Environmental

  • May 02, 2024

    Email Exchanges Doom Honeywell Bid To Nix $20M GSA Claim

    A contract appeals board wouldn't free Honeywell International Inc. from the General Services Administration's efforts to recoup an alleged $20 million overpayment on an energy deal, finding it unclear whether a 2021 agreement related to the contract barred the claim.

  • May 02, 2024

    Camp Lejeune Litigants Ask Court Who Can Represent Family

    Family members of former residents of Camp Lejeune who died, allegedly after being exposed to contaminated drinking water, asked the North Carolina federal court overseeing the litigation on Wednesday to clarify who can qualify to act as a legal representative for out-of-state decedents.

  • May 02, 2024

    3rd Circ. Shuts Down Pa.'s Challenge To EPA Ozone Plan

    The Third Circuit on Thursday upheld the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air emissions plan for coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania, which the state and a company had argued was illegally imposed.

  • May 02, 2024

    Haaland Faces Senate Heat Over Interior Dept.'s Land Policies

    U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland on Tuesday defended her agency's commitment to fostering energy development on public lands as U.S. senators criticized her agency over issues ranging from new rules to the pace of energy leasing and project permitting.

  • May 02, 2024

    Biden Announces $3B To Fund Lead Pipe Replacement

    The Biden administration is distributing $3 billion to states so they can replace lead water pipes that pose a health risk to those who rely on them for drinking water, as part of the larger goal to remove all lead service lines nationwide.

  • May 02, 2024

    Green Groups Want FEMA To Define 'Resiliency'

    Environmental advocacy and consumer groups sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency in D.C. federal court Thursday, alleging the agency is way past its deadline to initiate rulemaking to define "resilient."

  • May 02, 2024

    Ohio City Targets EPA Over 'Foul-Smelling Scum' On Lake Erie

    An Ohio city, a county board and a nonprofit want the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to live up to its responsibility to stop "foul-smelling scum" from building up in western Lake Erie, according to a federal lawsuit.

  • May 02, 2024

    11th Circ. Lets Georgia Island Dock Lawsuit Proceed

    A Georgia conservation group can resume its challenge to federal approval of a private pier on Cumberland Island after a divided Eleventh Circuit panel said regulators could conduct a more rigorous environmental review even though the dock was already built.

  • May 02, 2024

    11th Circ. Urged To Clear Final Hurdle To Interstate Water Deal

    As the finish line comes into view in Georgia and Alabama's decadeslong fight over water rights, the Peach State, the federal government and a host of local water providers are urging the Eleventh Circuit to reject a bid by environmental groups to block the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' management proposal for the Apalachicola watershed.

  • May 02, 2024

    Davis Wright Brings On MoFo Appellate Litigator In San Fran

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has brought on a former Morrison Foerster LLP partner in San Francisco, strengthening its appellate practice with an experienced appellate litigator who clerked for a U.S. Supreme Court justice, a California Supreme Court justice and other judges, the firm announced Thursday.

  • May 02, 2024

    Husch Blackwell Gains Energy Ace From Locke Lord In Austin

    Husch Blackwell LLP has strengthened its energy practice with a partner in Austin who has expertise in regulatory matters and who came aboard from Locke Lord LLP.

  • May 02, 2024

    FTC Clears $60B Exxon Deal With Pioneer Executive Ban

    The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday cleared the way for the close of the $60 billion mega-merger between Exxon Mobil Corp. and Pioneer Natural Resources, subject to an agreement barring former Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield from gaining a seat on Exxon's board. 

  • May 01, 2024

    Bipartisan Reps. Introduce Bill To Trace Battery Supply Chains

    Environmental advocacy groups including the Sierra Club, Earthworks and SAFE have thrown their support behind a new bill to promote traceability in battery supply chains, a measure aimed at weeding bad labor and environmental practices out of the supply chain.

  • May 01, 2024

    9th Circ. Slams Door On Kids' Climate Case

    The Ninth Circuit ordered an Oregon federal judge Wednesday to immediately dismiss a closely watched suit by young adults against the federal government over the effects of climate change, saying its earlier order to end the matter could not be brushed off.

  • May 01, 2024

    Fracking Waste Still Festering Near Ohio River, AG Says

    Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost urged a Belmont County judge Wednesday to find Austin Master Services in contempt for failing to adhere to the court's preliminary injunction requiring the company to clean up fracking waste stored at its recycling facility by April 17.

  • May 01, 2024

    Feds Approve Disaster Aid For Oklahoma Storm Victims

    Three Oklahoma counties will receive federal aid to help recover from severe storms and tornadoes that left four dead and nearly 300 injured last month, with damage totals likely to grow as assessments continue throughout the Sooner State.

  • May 01, 2024

    Tribe Fires Back At Feds' Brief In Enbridge Pipeline Row

    The Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians has called on the Seventh Circuit to reject in part the federal government's position in an appeal over the future of Enbridge Energy's controversial Line 5 oil pipeline.

  • May 01, 2024

    Army Corps Says Taking Over Fla. CWA Permits Is No Problem

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday told the D.C. Circuit that, following a lower court's decision to strip Florida of its authority to administer a Clean Water Act permitting program, it has already taken over the work and expects no serious issues.

  • May 01, 2024

    AI Is Top Of Mind For Companies — And Securities Regulators

    As references to artificial intelligence in securities filings soar, attorneys say companies must ground their disclosures in fact and be upfront about risks posed by AI in order to avoid the wrath of regulators, who promise to crack down on misleading claims.

  • May 01, 2024

    Tax Credit Transfer Regs Show IRS Caution In Rulemaking

    The IRS and Treasury's final rules on the sale and transfer of green energy credits maintained a strict reading of the statute while making few changes, a sign of caution by regulators amid judicial scrutiny of the government's rulemaking authority.

  • May 01, 2024

    PG&E, KKR In Exclusive Talks For Partial Sale Of Power Biz

    Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. is in exclusive talks with private equity giant KKR to sell a minority interest in its subsidiary, Pacific Generation LLC, to KKR's infrastructure strategy in a deal that would reduce customer rates by more than $100 million over the next two decades.

  • April 30, 2024

    Feds Say Treaties Don't Protect Utah Tribe In Land Row

    Efforts by a Utah tribe to restore public lands to a trust status that would prevent federal officials from illegally accessing the property are based on a false premise, the United States said, arguing that two 19th century laws support its bid to dismiss the case.

  • April 30, 2024

    PolyMet Must Give Up More Info In Mining Land Swap Suit

    A federal judge has declined to sanction a Minnesota mining company in a discovery challenge by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa but ordered it to produce certain previously withheld information in the tribe's bid to undo a land swap for copper and nickel mining.

  • April 30, 2024

    Minn. Tribes Seek Support For Five 'Land Return' Bills

    More than 20 Minnesota-based groups have urged state lawmakers to vote in favor of five "land return" bills that would give back state-owned lands to Native American tribes, saying the measures support the legal return of Indigenous lands along with their continued use by the public.

  • April 30, 2024

    Final Biden Enviro Review Regs Puts Onus On Agencies

    The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized its second round of revisions to regulations governing federal agencies' environmental reviews, but how agencies weave the new guidelines into their project permitting processes will be where the regulatory rubber hits the road, experts say.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves

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    As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.

  • Proposed Hydrogen Tax Credit Regs May Be Legally Flawed

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    While the recently proposed regulations for the new clean hydrogen production tax credit have been lauded by some in the environmental community, it is unclear whether they are sufficiently grounded in law, result from valid rulemaking processes, or accord with other administrative law principles, say Hunter Johnston and Steven Dixon at Steptoe.

  • Series

    Cheering In The NFL Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Balancing my time between a BigLaw career and my role as an NFL cheerleader has taught me that pursuing your passions outside of work is not a distraction, but rather an opportunity to harness important skills that can positively affect how you approach work and view success in your career, says Rachel Schuster at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Args In APA Case Amplify Justices' Focus On Agency Power

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    In arguments last week in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve, the U.S. Supreme Court justices paid particular importance to the possible ripple effects of their decision, which will address when a facial challenge to long-standing federal rules under the Administrative Procedure Act first accrues and could thus unleash a flood of new lawsuits, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • What Recent Setbacks In Court Mean For Enviro Justice

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    Two courts in Louisiana last month limited the federal government's ability to require consideration of Civil Rights Act disparate impacts when evaluating state-issued permits — likely providing a framework for opposition to environmental justice initiatives in other states, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • New Hydrogen Regulations Show The Need For IP Protections

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    The introduction of hydrogen regulations, such as the IRS' proposed tax credit for clean hydrogen under the Inflation Reduction Act, are reshaping the competitive landscape, with intellectual property rights an area of increased emphasis, say Evan Glass and James De Vellis at Foley & Lardner.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Gulf Cooperation Council

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    The Gulf Cooperation Council is in the early stages of ESG policy implementation, but recent commitments by both states and corporations — including increases in sustainable finance transactions, environmental commitments, female representation on boards and human rights enforcement — show continuing progress toward broader ESG goals, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • 6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media

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    In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.

  • Why Biz Groups Disagree On Ending Chevron Deference

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    Two amicus briefs filed in advance of last month's U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo highlight contrasting views on whether the doctrine of Chevron deference promotes or undermines the stable regulatory environment that businesses require, say Wyatt Kendall and Sydney Brogden at Morris Manning.

  • A Look Ahead For The Electric Vehicle Charging Industry

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    This will likely be an eventful year for the electric vehicle market as government efforts to accelerate their adoption inevitably clash with backlash from supporters of the petroleum industry, say Rue Phillips at SkillFusion and Enid Joffe at Green Paradigm Consulting.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

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    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • Opinion

    Exxon Court Should Clarify Shareholder Proposal Exclusion

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    ExxonMobil last month took the unusual action of asking a Texas federal judge whether a proposal from climate activists seeking to limit oil and gas sales could be excluded from its 2024 proxy statement, and the court should use this opportunity to reevaluate SEC policy and set clear limits on when shareholder proposals can be included, says Stephen Bainbridge at UCLA School of Law.

  • Legislative And Litigation Trends In Environmental Advertising

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    Companies that tout their products' environmental benefits can significantly reduce the risk that they will face allegations of greenwashing by staying up to date on related Federal Trade Commission guidance, state requirements and litigation trends, say Raqiyyah Pippins and Kelsie Sicinski at Arnold & Porter.

  • Considering The Logical Extremes Of Your Legal Argument

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    Recent oral arguments in the federal election interference case against former President Donald Trump highlighted the age-old technique of extending an argument to its logical limit — a principle that is still important for attorneys to consider in preparing their cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Reducing The Risk Of PFAS False Advertising Class Actions

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    A wave of class actions continues to pummel products that allegedly contain per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, with plaintiffs challenging advertising that they say misleads consumers by implying an absence of PFAS — but there are steps companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

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