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Energy
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June 03, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Delaware's Court of Chancery pushed out tons of decisions last week, along with a second round of new rules and letters of concern over pending changes to the state's corporate law code. The court's docket was as busy as ever, with new cases involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FTX cryptocurrency claims, and more. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.
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June 03, 2024
FERC Tells Justices Not To Review Rule Passed By Deadlock
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to disturb a Third Circuit decision upholding an electricity market rule change that took effect despite a commissioner deadlock, arguing the lower court got it right and that any market upheaval concerns are unfounded.
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June 03, 2024
States Say Biden Admin's LNG Export Pause Is Actually A Ban
A coalition of Republican-led states is urging a Louisiana federal court not to toss its lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's pause on reviewing applications to export liquefied natural gas to countries without free trade agreements, saying the pause effectively amounts to a ban because no timeline is provided.
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June 03, 2024
Justices Won't Mull Worker-Friendly Ruling On Preshift Pay
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a case asking how to decide when an employer must pay employees for time they spend on preshift tasks that are necessary for them to do their jobs.
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June 01, 2024
Blockbuster Summer: 10 Big Issues Justices Still Must Decide
As the calendar flips over to June, the U.S. Supreme Court still has heaps of cases to decide on issues ranging from trademark registration rules to judicial deference and presidential immunity. Here, Law360 looks at 10 of the most important topics the court has yet to decide.
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May 31, 2024
FirstEnergy Denied Bid To Boost Objection To Discovery Order
An Ohio federal judge on Friday denied FirstEnergy Corp.'s objections to not having a chance to further support its bid to shield internal investigative documents from a class of investors and two of its indicted former executives, saying the objections are moot because they've already been overruled.
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May 31, 2024
Nord Stream 2 Says EU Pipeline Regs Violate Int'l Law
The Russian majority-owned company behind the development of a politically sensitive natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany has resumed its efforts to convince an international tribunal that the European Union's "sole objective" in amending regulations for the natural gas market was to complicate the pipeline project.
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May 31, 2024
Chancery Dismisses Pipeline Co. Merger Side-Deal Suit
An Energy Transfer LP subsidiary lost a Delaware Court of Chancery suit on Friday accusing four former officers of reaching a secret side deal with a pipeline company for construction of a costly, high-pressure natural gas pipeline, in a decision that also tossed arbitration challenges.
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May 31, 2024
Russia Says Arbitrators Don't Get Final Word In $50B Suit
Russia has asked the D.C. Circuit to revive its sovereign immunity claim in litigation seeking to enforce $50 billion in arbitral awards against it, arguing it never said arbitrators could have the final word on whether it agreed to arbitrate with former Yukos Oil Co. shareholders.
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May 31, 2024
States, Energy Organizations Urge Demise Of EPA Water Rule
Conservative-leaning states and energy industry groups have asked a Louisiana federal judge to strike down the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule broadening states' and tribes' power to veto projects like pipelines, export terminals and dams over water quality concerns.
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May 31, 2024
State Climate Superfund Laws Will Face Fossil Fuel Fightback
A first-of-its-kind law in Vermont will impose Superfund-like liability and cleanup tabs on fossil fuel companies for climate change-related damages, though legal experts predict the industry will fight such laws as fiercely as it's fought climate tort lawsuits brought by state and local governments.
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May 31, 2024
Texas Appeals Court Revives Suit Over Drilling Near Homes
A Texas appeals court has partially revived a lawsuit brought by an environmental group against a city that approved a gas drilling zone near residential homes, finding Thursday that the trial court has jurisdiction over alleged violations of a state law regulating government meetings.
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May 31, 2024
Venezuela Can't DQ Special Master As Citgo Auction Looms
Venezuela has again fallen short in its efforts to disqualify the special master overseeing the auction of Citgo's parent company to satisfy billions of dollars worth of the country's debt, after a Delaware judge ruled on Friday afternoon that its motivations behind the motion are "suspect."
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May 31, 2024
Musk, Tesla Board Face Suit Over Insider Trades, SEC Order
A Tesla stockholder has launched a derivative lawsuit in Delaware's Chancery Court seeking damages from co-founder Elon Musk and seven company directors over Musk's sales of more than $7.5 million in shares in late 2022, accusing the billionaire of leveraging insider information and flouting a six-year-old federal consent agreement.
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May 31, 2024
White & Case-Led Aramco Unveils $11.9B Stock Offering Plans
Saudi Arabian state-backed oil giant Aramco has set a price range on a potential $11.9 billion stock offering, guided by White & Case LLP and underwriters counsel Latham & Watkins LLP, launching a massive stock sale five years after its record-breaking debut.
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May 31, 2024
Ohio's Jailed Ex-Speaker Denies Misusing Campaign Funds
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder on Friday pled not guilty to misappropriating his campaign funds to cover legal fees for the notorious bribery scandal that landed him a 20-year prison sentence.
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May 31, 2024
Fuel Producers Should Apply ASAP For Tax Credit, IRS Says
Fuel producers hoping to start claiming the clean fuel production credit as soon as January should register with the Internal Revenue Service by July 15, the agency said Friday, warning that registration applications made after that date are less likely to go through in time.
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May 31, 2024
In Rarity, 1 Party's Judges Gain 100% Control Of Circuit Bench
At the First Circuit, the judges' robes are all black, but the judges are all blue. It's a new and unusual instance of one political party's judicial picks controlling each active seat on a federal appeals court, and the Democratic dominance could prove magnetic for ideologically charged litigation.
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May 30, 2024
Ex-Citgo Execs Jailed In Venezuela For 5 Years File $400M Suit
Two brothers who both served as Citgo vice presidents filed a $400 million suit in Texas on Thursday accusing their former employer of conspiring with Venezuela's authoritarian government to falsely convict them of financial crimes, resulting in their wrongful imprisonment of nearly five years.
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May 30, 2024
9th Circ. Reopens Mandatory Security Check Wage Fight
The Ninth Circuit on Thursday largely revived a proposed wage class action by a subcontractor who sought to be paid for undergoing mandatory security checks and vehicle inspections at a solar project site, following the California Supreme Court's ruling that found the time to be compensable as "hours worked."
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May 30, 2024
Swedish Appeals Court Sets Aside €10.6M Italy Award
An appeals court in Sweden has this week set aside a €10.6 million ($11.48 million) arbitral award issued to a Dutch renewable energy firm after Italy dialed back economic incentives for the renewable energy industry, saying the award violates European Union law.
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May 30, 2024
Venezuelan Oil Co. Looks To Slip Asset Seizure Suit
An Oklahoma-based oil drilling company insisted Thursday that the D.C. federal court has jurisdiction to decide claims that the company's Venezuelan subsidiary was illegally expropriated without compensation as Venezuela's state-owned oil company looks to slip the long-running suit.
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May 30, 2024
BNSF Says It Owes Tribe Up To $30M For Oil Train Trespasses
BNSF Railway Co. said Wednesday it should pay a Washington tribe either $10 million or $30 million for years of illegally running oil cars across tribal territory, after a federal judge rejected both the railroad's $7 million and the tribe's $445 million calculations.
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May 30, 2024
Pipe Co. Says Appeals Court Erred In Indemnity Claim Waiver
A steel pipe manufacturer asked Texas' Supreme Court to scrap an appellate court ruling it waived its ability to challenge a trial court order requiring it to defend another manufacturer in a multimillion-dollar suit over faulty pipes, saying the appellate panel should have concluded the company was challenging the decision.
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May 30, 2024
Gas Station Chain Owes Wash. Tax For In-Network Sales
A Pacific Northwest gas station chain that issued fuel cards to customers must pay the Washington state business and occupation tax when holders of those cards purchase gas from other participating gas station chains, a Washington appeals court panel found, partially upholding the trial court.
Expert Analysis
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DOE Funding And Cargo Preference Compliance: Key Points
Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy will disburse more than $62 billion in financing for innovative energy projects — and recipients must understand their legal obligations related to cargo preference, so they can develop compliance strategies as close to project inception as possible, say attorneys at White & Case.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Tips For Balanced Board Oversight After A Cyberincident
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity disclosure rules, as well as recent regulatory enforcement actions bringing board governance under scrutiny, continue to push boards toward active engagement in relation to their cyber-oversight role, despite it being unclear what a board's level of involvement should be, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Cos. Must Prepare For Calif. Legislation That Would Ban PFAS
Pending California legislation that would ban the sale or distribution of new products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances could affect thousands of businesses — and given the bill's expected passage, and its draconian enforcement regime, companies must act now to prepare for it, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Ensuring Nonpublic Info Stays Private Amid SEC Crackdown
Companies and individuals must take steps to ensure material nonpublic information remains confidential while working outside the office, as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission continues to take enforcement actions against those who trade on MNPI and don't comply with new off-channel communications rules in the remote work era, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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What FERC's Disclosure Demands Mean For Cos., Investors
Two recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders reflect the commission's increasingly meticulous approach to reviewing corporate structures in applications for approval of proposed consolidations, acquisitions or changes in control — putting the onus on the regulated community to track and comply with ever-more-burdensome disclosure requirements, say attorneys at Willkie.
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Macquarie Ruling Raises The Bar For Securities Fraud Claims
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week in Macquarie Infrastructure v. Moab Partners — holding that a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule does not forbid omissions in company disclosures unless they render other statements false — is a major setback for plaintiffs pursuing securities fraud claims against corporations, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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GSA's Carbon-Free Power Plan: Tips For Electricity Suppliers
The U.S. General Services Administration's recent request for information concerning its intent to acquire a large amount of carbon pollution-free electricity over the next decade in the PJM Interconnection region offers key insights for companies interested in becoming electric power suppliers to federal government agencies, say Shaunna Bailey and Nicholas Dugdale at Sheppard Mullin.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Energy Community Tax Credit Boost Will Benefit Wind Sector
Recent Internal Revenue Service guidance broadening tax credit eligibility to more parts of offshore wind facilities in so-called energy communities is a win for the industry, which stands to see more projects qualify for a particularly valuable bonus in the investment tax credit context due to the capital-intensive nature of offshore wind projects, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Traversing The Web Of Nonjudicial Grievance Mechanisms
Attorneys at Covington provide an overview of how companies can best align their environmental and human rights compliance with "hard-law" requirements like the EU's recently approved Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive while also navigating the complex global network of existing nonjudicial grievance mechanisms.
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An Energy Industry Case Study In Expropriation Risk
Andrés Chambouleyron at Berkeley Research breaks down how expropriation risk and damage mitigation calculations vary considerably by different energy sources, and uses Argentina as a case study for how energy investors might protect their interests.
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Exploring Patent Trends In Aerospace Electrification
As blue-chip companies lead the charge to power large-scale commercial airplanes with electricity, and startups advance the trend on a regional scale, patent applications directed at improving energy storage and electric motor efficiency are on the rise, say attorneys at Finnegan.
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Opinion
Federal MDL Rule Benefits From Public Comments
The new Federal Rule of Civil Procedure concerning multidistrict litigation that was approved this week by the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules incorporates ideas from public comments that will aid both plaintiffs and defense attorneys — and if ultimately adopted, the rule should promote efficient, merits-driven MDL case management, say Robert Johnston and Gary Feldon at Hollingsworth.