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Energy
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May 10, 2024
Enviro Groups Say Colo. Rule Gives Many Polluters An Out
Environmental justice groups say a Colorado regulation that was supposed to require on-site monitoring of air pollution in disproportionately impacted communities allows many polluters to get out of the requirement by paying one-time fees, according to a brief filed in a lawsuit challenging the rule.
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May 10, 2024
Biz Claims Foreign Bribe Needed To Meet Energy Deal's Terms
An aviation fuel company protested the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency's latest effort to supply fuel to military bases in Djibouti, accusing the agency of requiring interested contractors to obtain a license that can, allegedly, only be received through bribery.
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May 10, 2024
EPA Tightens Copper-Smelting Toxic Emissions Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing regulations it says will reduce toxic, cancer-causing emissions from copper-smelting facilities.
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May 10, 2024
Signal Peak Asks Court To Block DOI's Coal Mine 'Delay'
Signal Peak Energy is asking a D.C. federal court to force the U.S. Department of the Interior to speed up its "unlawfully lengthy" timeline for an environmental review needed for the planned expansion of a Montana coal mine.
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May 10, 2024
Altman's Nuclear Fission Biz Fizzles After SPAC Deal Closes
Shares of Oklo Inc., a nuclear-fission startup backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, were down nearly 50% on Friday, the company's first day of trading after completing its merger with Altman's special-purpose acquisition company AltC Acquisition Corp.
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May 10, 2024
5th Circ. Upholds SEC Proxy Rule On ESG Disclosures
The Fifth Circuit on Friday threw out a legal challenge to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirement that will make it easier for investors to identify ESG issues on corporate ballots, saying that suing states like Texas haven't proven that they'll be financially harmed by the measure.
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May 10, 2024
Now Hiring: Michigan AG Seeks Attys For Climate Change Suits
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is looking for attorneys and law firms to serve as assistant attorneys general to pursue litigation related to climate change on behalf of the state of Michigan.
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May 10, 2024
Exxon Hit With $725M Verdict In Benzene Exposure Suit
A Philadelphia jury has awarded $725.5 million to a New York service station mechanic for his claims that Exxon Mobil Corp. failed to warn consumers about the health risks of benzene in its products, and that his exposure to the chemical was responsible for his leukemia diagnosis.
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May 09, 2024
CARB Chief Slams Truckers' Bid To Void 'Clean Fleets' Rule
A California regulation requiring commercial truck and bus operators to transition to zero-emission vehicle fleets over the next decade doesn't flout federal law and hasn't even been enforced yet, a state official said Wednesday in a court filing seeking to nullify a legal challenge from a trucking group.
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May 09, 2024
Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher Drive EV Maker's $441M IPO
Chinese electrical vehicle maker Zeekr on Thursday priced an upsized $441 million initial public offering, represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and underwriters' counsel Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, marking the largest U.S. IPO by a China-based company since 2021.
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May 09, 2024
Oil Trader Sues BakerHostetler, Alleges Fake CIA Program Con
A Swiss-based oil trading company sanctioned last year by the United Kingdom for alleged ties to Russia has sued BakerHostetler in California court, alleging a con man posing as a CIA agent tried to steal control of the company as the law firm vouched for his legitimacy.
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May 09, 2024
7 Fla. Men Indicted In Nationwide Skimming Device Operation
Seven Florida men have been indicted in Virginia federal court on racketeering conspiracy charges in connection to a decadelong operation to clone credit cards that involved placing skimming devices on gas pumps throughout the country, U.S. prosecutors said.
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May 09, 2024
NYC Wins Remand Of Climate Deception Suit Against Exxon
A New York federal judge on Wednesday returned to state court the Big Apple's lawsuit alleging Exxon, BP, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute violated a city consumer protection law by systematically deceiving the public about the climate change impacts of their operations.
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May 09, 2024
Solar Co. Wins Remand Of Feds' 'Contrary To Law' Duties
The U.S. Court of International Trade has published opposing outcomes for two Chinese solar cell producers penalized in a recent duty review, affirming duties topping 238% for one and directing the government to reconsider a 12.24% rate for the other.
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May 09, 2024
Lawmakers Say Shell, Eni, Nigeria Deals Need Second Look
Two Democratic lawmakers urged the U.S. Department of Justice to reopen a foreign bribery case into an alleged $1.1 billion scheme in Nigeria perpetrated by oil giants Shell and Eni, saying a possible settlement in a related investor-state case could mean more corrupt deals are on the horizon.
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May 09, 2024
Policies Bar Origis Investor Suit Coverage, Del. Judge Finds
A Delaware Superior Court judge dismissed most insurers from a renewable energy company and its now-former CEO's action seeking coverage for an underlying investor suit over devalued shares, saying Thursday that a "no action" clause in one set of policies and a prior acts exclusion in another preclude coverage.
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May 09, 2024
V&E Defends Its Enviva Work From Trustee's Conflict Claim
Vinson & Elkins LLP urged a Virginia bankruptcy court on Thursday to reject "outrageous claims" by the U.S. Trustee's Office that the law firm shouldn't be allowed to represent Enviva in the wood-pellet maker's Chapter 11 because the firm also works for one of the debtor's major equity holders, arguing that there is no conflict of interest.
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May 09, 2024
Red States, Electric Co-Ops Challenge EPA Power Plant Rules
Twenty-seven Republican-led states and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association called on the D.C. Circuit Thursday to unravel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new source performance standards for greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating units.
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May 09, 2024
GOP Sens. Call Biden's Bluff On US Steel-Nippon
Three Republican senators urged President Joe Biden on Thursday to block Nippon Steel's planned $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, calling his prior comments opposing the deal "worthless" while claiming he has the authority to terminate the deal immediately under laws that address "a national emergency."
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May 09, 2024
EPA Beats Youths' Constitutional Climate Suit, For Now
A California federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a group of children accusing the federal government of allowing unsafe levels of climate pollution in the air, noting it's unclear how a declaratory order from the court would redress their harms, but gave them one final chance to amend their allegations.
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May 09, 2024
Man Says LG Chem Can't Duck NC Courts In Battery Suit
A man suing South Korea-based LG Chem Ltd. over an exploding lithium-ion battery is urging a North Carolina federal district court to find that it has jurisdiction over the company, saying LG has sufficient ties to the state through its marketing and selling of the batteries, even if it doesn't sell directly to customers.
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May 09, 2024
Okla. Law Curbing Anti-Oil Pension Fund Investments Blocked
Oklahoma can't enforce a law prohibiting the state pension system from investing in companies that limit oil and gas industry assets, a state judge ruled, finding the retiree leading the suit is likely to succeed on arguments that the statute is vague and violates the state constitution.
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May 09, 2024
Biden Seeks To Elevate Interior Dept. Official To No. 2 Post
The White House announced Thursday that President Joe Biden intends to nominate Fish and Wildlife Assistant Secretary Shannon A. Estenoz as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
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May 09, 2024
Insurer Still Can't Escape Explosion Coverage Row
An insurer cannot yet avoid defending gas companies in personal injury litigation after a subcontractor caused an explosion injuring three people, an Indiana federal court has ruled, reiterating a previous finding that the subcontractor's ultimate release from liability following a settlement has no bearing on the gas companies' additional insured status.
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May 09, 2024
GE Dropped From Louisiana Factory Contamination Suit
A Louisiana federal judge has dropped General Electric from property owners' suit alleging widespread contamination caused by a now-closed manufacturing facility, finding an earlier merger by a subsidiary did not make the company a liable successor.
Expert Analysis
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What 2 Years Of Ukraine-Russia Conflict Can Teach Cos.
A few key legal lessons for the global business community since Russia's invasion of Ukraine could help protect global commerce in times of future conflict, including how to respond to disparate trade restrictions and sanctions, navigate war-related contract disputes, and protect against heightened cybersecurity risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Takeaways From EPA's New Methane Emission Rules
Attorneys at V&E examine two new Clean Air Act rules for the oil and gas industry, explaining how they expand methane and volatile organic compound emission reduction requirements and amplify U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enforcement risks.
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In Int'l Arbitration Agreements, Be Clear About Governing Law
A trilogy of recent cases in the English High Court and Court of Appeal highlight the importance of parties agreeing to explicit choice of law language at the outset of an arbitration agreement in order to avoid costly legal skirmishes down the road, say lawyers at Faegre Drinker.
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What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks
Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.
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FERC's Updated Settlement Policy Comes With Risks For Cos.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's newly streamlined enforcement settlement policy may increase investigation subjects' regulatory risk, so they should consider measures to protect themselves, such as periodically assessing compliance programs and mitigating any weaknesses, say attorneys at Willkie.
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SEC's Final Climate Disclosure Rules: What Cos. Must Know
While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's scaled-back final rules requiring public companies to disclose certain climate-related information still face challenges in court, companies should begin preparing now to comply with the rules, say Celia Soehner and Erin Martin at Morgan Lewis.
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Caremark 2.0 Lends Shareholders Agency Against Polluters
The Caremark doctrine has been liberalized by recent Delaware court decisions into what some have termed a 2.0 version, making derivative cases against corporations far more plausible and invigorating oversight duty on environmental risks like toxic spills and air pollution, say Joshua Margolin and Sean Goldman-Hunt at Selendy Gay.
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Wildfire Challenges For Utility Investors: Regs And Financing
For investors in public utilities, wildfire liability considerations include not only regulatory complexities, but also bankruptcy claims resolution, financing judgments and settlements, and how to leverage organizational structures to maximize investment protections, say David Botter and Lisa Schweitzer at Cleary.
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Business Litigators Have A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
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Wildfire Challenges For Utility Investors: Liability Theories
The greater frequency and scale of wildfires in the last several years have created operational and fiscal challenges for electric utility companies, including new theories of liability and unique operational and risk management considerations — all of which must be carefully considered by utility investors, say David Botter and Lisa Schweitzer at Cleary.
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Series
Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.
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Practical Steps For Navigating New Sanctions On Russia
After the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Russia – the largest to date since the Ukraine war began – companies will need to continue to strengthen due diligence and compliance measures to navigate the related complexities, say James Min and Chelsea Ellis at Rimon.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC
The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Webpages Must Meet Accessibility Standard To Be Prior Art
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board's First Solar Inc. v. Rovshan Sade decision, that an available internet resource doesn't necessarily qualify as a prior art "printed publication" that is publicly accessible, serves as a reminder of the unforgiving requirements that must be satisfied to establish that a reference is a printed publication, say attorneys at Akin.
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Recent Rulings Add Dimension To Justices' Maui Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court's 2020 decision in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund established new factual criteria for determining when the Clean Water Act applies to groundwater — and recent decisions from the Ninth and Tenth Circuits have clarified how litigants can make use of the Maui standard, says Steven Hoch at Clark Hill.