the owner of a 22-acre former Michelin Tire & Rubber Co. factory at the heart of a land-taking battle should get $25.6 million from a borough redevelopment agency that argued the parcel would fetch less than a third of that figure on the market.

  • September 13, 2024

    Exxon Owes $816M For Man's Cancer After Judge Ups Verdict

    Exxon Mobil Corp. is on the hook for $816 million to a New York service station mechanic who blames the oil giant for his leukemia diagnosis, after a Philadelphia judge upheld a jury's verdict and added delay damages.

  • September 13, 2024

    Investors Greenlight Carbon Credit Co.'s $213M SPAC Merger

    The special purpose acquisition company merger taking Canadian carbon-credit manager DevvStream public at an estimated valuation of $212.8 million has received approval from investors of both sides, the companies announced Friday.

  • September 13, 2024

    EU Actors Lobby Hard For Top Jobs in New Commission

    European Union lawmakers and national governments are lobbying intensely to pull top jobs and policy their way as the new European Commission is formed for the next five years.

  • September 13, 2024

    9th Circ. Ruling Guts Religious Protections, Apaches Say

    The U.S. Supreme Court should stop the federal government from handing over a sacred tribal site in Arizona's Tonto National Forest to a copper mining joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP, the San Carlos Apache Tribe argued, saying that the decision could pose an "existential threat" to Native Americans.

  • September 13, 2024

    Trio Of BigLaw Mergers Expected To Drive More Deal Talks

    After months of a relatively steady pace of law firm mergers and acquisitions, the trio of proposed BigLaw tie-ups announced in recent days will likely spur more firms toward entertaining similar deal talks, experts say. Here, Law360 offers a snapshot of the proposed deals.

  • September 13, 2024

    NC Atty Lands Top Role At Enviro Dept. After Chief Departs

    A former North Carolina Department of Environmental Equality attorney will return to the agency in its top role following the departure of its secretary after three years on the job.

  • September 13, 2024

    DC Circ. Gives EPA Chance To Review Good Neighbor Plan

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have a chance to review its Good Neighbor Plan in-house before litigating it further, according to a D.C. Circuit ruling granting the agency's request to remand the rule, so it could respond to issues raised by the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • September 13, 2024

    EU Finance Ministers Boycott Hungary Meeting Over Russia

    Most European Union finance ministers protested on Friday against what they see as Hungary's Russia-friendly politics by boycotting a meeting with their EU peers in the country's capital, Budapest.

  • September 13, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a football agent sue Chelsea FC after being cleared of allegations he threatened the club’s former director, an ongoing patent dispute between Amgen and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and a private school in Edinburgh suing Riverstone Insurance over compensation claims tied to historical abuse allegations made by former pupils. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • September 13, 2024

    HSF-Led National Grid To Sell Supply Unit To Gov't For £630M

    National Grid PLC said Friday that it has agreed to sell its electricity supply system to the U.K. government for £630 million ($827 million), which will bring it into public ownership.

  • September 13, 2024

    Hungarian Amendment To Environment Law Shouldn't Fly

    Hungarian proposals to exempt maritime and aviation fuel from an update of the European Union's energy tax directive for the next 20 years risk locking some sectors of the economy into fossil fuel dependency, a think tank has said.

  • September 12, 2024

    Kids Ask Supreme Court To Revive Long-Running Climate Suit

    A group of children accusing the federal government of creating policies that worsen climate change asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their case, arguing in a petition filed Thursday that the Ninth Circuit overstepped when it ordered the trial court to dismiss the case this spring.

  • September 12, 2024

    House OKs Tightening Restrictions On Tax Credit For EVs

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill Thursday that would place further restrictions on qualifications for a tax credit for new electric vehicles amid concerns that current limits don't do enough to keep the benefits from flowing to foreign adversaries, including China.

  • September 12, 2024

    Linklaters Hires Shell's Qatar Legal Chief For Energy Practice

    Linklaters LLP has hired the head of legal for energy giant Shell in Qatar to become its global sector lead for its energy transition practice.

  • September 12, 2024

    EU Rejects Minimum Price Offers In Chinese EV Dispute

    The European Commission has rejected offers from exporters of electric vehicles made in China to stick to minimum prices that would aim to remove an unfair competitive advantage that the commission believes Chinese state subsidies give the exporters, a commission spokesman said Thursday.

  • September 11, 2024

    Litigation Spending To Rise As Cases Grow More Aggressive

    A substantial number of large companies are expecting to increase their litigation spending by double digits next year in the face of more complex and hard-fought cases — and they are more open to bringing in new legal talent to navigate the matters, according to a report released Thursday. 

  • September 11, 2024

    Philadelphia Jury Clears Monsanto In City's 5th Roundup Trial

    A Philadelphia jury on Wednesday cleared Bayer AG unit Monsanto of liability in a man's case alleging the company sold its flagship weedkiller Roundup despite knowing about its cancer-causing properties, marking the agrochemical giant's second trial win in a spate of massive plaintiffs' verdicts in the city.

  • September 11, 2024

    Gov't Spent $236B In Fraud And Improper Payments In 2023

    Federal agencies made $236 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2023, a drop of about $11 billion from the prior year, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

  • September 11, 2024

    Top Calif. Biz Bills Sitting On Gov. Newsom's Desk

    Among the hundreds of bills awaiting California Governor Gavin Newsom's signature are a number that would create new guidelines for Golden State employers, healthcare industry players, as well as artificial intelligence labeling, textile recycling and increasing criminal penalties for corporate malfeasance by tens of millions of dollars.

Expert Analysis

  • State Procurement Could Be Key For Calif. Offshore Wind

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

    Author Photo

    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.

  • A Deep Dive Into The Evolving World Of ESG Ratings

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Adopting 7 Principles May Improve Voluntary Carbon Markets

    Author Photo

    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.

  • EU Directive Significantly Strengthens Enviro Protection

    Author Photo

    The recently revised European Union directive on environmental protection significantly strengthens its prior legislation and broadens the scope of environmental crime through the introduction of offenses for conduct resulting in severe damage, say Katharina Humphrey and Julian Reichert at Gibson Dunn.

  • How Act 126 Will Jump-Start Lithium Production In Louisiana

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Legal Battles Show Brands' Dilemma In Luxury Resale Trend

    Author Photo

    Recent litigation, such as Chanel's pending case against The RealReal, underscores the intricate balance luxury brands must strike between protecting their trademarks and embracing the burgeoning secondhand market that values sustainability, says Prachi Ajmera at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond

    Author Photo

    Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.

  • How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving

    Author Photo

    Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.

  • An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    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.

  • 10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep

    Author Photo

    Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills

    Author Photo

    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.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!