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Environmental
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August 30, 2024
Feds Propose Tribal Oversight Of Utah National Monument
Nearly 2 million acres of public lands within Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will be managed by a co-stewardship of tribal nations, with a focus on conservation and preservation, according to a proposed plan by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
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August 30, 2024
Condo Board Coverage Suit Over Maui Wildfire Gets Tossed
A Hawaii federal judge tossed an insurer's suit seeking to avoid representing a condo association and property manager after owners sent a letter blaming the association for illegally having insufficient insurance before the 2023 Maui wildfires decimated Lahaina, concluding matters were best left to Hawaii state court.
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August 30, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen television property developer Kambiz Babaee hit with a fraud claim, a Bitcoin podcaster reignite a dispute with Australian computer scientist Craig Wright and football club owner Massimo Cellino's company file a claim against ClearBank. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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August 30, 2024
Fall IPO Pickup Could Be A Prelude For 2025 Recovery
More companies are preparing to go public after Labor Day, signaling a modest increase in initial public offerings that capital markets advisers say could presage a stronger recovery in 2025, assuming next year brings more clarity regarding interest-rate policy and the result of the presidential election.
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August 30, 2024
Rule Aims To Widen Low-Income Green Electricity Tax Credits
Geothermal, hydropower, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission projects would be among the types of electricity facilities that could be eligible for clean electricity low-income community bonus credit amounts starting in 2025, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury Department said in proposed rules released Friday.
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August 29, 2024
Greens Urge EPA To Strip NC Of Right To Protect Clean Water
Environmental groups are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revoke North Carolina's authority to regulate water pollution, saying North Carolina lawmakers have systematically undermined state regulators to the point where they can no longer effectively protect state waters.
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August 29, 2024
Texas' Anti-ESG Law Is Unconstitutional, Green Biz Org Says
A sustainability-focused business group on Thursday sued Texas state officials in federal court seeking to block a law that restricts state investments with financial firms and businesses that want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
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August 29, 2024
States, Industry Ask High Court To Block EPA Methane Rule
A group of states and fossil fuel industry players have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the D.C. Circuit's decision not to block the implementation of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency final rule strengthening methane emissions control requirements for oil and gas infrastructure.
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August 29, 2024
DOI Stands By Its Mining Ban On 28M Acres In Alaska
The U.S. Department of the Interior has finalized a decision to continue protections on 28 million acres of land in Alaska, a move that bans oil and gas drilling activity in the region and reverses a decision made in the Trump administration's final days to open up the area for development.
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August 29, 2024
Ill. Judge Overrules Dismissal For 6 Paraquat Cases
An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss several cases in multidistrict litigation over the herbicide paraquat, finding that even though counsel didn't fill out questionnaires on time, it was because he was left the sole attorney in the firm after others quit.
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August 29, 2024
Feds Ask The Supreme Court To Reverse NEPA Railway Ruling
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has told the U.S. Supreme Court that the D.C. Circuit was wrong to revoke the agency's approval of a rail line to transport crude oil from Utah, saying the appeals court went beyond what the law requires for environmental reviews.
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August 29, 2024
5th Circ. Got Biofuel Ruling Right, Refiners Tell Justices
The U.S. Supreme Court shouldn't review a Fifth Circuit decision vacating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's denial of small refiners' requests for exemptions from their renewable-fuel program obligations, the refiners told the justices Wednesday.
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August 29, 2024
SunPower Eyes Sept. Auction As IP Objection Nixed For Now
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Thursday overruled an objection to bidding procedures for the assets of residential solar technology company SunPower Corp. from a former subsidiary, finding the dispute over use of the SunPower brand should be heard later.
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August 29, 2024
Deals Rumor Mill: Ackman IPO, Covestro Takeover, Trinitech
Bill Ackman is reviving plans for an initial public offering of his new closed-end fund, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is inching closer to launching a takeover of plastics company Covestro, and private equity owners are exploring a $2 billion sale of financial software firm Trintech. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.
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August 29, 2024
Trade Court Wants More Info To Decide Generator's Duty Rate
A U.S. Court of International Trade judge won't yet resolve whether a Korean energy company could import the supermodule for its hydrogen fuel cell generator into the U.S. duty-free, saying he needs more information on the product.
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August 29, 2024
Agency Says Homeowner's Appeal Question Is Too Late
An insurance agency pushed North Carolina's Supreme Court to toss a homeowner's appeal on whether the court erred by having heightened pleadings standards for punitive damages against corporations, arguing the deadline for debating the issue had passed.
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August 29, 2024
Judge Asked To OK Settlement For Halliburton CERCLA Suit
Halliburton and more than 30 companies seeking to recover costs associated with the cleanup of long-accumulated contamination at a Superfund site have struck a settlement in California federal court in an attempt to bring to a close a decade of litigation.
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August 29, 2024
Nippon Pledges $1.3B For US Steel In Quest For US Approval
Nippon Steel Corp. has pledged to inject an additional $1.3 billion into United States Steel Corp. facilities as the Japanese company looks to get over the finish line with U.S. regulators on its controversial $14.9 billion merger proposal.
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August 29, 2024
Marathon Oil Stockholders Approve $23B ConocoPhillips Deal
Marathon Oil Corp. said Thursday it has received the necessary stockholder approval for its pending $22.5 billion merger with ConocoPhillips, as the companies race to get the deal done amid an ongoing U.S. regulatory review.
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August 29, 2024
IRS Corrects Partnership Conservation Easement Limit Rules
The Internal Revenue Service issued corrections Thursday to finalized rules that curb the conservation easement tax deduction claimed by certain partnerships under the Secure 2.0 Act.
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August 29, 2024
Kirkland Guiding Oneok On $5.9B Energy Infrastructure Deals
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is guiding Oneok Inc. on agreements to purchase Global Infrastructure Partners' interest in EnLink Midstream LLC for $3.3 billion, and GIP's interest in Medallion Midstream LLC for $2.6 billion, expanding Oneok's energy transport and storage capabilities in the Permian Basin and Gulf Coast, the company said in a statement Thursday.
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August 28, 2024
Utah Counties Tell Justices DC Circ. Took NEPA Too Far
A coalition of seven Utah counties called on the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to upend a D.C. Circuit decision revoking federal approval of a rail line to transport crude oil from Utah, arguing the ruling saddles the U.S. Surface Transportation Board with "endless make-work far outside its wheelhouse."
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August 28, 2024
6th Circ. Frees Mich. City, Mayor From Lead Pollution Suit
The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday tossed all but one remaining defendant from a proposed class action filed by residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, over elevated lead levels found in the city's tap water, finding allegations that the mayor misled the public to be vague and conclusory.
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August 28, 2024
Red States Raise Alarm Over Methane Rule Retroactivity
Republican led-states and industry groups have called on a Tenth Circuit panel to reconsider its decision to vacate a district court ruling that partially invalidated an Obama-era rule limiting venting and flaring from oil and gas wells on federal land, arguing it could lead to retroactive enforcement of the rule.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Rejects Brady Violation Claim In CWA Conviction
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a Seattle barrel cleaning company owner's conviction for dumping chemical-laden wastewater into public sewers, rejecting his argument that federal prosecutors kept information from the jury about the immigration status of a key witness who worked for him.
Expert Analysis
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Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation
Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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'Energy Communities' Update May Clarify Tax Credit Eligibility
A recent IRS notice that includes updated lists of locations where clean energy projects can qualify for additional tax credits — based 2023 unemployment data and placed-in-service dates — should help provide clarity regarding project eligibility that sponsors and developers need, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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How A Bumblebee Got Under Calif. Wildlife Regulator's Bonnet
A California bumblebee's listing as an endangered species could lead to a regulatory quagmire as California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits now routinely include survey requirements for the bee, but the regulator has yet to determine what the species needs for conservation, says David Smith at Manatt.
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Wiretap Use In Cartel Probes Likely To Remain An Exception
Although the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division has recently signaled interest in wiretaps, the use of this technology to capture evidence of antitrust conspiracies and pursue monopolization as a criminal matter has been rare historically, and is likely to remain so, say Carsten Reichel and Will Conway at DLA Piper.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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State Procurement Could Be Key For Calif. Offshore Wind
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.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
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.
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A Deep Dive Into The Evolving World Of ESG Ratings
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.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
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.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
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.
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Adopting 7 Principles May Improve Voluntary Carbon Markets
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.
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EU Directive Significantly Strengthens Enviro Protection
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.
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How Act 126 Will Jump-Start Lithium Production In Louisiana
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.