Environmental

  • July 10, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Judge Calls Patent Case In-Court Demo 'Misleading'

    A Federal Circuit judge chided a company Friday morning for bringing its own specialized oil drilling tool to court to demonstrate to the panel how a device that allegedly infringes its patent works.

  • July 10, 2026

    Toyota Industries' $436M Forklift Emissions Deal Gets Signoff

    A California federal court on Friday officially signed off on Toyota Industries Corp.'s approximately $436 million settlement to resolve a proposed class action alleging that it and other entities misled customers about the true emissions levels of Toyota forklift engines.

  • July 10, 2026

    Top 5 Enviro Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    The second half of 2026 could see courts delivering important rulings that will determine whether municipalities can set their own building emissions laws, the extent of California's authority to regulate pollution and citizens' power to enforce the Clean Air Act. Here, Law360 takes a look at five environmental cases that could be resolved before the end of the year.

  • July 10, 2026

    Chemours Says NC Resident's PFAS 'Equity Action' Must Fail

    DuPont entity and spinoff Chemours Inc. has told a North Carolina federal court it shouldn't have to face a PFAS contamination suit from a state resident, saying in her early-stage court filings, she's conceded that her "equity action" is doomed to fail.

  • July 10, 2026

    Keystone Pipeline Operator To Pay $30M For Kansas Oil Spill

    The Keystone Pipeline's owner and operator has agreed to pay a $26.8 million civil penalty plus $3 million for natural resource restoration projects in Kansas for a 2022 rupture of the pipeline that spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil, according to a Friday announcement.

  • July 10, 2026

    MassDOT, Contractors Ignored Environmental Rules, AG Says

    The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and a group of private contractors working on a nearly complete bridge project just outside Boston have violated multiple state environmental laws and regulations, exposing workers and nearby residents to asbestos and other hazardous materials, the state's attorney general alleged in a lawsuit launched Friday.

  • July 10, 2026

    Texas Co.'s Defense Of UAE Unit Not Covered, Insurer Says

    An excess insurer said it owes no coverage to an environmental company for costs incurred in defending its United Arab Emirates-based subsidiary against arbitration in Singapore, telling a Delaware state court that the subsidiary does not qualify as an insured under the policy.

  • July 09, 2026

    State Of 2026 Energy Dealmaking: Midyear Report

    The war in Iran is the most influential development that has shaped energy dealmaking so far in 2026, and that figures to still be the case in the second half of the year. Other factors include data center demands and tax credits. Here, attorneys outline to Law360 the trends that are defining energy transactions this year.

  • July 09, 2026

    Judge Backs Feds' Valuation Method In Windfarm Grant Fight

    A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge ordered several California wind farm owners and the federal government to largely employ a method the government proposed to value their facilities and hash out a decade-old dispute over grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

  • July 09, 2026

    NY AG Says 3M, DuPont Hid PFAS Risks For Years

    The New York attorney general on Thursday sued 3M, DuPont and other major chemical manufacturers in state court alleging that for decades they failed to warn the public about the health risks of forever chemicals in consumer goods like cosmetics and food packaging.

  • July 09, 2026

    Exxon, Chevron Can't Exit Climate Suit Over Wash. Heat Death

    A Washington state judge said Wednesday that Exxon, Chevron and other oil giants must face a lawsuit over a death in a 2021 heat wave, distinguishing the case from other climate torts brought by cities and rejecting the companies' contention that the family of Juliana Leon is seeking to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions.

  • July 09, 2026

    Judge Urged To Deny Transfer Of SpaceX Land-Swap Suit

    Environmental groups urged a D.C. federal judge to reject an attempt by SpaceX and the federal government to transfer the groups' lawsuit challenging a land-exchange deal to Texas, saying the deal was reviewed and approved by officials and lawmakers in D.C.

  • July 09, 2026

    NC Biz Court Tosses Lot Owners' $1.45M Helene Fee Fight

    The North Carolina Business Court has scrapped a legal challenge over a $1.45 million special assessment levied against property owners in a gated community to cover Hurricane Helene damages, finding the lot owners failed to plead any facts in support of their claims.

  • July 09, 2026

    EPA Floats Compliance Changes To Truck Emission Regs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed reducing the mileage for which trucks that will be built in 2027 have to adhere to emissions standards established in 2023.

  • July 09, 2026

    DOJ Joins Another Suit Aimed At Calif. Emissions Rules

    The U.S. Department of Justice has intervened in another lawsuit targeting California's emission rules for heavy-duty trucks, arguing the Clean Air Act bars states from attempting to enforce or adopt their own emissions standards for new vehicles.

  • July 09, 2026

    Orbital Data Centers Pose Environmental Risks, FCC Warned

    Groups aimed at combatting pollution have urged the Federal Communications Commission to assess the environmental effects of low-orbit, satellite-based data centers before issuing any licenses for such projects, saying existing proposals "describe their plans in grandiose, civilization-changing terms."

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Checking For AI Errors Is Now A Two-Way Street

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    A handful of recent federal and state cases demonstrate the importance of checking for errors generated by artificial intelligence not only in your own court submissions, but also your opponent's, as well as when catching opposing counsel's AI mistakes could result in an award for attorney fees, says Tamara Barago at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Shoring Up Corporate Law In Maryland

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    Launched more than 20 years ago to improve complex corporate adjudication, Maryland's Business and Technology Case Management Program has been a solid success in some areas, but there always is room for improvement, says Bill Krulak at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • State Enviro Agencies Give Cosmetics Regulation A Makeover

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    As state oversight of cosmetics rapidly expands, the new statutes and regulations governing these products are being implemented by environmental agencies rather than consumer product regulators, requiring manufacturers, distributors and retailers to reevaluate their supply chains and procedures, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Federal Officer Removal After Justices' La. Pollution Ruling

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    In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Chevron USA v. Plaquemines Parish, companies seeking to use federal officer removal to move litigation out of state court should ask three questions, focusing on government contract language, federally directed activity and related conduct, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    Competing At Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing poker in male-dominated rooms taught me to treat skepticism as background noise when my opponents seem to underestimate me, to apply pressure when it matters and to adapt without losing strategic discipline — skills that are all indispensable in restructuring and insolvency matters, says Alexis Gambale at Pashman Stein.

  • 5 Things Associates Must Ask About Their Firm's Merger Plan

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    The associates who navigate law firm mergers best ask the right questions early, such as inquiring about partners' plans, to assess how the merger could affect their workflow and career path, says Jackie Bokser-LeFebvre at Major Lindsey.

  • 2 'Rocket Dockets' And The Rules That Propel Them

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    The fastest civil trial courts in the country are currently in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, and their chief judges provide insights into the court rules that keep them ahead, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Why Nuclear Licensees Must Watch 2nd Circ.'s Holtec Review

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    In reviewing a New York federal court's preemption ruling concerning disposal of nuclear materials, the Second Circuit must confront the lower court's recognition of a purpose-based path to field preemption, which could be game-changing for nuclear material licensees, says Andrew Averbach at Womble Bond.

  • Your Next Litigation Hold Should Cover AI Chat Logs

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    The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent decision in Fortis Advisors v. Krafton to treat a CEO’s artificial intelligence chats as substantive evidence is being read as a discovery warning to litigators, but there is a second duty-to-preserve lesson that is especially pertinent to in-house counsel, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Series

    Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

  • Del. Justices' Ripeness Ruling Shields Advance Notice Bylaws

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    The Delaware Supreme Court’s recent decision dismissing two AES and Owens Corning stockholder challenges of advance notice bylaws as unripe provides corporations more room to insulate their nomination procedures from activist pressure, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Looking Beyond Calif. Climate Laws As NY Bills Advance

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    California's climate disclosure legislation has made emissions and risk reporting a practical reality — and now that New York is working on its own climate disclosure bills, companies must confront a future in which compliance systems will need to be ready for multiple states' reporting regimes, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

  • Series

    NY Times Word Puzzles Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Every morning I let The New York Times humble me with word games, which offer a chance to recalibrate my brain before the day's chaos arrives and remind me that a solution — whether to a puzzle or employment law issue — almost always exists once I find the right angle, says Amy Epstein Gluck at Pierson Ferdinand.

  • Data Center Developer Lessons From Maine's Vetoed Ban

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    The regulatory and political dynamics that recently led Maine’s governor to veto a popular bipartisan bill proposing a temporary data center development ban offer a useful template that developers can use to help their projects survive other states' attempts at moratoriums, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lesson: Diagnose Before Arguing

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    Law school often skips over explicitly teaching students how to determine what kind of problem a case presents before they commit to a particular doctrinal path, which risks building arguments that are internally coherent but externally misaligned, says Melanie Oxhorn at Kobre & Kim.

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