Environmental

  • March 18, 2025

    Trump Admin Asks 4th Circ. To Halt Employee Rehiring Order

    The Trump administration on Monday evening asked the Fourth Circuit for an emergency stay of a Maryland federal judge's restraining order requiring the reinstatement of probationary employees who were fired from 18 federal agencies, saying the suing states don't have standing to represent the fired workers.

  • March 18, 2025

    6th Circ. Panel Torn On Reviving Chevy Cruze Emissions Suit

    A Sixth Circuit panel wrestled Tuesday with whether it is precedent-bound to revive claims that General Motors misled car buyers about the emissions of Chevrolet Cruze vehicles marketed as having "clean" diesel engines.

  • March 18, 2025

    Enbridge, Whitmer Spar Over Immunity In Line 5 Lawsuit

    A lawyer for Michigan's governor faced tough questioning Tuesday from a three-judge Sixth Circuit panel considering her request to toss Enbridge Energy LP's lawsuit over the Line 5 pipeline, though a judge also suggested that the company's requested relief in the case was "extraordinarily broad."

  • March 18, 2025

    Army Corps' Permit For Offshore Fish Farms Is Voided

    A Washington federal court judge set aside as unlawful a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' nationwide permit intended to speed up offshore aquaculture through the construction of industrial-size facilities in federal ocean waters off the country's eastern and western coasts.

  • March 18, 2025

    Duke Energy Says NC Town Can't Pin Climate Harms On It

    Duke Energy Corp. has asked a North Carolina state court judge to dismiss a town's lawsuit accusing the company of a decades-long "deception campaign" about climate change.

  • March 18, 2025

    DC Circ. Gives FERC Chance To Redo LNG Project Approvals

    The D.C. Circuit Tuesday said it would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to fix problems in its reauthorizations for two natural gas projects in Texas, revising an August 2024 decision vacating the reauthorizations altogether after the commission said President Donald Trump's revocation of environmental orders should clear them.

  • March 18, 2025

    NRC Says Texas Reactor Licensing Suit Is In The Wrong Court

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants a Texas federal judge to toss a lawsuit claiming the agency doesn't have the authority to license small-scale nuclear reactors, saying not only is the suit meritless, but it was also brought in the wrong court.

  • March 18, 2025

    BlackRock Calls Red States' Suit Over Coal Prices 'Farfetched'

    BlackRock Inc. and two other large asset managers have urged a Texas federal judge to toss claims brought by a coalition of Republican-led states alleging the firms ran a scheme to drive up coal prices as part of an "investment cartel," saying the case "spins a farfetched theory."

  • March 18, 2025

    NY Can't Escape Rail Cos. Challenge To 'Waste By Rail' Law

    Railway and recycling industry groups can proceed with their challenge to a New York law that requires coverings be placed over solid waste when transported by rail within the state, a federal judge has said, as they have plausibly claimed that the state law is preempted by federal law.

  • March 18, 2025

    Fate Of Boston Women's Soccer Stadium Turns On Site Status

    Opponents of a $200 million project to turn a decrepit 75-year-old stadium into the home of a new professional women's soccer team at a historic Boston park urged a judge on Tuesday to find that officials have failed to follow a state law intended to preserve public parks.

  • March 18, 2025

    Haynes Boone Grows Enviro Practice With EPA Vet In Dallas

    Haynes Boone has bulked up its environmental practice group with a partner in Dallas who brings nearly a decade of experience as a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lawyer, the firm said this week.

  • March 18, 2025

    Simpson Thacher Gains Securitization Expert In NY

    A former Vinson & Elkins LLP aviation finance practice co-head has joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as a New York partner, the firm said Tuesday.

  • March 18, 2025

    Savannah Wants 3M PFAS Pollution Suit Back In State Court

    Savannah's lawsuit against 3M Inc. and others over the "forever chemical" contamination of its drinking water should remain in Georgia state court, the city argued in an emergency bid, saying the company wants to push the municipality into a "judicial purgatory."

  • March 18, 2025

    Ancora Wants US Steel Meeting Delayed After Blocked Sale

    U.S. Steel Corp. shareholder Ancora Holdings Group on Tuesday urged the company's board to delay its upcoming 2025 annual meeting of shareholders until more information comes out about the company's blocked $14.9 billion deal with Japan's Nippon Steel Corp.

  • March 17, 2025

    Toyota Seeks Exit From Investors' Emission Tests Fraud Suit

    Toyota Motor Corp. has asked a California federal judge to dump a proposed class action alleging it deceived investors by failing to thoroughly investigate reports of falsified vehicle certification data, saying the plaintiffs have twisted executives' public statements to inflate their securities fraud claims.

  • March 17, 2025

    Savannah Sues Over PFAS Pollution In River

    Numerous chemical and manufacturing companies, including 3M and DuPont, tainted the water supply of the city of Savannah, Georgia, with "forever chemicals" despite knowing for decades the dangers these substances pose, according to a lawsuit removed to federal court.

  • March 17, 2025

    Amazon Hit With Greenwashing Suit Over Paper Products

    Consumers in four different states have launched a proposed class action against Amazon in Washington federal court, accusing the retail giant of greenwashing its claims about its "Basics" line of paper products and misleading buyers about the sustainability of products whose supply chains are in fact "deeply unsustainable."

  • March 17, 2025

    LA Settles Suit Over Port's Alleged Pollutant Discharges

    Los Angeles and an environmental nonprofit announced they have settled a Clean Water Act suit filed this past summer in federal court that accused the city of violating its wastewater discharge permit by exceeding limits on dangerous pollutants dispersed into the San Pedro Bay.

  • March 17, 2025

    Insurer Drops Claims That Lamp Cos.' Negligence Caused Fire

    A Detroit cannabis farm and its insurance company have agreed to drop a lawsuit alleging a host of lighting and gardening equipment manufacturers negligently designed and marketed their products, after a grow lamp malfunction led to a fire that caused more than $8.5 million of damage at a grow facility.

  • March 17, 2025

    Calif. Panel Sides With Tribe In Hotel Construction Fight

    A California appeals panel has sided with a Native American tribe in its decision to reverse a lower court ruling and invalidate the city of Clearlake's approval of a hotel project on what was tribal land, finding that the city failed to comply with a state environmental law.

  • March 17, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Halt Federal Workers Reinstatement Order

    A divided Ninth Circuit panel on Monday denied President Donald Trump's administration an immediate administrative stay of a California district court order requiring reinstatement of some probationary federal workers fired from six agencies, the majority saying a pause "would disrupt the status quo and turn it on its head."

  • March 17, 2025

    Vague Settlement Can't Free Insurer From Asbestos Claims

    An insurer that says its policies' limits were exhausted while paying over $5 million toward an asbestos injury settlement on behalf of BNSF Railway failed to show it actually went over its limits, a Texas appeals court found. 

  • March 17, 2025

    Union, Green Groups Fight EPA Bid To Redo Biden TSCA Rule

    Labor unions and green groups are asking the D.C. Circuit to reject the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's bid to reconsider a Biden-era rule that strengthened regulations to assess chemicals' health and environmental risks.

  • March 17, 2025

    FERC Grid Upgrade Fight Has DC Circ. Judges Flummoxed

    D.C. Circuit judges appeared to struggle Monday with how to determine ownership of new grid upgrades needed for a Michigan solar farm as they consider a transmission company's challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's refusal to grant it sole ownership.

  • March 17, 2025

    NJ Offshore Wind Farm Permit Pulled Over Trump Orders

    An environmental permit for a wind power facility off the New Jersey shore has been sent back to regulators for reconsideration in light of President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily halting all offshore wind leases for review, according to a federal environmental appeals board order.

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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