Environmental

  • September 11, 2026

    Solar Contractor, CBRE Unit Blamed In $1B LA Building Fire

    Lineage Inc., which owns a massive cold-storage facility in Los Angeles that caught fire in June, has sued a commercial solar operator and a CBRE Group subsidiary in California state court, blaming the incident on their negligence in reenergizing a defective rooftop solar array before critical safety checks were completed. 

  • September 11, 2026

    DC Circ. Nixes Energy Dept.'s Order To Keep Coal Plant Open

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday wiped out a U.S. Department of Energy order to keep open a Michigan coal-fired power plant slated for retirement, saying it represents an unjustified expansion of the agency's emergency authority under the Federal Power Act.

  • September 10, 2026

    24 States Ink Deal With Feds In AmeriCorps Budget Cuts Case

    Two dozen states and the District of Columbia have reached a settlement with the Trump administration to stop the federal government from abruptly slashing funding for the national volunteer agency AmeriCorps in the future, the coalition of states announced Thursday.

  • September 10, 2026

    FERC Chair Maintains Push To Fast-Track Gas Pipeline Work

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Laura Swett on Thursday lauded the agency's efforts to speed up permitting of gas infrastructure, and emphasized that projects that won't have major impacts on pipeline operations or ratepayers shouldn't be subject to unnecessary additional scrutiny.

  • September 10, 2026

    Mich. Tribes, Enviro Groups Challenge Line 5 Tunnel Permits

    Four Michigan Tribal Nations and four environmental groups on Thursday separately challenged state permits for Enbridge Energy LP's proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, seeking to overturn approvals facing renewed scrutiny after a Michigan Supreme Court ruling required broader environmental review of the project.

  • September 10, 2026

    US, Ohio Settle 15-Year Dam Mining Dispute

    The federal government and Ohio have decided to settle their more than 15-year legal battle over the state's authorization of coal mining near a federal dam and reservoir.

  • September 10, 2026

    Pittsburgh Schools Say Commission Can't Decide Tax Suit

    The Pittsburgh public school district urged a court to reject a bid from the city water utility to toss the district's lawsuit calling the utility's stormwater fees illegal taxes, saying that the motion is based on a mischaracterization that a public utility commission, and not the court, has jurisdiction.

  • September 10, 2026

    Energy Dept. Sued Again Over 'Blue State' Grant Terminations

    The U.S. Department of Energy was hit with another complaint alleging it unlawfully canceled grants destined for states that voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

  • September 10, 2026

    TPG, Blue Owl, CVC Exploring Deals, And More Rumors

    Private equity firm TPG may be looking to sell Lyric, which could value the healthcare software company at $5 billion; asset manager Blue Owl Capital is exploring the launch of a real estate investment trust; and CVC Capital Partners could sell personal care company Arthea at a $2 billion valuation. 

  • September 10, 2026

    EU Seeks Input On Aligning VAT Rules With Circular Economy

    The European Union wants to revise the value-added tax system to promote circular business models intended to be more environmentally friendly, the Taxation and Customs Union said Thursday.

  • September 10, 2026

    3 Firms Steer $2.55B Enbridge-Tallgrass Crude Oil Deal

    Enbridge Inc. has agreed to buy the crude oil business of Tallgrass Energy for $2.55 billion in cash, expanding its pipeline network in the U.S. Rockies, with three law firms advising on the transaction. 

  • September 10, 2026

    Unharmed Class Members Don't Sink US Steel Pollution Suit

    A Pennsylvania state judge denied U.S. Steel's bid to undo a class of residents surrounding the company's Clairton Coke Works on Wednesday, after the steelmaker argued that some class members attested they were not harmed by an increase in sulfur pollution after a 2018 fire.

  • September 10, 2026

    DuPont, Spinoffs Ink Historic $590M PFAS Deal In NC

    DuPont and its spinoffs will pay $590 million to resolve claims they contaminated North Carolina's environment with forever chemicals, marking the largest total environmental damages recovery in the state's history, Attorney General Jeff Jackson and The Chemours Co. announced Thursday.

  • September 09, 2026

    Wash. Officials Immune To Energy Code Suit, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive a building industry coalition's lawsuit challenging Washington state regulations that discourage natural gas appliances in new construction, holding in a published opinion that the government officials the coalition sued are "shielded by sovereign immunity."

  • September 09, 2026

    21 States Want Changes To Endangered Species Act Blocked

    California, Massachusetts, Washington and 18 other states on Wednesday filed a pair of suits challenging the Trump administration's recent changes to how the Endangered Species Act is implemented, claiming that the rules drastically weaken safeguards for the most vulnerable species and were rolled out unlawfully.

  • September 09, 2026

    Mexico Owes $15.9M For Closing Quarry Site, Tribunal Says

    An international tribunal has determined that Mexico violated international law when it partially shut down limestone quarrying by a unit of U.S.-based construction aggregates company Vulcan Materials Co., an award made public on Wednesday said.

  • September 09, 2026

    Ex-Nikola CEO's Pardon Doesn't Let Him Beat Investor Suit

    The presidential pardon Nikola founder Trevor Milton received for his criminal conviction on securities fraud charges does not bar him from facing similar civil claims alleging he and the electric-vehicle startup exaggerated the viability of the company's prospects, an Arizona federal judge ruled.

  • September 09, 2026

    Enviro Groups Challenge BLM's Colo., Wyo. Oil Lease Sales

    Two environmental advocacy nonprofits accused the Bureau of Land Management and related agencies of flouting federal law by authorizing the leasing of "environmentally sensitive public lands" in Colorado and Wyoming for oil and gas development, according to a lawsuit filed in Colorado federal court.

  • September 09, 2026

    Ford Says DOT Concern Over China Tech 'Wrongheaded'

    Ford Motor Co. pushed back on U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's "profound concern" over what he said was too close of a relationship between it and a Chinese battery manufacturer, saying the claims are unfounded and don't mesh with other administration stances.

  • September 09, 2026

    Mich. To Revisit Line 5 Tunnel Permits After High Court Ruling

    Michigan environmental regulators will reconsider permits issued in July for Enbridge Energy LP's proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac after the Michigan Supreme Court found earlier this year that a separate state approval of the project relied on an improperly narrow environmental review, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday. 

  • September 09, 2026

    Nuclear Energy Firm HGP Going Public Via $1.2B SPAC Deal

    Energy infrastructure developer HGP Intelligent Energy LLC has unveiled plans to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition company Meshflow Acquisition Corp. in a deal that boasts a pro forma equity value of roughly $1.2 billion and was built by three law firms.

  • September 09, 2026

    FCA, Cummins Win Ram Diesel Suit Over EPA Preemption

    A class action alleging FCA and Cummins Inc. falsely marketed Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 diesel pickup trucks as being more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient than other diesel trucks ended on Wednesday after a Michigan federal judge held the claims are preempted by the Clean Air Act.

  • September 09, 2026

    California Judge Ends Tribe's Challenge Over Village Site

    A federal magistrate judge has ended a dispute between two California tribes over the management of an Indigenous coastal village site, determining that the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria is an indispensable party in the litigation that is protected by sovereign immunity.

  • September 09, 2026

    Boston TV Station Seeks Ax Of Storm Crew Wage Suit

    A Boston television station urged a Massachusetts federal judge to toss a suit over alleged unpaid storm-coverage travel and preparation time, saying the claims fall short and must first go through union grievance and arbitration procedures.

  • September 09, 2026

    3rd Circ. Vacates Approval For NJ Pipeline Project

    The Third Circuit has vacated New Jersey's approval of a water quality certification for Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC's proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement project, ruling that the state unlawfully deferred requirements for monitoring and corrective action and failed to explain how the project would meet water quality standards.

Expert Analysis

  • What Trial Teams Should Know About AI Jury Research Tools

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    Using artificial intelligence for jury research is quickly becoming part of the litigation consulting landscape, and can be a useful part of a case assessment toolkit — but litigators must understand what these systems are built to measure, and what conclusions can reasonably be drawn from their output, say Bill Kanasky and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Attorneys Using AI May Have Ethical Duty To Redact Docs

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    The trajectory of legal ethics guidance in recent years strongly suggests that as redaction technology becomes more accessible, the failure to use it when uploading highly confidential materials into artificial intelligence tools will become increasingly difficult to defend as reasonable, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Series

    Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

  • Expert Witness's ChatGPT Use Highlights New AI Risks

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    An expert witness's recent use of ChatGPT in multidistrict litigation involving 3M to formulate most of his opinion illustrates the lack of clear rules for how an expert may use generative AI in an opinion, expanding both offensive and defensive discovery considerations, says David Shargel at Bracewell.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling Lays Out Administrative Right-Of-Access Blueprint

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    In Civil Rights Corps v. LaSalle, the Second Circuit recently held that the First Amendment dictates a presumptive right of access to sealed attorney grievance proceedings, providing a framework for challenging other administrative regimes that operate behind closed doors, says Jonathan Ginsberg at Carlton Fields.

  • EPA Guidance May Simplify On-Site Power For Data Centers

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    At a moment when wait times to connect large loads to the electric grid can stretch into years, two recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance documents seek to make it easier for data center developers to set up on-site power generation — but much will depend on how quickly states and localities update their own rules, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Orbital Data Centers May Test NEPA's Reach

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    With environmental and scientific groups recently pushing back against the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to exempt massive data center satellite constellations from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, the question of whether NEPA even applies to projects in space turns on three closely related issues, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • What Cos. Should Know About DOE Energy Dominance Loans

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    With the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing set to become a vital resource for funding U.S. energy and critical minerals projects, interested companies must understand the terms of potential loans and take into account the applicable financial, technical, legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • DOE Energy Financing Overhaul Opens Paths For Developers

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    The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing is now positioned to be a key source of support for energy and critical minerals development in the U.S., creating opportunities for companies seeking to advance projects that align with administration priorities, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • How Texas' Protein Powder Probe Reflects Prop 65's Influence

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    Texas' recently announced investigation into contaminants in protein powder illustrates how California's Proposition 65, with its hundreds of listed chemicals, safe harbor levels and consumer warnings, may have an influence on enforcement and regulation in other states, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • The Expanding Litigation Front Against The Data Center Boom

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    A survey of environmental and land use claims raised in disputes over data center projects across the country shows that the outcomes of these disputes will have significant implications not only for the future of data center development, but for infrastructure projects in general, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Taekwondo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Taekwondo has taught me to recognize when to fight for a position and when to focus on finding a solution, and that the best outcomes are often achieved by solving problems — all of which has improved my work as a bankruptcy lawyer, mediator and Subchapter V trustee, says Amy Denton Mayer at Berger Singerman.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses seven recent rulings from cases involving Class Action Fairness Act jurisdiction, appellate jurisdiction, attorney fees and employment rights.

  • When And How To Use 4 Types Of Cross-Exam Questions

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    Perceptions of a great cross-examination are often shaped by aggressive courtroom exchanges, but to be truly effective, this stage of trial requires strategically selecting confirmation, confinement, contrast or confrontation questions at key moments, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

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