Environmental

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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."

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • August 28, 2024

    The Biggest Enviro Cases To Watch In 2024: Midyear Report

    Environmental attorneys can expect to see several developments in pending litigation during the remainder of 2024, including two cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear about Clean Water Act regulations for San Francisco and the extent of the federal government's authority as part of environmental reviews for projects. Here are some of the biggest cases to watch in the rest of 2024.

  • August 28, 2024

    Judge Stays Enbridge's Bid For Quick Win In Pipeline Fight

    Enbridge Energy's bid for a quick win in its challenge to Michigan over the company's Line 5 pipeline must wait until Michigan officials' appeal of a ruling to the Sixth Circuit that seeks to overturn an immunity order is resolved, a federal district court judge said.

  • August 28, 2024

    DC Circ. Rejects Challenges To Nuke Waste Storage Site

    A D.C. Circuit panel rejected a slew of challenges to federal regulators' approval of a temporary nuclear waste storage site in New Mexico, ruling that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was right to include forward-looking terms about federally owned spent nuclear fuel in the license.

  • August 27, 2024

    Enbridge, Mich. Battle Over Immunity Order In Pipeline Fight

    Enbridge Energy and Michigan are swapping barbs over whether a federal district court should defer a summary judgment ruling in favor of the company over its Line 5 pipeline or wait until the Sixth Circuit has decided the state's bid to overturn a decision that it's not immune from the litigation.

  • August 27, 2024

    Mich. Says Discovery Won't Save Dam Collapse Suits

    The state of Michigan has urged a judge to cut off discovery and end litigation over flooding caused by the collapse of the Edenville Dam, arguing that continuing to exchange information would be fruitless because it's already clear that the state didn't cause the disaster.

  • August 27, 2024

    Polluted Conn. Property Owner's Fraud Suit Deemed Too Late

    The former owner of a contaminated Connecticut industrial property waited too long to sue the company that bought the site in 1999 on claims that the buyer fraudulently transferred funds to avoid paying for environmental cleanup, a state court judge has ruled.

  • August 27, 2024

    Asbestos Claimants Tell 4th Circ. Bestwall Isn't Distressed

    The official committee of asbestos claimants in the Chapter 11 case of Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall told the Fourth Circuit that the company's bankruptcy should be tossed because commitments to fund asbestos liabilities by the parent mean the debtor isn't facing financial distress.

  • August 27, 2024

    Split 5th Circ. Revives Tesla's Case Over La. Sales Ban

    A split Fifth Circuit panel revived Tesla's case accusing Louisiana car dealers and regulators of illegally excluding the direct-sale automaker from the state, finding Tesla had done enough to survive dismissal by alleging a regulatory board that included competitors is biased against it.

  • August 27, 2024

    6th Circ. Upholds Diver's Sex Harassment Verdict

    The Sixth Circuit backed a jury's verdict in favor of a commercial diver who accused an environmental cleanup company of subjecting her to weeks of belittlement and harassment, finding she'd presented sufficient evidence demonstrating that supervisors and colleagues ostracized her because of her gender.

  • August 27, 2024

    Kirkland Adds Energy Regulatory Pro From Vinson & Elkins

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has hired a corporate attorney who worked at Vinson & Elkins LLP for 16 years as a partner in its energy regulatory practice group.

  • August 26, 2024

    Army Corps Looks To Trim Claims In Alaskan Gold Mine Row

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told an Alaska federal judge that most of the claims asserted by a small village that's trying to thwart an open pit gold mine can't be supported and should be dismissed.

  • August 26, 2024

    Banks' $20M Platinum Traders Antitrust Deal Gets Initial OK

    A New York federal judge preliminarily approved Saturday a $20 million deal to resolve a nearly decade-old putative class action alleging Goldman Sachs, German industrial company BASF and two other banks fixed platinum and palladium prices.

  • August 26, 2024

    Tetra Tech Accuses Atty Of Mistreating Witness In FCA Row

    Tetra Tech EC Inc. claimed that an attorney representing a developer accusing it of fraud had mistreated a witness during a deposition hearing, pressing a California federal court to order the release of recordings capturing the alleged misconduct.

  • August 26, 2024

    Funds Say Norfolk Southern Can't Ditch Derailment Fraud Suit

    Pension funds have told a Georgia federal judge that they've laid out in exacting detail their allegations that Norfolk Southern eroded safety standards by embarking on risky cost-cutting moves and slashing its workforce, culminating in last year's fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and ultimately backfiring on investors.

  • August 26, 2024

    Ex-Braves Tell 11th Circ. Easement Appeal Not Premature

    A partnership created by former Atlanta Braves players urged the Eleventh Circuit to review its $47 million conservation easement lawsuit, saying the IRS' motion to dismiss the appeal for premature filing was a mere attempt to sow confusion in the proceedings.

  • August 26, 2024

    Tribal And Salmon Groups To Intervene In Alaska Mining Suit

    An Alaska federal court judge will let 23 tribal groups and wilderness organizations intervene in a lawsuit over a mining proposal for a stretch of pristine salmon habitat in the Bristol Bay area, but has laid out conditions to keep the case quickly moving forward.

  • August 26, 2024

    Gov't Looks To Limit Arguments In Rail Merger Appeal

    The federal government urged the D.C. Circuit not to let a coalition of Illinois towns challenging the approval of Canadian Pacific's $31 billion merger with Kansas City Southern incorporate arguments made by Chicago's commuter rail system before the system dropped out of the case.

  • August 26, 2024

    GOP Sens. Applaud Removal Of Undersea Cable Hurdles

    Two Republican senators are celebrating the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's decision to press pause on requiring special permits for undersea cables to run through marine sanctuaries as a "major victory" after railing against red tape earlier this year.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Loper Bright v. Relentless decision brought an end to Chevron deference, Congress' unique delegation of discretionary authority to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will likely insulate it from the additional judicial scrutiny that other federal agencies will face, say Ryan Lighty and Scott Clausen at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy

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    The National Environmental Policy Act is central to the Biden administration's environmental justice agenda — but the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo casts doubt on the government's ability to rely on NEPA for this purpose, and a pending federal case will test the strategy's limits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

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    For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • What Cos. Should Know About New Global Plastics Regs

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    As the global regulatory landscape for plastics and recycling changes rapidly — with new policies coming into effect in California, at the federal level, in the European Union and at the United Nations — businesses that operate across jurisdictions must stay informed to remain compliant, mitigate legal risk and achieve stewardship goals, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • The Rise Of State And Local Environmental Leadership

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    While Congress is deadlocked, and a U.S. Supreme Court with a hostility toward the administrative state aggressively dismantles federal environmental oversight, state and local governments are stepping up with policies to shape a more sustainable future for all species, says Jonathan Rosenbloom at Albany Law School.

  • 5 Tips For Solar Cos. Navigating Big Shifts In US Trade Policy

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    Renewable energy developers can best mitigate new compliance risks from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s increased tariffs on imported solar cells, and simultaneously capitalize on Treasury Department incentives for domestic solar manufacturers, by following five best practices in the changing solar trade landscape, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Half-Truths Vs. Omissions: Slicing Justices' Macquarie Cake

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Macquarie v. Moab provides a road map for determining whether corporate reports that omit information should be considered misleading — and the court baked it into a dessert analogy that is key to understanding the guidelines, say Daniel Levy and Pavithra Kumar at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 3 Areas Of Enforcement Risk Facing The EV Industry

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    Companies in the EV manufacturing ecosystem are experiencing a boom in business, but with this boom comes increased regulatory and enforcement risks, from the corruption issues that have historically pervaded the extractive sector to newer risks posed by artificial intelligence, say attorneys at MoFo.

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