Environmental

  • June 12, 2025

    Nutrien Says Ex-Employee Helped NC Rival Steal Office, Staff

    The retail arm of global fertilizer company Nutrien Ltd. has accused a former crop consultant of swiping its trade secrets before decamping for a rival, saying in a federal lawsuit that he colluded with his new employer to hijack a branch office, its staff and its customers.

  • June 12, 2025

    Admin Of $600M Norfolk Southern Derailment Deal Removed

    The company administrating the payouts to plaintiffs in Norfolk Southern's $600 million settlement stemming from the fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has been replaced, because it purportedly made miscalculations that overpaid some claimants.

  • June 12, 2025

    Philly Suburb Retirees Sue Ch. 9 Receiver Over Asset Sale

    A committee of retired city employees sued the Chapter 9 receiver overseeing the city of Chester, Pennsylvania's municipal bankruptcy, arguing that by requiring water system assets be sold to a publicly owned entity, the receiver is forgoing private bids that could generate an extra $270 million for the city's creditors. 

  • June 12, 2025

    Ex-Interior Secretary Salazar On 'Coming Home' To WilmerHale

    Former U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado, who served as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Obama administration and most recently as ambassador to Mexico during the Biden administration, returned this month to WilmerHale's Denver office, which he founded in 2014.

  • June 11, 2025

    4th Circ. Urged To Rethink Block On Federal Grant Restoration

    A group of nonprofits and cities asked the Fourth Circuit to reconsider its decision blocking an order that restored 32 congressionally funded grants frozen by the Trump administration, arguing Tuesday that the circuit's approach "would enable the Executive Branch to evade judicial review and unconstitutional actions to go unchecked."

  • June 11, 2025

    Judge Sides With Feds In Suit Over NJ Wind Farm Approvals

    A New Jersey federal judge on Wednesday rejected a revised attempt by an advocacy group to block a set of federal approvals allowing incidental harm to marine life during work on offshore wind projects, finding the group's president failed to show how he was harmed by the approvals.

  • June 11, 2025

    EPA Floats Takedown Of Biden GHG, Mercury Emissions Regs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said that the nation's power sector's greenhouse gas emissions don't significantly endanger people's health, and that therefore, the Clean Air Act doesn't allow regulations aimed at reducing those releases.

  • June 11, 2025

    Chubb Unit Underpaid Hydroelectric Plant Losses, Suit Says

    A Chubb unit underpaid a renewable energy plant operator for losses sustained after several water flow barriers malfunctioned, the assignee of the operator told a New York federal court, saying the insurer paid less than half of the $5.6 million it owed.

  • June 11, 2025

    Trump DOJ Clears Path To Shrink Or Abolish Nat'l Monuments

    National monuments protected by past U.S. presidents can be abolished or made smaller by President Donald Trump, according to an opinion from the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel.

  • June 11, 2025

    Denver Appeals Decision Limiting Dam's Expansion

    The City and County of Denver has asked the Tenth Circuit to review a lower court decision that barred its municipal water utility from fully completing a hydroelectric dam expansion project.

  • June 11, 2025

    3rd Circ. Sends Dow Pollution Suit Back To NJ State Court

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday said New Jersey's lawsuit accusing Dow Chemical Co. of causing widespread groundwater pollution through a product containing a potentially cancer-causing compound should be heard in state court, rejecting the chemical company's argument that it was acting under the direction of the federal government.

  • June 11, 2025

    Trade Groups Revive Suit Over Colo., Denver Efficiency Rules

    A collection of trade groups renewed their arguments in Colorado federal court against rules set by the state and city of Denver establishing energy efficiency standards for buildings and limiting the use of natural gas appliances after the policies underwent a recent revision.

  • June 10, 2025

    Jury Awards $28M In Latest PacifiCorp Wildfire Trial

    Oregonians, including a photographer and a charter boat operator, were awarded $27.97 million in noneconomic damages in the latest trial against utility PacifiCorp over wildfire damage, much less than the amount requested for the 10 plaintiffs.

  • June 10, 2025

    Mazda Driver Says Emissions Claims Distinct From Calif. Case

    A North Carolina federal judge didn't fairly consider how a Mazda driver's claims of excessive emissions in the state were distinct from a California matter that ended in a settlement he didn't opt out of, the driver argued in a motion to revive the case.

  • June 10, 2025

    Electric Truck Co. Lordstown Wants Investors' Suit Tossed

    Electric truck startup Lordstown Motors Corp. has asked an Ohio federal judge to dismiss consolidated class claims from investors alleging the company misrepresented its production capacity and demand, saying it made no misleading representations about pre-orders.

  • June 10, 2025

    Judge Denies Calif. Tribe's Bid To Restore Gaming Eligibility

    A D.C. federal judge Tuesday declined to reinstate a California tribe's gaming eligibility for a casino-resort project in the San Francisco Bay Area while the U.S. Department of the Interior reassesses its approval, ruling that the tribe hasn't shown it would be imminently harmed by the eligibility suspension.

  • June 10, 2025

    Tribes' Effort To Overturn Ore. Casino Land Decision Halted

    A D.C. federal court judge hit pause on a bid by three tribes to vacate the U.S. Department of the Interior's final determination and environmental impact statement in a dispute over the agency's decision to take land into trust for Oregon's Coquille Indian Tribe for a proposed casino project.

  • June 10, 2025

    Trump Wind Farm Pause Has Stalled Projects, Judge Hears

    A coalition of blue states and industry advocates told a federal judge on Tuesday that the recent mothballing of a New Jersey offshore wind project exemplifies the damage being inflicted by the Trump administration's unlawful decision to pause wind farm permitting.

  • June 10, 2025

    Plastic Waste Often Illegally Burned, Tax Chiefs Say

    Plastic waste shipped abroad is often illegally incinerated rather than recycled, including that in Turkey and Indonesia, the Dutch and British tax authorities said Tuesday.

  • June 10, 2025

    Mo. Verdict Winner Urges Justices To Deny Roundup Appeal

    A Missouri man awarded $1.2 million for a failure-to-warn claim alleging Roundup weed killer caused his cancer urged the U.S. Supreme Court to deny Monsanto's petition for review, saying the company is only trying to avoid liability.

  • June 10, 2025

    GrafTech Brass Face Derivative Suit Over Enviro Disclosures

    A GrafTech International shareholder has sued the electrode-maker's top brass in Ohio federal court over their alleged long-running cover-up of the company's environmental contamination in Monterrey, Mexico.

  • June 09, 2025

    Texas, BlackRock Face Judge's Questions Over Coal Suit

    A Texas federal judge on Monday questioned BlackRock Inc. and a Republican-led coalition over claims that the asset manager conspired with others in the industry to drive down coal production through its investment in publicly traded energy companies, wondering whether pressure placed on the companies to provide more detailed climate disclosures was enough to move the lawsuit forward.

  • June 09, 2025

    Enviro Groups, Tribes Can Intervene In Coal Leasing Ban Row

    A Wyoming federal judge allowed a coalition of tribes and environmental groups to intervene in a challenge to the Biden administration's 2024 decision ending new coal leasing on public lands in the Powder River Basin, citing the groups' participation in prior suits over leasing at the site.

  • June 09, 2025

    Senate Confirms Gibson Dunn Partner For EPA's No. 2 Post

    The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed David Fotouhi, a partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, to serve in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's No. 2 post.

  • June 09, 2025

    8th Circ. Affirms Travelers Doesn't Owe $1.4M For Wall Failure

    A Missouri property developer can't recover from Travelers $1.4 million for lost rental income and soft costs after a retaining wall failure caused delays at an apartment construction project, the Eighth Circuit ruled Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • In-House Expert Testimony Is Tricky, But Worth Considering

    Author Photo

    Litigation counsel often reject the notion of designating in-house personnel to provide expert opinion testimony at trial, but dismissing them outright can result in a significant missed opportunity, say David Ben-Meir at Ben-Meir Law and Martin Pitha at Lillis Pitha.

  • Issues To Watch At ABA's Antitrust Spring Meeting

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Freshfields consider the future of antitrust law and competition enforcement amid agency leadership changes and other emerging developments likely to dominate discussion at the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week.

  • Tracking Changes To AI Evidence Under Federal Rules

    Author Photo

    As the first quarter of 2025 draws to a close, important changes to the Federal Rules of Evidence regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the courtroom are on the horizon, including how to handle evidence that is a product of machine learning, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • State Extended Producer Responsibility Laws: Tips For Cos.

    Author Photo

    As states increasingly shift the onus of end-of-life product management from consumers and local governments to the businesses that produce, distribute or sell certain items, companies must track the changing landscape and evaluate the applicability of these new laws and regulations to their operations, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

    Author Photo

    Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • 5 Steps To Promote Durable, Pro-Industry Environmental Regs

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's planned wave of deregulation will require lengthy reviews, and could be undone by legal challenges and future changes of administration — but industry involvement in rulemaking, litigation, trade associations, and state and federal legislation can help ensure favorable and long-lasting regulatory policies, say attorneys at Balch & Bingham.

  • Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

  • Key Insurance Issues Likely To Arise From NY Superfund Law

    Author Photo

    The recently enacted New York Climate Change Superfund Act imposes a massive $75 billion in liabilities on energy companies in the fossil fuel industry, which can be expected to look to their insurers for coverage, raising a slew of coverage issues both old and new, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • How Trump Policies Are Affecting The Right To Repair

    Author Photo

    Recent policy changes by the second Trump administration — ranging from deregulatory initiatives to tariff increases — are likely to have both positive and negative effects on the ability of independent repair shops and individual consumers to exercise their right to repair electronic devices, say attorneys at Carter Ledyard.

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

    Author Photo

    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • DOJ Immigration Playbook May Take Cues From A 2017 Case

    Author Photo

    A record criminal resolution with a tree trimming company accused of knowingly employing unauthorized workers in 2017 may provide clues as to how the U.S. Department of Justice’s immigration crackdown will touch American companies, which should prepare now for potential enforcement actions, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • NM Case Shows Power Of Environmental Public Nuisance Law

    Author Photo

    A recent ruling from a New Mexico appeals court finding that a pattern of environmental violations, even without any substantial impact on a nearby community, can trigger nuisance liability — including potential damages and injunctive relief — has important implications for regulated entities in the state, says Kaleb Brooks at Spencer Fane.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • Opinion

    After Fires, Calif. Must Streamline Enviro Reviews For Housing

    Author Photo

    Recent waivers to the California Environmental Quality Act and other laws granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite reconstruction of residential property damaged in the Los Angeles wildfires are laudable — but given the state's widespread housing shortage, policymakers should extend the same benefits to other communities, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.