Expert Analysis

• Some Client Speculations On AI And The Law Firm Biz Model

  

  Generative artificial intelligence technologies will put pressure on the business of law as it is structured currently, but clients may end up with more price certainty for legal services, and lawyers may spend more time being lawyers, says Jonathan Cole at Melody Capital.

• Revenue Sharing Argument Might Save Barrick In 401(k) Case

  

  During recent oral arguments before the Tenth Circuit, Barrick Gold presented revenue sharing as an obvious alternative explanation for the selection of higher-cost share classes in its ex-workers’ 401(k) plan, establishing that dismissal of the case would be consistent with U.S. Supreme Court pleading standard precedent, say Emily Costin and Blake Crohan at Alston & Bird.

• EPA's New Rule On Power Plant GHGs Won't End Litigation

  

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent proposal for limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's power plants would use new approaches to reduce carbon pollution in the coming years — but it is unlikely it will end the legal wrangling over climate change mitigation measures, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

• Environmental Diligence Is Crucial When Buying Biofuel Cos.

  

  As momentum for mergers and acquisitions transactions within the biofuels industry continues to grow, potential buyers must not neglect proper diligence and thoughtful negotiation regarding environmental attributes generated in connection with the target's products and production process, says Victoria Sitz at Husch Blackwell.

• Cos. Can't Ignore Growing Calls For ESG Transparency

  

  Although ESG-related shareholder resolutions over fossil fuel investments haven't yet been adopted at most major banks, the increasing frequency of these resolutions — and the growing shareholder support for them — show that demands for adherence to ESG principles are here to stay, say attorneys at Wollmuth Maher.

• What An ICJ Climate Opinion Could Mean For Gov'ts, Cos.

  

  The United Nations General Assembly's recent request to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on states' climate obligations could result in either a conservative finding that merely restates existing international law commitments, or a comprehensive regime with major implications for governments and businesses, say attorneys at Curtis Mallet-Prevost.

• A Lawyer's Guide To Approaching Digital Assets In Discovery

  

  The booming growth of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens has made digital assets relevant in many legal disputes but also poses several challenges for discovery, so lawyers must garner an understanding of the technology behind these assets, the way they function, and how they're held, says Brett Sager at Ehrenstein Sager.

• Opinion

  High Court's Ethics Statement Places Justices Above The Law

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court justices' disappointing statement on the court's ethics principles and practices reveals that not only are they satisfied with a status quo in which they are bound by fewer ethics rules than other federal judges, but also that they've twisted the few rules that do apply to them, says David Janovsky at the Project on Government Oversight.

• G7 Russia Restrictions May Further Complicate Compliance

  

  New sanctions and export controls announced at the G7 summit targeting parties that help Russia circumvent existing restrictions signal continued multilateral commitment to intensifying economic pressure on Russia, and underscore the increasing compliance challenges for companies that pursue Russia-related opportunities, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• Assessing The Reach Of 9th Circuit's Natural Gas Ruling

  

  The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in California Restaurant Association v. Berkeley, affirming that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act preempts certain state and local natural gas bans, may chill other efforts to limit usage of natural gas and raises important questions for utility companies, natural gas consumers and policymakers to consider, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

• Calif.'s Clean Truck Regulations Fuel Uncertainty

  

  California's recently adopted Advanced Clean Fleet regulation will phase out medium- and heavy-duty internal combustion trucks — but it has left the regulated community with many questions regarding cost, charging infrastructure and even replacement vehicle availability, says David Smith at Manatt.

• Opinion

  Time For Law Schools To Rethink Unsung Role Of Adjuncts

  

  As law schools prepare for the fall 2023 semester, administrators should reevaluate the role of the underappreciated, indispensable adjunct, and consider 16 concrete actions to improve the adjuncts' teaching experience, overall happiness and feeling of belonging, say T. Markus Funk at Perkins Coie, Andrew Boutros at Dechert and Eugene Volokh at UCLA.

• Investment Arbitration May Aid Stakeholders In Russian Cos.

  

  Though Russian countermeasures against international sanctions have caused many foreign investors' assets to become trapped in Russia, arbitration mechanisms provide investors with opportunities to recover significant monetary damages for their losses, say Eric Leikin and Photeine Lambridis at Freshfields.

• Opinion

  Mexican Law Amendment Could Stifle Mining Activity

  

  A recent amendment to Mexico's mining law endorses a series of drastic changes, including reduction of the duration of mining concessions and establishment of a public bidding process, which could result in costly burdens for both domestic and foreign investors, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• Opinion

  Duty To Oversee ESG Risks Would Erode Biz Judgment Rule

  

  Imposing a duty to oversee ESG business risks on directors and officers is the exact kind of second-guessing that the business judgment rule is supposed to protect against, and it could expose corporate leaders to ruinous liability and disincentivize serving on public company boards, say Stephen Leitzell and Richard Horvath at Dechert.