Environmental

  • June 20, 2025

    Justices Say Fuel Groups Can Fight Emissions Waiver

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said that fuel industry groups can challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act waiver that has allowed California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles.

  • June 18, 2025

    Feds Want Nuke Trust Earnings To Offset DOE Breach Awards

    The U.S. government asked the Federal Circuit to toss a ruling holding that trust fund earnings that reimbursed closed nuclear plant owners' spent fuel storage costs should not offset the damages awarded for the Energy Department's ongoing failure to accept fuels for disposal.

  • June 18, 2025

    Consumers Drop Gore-Tex 'Greenwashing' Class Suit

    Consumers suing the maker of the waterproof fabric Gore-Tex are looking to end, for now, their proposed class action against the company alleging W.L. Gore & Associates used toxic forever chemicals to manufacture its material while also "greenwashing" its image.

  • June 18, 2025

    Sotera Investors Urge 6th Circ. To Reopen Toxic Gas Suit

    Sotera Health investors are seeking to revive a lawsuit accusing the company of concealing the carcinogenic nature of a gas used at its sterilization plants, telling the Sixth Circuit that the company knew that its "outrageous and cynical" behavior would cost it hundreds of millions of dollars.

  • June 18, 2025

    Judge Says A Ruling Unfreezing Wind Projects May Be Pyrrhic

    A Massachusetts federal judge said on Wednesday he will allow key claims to move forward in a suit challenging the Trump administration's halt of wind farm project reviews, yet he suggested even if the plaintiffs ultimately prevail, the administration could still simply deny requests for permits and leases.

  • June 18, 2025

    California Cities Say Enviro Group Destroyed Testing Data

    The cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, California, are asking a federal judge to sanction environmental group San Francisco Baykeeper in a suit alleging the cities allowed sewage into the bay, saying the group destroyed key evidence either by "conscious effort or gross negligence."

  • June 18, 2025

    Nippon, US Steel Officially Close Deal, Backed By 5 Law Firms

    Nippon Steel has officially closed its purchase of U.S. Steel, the companies announced Wednesday, forming a global steelmaking partnership backed by $11 billion in planned U.S. investments and a national security agreement with the federal government.

  • June 18, 2025

    Supreme Court Says Biofuel Waiver Fights Belong In DC Circ.

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the D.C. Circuit is the proper venue for challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's denial of biofuel waivers to small refiners, while state-level disputes over national ozone air quality standards must be heard in regional circuit courts.

  • June 18, 2025

    High Court Says Texas Can't Challenge Nuclear Waste Site

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday said Texas and a mineral owner could not challenge the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of a temporary nuclear waste storage facility in the state, while sidestepping the issue of whether the agency is authorized to license such facilities.

  • June 17, 2025

    Sunoco Pipeline Leak Class Claims Return To Philly Court

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has sent environmental class claims over a Sunoco pipeline leak back to state court in Philadelphia, ruling that a carveout to federal class action law where the majority of plaintiffs reside in the same place makes it a state court matter.

  • June 17, 2025

    States Say Trump Admin Can't Freeze EV Charging Funds

    An attorney for the Washington Attorney General's Office on Tuesday urged a federal judge in Seattle to issue a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to release funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects in 16 states, saying the administration cannot "go back in time" and eliminate congressionally approved funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    La. Law Will Make Tesla Sales Less Onerous, Justices Told

    Louisiana regulators are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will hold off on considering their request to take up a Tesla-brought case targeting the state's ban on direct sales by automakers, saying a new law is about to change things and the justices should wait until it takes effect.

  • June 17, 2025

    EPA Ordered To Rethink Enviro Justice Grant Terminations

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority by canceling certain grants without a "reasoned explanation" beyond the Trump administration's deprioritization of "environmental justice" initiatives, a Maryland federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying the grant terminations must be vacated and sent back to the EPA for further review.

  • June 17, 2025

    AIG Unit, Air Co. Seek Quick Wins In Herbicide Damage Row

    An air services company told a New York federal court that an AIG unit must provide general liability coverage for a lawsuit seeking nearly $2.5 million for grass damage from herbicides, while the unit countered that neither company's general liability policy nor specialty "aerial applicator" policy applies.

  • June 17, 2025

    AT&T Beats Investor Suit Over Lead-Lined Cables, For Now

    A Texas federal judge has tossed a securities class action against AT&T and several of its executives alleging they misled investors about removing lead-covered copper cables from the company's network, finding that the plaintiffs have failed to meet the heightened pleading bar for securities fraud.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ill. Increases Sports Betting, Tobacco Tax And Taxes Airbnbs

    Illinois increased its tax on sports betting and tobacco products and extended its tax on hotel operators to include short-term rentals like Airbnbs and Vrbos under a budget bill approved by the governor.

  • June 17, 2025

    Safety Co. Demands Sanctions Over No-Show Witnesses

    Safety inspection company UL LLC has sought $13,500 in sanctions and a court order to compel two Chinese solar companies to produce key witnesses in a dispute over counterfeit UL marks, accusing them of last-minute cancellations and monthslong delays.

  • June 17, 2025

    Firms Fight To Rep End Users In PVC Pipe Antitrust Row

    Several law firms are duking it out for a lead counsel appointment representing a new class of end-user plaintiffs in consolidated litigation accusing PVC pipe companies of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and illegally fix prices, with Pearson Warshaw LLP, Kirby McInerney LLP, Fegan Scott LLC and Levin Sedran & Berman LLP making bids.

  • June 17, 2025

    Delta Nearing Settlement In Jet Fuel Dumping Class Action

    Delta has reached a deal with a group of Los Angeles homeowners to end a lawsuit against the airline after it dumped jet fuel onto their properties, according to a joint notice.

  • June 17, 2025

    Feds Waive Laws Again To Expedite Border Wall Construction

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on Tuesday that she is once again waiving a number of environmental and historical preservation laws to facilitate border wall construction, this time in Texas.

  • June 17, 2025

    BLM Says Enviro Groups' Lease Suit Lacks Real Controversy

    The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is urging a Colorado federal judge to throw out a suit environmental groups filed over nearly two dozen suspended oil and gas leases, arguing that the groups are trying to create a controversy where none exists.

  • June 17, 2025

    SC Pizzeria Says Insurer Owes For Building Fire

    An insurer for a South Carolina pizzeria wrongfully refused to pay its full $926,000 policy limit after a fire destroyed the building where the restaurant was located, the business said in a suit removed to federal court.

  • June 16, 2025

    Monsanto Fights Plaintiffs' Billion-Dollar Ask In PCB Tort Trial

    Nearly two dozen people who say they were poisoned by Monsanto-made chemicals asked a Washington state jury on Monday for a damages award of $1.1 billion to $3.3 billion, as the company's counsel countered the plaintiffs lack blood testing results and other key evidence to back their "extraordinary" request.

  • June 16, 2025

    NY Seeks To Move Feds' Climate Superfund Suit Upstate

    The Trump administration's lawsuit challenging New York's climate change Superfund law should be transferred from the Southern District of New York to the Northern District, where it can join a similar lawsuit lodged by several Republican-led states, New York told a federal judge.

  • June 16, 2025

    Monsanto Ends Roundup Cancer Case With Midtrial Settlement

    Monsanto confirmed Monday that it has settled a Texas man's Roundup cancer lawsuit shortly before closing arguments in the trial were set to begin.

Expert Analysis

  • How Cos. Can Mitigate Increasing Microplastics Liability Risk

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    Amid rising scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe of microplastics' impact on health and the growing threat of litigation against consumer product and food and beverage manufacturers, companies can limit liability through compliance with labeling laws, careful contract management and other practices, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • Strategizing For Renewable Energy Project Success In Texas

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    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has long been a key market for renewable energy projects, but rising financial and regulatory uncertainty means that developers and investors must prepare for inflation and policy risks, secure robust insurance coverage, and leverage tax equity transferability to ensure success, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

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    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • How Latin American Finance Markets May Shift Under Trump

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    Changes in the federal government are bringing profound implications for Latin American financial institutions and cross-border financing, including increased competition from U.S. banks, volatility in equity markets and stable green investor demand despite deregulation in the U.S., says David Contreiras Tyler at Womble Bond.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

  • How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

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    Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

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    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

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    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2025 Spring Antitrust Meeting

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    Leadership changes, shifting priorities and evolving enforcement tools dominated the conversation at the recent American Bar Association Spring Antitrust Meeting, as panelists explored competition policy under a second Trump administration, agency discretion under the 2023 merger guidelines and new frontiers in conduct enforcement, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • What PFAS-Treated Clothing Tariff Bill Would Mean For Cos.

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    In keeping with a nationwide trend of greater restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives would remove tariff advantages for PFAS-treated clothing — so businesses would be wise to proactively adapt their supply chains and review contracts to mitigate liability, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • What 2nd Trump Admin Means For Ship Pollution Compliance

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    As the second Trump administration's civil and criminal enforcement policies take shape, the maritime industry must ensure it complies with both national and international obligations to prevent oil pollution from seagoing vessels — with preventive efforts and voluntary disclosures being some of the best options for mitigating risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Mass. AG Emerges As Key Player In Consumer Protection

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    Through enforcement actions and collaborations with other states — including joining a recent amicus brief decrying the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has established herself as a thought leader for consumer protection and corporate accountability, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Cos. Should Know About U.S. Minerals Executive Order

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    President Donald Trump's new executive order aimed at boosting U.S. mineral production faces challenges including land use and environmental regulations, a lack of new funding, and the need for coordination among federal agencies, but it provides industry stakeholders with multiple opportunities to influence policy and funding, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

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