The chemical industry is pushing to overhaul a federal toxic substances law to accelerate the approval of new products, but narrow party margins in Congress, compromises built into the law and environmental groups' opposition weigh heavily against them.
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Environmental
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2025 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

Analysis

Chem Industry's Goals For Toxic Substance Law Face Hurdles

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

The chemical industry is pushing to overhaul a federal toxic substances law to accelerate the approval of new products, but narrow party margins in Congress, compromises built into the law and environmental groups' opposition weigh heavily against them.

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EPA To Spike Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday proposed repealing a 15-year-old program that requires power plants, fossil fuel and natural gas suppliers, and other facilities to report their greenhouse gas emissions, which the EPA said would save companies money.

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Trump Admin Asks Justices To Shut Down Climate Torts

By Keith Goldberg

The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to climate change lawsuits brought by state and local governments against fossil fuel companies, arguing that such suits are barred by both the U.S. Constitution and Clean Air Act.

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DOJ Says States Can't Reverse Grant Cuts In OMB Reg Fight

By Tom Lotshaw

The Trump administration urged a Massachusetts federal judge to throw out a suit brought by a score of states accusing it of misinterpreting an Office of Management and Budget regulation to slash thousands of grants, arguing they must seek relief in another forum.

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POLICY & REGULATION

8th Circ. Pauses Challenges To Abandoned Climate Regs

By Hailey Konnath

The Eighth Circuit on Friday said it would wait to rule on challenges to Biden-era climate disclosure rules that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has said it will no longer defend, giving the regulator time to decide what it wants to do with the rules.

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Calif. Court Refuses To Block Climate Reporting Rules, Again

By Grace Dixon

A California federal court judge would not bar two new state climate disclosure regulations while a coalition of business groups takes its bid for an injunction up to the Ninth Circuit, saying his perspective hasn't shifted since the groups' last injunction request. 

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WATER

States, Tribes Say New Policy Warrants Ore. Dam Case Restart

By Joyce Hanson

An Oregon federal judge granted a joint motion by two states, environmental groups and tribes to lift a five-year stay in a lawsuit over Columbia River Basin dams' hydropower practices and attempts to restore fisheries, following a Trump administration memo revoking a basin agreement.

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PRODUCT LIABILITY

Buyers Seek Final OK In $1.5M Rust-Oleum Greenwashing Suit

By Mike Curley

A class alleging that Rust-Oleum Corp. has been "greenwashing" its cleaning products with labels claiming they are "non-toxic" and "Earth Friendly" is asking a California federal court to grant final approval of a $1.5 million settlement to resolve the suit.

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PROPERTY INSURANCE

Insurer Doubles Down On Bid To Undo $1.1M Roof Verdict

By Ganesh Setty

A North Carolina federal court adopted the wrong causation standard in its instructions to a jury that awarded a church $1.1 million over its roof damage claim under what is known as an all-risk property policy, the church's insurer told the Fourth Circuit, urging the appeals court to set aside the verdict.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

Resilience Planning Is New Key To Corporate Sustainability

While the current wave of deregulation may reduce government enforcement related to climate issues, businesses still need to evaluate how climate volatility may affect their operations and create new legal risks — making the apolitical concept of resilience increasingly important for companies, says J. Michael Showalter at ArentFox Schiff.

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2 Approaches To Atty Ethics Liability For Agentic AI Errors

As lawyers increasingly use autonomous artificial intelligence agents, disciplinary authorities must decide whether attorney responsibility for an AI-caused legal ethics violation is personal or supervisory, and firms must enact strong policies regarding agentic AI use and supervision, says Grace Wynn at HWG.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Analysis

When The Supreme Court Says Using Race Is OK

By Marco Poggio

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing government agencies to expressly use race in furthering their immigration enforcement goals, while prohibiting the use of race as even one of the factors to consider in college admissions. Some legal scholars see a double standard.

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Quinn Emanuel's $30M Fee Bid Flouts Ch. 11, Co. Says

By Julie Manganis

Israeli printed circuit maker Nano Dimension has told a Massachusetts federal judge that Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP can't claim a $30 million attorney's lien to make an "end run" around the bankruptcy of 3D printing company Desktop Metal, a former client that Nano acquired.

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Hagens Berman Doubles Down On AI-Tainted Brief Correction

By Adrian Cruz

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP said that the firm has an ethical duty to correct briefs tainted by artificial intelligence errors and that the corrected versions shouldn't be stricken from a proposed class action against online platform OnlyFans' parent company.

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Calif. Bill Blocking Fee Sharing With ABS Firms Heads To Gov.

By Emily Sawicki

A bill heading to California Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk is poised to tighten rules to restrict alternative business structure law firms from operating in the Golden State by blocking lawyers from sharing fees with out-of-state firms owned by non-lawyers.

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Analysis

Appeals Courts Rethink Harsh Youth Sentences, Search Rules

By Brandon Lowrey

State appellate courts across the country have issued major criminal law opinions this year, softening some of the harshest sentences for young defendants while shifting rules for searches and evidence collection.

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NYC Eviction Counsel Program Struggles To Meet Its Goals

By Andrea Keckley

More than half the households eligible for New York City's Right to Counsel program are not receiving legal representation in eviction cases, with representation rates peaking at just over half the qualified tenants in 2022 before falling to roughly one-third of citywide tenants in 2024, according to a report.

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Analysis

New Guidance Hacks Away At Immigration Judges' Powers

By Britain Eakin

A steady stream of Board of Immigration Appeals decisions and Executive Office for Immigration Review memos, capped by recent guidance on handling constitutional claims, shows a Trump administration reining in immigration judges overseeing removal cases.

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Analysis

Mich. AG's Loss Spells Trouble For Other Fake Elector Cases

By Carolyn Muyskens

The dismissal of charges against Michigan Republicans who participated in the so-called fake elector plot after the 2020 presidential election shows that establishing intent could be a hurdle for prosecutors as they pursue similar cases in other states, legal experts said.

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'Tyrant' Indiana Judge Ousted Over Misconduct

By Lynn LaRowe

An Indiana superior court judge who "wielded his position of power like a tyrant" during his three years on the bench has been permanently barred from judicial service by the state's Supreme Court.

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Analysis

Fresh Angles On Display In ERISA Summer Filing Uptick

By Kellie Mejdrich

Attorneys dealing with a rise in Employee Retirement Income Security Act cases are paying close attention to a handful of recent suits with allegations that put a twist on traditional benefits disputes. Here, Law360 looks at three cases with fresh angles that lawyers are keeping an eye on.

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Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

This past week in London has seen former Master Chef presenter Gregg Wallace sue the BBC, Elon Musk's xAI take legal action against a staff engineer, and fashion mogul Kevin-Gerald Stanford file a fresh claim against Lion Capital-owned Klotho and EY amid a long-running All Saints share acquisition dispute.

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GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

The federal government has accused Uber Technologies Inc. of discriminating against riders with disabilities, including individuals traveling with service animals or using stowable wheelchairs. Meanwhile, a new Law360 analysis shows that male lawyers still hold nearly three times as many equity partner roles as women do.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Kaplan Martin LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Second Circuit upheld an $83.3 million award against President Donald Trump for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll in 2019 in the wake of her sexual assault allegations, rejecting his claims of presidential immunity.

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In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

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LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

A&O Shearman

Alston & Bird

ArentFox Schiff

Arnold & Porter

Bailey & Dixon

Bailey & Glasser

Birketts LLP

Bullotta Law

CMS Cameron McKenna

Capsticks Solicitors LLP

Choate Hall

Clarkson Law Firm PC

Clyde & Co

Cozen O'Connor

Cranfill Sumner

Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners

DLA Piper

Dentons

Dorsey & Whitney

Duane Morris

Elarbee Thompson

Freeths LLP

FryeLaw

Gateley PLC

Geldards

Gibbons PC

Gibson Dunn

Greenberg Traurig

HWG LLP

Hagens Berman

Hill Dickinson

Hogan Lovells

Holland & Knight

Holman Fenwick

JMW Solicitors LLP

Joseph & Hall

Keker Van Nest & Peters

Kennedys Law LLP

Kirkland & Ellis

Kleinberg Kaplan

Kobre & Kim

Kurzban Kurzban

Latham & Watkins

Lewis Silkin

Lofton & Lofton

Martin LLP

Mayer Brown

Mishcon de Reya

Moon Law APC

Morgan Lewis

Muckle LLP

Nabarro LLP

Norton Rose

Osborne Clarke

Paul Weiss

Powell Gilbert

Proskauer Rose

Quinn Emanuel

Rey-Bear McLaughlin

Reynolds Porter

Sanford Heisler

Schlichter Bogard

Schwabe Williamson

Shakespeare Martineau

Sheppard Mullin

Shoosmiths LLP

Sidley Austin

Singleton Schreiber

Skadden Arps

Squire Patton

Stephenson Harwood

Steptoe LLP

Stris & Maher

Swanson Martin

Taylor Wessing

Timoney Knox

Troutman

Trowers & Hamlins

Tycko & Zavareei

Voyles Vaiana

Wheeler Trigg

White & Case

Willkie Farr

WilmerHale

Winstead PC

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

ABP Corp.

AECOM

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

AXA SA

AXA XL Ltd.

Alliance Airlines

Alphabet Inc.

American Bar Association

American Chemistry Council Inc.

American Electric Power Co. Inc.

American International Group Inc.

American Petroleum Institute Inc.

American Property Casualty Insurance Association

Anthropic PBC

Arconic Corp.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Inc.

Bouygues

Brennan Center for Justice

British Broadcasting Corp.

Business Roundtable

California Chamber of Commerce

Church Mutual Insurance Co.

Church's Chicken

Columbia Riverkeeper

Consumer Attorneys of California

Consumer Watchdog

CureVac AG

Desktop Metal Inc.

Duke University

Earthjustice

EchoStar Corp.

Empower Annuity Insurance Co. of America

Entergy Corp.

Environmental Defense Fund Inc.

Ernst & Young LLP

Exxon Mobil Corp.

Fidelis Inc.

Google LLC

Hawaii Electric Light Co. Inc.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

HgCapital LLP

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

ITC Ltd.

Illumina Inc.

Infinity Equity

Instagram Inc.

International Paper Co.

Juniper Networks Inc.

Lambda Legal Defense & Educational Fund

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

Lion Capital LLP

MS Amlin PLC

McDonald's Corp.

Meta Platforms Inc.

Miami Herald Media Co.

Munchkin Inc.

National Wildlife Federation

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Ohio State University

OpenAI OpCo LLC

Otis Worldwide Corp.

PacifiCorp

Pfizer Inc.

Phillips 66

Public Power Council

RELX PLC

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Regents of the University of California

Rust-Oleum Corp.

Segway Inc.

Snap Inc.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Stanford University

State Bar of California

Suncor Energy Inc.

Target Health Inc.

Tesla Inc.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.

The Legal Aid Society

Trader Joe's Co.

Twitter Inc.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

UCLA School of Law

Uber Technologies Inc.

University of California Davis

WSP Global Inc.

WSP Holdings Ltd.

Xiaomi Corp.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Bureau of Reclamation

California Air Resources Board

Coeur d'Alene Tribe

Colorado Supreme Court

Companies House

Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Delaware Court of Chancery

Executive Office for Immigration Review

Federal Trade Commission

Fish and Wildlife Service

Georgia Court of Appeals

Illinois Supreme Court

Indiana Supreme Court

International Court of Justice

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Michigan Supreme Court

National Marine Fisheries Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

New Jersey Attorney General's Office

New Jersey Supreme Court

New York City Human Resources Administration

Nez Perce Tribe

Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Spokane Tribe of Indians

Supreme Court of Nevada

The Crown Prosecution Service

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Supreme Court

UK High Court

US Office of Management and Budget