Transportation

February 19, 2025
EV Maker Nikola Hits Bankruptcy After Battery Recall

Nikola Corp., maker of electric and hydrogen-powered trucks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday in Delaware, listing about $98 million of funded debt and blaming a sprawling battery pack recall for its financial troubles.
February 18, 2025
Delta Crash In Toronto, FAA Firings Upend Aviation Industry

The harrowing crash of a Delta Air Lines passenger jet in Toronto on Monday, during which the plane caught fire, skidded across the runway with its wings broken off and flipped upside down, has upended an industry already rocked by a string of U.S. aviation accidents in the past month.
February 18, 2025
Pandemic No Excuse To Alter $150M Notes, Alter Domus Says

An auto parts magnate and his manufacturing company should not get away with using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for changing promissory notes worth $150 million in ways that deflated their value, lending agent Alter Domus LLC asserted in Michigan federal court Tuesday.
February 18, 2025
Trump Exec Order Expands Control Over Independent Agencies

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to limit the autonomy of independent agencies such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Communications Commission by requiring them to submit draft regulations for presidential review.
February 18, 2025
Bath & Body Works Sues Over 'Abysmal' Fulfillment Service

Bath & Body Works filed suit Tuesday against a commercial fulfillment vendor that allegedly provided "abysmal service" for years at its Atlanta-area fulfillment center before rejecting Bath & Body Works' attempts to terminate its service contract, refusing to cooperate on a transition and rushing to forum shop in a related lawsuit.
February 18, 2025
Limited FERC Pipeline Review Makes No Sense, DC Circ. Told

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had no evidence to support its finding that the pipeline it chose to review only a 1,000-foot section of would transport only Texas-produced gas, the environmentalists trying to force a review of the full pipeline project told the D.C. Circuit.
February 18, 2025
EPA Gives Congress A Chance To Sink Calif. Auto Waivers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has offered Congress a chance to revoke Biden-era authorizations that allow California to issue its own vehicle emissions standards, something the Golden State said hasn't been done before and has unclear chances of success.
February 18, 2025
Exxon, Koch Lose Bid To End Minn. Climate Change Suit

A Minnesota state judge on Friday largely preserved the state's lawsuit alleging Exxon Mobil Corp., Koch Industries Inc. and the American Petroleum Institute concealed the climate change risks of fossil fuels, rejecting arguments that the case was a matter of federal, not state, law.
February 18, 2025
Engine Co. Says Plane Crash Appeal Is Matter For NC Panel

Aviation companies Avco Corp. and its subsidiary Lycoming Engines are urging a North Carolina appeals court to take up their bid seeking immunity from a civil lawsuit filed by families of victims killed in a 2015 plane crash, arguing that allowing a trial to go forward would cause "irreparable harm."
February 18, 2025
Car Dealer Can't Depose Government In 'Deceptive' Price Suit

A Nissan dealer cannot depose the Federal Trade Commission or the state of Connecticut in a dual enforcement action alleging that it charged consumers "deceptive" price add-ons, a federal magistrate judge has ruled, agreeing that the government had already provided all relevant discovery or was planning to do so.
February 18, 2025
DC Midair Collision Family Brings $250M Claims Against Gov't

The family of a passenger killed in last month's midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a military helicopter put the federal government on notice that they're pursuing $250 million in personal injury and wrongful death claims over the accident, attorneys for the family said Tuesday.
February 18, 2025
Transportation Group Of The Year: O'Melveny

O'Melveny & Myers LLP helped Alaska Airlines obtain regulatory approval for its $1.9 billion merger with Hawaiian Airlines, securing not only a rare consolidation in the aviation industry but also landing the firm a spot among the 2024 Law360 Transportation Groups of the Year.
February 18, 2025
3 Firms Build $1.34B New England Car Dealership Sale

Asbury Automotive Group Inc. on Tuesday unveiled plans to acquire various automotive dealerships from The Herb Chambers Cos. in a $1.34 billion deal built by three law firms.
February 18, 2025
Plaintiffs Atty Flags 'Worst' Parts Of Georgia's Tort Reform

A ban on proposing damages amounts to juries in order to "anchor" them, and easier access to two-phase trials, are the worst parts of a proposed "sweeping" tort reform package being pushed heavily by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, according to a prominent plaintiffs attorney.
February 14, 2025
Demise Of Humphrey's Executor Could Sow Chaos At FERC

The Trump administration's quest to expand the president's firing authority over members of independent agencies paints a target on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that would create instability within the energy industry if at-will removal of commissioners becomes a reality.
February 14, 2025
Old Permits Irrelevant To Pollution Controls, Texas Justices Say

The Texas Supreme Court said that previous emissions permits have no bearing on the definition of the best available pollution control technology for new projects, weighing in on a Fifth Circuit dispute over a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Port Arthur, Texas.
February 14, 2025
EPA Fires Hundreds Of Employees, Cuts Millions In Contracts

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday kept up the pace of cuts to staffing and spending, firing 388 probationary workers and canceling $60 million in contracts related to diversity, equity and inclusion and environmental justice programs.
February 14, 2025
NTSB Probes Faulty Helicopter Data In DC Collision

The National Transportation Safety Board said that the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in last month's deadly midair collision over the Potomac River may not have heard crucial instructions from air traffic controllers and may have been getting inaccurate readings from the cockpit's altimeters.
February 14, 2025
Ford Hit With $2.5B Punitive Verdict In Truck Roof Deaths Suit

A Georgia federal jury hit Ford Motor Co. with a $2.5 billion punitive damages verdict a day after jurors found the automaker liable for the wrongful death of a couple who died in a rollover wreck of their Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup.
February 14, 2025
Illinois Vs. The Internet: IP Suits Over Online Sales Stir Debate

Brands have unleashed a torrent of lawsuits across the U.S. that group dozens of online sellers into a single complaint for allegedly peddling counterfeit products, with Chicago emerging as the preferred venue for the litigation and inspiring a local federal judge to declare it has become "Illinois vs. The Internet."
February 14, 2025
Mich. Panel Decides Where The Sidewalk Begins In Fall Suit

The city of Detroit must face a premises liability case from a resident who fell on a portion of crumbled curb, a Michigan state appeals court has said, finding the curb should be considered part of the sidewalk and therefore under the city's jurisdiction to maintain.
February 14, 2025
Nonprofit Not Covered For Palestine Protest Suit, Insurer Says

An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify a social justice organization against a proposed class action concerning a Chicago protest in support of Palestine, telling a New York federal court the allegations against the Westchester County foundation don't fall within its policies' scopes of coverage.
February 14, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen Spice Girls star Mel B's ex-husband bring a defamation claim against the publisher of The Sun, a hotel sue a former director convicted of embezzling its funds for breach of fiduciary duty, and comedian Russell Brand face a sexual abuse claim. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
February 13, 2025
Trump Picks Atty Who Worked At Apple To Head NHTSA

President Donald Trump has tapped Jonathan Morrison, an attorney with an automotive background who most recently worked at Apple Inc., to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to a recent U.S. Senate filing.
February 13, 2025
Bus Co. Sues NYC For 'Frivolous' Migrant Busing Suit

Roadrunner Charters told the Southern District of New York that New York City's complaint seeking $708 million from it and 16 other charter bus companies for transporting migrants from Texas to New York was "unprecedented and frivolous," and violated its constitutional rights.

Expert Analysis

Trump's Energy Plans For Generation, Transmission And More

The executive orders and presidential memoranda issued by President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration, unwinding the Biden administration's energy policies and encouraging development of fossil fuels, may have significant impacts on the generation mix, electric transmission construction and the state regulatory environment, say attorneys at Polsinelli.
What Nearshoring Growth In Americas Means For Patents

With the new U.S. administration potentially focused on implementing draconian trade restrictions, nearshoring in the Americas is expected to grow, and patent prosecution attorneys will be kept on their toes as the patent landscape from country to country continues to evolve, says Ernest Huang at Procopio.
Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2025

The critical policy milestones for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances expected in 2025 will not only shape the trajectory of PFAS regulation, but also set key precedents for environmental accountability, potentially reshaping the corporate approach to these "forever chemicals" for decades to come, say attorneys at MG+M.
UPS Penalty Demonstrates Goodwill Impairment Red Flags

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent $45 million penalty against UPS for withholding reports of goodwill impairment should warn investors to watch for the telltale signs of companies inflating their worth by delaying tests that would reveal similar declines in the value of intangible assets, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.
Series

Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
High Court Unlikely To Expand FSIA In Holocaust Asset Fight

Not surprisingly for a court where the majority are strict textualists, the U.S. Supreme Court justices appear poised to rule in favor of Hungary in Republic of Hungary v. Simon, reaffirming the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act as a narrow exception to jurisdiction, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.
The Fed. Circ. In 2024: 5 Major Rulings To Know

In 2024, the Federal Circuit provided a number of important clarifications to distinct areas of patent law – including design patent obviousness, expert testimony admissions and patent term adjustments – all of which are poised to have an influence going forward, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.
Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
Proactively Managing Tariff Impacts On Megaprojects

President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs may compound the complexity, duration and risks associated with financing and building large-scale infrastructure projects — so owners and contractors should plan to take possible tariff-related cost and schedule overruns into account when drafting contracts, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
New York Climate Superfund Law May Face Preemption Fight

New York state's new climate superfund law highlights a growing trend of states supplementing their climate litigation efforts with legislative initiatives — but it will likely encounter the same federal preemption questions raised about state and local lawsuits seeking redress for climate harms, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
Series

Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.
Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.