Environmental

  • October 06, 2025

    Paraquat MDL Judge Seeks Answers From Plaintiffs' Atty

    The Illinois federal judge presiding over multidistrict litigation alleging that the pesticide paraquat causes Parkinson's disease on Monday ordered Aimee Wagstaff of Andrus Wagstaff PC, a former member of the plaintiffs' executive committee, to explain why she's putting on a video conference for other attorneys in the litigation.

  • October 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Revives Investors' Green Infrastructure Co. Suit

    The Second Circuit on Monday revived a proposed class action against defunct green infrastructure firm Abengoa SA, ruling that details from Spanish criminal proceedings against the firm could be used to claim that the company had defrauded its U.S.-based investors.

  • October 06, 2025

    Clark Hill Expands Transactions Practice In Denver

    Clark Hill PLC on Monday added six attorneys formerly of Burns Figa & Will to its Denver office in a move aimed at expanding the international firm's securities and corporate transactions practice in Colorado.

  • October 06, 2025

    Unions Ask Court To Save Fed. Workers' Jobs Amid Shutdown

    A California federal judge should block the Trump administration from carrying out its threats to use the government shutdown as an occasion to fire another large swath of federal workers, two unions argued, requesting a temporary restraining order that would protect the jobs of the federal workers they represent.

  • October 06, 2025

    Labor, Energy Groups Challenge EPA's $7B Solar Cancellation

    A coalition of the labor and solar energy industry players on Monday alleged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency violated the Constitution and federal law by canceling a $7 billion program providing solar equipment to low-income households.

  • October 06, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week, the owner of the Kentucky Derby was hit with a suit accusing it of withholding escrow funds for environmental compliance violations owed under a 2022 deal with hospitality company Enchantment Holdings LLC.

  • October 06, 2025

    NC Chamber Says AG Overstepping In DuPont Pollution Suit

    The North Carolina Chamber has urged the state's top court to review a forever chemical contamination suit against two DuPont spinoffs, saying state Attorney General Jeff Jackson is "driving far outside of his lane" by continuing to press forward with the case.

  • October 06, 2025

    Attys Want Sanctions For Ex-Admin Of $600M Derailment Deal

    The attorneys representing a class of residents in and around East Palestine, Ohio, have asked a federal court to let them move ahead with seeking penalties against the former administrator of Norfolk Southern's $600 million derailment settlement.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Revisit Apache Land Exchange Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't reconsider its decision to deny an Apache nonprofit's petition that looked to block the transfer of nearly 2,500 acres to a copper mining company it said would destroy an ancient Indigenous worship site.

  • October 06, 2025

    High Court Won't Take Up NY Tribal Eel Fishing Regs Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't take up a Long Island tribe's petition that looks to undo a Second Circuit order that rejected its challenge to New York's regulations on eel fishing harvests, which argued that if the decision is upheld, it would give district courts gatekeeping roles on expert testimony.

  • October 06, 2025

    Supreme Court Rejects Wash. State Climate Law Challenge

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Ohio-based Invenergy Thermal LLC's challenge to Washington state's Climate Commitment Act, which the company alleged illegally favors in-state power providers.

  • October 03, 2025

    Up First At High Court: Election Laws & Conversion Therapy

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in six cases during the first week of its October 2025 term, including in disputes over federal candidates' ability to challenge state election laws, Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, and the ability of a landlord to sue the U.S. Postal Service for allegedly refusing to deliver mail. 

  • October 03, 2025

    Biden-Era Drilling Ban Memos Overstepped Law, Judge Says

    A Louisiana federal judge handed a partial victory to Republican-led states and oil and gas industry groups in their lawsuits challenging now-rescinded Biden-era memos that closed off waters to offshore drilling, finding that the memos exceeded the president's authority.

  • October 03, 2025

    4 Top Supreme Court Cases To Watch This Term

    After a busy summer of emergency rulings, the U.S. Supreme Court will kick off its October 2025 term Monday with only a few big-ticket cases on its docket — over presidential authorities, transgender athletes and election law — in what might be a strategically slow start to a potentially momentous term. Here, Law360 looks at four of the most important cases on the court's docket so far.

  • October 03, 2025

    NY's Eel Fishing Limits Against Tribal Members Upheld

    A New York federal judge ruled Friday that tribal members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation do not have aboriginal rights to fish, free from state regulation, in Shinnecock Bay on the South Shore of Long Island.

  • October 03, 2025

    Kiewit Deal Would Resolve Fight Over Marine Yard Runoff

    Kiewit Corp. has agreed to pay more than $800,000 and employ new environmental protection practices under a tentative agreement between the construction firm and a Seattle environmental nonprofit, the parties told a federal judge in Washington.

  • October 03, 2025

    Kentucky Derby Owner Churchill Downs Sued In Escrow Fight

    Churchill Downs Inc., the owner of the Kentucky Derby, has been sued in Delaware Chancery Court for allegedly withholding escrow funds for environmental compliance violations owed under a 2022 deal with hospitality company Enchantment Holdings LLC.

  • October 03, 2025

    Fla. $608M FEMA Grant May Revive Detention Center Suit

    A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed Friday that it awarded Florida $608 million in reimbursement funds for building and running mass detention centers, including the so-called Alligator Alcatraz facility in Big Cypress National Preserve.

  • October 03, 2025

    Denver Tries To Ditch Suit Over Building Emissions Ordinance

    The city and county of Denver have pushed for the dismissal of a suit filed by real estate trade groups challenging regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, arguing on Friday in federal court the goal of the regulations is "to avoid the injuries plaintiffs ascribe to it."

  • October 03, 2025

    Court Limits In Congress' NEPA Reform Push Spark Debate

    Congressmembers' hopes to facilitate the faster approval of projects that require environmental reviews like pipelines and other energy infrastructure may be an uphill battle despite bipartisan support due to accompanying provisions, such as limited judicial review, that have invited opposition.

  • October 03, 2025

    Benzene At NC BASF Plant Caused Cancer, Ex-Worker Says

    A former worker at a North Carolina vitamin plant is suing BASF Corp. and affiliates of Takeda America Holdings Inc. in North Carolina federal court, alleging BASF exposed her to benzene, resulting in her developing cancer later in life.

  • October 03, 2025

    Native Groups Urge Action As Shutdown Threatens Services

    Federal lawmakers and Native American nonprofits are calling for funding to continue certain services during the U.S. government shutdown, saying they're concerned about the disproportionate harm it could have on tribal communities.

  • October 03, 2025

    FERC Finding Friendlier Courts In Gas Project Approval Fights

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is getting more leeway from courts in lawsuits challenging its gas project approvals following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that curtailed federal environmental reviews, which may ultimately speed up the agency's consideration of projects.

  • October 03, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Exxon Must Pay Atty Fees For 'Absurd' Args

    The Second Circuit on Friday said energy giants including Exxon Mobil Corp. must pay attorney fees to New York City, which is suing them for deceptive practices around climate change, for advancing "absurd" arguments in remand proceedings.

  • October 03, 2025

    The Roberts Court At 20: How The Chief Is Reshaping America

    Twenty years after John Roberts became the 17th chief justice of the United States, he faces a U.S. Supreme Court term that's looking transformative for the country and its institutions. How Justice Roberts and his colleagues navigate mounting distrust in the judiciary and set the boundaries of presidential authority appear increasingly likely to define his time leading the court.

Expert Analysis

  • Utility Agency Suits May Rise As Calif. Justices Nix Deference

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    A recent California Supreme Court ruling rejecting the uniquely deferential standard of review accorded to California Public Utilities Commission decisions interpreting the Public Utilities Code will incentivize more litigation against the agency, as long as litigants can show their challenges meet certain requirements, says Thaila Sundaresan at Davis Wright.

  • What 2 Profs Noticed As Transactional Law Students Used AI

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    After a semester using generative artificial intelligence tools with students in an entrepreneurship law clinic, we came away with numerous observations about the opportunities and challenges such tools present to new transactional lawyers, say professors at Cornell Law School.

  • State AGs Are Turning Up The Antitrust Heat On ESG Actions

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    Recent antitrust developments from red state attorneys general continue a trend of environmental, social and governance scrutiny, and businesses exposed to these areas should conduct close examinations of strategy and potential material risk, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Top Takeaways From Trump's AI Action Plan

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    President Donald Trump's AI Action Plan represents some notable evolution in U.S. policy, including affirmation of the administration's trend toward prioritizing artificial intelligence innovation over guardrails and toward supporting greater U.S. private sector reach overseas, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Ill. Toxic Tort Jurisdiction Law Raises Constitutional Concerns

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    Illinois' S.B. 328, purporting to broaden state courts' jurisdictional reach over out-of-state corporations, is presented as a measure aimed at facilitating recovery in toxic tort cases, but the legislation raises significant due process and dormant commerce clause issues, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Rebuttal

    BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

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    A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

  • Environmental Justice Is Alive And Well At The State Level

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    Even as the Trump administration has rolled back federal environmental justice policies, many states continue to prioritize it, with new regulations, strengthened enforcement of existing rules and ongoing private litigation — so companies must stay alert to how state-level EJ enforcement may affect their operations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

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    Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.

  • How To Successfully Challenge Jurors For Cause In 5 Steps

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    To effectively challenge a potential juror for cause, attorneys should follow a multistep framework rather than skipping straight to the final qualification question, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Opinion

    Furtive Changes To Federal Health Data Threaten Admissibility

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    A recent study showing that nearly 100 U.S. federal health datasets have been modified this year without any notation in official change logs should concern plaintiffs counsel, defense counsel and judges alike — because undermining data's integrity, authenticity and chain of custody threatens its admissibility in litigation, say attorneys at Kershaw Talley.

  • Series

    Hiking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    On the trail, I have thought often about the parallels between hiking and high-stakes patent litigation, and why strategizing, preparation, perseverance and joy are important skills for success in both endeavors, says Barbara Fiacco at Foley Hoag.

  • ICJ Climate Opinion Raises Cos.' Legal, Compliance Risks

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    The International Court of Justice's recent advisory opinion on governments' climate change obligations could have important consequences for the regulated community — including a more complex compliance landscape, heightened legal risks for carbon-intensive activities, and renewed market and investor focus on climate issues, says J. Michael Showalter at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Negotiation Skills

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    I took one negotiation course in law school, but most of the techniques I rely on today I learned in practice, where I've discovered that the process is less about tricks or tactics, and more about clarity, preparation and communication, says Grant Schrantz at Haug Barron.

  • AG Watch: Texas Embraces The MAHA Movement

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    Attorneys at Kelley Drye examine Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's actions related to the federal Make America Healthy Again movement, and how these actions hinge on representations or omissions by the target companies as opposed to specific analyses of the potential health risks.

  • ESG-Focused Activism Persists Despite Proxy Curbs

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    Shareholder activism focused on environmental, social and governance factors appears poised to continue, despite the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent move toward exclusions in proxy voting proposals around ESG, say attorneys at Mintz.

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