Environmental

  • May 07, 2024

    Georgia Wants Green Groups' Feral Horses Suit Tossed

    The state of Georgia on Monday urged a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit brought by conservation groups who want state and federal authorities to remove feral horses they say are running rampant and endangering wildlife on Cumberland Island.

  • May 07, 2024

    Shell Violated Order By Refusing Docs, Enviro Group Says

    Shell Oil Co. violated a federal court order and civil procedure rules by raising "artificially restrictive and hypertechnical interpretations" of discovery demands in a Conservation Law Foundation Inc. lawsuit over the petroleum producer's preparedness for floods, the environmental watchdog group has told a Connecticut judge.

  • May 07, 2024

    Faegre Drinker Adds Business, Environmental Litigators In Pa.

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP expanded its Philadelphia office this week with the addition of two partners whose practices specialize in commercial and securities litigation and environmental law.

  • May 07, 2024

    Energy Dept. Says Red States Can't Block LNG Export Pause

    The U.S. Department of Energy has asked a Louisiana federal judge to toss a group of Republican-led states' lawsuit challenging a pause on reviewing applications to export liquefied natural gas to non-free trade agreement countries, saying the states have created a "false narrative" about the move.

  • May 07, 2024

    DC Circ. Boots Retired EPA Director's Age Bias Suit

    The D.C. Circuit declined Tuesday to revive a suit from a retired U.S. Environmental Protection Agency director who said she was pushed into a junior role to make way for younger workers, finding she couldn't pursue the case because she didn't lose benefits or pay.

  • May 06, 2024

    New EPA Policy Could Increase Criminal Enforcement

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rolled out a new policy intended to foster communication and coordination between its civil and criminal enforcement offices, a move experts say could result in an increase in criminal investigations and cases.

  • May 06, 2024

    US Thrashes Mexico's 'Inaccurate' Portrayal Of GMO Corn

    The United States has responded to Mexico's ban on imports of genetically modified corn, calling its portrayal of the risks of such crops an unscientific and "inaccurate" description as well as a violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

  • May 06, 2024

    Tribes, Groups Seek 9th Circ. Stay In Power Line Ruling

    Two Native American tribes and conservation groups are asking the Ninth Circuit for a stay on an order that allows work to continue on a $10 billion power line, saying that without an emergency injunction, SunZia Transmission LLC will race to finish erecting its remaining towers before an appeal can be resolved.

  • May 06, 2024

    Cabot Settles Investor Suit Over Groundwater Pollution Claims

    Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. and a class of investors have reached a settlement resolving allegations the company misrepresented its environmental regulatory compliance before faulty gas wells polluted Pennsylvania's water supplies.

  • May 06, 2024

    EPA Finalizes Methane Reporting Regs For Oil And Gas Cos.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday finalized revisions of its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program regulations for the oil and gas sector, the latest step taken by the Biden administration to clamp down on methane emissions from the industry.

  • May 06, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    A record $100 million settlement, a fishy Facebook decision, a canceled Amazon delivery and an upended $7.3 billion sale dispute topped the news out of Delaware's Court of Chancery last week. There were also new cases involving Hess, Microsoft and the 2022 World Cup.

  • May 06, 2024

    Feds Agree To Terminate Pipeline's Right-Of-Way Permit

    A New York federal judge has paused litigation between the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 75 days while the agency terminates a right-of-way permit for a wastewater pipeline, saying it is "in the interest of judicial economy" and recognizing the tribe's concerns.

  • May 06, 2024

    AIG Unit Will Arbitrate $20M Botched Tunnel Project Claims

    An AIG unit agreed to go to arbitration with a Michigan county's water resources agency and sewage disposal system over their claims they incurred more than $20 million in damages due to a design contractor's faulty work on a tunnel project.

  • May 06, 2024

    Texas Says EPA Methane Rule Would Burden Regulators

    The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's director of the Office of Air told the D.C. Circuit that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has grossly underestimated the cost of complying with its expanded methane emissions control requirements, and should therefore pause the rule's implementation.

  • May 06, 2024

    3 Firms Build $6.2B Take-Private Sale Of Allete Energy Biz

    A consortium of buyers led by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners unveiled plans Monday to buy and take private Minnesota-based energy company Allete Inc., in a $6.2 billion deal put together by at least three firms.

  • May 06, 2024

    Battery Startup Ambri Hits Ch. 11 With Lender Sale Plans

    Massachusetts battery developer Ambri Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware with over $50 million in liabilities and a credit bid stalking horse offer from a group of secured noteholders after fundraising efforts last year fell short.

  • May 03, 2024

    9th Circ. Orders 2nd Look At Stay In PG&E Wildfire Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday told a lower court to reconsider its order staying claims PG&E investors brought against officers, directors and others over wildfire liability, saying more factors should have been considered before the stay was granted.

  • May 03, 2024

    Navajo Ask Biden To Stop Uranium Movement On Tribal Lands

    The Navajo Nation's government leaders are calling on President Joe Biden to halt the transport of uranium ore across the tribe's reservation lands, arguing that the practice disregards its laws and threatens its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

  • May 03, 2024

    Nikola Ends Board Takeover Suit As Ex-CEO's Noms Withdraw

    An Arizona federal judge on Thursday agreed to toss Nikola Corp.'s complaint against its former CEO and convicted felon Trevor Milton and several others accusing them of an illegal board takeover by pushing unqualified candidates, after the defendants withdrew their board nominees and the parties amicably resolved the dispute.

  • May 03, 2024

    Fed Bill Will Give Ga. Its First Nat'l Park, Protect Burial Lands

    Georgia congressional lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation that would establish the Peach State's first national park, upgrading the site from its national monument status while also offering protections for more Native American burial mounds.

  • May 03, 2024

    Fla. Business Groups Line Up Behind State In CWA Permit War

    A coalition of national companies and Florida-based business groups is weighing in on behalf of the state in its battle to convince the D.C. Circuit to stay a lower court's ruling that stripped it of the authority to administer a Clean Water Act program.

  • May 03, 2024

    Honolulu Asks Justices To Affirm State Court Climate Case

    Honolulu on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject fossil fuel companies' bid to put an end to its lawsuit alleging they knew for decades about the negative impacts of their products on climate change but concealed the information.

  • May 03, 2024

    EU OKs Nippon-US Steel Deal As DOJ Causes Delayed Close

    The European Commission on Friday indicated via an annotation on its merger review page that it has given Nippon Steel's controversial $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel its unconditional approval, a move that comes just a day after the parties announced the deal would be delayed due to further scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • May 03, 2024

    DC Circ. Backs Feds' Puerto Rico Port Expansion Project

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the federal government's plans to broaden shipping lanes at Puerto Rico's largest port, rejecting arguments from a trio of environmental groups who accused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of failing to take the requisite hard look at the dredging project's environmental risks.

  • May 03, 2024

    Mass. Quarry Resolves AG's River Pollution Claims

    A lime quarry in western Massachusetts on Friday struck a $299,000 settlement with the state attorney general over wastewater discharges that allegedly turned the Hoosic River an eerie, cloudy white from bank to bank for 13 miles.

Expert Analysis

  • ESG Concerns Can No Longer Be Ignored In 2024

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    While the long wait for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ESG rule continues, government attention to regulations, increased litigation efforts and shareholder resolutions seeking transparency highlight the importance of placing an emphasis on ESG considerations, say attorneys at Wollmuth Maher.

  • How DOI Aims To Modernize Resource Damage Assessments

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    The U.S. Department of the Interior's recent proposal to redesign its Type A rule for conducting natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities could lead to a more streamlined, flexible assessment process that would benefit both natural resource trustees and potentially responsible parties, says Brian Ferrasci-O'Malley at Nossaman.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

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    Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • 5 Securities Litigation Issues To Watch In 2024

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    There is yet another exciting year ahead for securities litigation, starting with the U.S. Supreme Court hearing argument next week in a case presenting a key securities class action question that has eluded review for the last eight years, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Antitrust And ESG: Maximizing Targets, Ensuring Compliance

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    Jennifer McAlpin at Verizon and Michaela Spero at Amadeus consider the convergence of antitrust and environmental, social and corporate governance factors, providing an executive overview of areas to watch, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as practical implementation tips for general counsel.

  • Growing Green Tech Demand Spells Trouble For Groundwater

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    Increasing demand for green technology is depleting the groundwater reserves used to extract and process the necessary minerals, making a fundamental shift toward more sustainable water use practices necessary at both the state and federal levels, says Sarah Mangelsdorf at Goldberg Segalla.

  • What One Litigator Learned Serving On A Jury

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    Kilpatrick attorney April Isaacson shares insights for trial lawyers from her recent experience serving on a jury for the first time, including lessons about the impact of frequent sidebars, considerations for using demonstratives, the importance of clear jury instructions, and the unconscious habits that can drive jurors mad.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: South Africa

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    While South Africa has yet to mandate the reporting of nonfinancial and environmental, social, and corporate governance issues, policy documents and recent legislative developments are likely to have a material impact in the country's transition to a low-carbon economy and in meeting its international obligations, say Glynn Kent at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

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    As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Environmental Justice: A 2023 Recap And 2024 Forecast

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    A 2023 executive order directing each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission, as well as the many lawsuits and enforcement actions last year, demonstrates that EJ will increasingly surface in all areas of law and regulation, from technically challenging to seemingly ordinary permitting and construction matters, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

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    As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

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    Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

  • Food And Beverage Policy Trends Cos. Should Track In 2024

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    The list of legal issues food and beverage companies should watch out for in 2024 include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Human Foods Program, the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s salmonella proposal, Proposition 12 and more, say Bob Hibbert and Amaru Sánchez at Wiley.

  • How 2023 Shaped Drug And Medical Device Legal Trends

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    2023 brought a number of positive developments for the life sciences industry, including great trial and multidistrict litigation outcomes, but also some heavy-handed regulations and other concerning developments that lay the groundwork for significant litigation, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Opinion

    What Insurers Gain When Litigating Coverage Denials

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    Lately, insurance companies have denied coverage for lawsuits alleging liability relating to the ordinary operations of highly regulated businesses, such as those in the pharmaceutical and energy sectors — demonstrating time and again how litigation can be a vehicle for carriers to mitigate their own costs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

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