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Environmental
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January 27, 2025
Drone Co., Media Biz And Tire-Maker Announce SPAC Mergers
Three overseas companies spanning industries from drones to fashion media and tire manufacturing announced plans on Monday to go public in the U.S. by merging with special purpose acquisition companies in deals projected to exceed $1.1 billion in value, guided by at least eight law firms.
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January 27, 2025
Fed Fisheries Seek Win In Tide Gate Fight Over Salmon
The National Marine Fisheries Service has sought an early win in a suit by a county dike district challenging a U.S. government biological opinion that says a proposed tide gate project endangers salmon, telling a Washington federal judge that its ecological findings are reasonable.
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January 27, 2025
Norfolk Southern Can't Block Expert Testimony On Derailment
A railcar inspector with over 45 years of experience is clear to testify against Norfolk Southern in litigation over the 2023 train derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, a federal judge has ruled, rejecting the rail company's argument that he was not qualified to opine on certain train safety equipment.
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January 27, 2025
Holland & Hart Names New Senior Director Of Federal Affairs
Holland & Hart LLP said Monday that it is bolstering its federal affairs team with the addition of a lobbyist who previously led the energy and environment practice at Cassidy & Associates.
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January 27, 2025
Arnold & Porter Adds Former Interior Dept. Energy Solicitor
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP has hired the former deputy solicitor for energy and mineral resources at the U.S. Department of the Interior, who is joining the firm's D.C. team as a counsel, the firm announced Monday.
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January 27, 2025
Pipeline Cos. Tell DC Circ. FERC Project Review Is Solid
Companies behind a methane gas pipeline set to run between West Texas and Mexico are asking the D.C. Circuit to uphold the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of the project, which is being challenged by environmentalists.
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January 27, 2025
High Court Passes On Solar Project Fine Levied Without Jury
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the Vermont Supreme Court's ruling that the state Public Utility Commission has the authority to bypass a jury trial and unilaterally impose civil penalties on solar energy project backers that allegedly cleared land without a permit.
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January 24, 2025
Syngenta, Chevron Headed For October Paraquat Bellwether
An Illinois federal judge has set an October date for Syngenta and Chevron's first trial in a multidistrict litigation alleging that the pesticide paraquat causes Parkinson's disease, after the previous dismissal of trial-selected plaintiffs and the disqualification of an expert.
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January 24, 2025
Trump Admin Requests Justices Pause Three Energy Cases
The Trump administration on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to pause three cases so the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can review Biden-era regulatory decisions that may alter the government's legal positions.
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January 24, 2025
Ga. Judge Gives Tentative OK To $1M PFAS Deal
A federal judge gave preliminary approval to a $1 million settlement in a sprawling class action over forever chemicals allegedly released from a north Georgia textile plant, potentially ending the involvement of one of the half-dozen chemical companies in the suit.
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January 24, 2025
Trump Fires Inspectors General Without Notice
President Donald Trump fired more than a dozen inspectors general Friday night, some of whom he had appointed, prompting concerns from both sides of the aisle that the president had not followed legal protocol.
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January 24, 2025
Enviros Want To Reopen Yellowstone Bison Suit
An environmental group has asked a Montana federal court to reopen a case over the management of Native American tribes' bison hunting on public land near Yellowstone National Park, saying new analysis is needed to determine whether the United States' national mammal can now roam free.
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January 24, 2025
Trump Energy Order Disrupts High-Profile NEPA Cases
One of President Donald Trump's first energy-related executive orders is unsettling closely watched litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court and D.C. Circuit regarding the executive branch's power to implement the National Environmental Policy Act.
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January 24, 2025
Law Students Scramble As Federal Gov't Yanks Job Offers
Law students across the country are scrambling to figure out their next steps after a range of federal agencies yanked job and internship offers this week because of the new hiring freeze imposed by the Trump administration.
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January 24, 2025
US Steel Will Pay $6.1M To End Suit Over Pa. Plant's Dust
U.S. Steel will invest $4.6 million in efforts to reduce dust pollution from its Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock, Pennsylvania, and will pay another $1.5 million to be split among residents of six neighboring communities, under a class action settlement that a state judge gave his preliminary approval.
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January 24, 2025
10 AGs Target Major Banks Over DEI, ESG Initiatives
Major financial institutions in the United States, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, could have made business decisions to follow political agendas, attorneys general from 10 states said, urging them to tackle a series of questions about their diversity and inclusion policies.
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January 24, 2025
Norway's Orkla Selling Hydropower Portfolio In $545M Deal
Norwegian industrial investment company Orkla said Friday it has agreed to sell its entire hydropower portfolio in two separate transactions that value the portfolio at NOK 6.1 billion ($544.9 million).
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January 24, 2025
5th Circ. Won't Remand New Orleans Coastal Damage Suit
A Fifth Circuit panel denied New Orleans' bid to have a lawsuit alleging that Chevron, ExxonMobil and other pipeline companies damaged its coastal areas returned to a Pelican State court, affirming a decision that kept the litigation in federal courts as the companies requested.
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January 24, 2025
FBI 'Bait And Switch' Breached Suspect's Rights, Lawyer Says
FBI agents held an Israeli private investigator accused of hacking climate activists in custody without warning him of his right to remain silent, denying him a fair trial if he is extradited to the U.S., a lawyer testified in London on Friday.
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January 23, 2025
Atty Hit With TCPA Class Action Over Camp Lejeune Calls
A North Carolina plaintiffs firm was hit with a proposed class action accusing it of making unsolicited calls to a number on the National Do Not Call Registry in an effort to secure a client in the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune toxic drinking water case — at least the fourth firm to face similar claims.
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January 23, 2025
Davis Polk, Skadden Steer LNG Exporter's $1.8B IPO
Liquefied natural gas exporter Venture Global Inc. on Thursday priced an estimated $1.8 billion initial public offering within its downwardly revised range, represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and underwriters counsel Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.
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January 23, 2025
NJ Town Loses Bid To Join NYC Congestion Pricing Suit
A federal judge on Thursday rebuffed a bid from the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, to be heard in the ongoing litigation surrounding this month's implementation of the congestion pricing toll program in Manhattan.
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January 23, 2025
Suncor Says Enviro Groups' Suit Duplicates Gov't Enforcement
Suncor USA Inc. told a Colorado federal judge that environmentalists suing it for allegedly violating emissions standards have improperly tied their claims to events that are already resolved or are being investigated by federal and state governments.
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January 23, 2025
Federal Agencies Must Order Full Return To Office By Friday
Federal agencies will order employees to return to the office by Friday at 5 p.m. to end the "national embarrassment" that remote work policies have fueled, the Office of Personnel Management said, following President Donald Trump's executive order.
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January 23, 2025
NC Biogas Co. Sidesteps Sanctions For Now In Lender Fight
A North Carolina Business Court judge held back on sanctioning a biogas company for allegedly violating a court order to pay its lender before pursuing new contracts on a renewable energy project, reasoning that he needs more information about the terms of the agreement to see if a contempt ruling is warranted.
Expert Analysis
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The Ethics of Using Generative AI In Environmental Law
The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools is challenging environmental lawyers, consultants and government agencies to determine when and how these tools can be responsibly, ethically and productively integrated into their practices to streamline research, predictive analytics and regulatory compliance, say Ahlia Bethea and Pamela Esterman at Sive Paget.
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Carbon Offset Case A Win For CFTC Enviro Fraud Task Force
An Illinois federal court's decision in Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Ikkurty — earning the CFTC a sizeable monetary award that will likely incentivize similar enforcement pursuit — shows the impact of the commission's Environmental Fraud Task Force, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Opinion
Toxic Water Case Shows Need For Labeling To Protect Kids
A recent case involving contaminated alkaline water that inflicted severe liver damage on children underscores the risks that children can face from products not specifically targeted to them, and points to the need for stricter labeling standards for all bottled water, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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What To Expect From Evolving Wash. Development Plans
The current round of periodic updates to Washington counties' growth and development plans will need to address new requirements from recent legislation, and will also likely bring changes that should please property owners and developers, says Jami Balint at Seyfarth.
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Series
Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.
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Brownfield Questions Surround IRS Tax Credit Bonus
Though the IRS has published guidance regarding the Inflation Reduction Act's 10% adder for tax credits generated by renewable energy projects constructed on brownfield sites, considerable guesswork remains as potential implications seem contrary to IRS intentions, say Megan Caldwell and Jon Micah Goeller at Husch Blackwell.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Energy And AI: Key Issues And Future Challenges
Artificial intelligence promises new technical advantages for the energy industry, but it is also responsible for vast, and growing, energy consumption — so the future of AI and energy will require balancing technological advancement with regulatory oversight, environmental responsibility and infrastructure development, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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From Muppet Heads To OJ's Glove: How To Use Props At Trial
Demonstrative graphics have become so commonplace in the courtroom that jurors may start to find them boring, but attorneys can keep jurors engaged and improve their recall by effectively using physical props at trial, says Clint Townson at Townson Consulting.
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Opinion
The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address
A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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Opinion
It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union
As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act
In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.