Environmental

  • July 21, 2026

    18 State AGs Sue EPA Over Hydrofluorocarbons Rollback

    Eighteen Democratic attorneys general and the city of New York filed a petition with the D.C. Circuit Tuesday over a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule they argue will weaken federal limits on hydrofluorocarbons, which are refrigerants used in air conditioning and cooling systems.

  • July 21, 2026

    High Court Ruling Doesn't Impact Pipeline Fight, 9th Circ. Told

    California and environmental groups have told the Ninth Circuit that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision clarifying federal arbitration jurisdictional lines has no bearing on their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's assertion of jurisdiction over an in-state oil pipeline system.

  • July 21, 2026

    DC Circ. Revives Challenge To EPA's $3B Grant Cut

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday revived a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's termination of nearly $3 billion in environmental justice grants, saying a district court had neglected a key jurisdictional question when it dismissed the suit.

  • July 21, 2026

    DC Circ. Backs FAA In Conn. Airport Fight After Seven County

    The D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration sufficiently analyzed the environmental impacts of a regional Connecticut airport expansion project, saying the U.S. Supreme Court's Seven County ruling made clear that courts cannot override agencies' reasonable National Environmental Policy Act judgments or explanations.

  • July 21, 2026

    IRS Lacks Expert Testimony In Easement Fight, Donor Says

    The Internal Revenue Service is trying to disallow a partnership donor's $19.1 million charitable deduction for a Georgia conservation easement with limited expert testimony, the partnership told the U.S. Tax Court, arguing that approach violates the rules governing valuation cases.

  • July 21, 2026

    Ship Owner Slams Damages Claims In Md. Bridge Collapse

    The operators of the ship that slammed into Baltimore's Key Bridge in 2024 blasted economic damages claims from the city and county of Baltimore, as well as private claimants, telling a federal judge that none had a proprietary interest in the bridge because it was owned by the state.

  • July 21, 2026

    Guam Group Says Air Force Can't Skip Review Of Detonations

    A nonprofit in Guam asked the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a ruling that the U.S. Air Force shirked environmental review duties when it applied to renew a permit to detonate expired munitions, as well as reject the agency's attempts to avoid them.

  • July 21, 2026

    Wash. Tribe, Enviro Org. Say FERC Hydro Delay Imperils Sites

    A Washington tribe and an environmental group are asking the Ninth Circuit to deny a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission bid to hold a challenge against the agency's issuance of a hydroelectric license in abeyance, arguing that it won't stop the project from moving toward construction that will destroy resources.

  • July 20, 2026

    Groups Seek Win In Suit Over Big Bend Border Wall Waivers

    Environmental and community groups asked a Texas federal judge Friday to grant them summary judgment in their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's waiver of dozens of environmental and other federal laws to speed border wall construction across roughly 430 miles, arguing it's a clear violation of the major questions doctrine.

  • July 20, 2026

    Green Groups Ask Court To Bar SpaceX Texas Land Transfer

    Environmental groups asked a D.C. federal court Monday to halt a deal that will see hundreds of acres of formerly protected habitat near the Texas Coast transferred to Space Exploration Technologies Corp., saying that an immediate injunction is needed to block the transfer while litigation plays out.

  • July 20, 2026

    Judge Orders EPA To Determine Soot Compliant Regions

    A California federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate areas of the country as either meeting, or not, national regulations for soot and other particulate matter by February, handing a win to 10 states and nonprofit groups that sued the agency for failing to do so.

  • July 20, 2026

    Energy Cash-Grant Case Casts Light On Investment Tax Credit

    The U.S. Court of Federal Claims' long-awaited decision on a California wind farm's valuation for a now-defunct cash grant program offers insight into an issue on which the IRS has issued little guidance: how to value clean energy projects financed by the investment tax credit.

  • July 20, 2026

    Judge Questions Exxon Bid To Revive Claims In Records Suit

    A Massachusetts judge on Monday appeared unlikely to let Exxon Mobil revive equal protection claims in a public records lawsuit against state environmental regulators, saying counsel for the company was essentially asking him to second-guess a colleague who tossed the allegations in March.

  • July 20, 2026

    Pa. District Owed Refund For Improper Water Fees, Court Told

    The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has continued to improperly collect stormwater fees even after a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision found the fees to be illegal taxes, the city's public school district said in a complaint filed Monday, arguing it is entitled to a $1.9 million refund.

  • July 20, 2026

    Exxon Climate Suit Fate May Hinge On Preemption Precedent

    A Connecticut state judge on Monday seemed inclined to wait for upcoming U.S. Supreme Court preemption guidance before ruling on the state's attempt to nix one of Exxon Mobil's defenses in an environmental marketing lawsuit, though both sides drew some skepticism during oral argument Monday.

  • July 20, 2026

    Water Transfer Co. Seeks $351K In Worker Credit Refunds

    The Internal Revenue Service owes a water transfer services company nearly $351,000 in employee retention tax credit refunds, the business told a Pennsylvania federal court, saying the agency improperly retained the overpayments to offset a supposed civil penalty against the company.

  • July 20, 2026

    Chevron Wants $215M Award Against Ecuador Enforced

    Chevron has brought its long-running dispute with the nation of Ecuador to D.C. federal court, asking a judge to force Ecuador to pay a $215 million arbitral award the gas giant won almost a year ago in a dispute over pollution in the Amazon.

  • July 20, 2026

    Trump Demands Review Of Judges' Science Manual

    President Donald Trump has escalated a recent controversy over a scientific manual for federal judges that has been around for over three decades. 

  • July 20, 2026

    Immunity Shields Conn., Ex-Enviro Chief From Coverage Fight

    A Connecticut federal court dropped the state and its former environmental commissioner from a dispute over coverage for a developer accused of unlawfully encroaching on and destroying public land, finding that the state defendants are shielded by the Eleventh Amendment's grant of sovereign immunity.

  • July 20, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court last week tackled disputes involving intellectual property, corporate control, fiduciary duties, artificial intelligence, trust administration and cryptocurrency litigation.

  • July 17, 2026

    Law Firm Says Marketer Is On The Hook For Unwanted Calls

    A North Carolina plaintiffs firm facing a lawsuit alleging unwanted calls were made to those on the National Do Not Call Registry says a marketing company should be on the hook for damages, urging a federal court not to allow the vendor to hide behind a predecessor's bankruptcy.

  • July 17, 2026

    Calif. Air District Can Be Sued Under Clean Air Act, Judge Says

    A federal judge ruled Friday that the Clean Air Act allows a coalition of environmental groups to sue an agency that controls air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley even though it is a government regulator.

  • July 17, 2026

    Judge Says OMB Can't Change Grant Terms After Award

    A Massachusetts federal judge said Friday the Trump administration cannot rely on a shift in policy to retroactively change the terms of already awarded grants in order to justify canceling them.

  • July 17, 2026

    Don't Miss It: Willkie, Orrick Steer Hot Deals

    A lot can happen in the world of mergers and acquisitions and equity fundraising over the course of a couple of weeks, and it's difficult to keep up with all the deals.

  • July 17, 2026

    9th Circ. Rekindles Idaho Logging Review Dispute

    The Ninth Circuit revived a conservation group's suit against the U.S. Forest Service over an environmental review of an Idaho logging project, ruling that the group should have been allowed to raise an argument it had not raised during an earlier administrative process.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Intentional Career-Building

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    A successful legal career is built through intention: understanding expectations, assessing strengths honestly and proactively seeking opportunities to grow and cultivating relationships that support your development, say Erika Drous and Hillary Mann at Morrison Foerster.

  • Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2026

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    As 2026 begins, the legal and regulatory outlook for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is defined less by sweeping federal initiatives and more by incremental adjustments, judicial guardrails and state-driven regulations — an environment in which proactive risk management and close monitoring of policy developments will be essential, say attorneys at MG+M.

  • 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.

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