Environmental

  • 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.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • What A Court Doc Audit Reveals About Erroneous Filings

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    My audit of 1,522 court documents from last month found that over 95% contained at least one verifiable error, with fewer than 1% showing clear indicators of artificial intelligence use — highlighting above all else that lawyers may want to focus most on strengthening their review processes, says Elliott Ash at ETH Zurich.

  • How Justices' GEO Ruling Resets Gov't Contractor Litigation

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent GEO Group v. Menocal decision, holding that government contractors cannot immediately exit cases via interlocutory appeals, may increase litigation costs, strengthen plaintiffs' leverage in settlement negotiations and dampen the government's ability to attract bids on high-risk or sensitive projects, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Parsing Rule 12(c) Motion Overuse In Securities Class Actions

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    Defendants in securities class actions have more frequently been filing motions for judgment on the pleadings following the denial of motions to dismiss, but courts have recently demonstrated an increasing willingness to reject these previously rare motions, finding them transparent attempts to relitigate already-decided issues, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.

  • New DOD Framework Offers Key Guidance On PFAS Disposal

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    The U.S. Department of Defense's recently updated guidance on disposal of materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ends its moratorium on incineration of PFAS-containing waste, but contractors must be ready to demonstrate stringent compliance with the department's new permitting system, operational controls and data practices, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Ultramarathons Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Completing a 100-mile ultramarathon was tougher, more humbling and more rewarding than I ever imagined, and the experience highlighted how long-distance running has sharpened my ability to adapt to the evolving nature of antitrust law and strengthened my resolve to handle demanding, unforeseen challenges, says Dan Oakes at Axinn.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2026 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Last week's American Bar Association Spring Meeting revealed an antitrust landscape defined by heightened friction and tension — between federal and state enforcers, domestic and international regimes, competing political visions, and traditional enforcement tools and novel challenges, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • In First For DOJ, Action Signals New CFIUS Enforcement Era

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    The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking judicial enforcement of a divestment order, an unprecedented action for the agency that ushers in a new phase for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, one in which judicial proceedings complement administrative oversight and presidential divestment orders may be enforced through litigation, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • 9th Circ. Ruling Clarifies Doc Protection Limits In Gov't Probes

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalbers v. U.S. Department of Justice confirms that Rule 6(e) provides robust protections when documents are in the government's possession only through a grand jury subpoena, emphasizing for companies the importance of careful labeling from the outset of an investigation, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Getting The Most Out Of Learning And Development Programs

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Junior associates can better develop the legal, business and interpersonal skills they need for long-term success by approaching their firms’ learning and development programs armed with five tips for getting the most out of these resources, says Lauren Hakala at Reed Smith.

  • How Cos. Can Prepare For California's Textile Recovery Act

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    Staged implementation of California's Responsible Textile Recovery Act, establishing the state's first extended producer responsibility program for apparel and textile articles, has begun — and companies that review their data readiness, contracts and exposure risks now will be best prepared when the act comes into full effect, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

  • Opinion

    AI Presents A Make-Or-Break Moment For Outside Counsel

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    The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by corporate legal departments is forcing a long-overdue reset of the relationship between inside and outside counsel, and introducing a significant opportunity to shed frustrating inefficiencies and strengthen collaboration for firms willing to embrace the shift, says Intel Chief Legal Officer April Miller Boise.

  • State Carbon Cost Disparities Are Pivotal In Data Center Siting

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    When choosing U.S. data center locations, developers must carefully consider the patchwork of state and regional carbon emission pricing regimes that are layered on top of the federal permitting framework, creating compliance cost differentials that could add up to billions of dollars, say attorneys at Davis Graham.

  • Series

    Watching Hallmark Movies Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I realize you may be judging me for watching, and actually enjoying, Hallmark Channel movies, but the escapism and storylines actually demonstrate qualities and actions that lead to an efficient, productive and positive legal practice, says Karen Ross at Tucker Ellis.

  • Reel Justice: 'Mercy' And Private Surveillance As Evidence

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    The near-future depicted in the film “Mercy” reminds attorneys that private surveillance networks are becoming central to the evidentiary ecosystem, shaping what prosecutors can obtain, what defendants must explain and what jurors may interpret as objective truth, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • Keys To Federal Carbon Compliance In Data Center Siting

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    Recent statements from the White House and state governors about making data centers pay for their own power infrastructure have underlined the importance of choosing locations, generation technologies and deal structures to optimize carbon, permitting and compliance costs, say attorneys at Davis Graham.

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