Environmental

  • February 28, 2025

    Insurer Gets Partial Early Win In Oil Pollution Coverage Suit

    Because of a late notice, an insurer shouldn't have to defend an oil and gas company against litigation claiming it damaged neighboring land after it discharged wastewater, a U.S. magistrate judge recommended to a Texas federal court Friday, but indemnification might still be on table.

  • February 28, 2025

    Feds Say Tribes Can't Block New Oregon Casino

    The federal government and an Oregon Native American tribe are pushing back on a bid from three other tribes to block the operation of a new casino in Oregon, telling the D.C. Circuit that the tribes filed their emergency motion improperly and are likely to lose on the merits of their case.

  • February 28, 2025

    Seattle Property Owner Slaps Exxon With Cleanup Suit

    A Seattle property owner hit Exxon Mobil Corp. with a lawsuit seeking to hold it liable for the costs of cleaning up pollution from a former gas station, according to a complaint the energy giant removed to federal court on Friday.

  • February 28, 2025

    La. Regulators Ask Justices To Review Tesla Sales Ban Case

    Louisiana regulators have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review Tesla's case over the state's ban on direct sales by automakers, saying the presence of car dealership owners on a regulatory board does not violate the electric-car company's due process rights.

  • February 28, 2025

    Carbon Project Investor C-Quest Hits Ch. 7

    Carbon project developer C-Quest Capital has filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in a Delaware bankruptcy court as its ex-CEO faces charges he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars worth of carbon credits.

  • February 28, 2025

    3M Wants Texas 'Forever Chemical' Suit Tossed

    3M Co. told a Texas federal judge that the Lone Star State's lawsuit accusing chemical manufacturers of selling forever chemical-containing products despite knowing they present health risks to humans should be tossed because the court doesn't have jurisdiction over the companies.

  • February 28, 2025

    Lewis Brisbois Adds Miami Litigation Trio From Fowler White

    Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP added a trio of experienced litigation partners to its products liability practice in Miami from Fowler White Burnett PA.

  • February 28, 2025

    MPLX Paying $715M For Full Control Of BANGL Pipeline

    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP-advised MPLX LP said Friday it has agreed to acquire the remaining 55% interest in the BANGL pipeline system of Texas for $715 million, plus potential future earnout payments, from affiliates of WhiteWater and Diamondback Energy.

  • February 28, 2025

    Missouri Judge Won't Step Aside From Plastics Recycling Suit

    A Missouri federal judge denied petrochemical companies' request that he recuse himself from a proposed class action accusing them of misleading people about plastic's recyclability due to his wife's position as a Kansas City council member.

  • February 27, 2025

    Apple Falsely Touted Watches As 'Carbon Neutral,' Buyers Say

    Apple Watch purchasers on Wednesday lodged a proposed class action in California federal court, claiming that the tech giant marketed various smartwatch products as "carbon neutral" despite Apple not actually providing "genuine, additional carbon reductions."

  • February 27, 2025

    Norfolk Southern Escapes Investors' Derailment Fraud Suit

    A New York federal judge on Thursday dumped a proposed securities fraud class action alleging Norfolk Southern misled investors by falsely touting its commitments to safety while embarking on risky cost-cutting operational and staffing changes that ultimately led to 2023's fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

  • February 27, 2025

    Don't Fault Sterilization Co. For What It Didn't Know, Jury Told

    A sterilization company's expert told a Colorado state jury Thursday that the company can't be held responsible for not using pollution controls that didn't yet exist, arguing the company has always reasonably controlled emissions of a toxic sterilization chemical based on what was known at the time.

  • February 27, 2025

    Feds Can't Dodge Firefighting Foam Suits Yet, SC Judge Rules

    A South Carolina federal judge on Thursday denied the U.S. government's push to escape dozens of suits over contamination allegedly stemming from its use of forever chemical-containing firefighting foams, saying cases involving a military base in New Mexico showed its global motion to dismiss to be inappropriate.

  • February 27, 2025

    Congress Prioritizes Enviro Regs On Nix List

    Congressional Republicans have lined up several actions that would undo Biden-era environmental initiatives, from water heater efficiency standards to a Clean Air Act amendment that laid the groundwork for grants that are now in the Trump administration's crosshairs.

  • February 27, 2025

    Ga. Developers Accused Of Polluting During Solar Farm Build

    A Floyd County, Georgia, couple has accused local developers of polluting streams and a lake on their property during the construction of a solar farm, in violation of the Clear Water Act.

  • February 27, 2025

    Feds Sued In Wash. For Denying Coastal Moth ESA Status

    President Donald Trump's administration was hit with a lawsuit on Wednesday in Washington federal court brought by a wildlife conservation group seeking Endangered Species Act protections for a Pacific Northwest moth facing a dwindling dune habitat amid coastal development and rising sea levels.

  • February 27, 2025

    Alsup Halts 'Illegal' Firings Of Probationary Federal Workers

    U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Thursday temporarily blocked the mass firings of probationary federal employees ordered by President Donald Trump's administration, determining that the Office of Personnel Management illegally directed government agencies to terminate the probationary employees without authority to do so from Congress.

  • February 27, 2025

    Congress Sends EPA Methane Fee Rule Repeal To Trump's Desk

    Congress on Thursday passed a resolution scrapping the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's imposition of a methane emissions fee on oil and gas companies, a move that may create uncertainty for industry as the fee remains legally mandated.

  • February 27, 2025

    Energy Co. Sued Over Rent, Radioactive Waste Disclosures

    A Brooklyn property owner and two companies accused National Grid of owing rent on the site of a former industrial facility and impeding their businesses by not telling them quickly enough that there were radioactive materials there.

  • February 26, 2025

    Trump Orders Fed Agencies To Plan For Large Layoffs

    The White House is telling federal agencies to submit plans for "large-scale" layoffs by mid-March, accusing them of siphoning funding for "unproductive and unnecessary programs" and "not producing results for the American public."

  • February 26, 2025

    Calif. AG's Hiring Of Lieff Cabraser In Climate Suit Challenged

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta improperly hired Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP to assist with the state's climate deception suit against fossil fuel companies when attorneys in his office were capable of handling the litigation, the union representing the public lawyers contended in a newly filed state court complaint.

  • February 26, 2025

    USDA Unlawfully Purged Climate Info, Advocacy Groups Say

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has illegally erased scores of data-rich webpages focused on climate change from its websites in a sudden action that denies farmers access to essential information as the country faces extreme weather patterns, according to a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.

  • February 26, 2025

    EPA's Enviro Justice Reset Upending Community Relations

    The Trump administration's undertaking to root out environmental justice staffers, programs and funding has sown confusion and ruptured relationships with communities that had worked more closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recent years.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Review Shipping Terms In Light Of These 3 Global Challenges

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Cos. Face Increasing Risk From Environmental Citizen Suits

    Author Photo

    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.

  • How BIS' Rule Seeks To Encourage More Voluntary Disclosure

    Author Photo

    Updated incentives, penalties and enforcement resources in the Bureau of Industry and Security's recently published final rule revising the Export Administration Regulations should help companies decide how to implement export control compliance programs and whether to disclose possible violations, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Navigating Complex Regulatory Terrain Amid State AG Races

    Author Photo

    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.

  • How The 2025 Tax Policy Debate Will Affect The Energy Sector

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Sublimit And Policy Interpretation Lessons From Amtrak Case

    Author Photo

    The recently settled dispute between Amtrak and its insurers over sublimit coverage illustrates that parties with unclear manuscript policies may wish to avoid litigation in favor of settlement — as the New York federal court declined to decide the case by applying prior term interpretations, says Laura Maletta at Chartwell Law.

  • 3rd Circ. Hertz Ruling Highlights Flawed Bankruptcy Theory

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Opinion

    This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process

    Author Photo

    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.

  • The Complex Challenges Facing Sustainable Food Packaging

    Author Photo

    More and more states are requiring recycled content to be used in product packaging, creating complex technological and regulatory considerations for manufacturers who must also comply with federal food safety requirements, say Peter Coneski and Natalie Rainer at K&L Gates.

  • Int'l Agreements Are Key For Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Series

    Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers

    Author Photo

    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.

  • How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future

    Author Photo

    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.

  • New Law May Move Calif. Toward Fashion Sustainability

    Author Photo

    California’s recently signed Responsible Textile Recovery Act seeks to increase sustainability innovation in the fashion industry, but it could also create compliance hurdles for brands, especially smaller fashion houses that do not have ample resources, say Warren Koshofer and Maggie Franz at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Conn. Court Split May Lead To Vertical Forum Shopping

    Author Photo

    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.

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!