Environmental

  • July 09, 2026

    FTC Can't Get Trial Scheduled Against Syngenta & Corteva

    A North Carolina federal judge refused Thursday to tee up trial in the Federal Trade Commission case accusing Syngenta and Corteva of using loyalty rebate schemes to block competition from rival generic pesticides, preferring to wait until he's heard, and likely ruled on, company motions to nix the allegations.

  • July 09, 2026

    Transportation Cases To Watch: Midyear Report 2026

    Clashes over the Trump administration's bid to void California's vehicle emissions standards, federal restrictions on commercial drivers' licenses for foreign truckers and Boeing 737 Max securities litigation involving class certification standards are among the court battles that transportation attorneys are monitoring in the latter half of 2026.

  • July 09, 2026

    SEC's Atkins Says Proxy Season Disproved 'Dire Predictions'

    This year's corporate proxy season saw none of the "dire predictions" some had forecasted following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's step back from responding to companies' bids to exclude shareholder proposals from their ballots, the agency's Chairman Paul Atkins said Thursday, while adding that he is rethinking the proposal system as a whole.

  • July 09, 2026

    Calif. Tribe Says Immunity Bars Challenge Over Village Site

    The Trinidad Rancheria is seeking to intervene in a challenge that looks to block a California city's jurisdiction over matters concerning an Indigenous village site's management, arguing that the dispute can't sidestep the tribe's foundational interest "by simply omitting it from the litigation."

  • July 08, 2026

    Slovenia Defeats $684M Claim Over Fracking Ban

    Ascent Resources PLC has lost its €598.7 million ($684 million) claim against Slovenia after an international tribunal on Tuesday rejected the British oil and gas exploration company's argument that a 2022 fracking ban violated the country's obligations under the Energy Charter Treaty.

  • July 08, 2026

    US To Pay Anchorage $180M To End 12-Year Port Upgrade Suit

    The federal government will pay $180 million to the city of Anchorage, Alaska, to settle the municipality's more than decade-old lawsuit accusing the U.S. Maritime Administration of breaching contractual agreements related to a failed Port of Alaska expansion and upgrade project, the parties have announced.

  • July 08, 2026

    3rd Circ. Wonders If Pipeline Approval Passed CWA Muster

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday pressed New Jersey's environmental regulator to show that the revived Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline plan complied with the Clean Water Act, considering it lacked details about how state water quality standards would be monitored.

  • July 08, 2026

    DHS Says Tribe Has No Veto Over Arizona Border Wall

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the backing of Arizona's top legislative leaders, is seeking to dismiss the Tohono O'odham Nation's bid to block construction of 62 miles of border wall, arguing it's well within its authority to build the structure to address national and public safety threats.

  • July 08, 2026

    Energy Litigation To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    The energy litigation landscape for the rest of 2026 features high-profile lawsuits over climate change, including a potential moment of truth for climate tort litigation, as well as challenges to Trump administration efforts to boost fossil fuel development. Here are several energy-related lawsuits on attorneys' radar for the second half of the year.

  • July 08, 2026

    Kirkland-Led Avant Wraps Latest Fund With $1B In Tow

    Avant Natural Resources, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, revealed Wednesday the Denver-based energy investment firm closed its latest fund at its hard cap after raising over $1 billion in total equity commitments.

  • July 08, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Green Groups Lack Standing In LNG Fight

    A new Fifth Circuit ruling declining to review a case brought by environmental groups for lack of standing has paved the way for a deepwater liquefied natural gas project, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

  • July 08, 2026

    California Judge Says Tribe Can't Stop Wild Horse Roundup

    A California judge said the U.S. Department of the Interior can remove hundreds of horses from a 200,000-acre protected habitat after determining that an Indigenous nation's efforts to block the endeavor fail because evidence proves the tribe didn't respond to the federal agency's repeated attempts to consult with it.

  • July 08, 2026

    NC Will Tax Prediction Markets, Nix Break For Data Centers

    North Carolina will become the latest state to tax prediction markets, in addition to increasing taxes on sports betting and rolling back a tax break for data centers, under a budget signed by its governor.

  • July 08, 2026

    4 Colorado Cases To Watch For The Rest Of 2026

    A federal judge's ruling on whether the Trump administration can move U.S. Space Command's headquarters from Colorado to Alabama and a jury's determination of liability for a private prison operator in a forced labor class action are among the Colorado court cases to watch in the coming months. Here, Law360 looks at four Colorado cases to watch for during the rest of 2026.

  • July 07, 2026

    Baltimore County Defends Bid For Bridge Economic Losses

    Baltimore County has told a Maryland federal judge that it's entitled to recover "concrete and calculable" economic damages and search-and-rescue expenses over the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, rejecting efforts to slash damages owed by the owner and manager of the cargo ship that rammed into the bridge.

  • July 07, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Wary Of Both Sides In DOE Breach Damages Row

    A panel of the Federal Circuit on Tuesday appeared skeptical of both sides' arguments concerning whether a $145 million judgment for three nuclear power plant owners over the U.S. Department of Energy's continued failure to accept spent nuclear fuel for disposal should be offset by the companies' investment earnings.

  • July 07, 2026

    Del. Chancery Dismisses World Energy's Air Products Suit

    The Delaware Chancery Court dismissed a lawsuit by World Energy LLC seeking to force Air Products and Chemicals Inc. to resume work on a stalled $2 billion sustainable aviation fuel project, ruling that World Energy repeatedly failed to meet its own payment obligations and therefore could not compel Air Products to continue performing under the parties' agreements.

  • July 07, 2026

    Food Deal Rivals Battle In Chancery Over Competition Claims

    Lawyers for Global Market Foods LLC urged the Delaware Chancery Court on Tuesday to block the former owner of a food distribution business from competing after selling the company for $58 million, while the sellers argued the buyer is improperly trying to rewrite the parties' contracts and expand negotiated noncompete restrictions.

  • July 07, 2026

    Judge Defends Decision Keeping Paraquat Cases In Philly

    The Philadelphia judge who blocked a bid to move several of the paraquat Parkinson's Disease mass tort cases out of the city is standing by his ruling, recommending that the Pennsylvania Superior Court adopt his rejection of the companies' arguments to the contrary in its appellate review of the case.

  • July 07, 2026

    Orrick-Led Nuclear Fuel Company Targets $356M IPO

    Standard Nuclear, which makes fuel for small modular reactors across the U.S., unveiled plans on Tuesday for an estimated $356 million initial public offering steered by Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

  • July 07, 2026

    Feds Say Delay Undercuts Bid To Halt Mojave Mine Restart

    The U.S. Department of the Interior is fighting a bid by the National Parks Association to block a decision to renew gold mining within the Mojave National Preserve, telling a California district court that the group's delay in challenging the action undermines its effort to establish harm.

  • July 07, 2026

    5 Midyear White Collar Trends To Watch

    The practice of white collar criminal defense is fraught with uncertainty halfway into 2026 as lawyers try to navigate upheaval in the U.S. Department of Justice, the prospect of big changes in Congress and the rapidly developing use of artificial intelligence.

  • July 07, 2026

    Jeep Maker FCA Loses Bid To Arbitrate Under-Hood Fire Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has denied FCA US LLC's motion to make an Illinois couple arbitrate their claims that the automaker manufactured and sold defective Jeep vehicles prone to dangerous underhood fires, saying FCA did not produce evidence that the consumers agreed to an arbitration provision.

  • July 07, 2026

    GM, Drivers Tell 6th Circ. Opt-Outs Delaying $150M Settlement

    General Motors and class members who secured a $150 million settlement in a class action over alleged fire risks in the Chevrolet Bolt on Tuesday asked the Sixth Circuit not to let a small group of drivers opt out of the deal — or hold it up in their attempts to do so.

  • July 06, 2026

    EZ Lynk Can't Force U.S. To Explain Its Own Products

    The manufacturer of devices that allegedly allow drivers to disable vehicle emissions controls cannot force the government to provide a deposition witness to explain the capabilities and uses of its own products, a New York federal judge ruled, slamming the request as "a thinly disguised attempt to obtain plaintiff's contentions and analysis."

Expert Analysis

  • Justices' Separation-Of-Powers Revamp May Hit States Next

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy quietly laid the groundwork for an expansion of the court's separation-of-powers agenda beyond the federal level, but regulated parties and state and local governments alike can act now to anticipate Jarkesy's eventual wider application, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Preparing For Congressional Investigations In A Midterm Year

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    2026 will be a consequential year for congressional oversight as the upcoming midterm elections may yield bolder investigations and more aggressive state attorneys general coalitions, so companies should consider adopting risk management measures to get ahead of potential changes, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Key Trends Shaping ESG And Sustainability Law In 2026

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    2025 saw a chaotic regulatory landscape and novel litigation around environmental, social and governance issues and sustainability — and 2026, while perhaps more predictable, will likely be no less challenging, with more lawsuits and a regulatory tug-of-war complicating compliance for global companies, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • For Data Centers, Both Hyperscale And Edge Are Key In 2026

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    Recent trends in development of data centers highlight the importance of proactive attention to the zoning, permitting, interconnection and contractual issues associated with both hyperscale and edge facilities, in order to position projects for responsible growth in 2026 and protect their long-term value amid rapid technological and regulatory change, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 5 Tariff And Trade Developments To Watch In 2026

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    A new trade landscape emerged in 2025, the contours of which will be further defined by developments that will merit close attention this year, including a key ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court and a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, says Ted Posner at Baker Botts.

  • What 2025 Enforcement Actions Show About FERC's Priorities

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    A review of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's 2025 enforcement record suggests that this year, the commission will persist in holding market participants to their commitments, and continue active market surveillance and close cooperation with market monitors, says Ruta Skucas at Crowell & Moring.

  • 4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethics Landscape

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    The legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties, signaling that the profession is entering a period of sustained disruption that will continue into 2026, says Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG Law.

  • Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

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    As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.

  • Opinion

    Judges Carry Onus To Screen Expert Opinions Before Juries

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    Recent Second Circuit arguments in Acetaminophen Products Liability Litigation implied a low bar for judicial gatekeeping of expert testimony, but under amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, judges must rigorously scrutinize expert opinions before allowing them to reach juries, says Lee Mickus at Evans Fears.

  • Nuclear Power Pitfalls And Opportunities To Watch For In 2026

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    Shepherding nuclear power projects to completion requires navigating more risks and obligations than almost any other infrastructure undertaking, but with the right strategies, states, developers, vendors and contractors can overcome these hurdles in 2026 and beyond, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • A 6th Circ. Snapshot: 3 Cases That Defined 2025

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    With more than a thousand opinions issued this year, three rulings from the Sixth Circuit stood out for the impact they'll have on the practice of civil procedure, including a net neutrality decision, a class certification standards ruling and an opinion about vulgarity in school, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • 7 Strategies To Optimize Impact Of Direct Examination

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    Direct examination is a make-or-break opportunity to build a witness’s credibility, so attorneys should adopt a few tactics — from asking so-called trust-fall questions to preemptively addressing weaknesses — to drive impact and retention with the fact-finder, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

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