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TOP NEWS US Presses High Court Again To End Kids' Climate Suit
The federal government on Thursday again urged the U.S. Supreme Court to toss a youth lawsuit accusing it of failing to protect future generations from climate change, in a last-ditch effort to stave off a landmark trial that is less than two weeks away.
Baker Botts Guides $950M Valero Deal, Ending MLP
Valero Energy Corporation will acquire all of Valero Energy Partners LP’s outstanding public common units, worth about $950 million, in a deal ushered in by Baker Botts on Thursday that abandons the companies’ master limited partnership structure.
Zinke Touts New Moves On Offshore Wind Development
The U.S. Department of the Interior will hold an offshore wind auction off the Massachusetts coast in December and is developing a first-ever Pacific offshore wind auction in California, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said Wednesday.
Fed. Circ. Tells PTAB To Consider Success Of Oil Invention
The Federal Circuit on Thursday threw out the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision that part of a LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. patent related to the transport of crude oil was obvious, saying the board needs to consider evidence of the invention's success.
Noble Group Seeks US Protection During $3.5B Restructuring
Global commodity trader Noble Group Ltd. is asking a New York bankruptcy court to shield its U.S. assets while its plan to restructure $3.5 billion in debt works its way through English courts.
Spanish Co. Seeks OK Of $2B Egypt Natural Gas Plant Award
A Spanish natural gas company has sought enforcement from a D.C. federal court of its approximately $2 billion award against Egypt, issued after an international tribunal concluded the country was responsible for cutting off the gas supply to liquefaction facilities the company operated.
Energy Co. Must Pay Long-Term Benefits To Fired VP: 5th Circ.
A Fifth Circuit panel on Thursday found a federal district court erred when it ruled a former CETCO Energy Services Company employee couldn’t get certain incentive payments outlined in his contract, remanding the case to determine how much in long-term incentive benefits he is owed.
FAA OKs Drone Operation With Radar Beyond Line Of Sight
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved drone maker Avitas Systems' request to operate a commercial drone beyond visual line of sight in a Texas oil field without a second spotter, setting a new precedent for commercial drone operations, the company recently announced.
Wash. Tells Justices Tribal Right Isn't Violated By Fuel Tax
The Washington State Department of Licensing told the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a state Supreme Court ruling in favor of a tribal fuel distributor, saying a fuel tax does not violate the Yakama Nation’s right to travel on public highways and the company read a tribal treaty right too broadly while mischaracterizing state law.
Ill. High Court Says Ameren Can Take Land For Power Line
The Illinois Supreme Court sided Thursday with electric utility Ameren Corp. in its fight to take land from 35 property owners for a new power line, reversing a lower court’s ruling that a state eminent domain statute was unconstitutional.
Ill. Class Sues Power Retailer Over 'Bait & Switch' Pricing
A new proposed class action in Illinois federal court takes aim at Sperian Energy Corp., accusing the retail electric supplier of a classic “bait and switch” scheme that fleeced consumers.
Tariff Exemption Process Prompts Suit From Watchdog Group
A government watchdog group sued the U.S. Department of Commerce in D.C. federal court Thursday, alleging the agency has ignored the group’s effort to learn more about the Trump administration’s controversial process for importers to earn relief from its steel and aluminum tariffs.
Giordano Halleran Adds Ex-Fox Rothschild Energy Pro In NJ
Giordano Halleran & Ciesla PC has added as a shareholder a seasoned energy lawyer from Fox Rothschild LLP amid plans of launching an energy and public utilities practice group that would assist clients in making improvements to New Jersey’s energy infrastructure.
EPA's New Approach To Interstate Air Pollution Under CAA
Over the last two decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to address interstate air pollution under the Clean Air Act have yielded a series of complex federal regulatory programs. However, it's now signaling a method that involves greater deference to states’ analyses and determinations, says Norman Fichthorn of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.
Series Trade Wars: Top 10 Trump Trends
The inner workings of the Trump economics and trade team remain foggy, but the administration's trade strategy can be discerned from the public statements of the president and his advisers. Unpredictability, mercantilism, bilateralism and a willingness to accept collateral damage are among the most important patterns, says Charles Skuba of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Analysis 3 Takeaways From ABA's Firm Breach Disclosure Guidance
The American Bar Association's recent guidance on notifying clients about data breaches sets a high standard for lawyers striving to meet their ethical obligations and will likely prompt many law firms to take a harder look at their current incident preparation and response efforts, attorneys say. Here, attorneys flag three major takeaways from the new guidance. Heritage Foundation Suspends Law Clerk Training Program
The Heritage Foundation said Thursday that it was putting its training program for federal law clerks on hold, an announcement made in the wake of news articles disclosing that the conservative think tank told participants to keep the teachings of the donor-funded program a secret. White Collar Atty Named Interim White House Counsel
Veteran white collar lawyer Emmet Flood will serve as interim White House counsel until President Donald Trump's next choice for the role, Pat Cipollone, "comes on board," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday as the administration experiences another high-profile shakeup. Calif. Judges Want Clarification On High Court Recusal
Counsel for a class of over 3,000 California state appellate judges in an appeal involving $36 million worth of back wage and pension payments have asked the state's Supreme Court justices to clarify their decision to recuse themselves from the suit, saying that all judges may have a financial stake in the case. Sidley Austin Mourns Death Of LA Bankruptcy Partner
Sidley Austin LLP is grieving the loss of one of its attorneys, a 42-year-old bankruptcy partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office who died on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the local medical examiner-coroner. Duane Morris Partners With Cannabis Trade Association
Duane Morris LLP announced a partnership with the American Trade Association for Cannabis & Hemp on Thursday in what the parties are touting as the first ever partnership between a major law firm and trade organization for the drug. Law360's Weekly Verdict: Legal Lions & Lambs
White & Case LLP earned the title of legal lion this week after the First Circuit overturned the certification of a class of buyers suing client Allergan over the price of its medication, while Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP landed on the lambs list after a federal judge sanctioned the law firm for engaging in “gamesmanship” while representing Purina in a patent fight.
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