Environmental

  • November 26, 2024

    Maine Launches Climate Fraud Suit Against Oil Giants

    Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey slapped Exxon, Shell, Chevron and other oil giants with a complaint in state court Tuesday, echoing claims asserted by other states and municipalities across the country that the companies carried out a successful climate deception campaign for decades.

  • November 26, 2024

    EPA Overstepped With Methane Control Rule, DC Circ. Told

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane control requirements for oil and gas infrastructure infringe on states' authority to tailor their own regulations, Republican-led states and fossil fuel industry groups told the D.C. Circuit Monday.

  • November 26, 2024

    Illinois Landowners Blast FERC Moves On $7B Power Line

    The Federal Energy Regulatory unlawfully amended a negotiated rate authority for the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage power line despite not sanctioning a 2020 change in project ownership, Illinois residents, farmers and landowners told the D.C. Circuit Monday.

  • November 26, 2024

    Chemical Co. Demands Defense Coverage In PFAS Foam MDL

    Specialty chemical company Clariant Corp. is suing five of its insurers in the North Carolina Business Court seeking defense costs in a host of underlying mass tort lawsuits over forever chemicals found in firefighting foam products.

  • November 26, 2024

    River Group Sues Pa. Silver Refiner Over Water Pollution

    A Delaware River advocacy group has filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit against a Pennsylvania silver refinery, alleging the facility has been dumping polluted stormwater into the river.

  • November 25, 2024

    Swinomish Tribe Wants In On Tidegate Opinion Fight

    The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has asked a Washington federal judge to let it intervene in a lawsuit by a county dike district against a U.S. government biological opinion that finds that a proposed tidegate project endangers salmon.

  • November 25, 2024

    FHWA Says Rule Doesn't 'Compel' States To Lower Emissions

    The Federal Highway Administration defended a new rule calling on states to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federally funded highway projects, telling the Fifth Circuit in a Friday brief the rule doesn't actually compel states to lower their emissions.

  • November 25, 2024

    GATX Rips Norfolk Southern's Bid To Shift Derailment Liability

    GATX Corp. and its subsidiary General American Marks Co. have told an Ohio federal court that Norfolk Southern cannot offload liability for the February 2023 East Palestine derailment and toxic chemical spill, saying there's zero evidence GATX improperly maintained or inspected a tank car involved in the accident.

  • November 25, 2024

    Monsanto Attacks 'Frankenstein' Ruling In $185M PCB Verdict

    Even though a lower state appellate court upended a $185 million jury verdict in a PCB tort brought by schoolteachers, Monsanto says Washington's high court should reject the part of the ruling that created a "Frankenstein's monster" that could let the teachers get around the state's ban on punitive damages in product liability cases by relying on Missouri law.

  • November 25, 2024

    Calif. Gov. Promises EV Tax Credit If Trump Axes Federal

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said that he's preparing to save electric vehicle tax credits — at least for residents of his state — if the Trump administration and a Republican Congress eliminate federal ones.

  • November 25, 2024

    $65M Deal In Texas Drilling Suit Gets Final OK

    A Texas federal judge gave the final green light Monday to a $65 million settlement against oil and gas company Apache Corp. filed by investors alleging they were deceived by promises of a potentially lucrative drilling project that ultimately led to a $3 billion write-down when it went bust.

  • November 25, 2024

    Housing Project Will Pollute Public Water, Conn. City Says

    The construction of 16 houses in Ledyard, Connecticut, will contaminate the groundwater and endanger the drinking water supply for people living on the site, the city of Groton's water department said in an appeal of the project's approval to the state court.

  • November 25, 2024

    Kirkland, Milbank Shape $3.5B Blackstone-EQT Corp. JV

    EQT Corp., led by Kirkland & Ellis, will form a $3.5 billion joint venture with Blackstone Credit & Insurance to take over ownership of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and other midstream assets that EQT got in its re-acquisition of Equitrans Midstream, the partners announced Monday.

  • November 25, 2024

    Kennedys Gets Green Light For Net-Zero Goal

    Kennedys said Monday its plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 has received approval from a scheme run by a coalition of nonprofit organizations to help businesses set goals and plans to reduce their pollutants.

  • November 25, 2024

    Solar Co. Ex-CEO Attys Say DQ Request 'Untethered To Facts'

    Lawyers representing the former CEO of a now-defunct solar energy company against fraud and racketeering claims have told a Michigan federal judge that their previous in-house work for the company is not grounds to disqualify them from the suit, calling the plaintiffs' attempt to have them removed "untethered to facts" and improperly delayed.

  • November 25, 2024

    Justices Pass On Ex-Atty's Puerto Rico Bribery Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the bribery convictions of a former attorney who solicited and accepted payments from an environmental contractor to influence three Puerto Rican mayors and helped the contractor secure government contracts worth millions of dollars.

  • November 22, 2024

    Trump Makes Picks For FDA, CDC And Surgeon General

    President-elect Donald Trump on Friday ​​revealed his nominations for several health agencies, picking Johns Hopkins surgeon and professor Dr. Marty Makary for Food and Drug Administration commissioner, former Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, and Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for surgeon general.

  • November 22, 2024

    Pam Bondi's 'Greatest Hits' As Florida Attorney General

    In her eight years as attorney general of Florida, Pam Bondi — who has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general — took on pill mills and telemarketing scams targeting the state's large elderly population, while also leading GOP state efforts to battle the Obama administration.

  • November 22, 2024

    EPA Targets Stationary Combustion Turbine NOx Emissions

    The Biden administration isn't letting Donald Trump's presidential election victory block its air pollution agenda, as it proposed a rule Friday that would strengthen limits on emissions of nitrogen oxides from new gas-fired power plants and other sources.

  • November 22, 2024

    Chemical Co.'s PFAS Coverage Suit In SC Gets Tossed

    A South Carolina federal court tossed BASF Corp.'s suit seeking coverage for thousands of underlying allegations that the chemical manufacturer's firefighting foam caused pollution and injury, finding Friday that a parallel suit in New Jersey state court favors abstention.

  • November 22, 2024

    New Congress Could Undo Rules On Drinking Water, Methane

    A consumer advocacy group is warning that Republicans may target a slew of recent and pending regulatory actions when they take control in Washington next year, saying they could make use of the Congressional Review Act to unwind new rules on competition, lead in drinking water, data protection and more.

  • November 22, 2024

    Hunting Groups Sue Colo. Wildlife Regulators Over Editorial

    Pro-hunting groups have said Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners violated the state's Open Meetings Law when they jointly authored a newspaper editorial promoting a measure to ban mountain lion, lynx and bobcat hunting, which voters rejected in November.

  • November 22, 2024

    Manhattan Project Waste Suit Sent Back To Mich. State Court

    A Michigan federal judge on Friday remanded back to state court a lawsuit from communities trying to prevent a local landfill company from accepting decades-old radioactive waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, finding a state judge can answer the unsubstantial federal question raised in the case.

  • November 22, 2024

    Bulgaria Looks To Nix $61M Renewable Energy Award Suit

    Bulgaria is urging a D.C. federal court to nix litigation filed by Maltese investor ACF Renewable Energy Ltd. to enforce a €61 million ($63.54 million) arbitral award it won following a dispute over a nixed tariff program, arguing that it never agreed to arbitrate with ACF.

  • November 22, 2024

    Feds Slam Utah High Court Case Over Fed. Land Ownership

    The federal government called on the Supreme Court to reject Utah's attempt to file a complaint accusing it of unconstitutionally hoarding and profiting from public lands in the state, saying the justices should decline to exercise original jurisdiction over the matter.

Expert Analysis

  • Rebuttal

    Cancer Research Org. Is Right To Avoid Corporate Influence

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    While a previous Law360 guest article criticizes the International Agency for Research on Cancer's processes, its reliance on peer-reviewed literature is proper and its refusal to allow corporate influence is sound science, say Lance Oliver and Ridge Mazingo at Motley Rice.

  • Attorneys Can Benefit From Reverse-Engineering Their Cases

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    Trial advocacy programs often teach lawyers to loosely track the progression of a lawsuit during preparation — case analysis, then direct examination, then cross-examination, openings and closings — but reverse-engineering cases by working backward from opening and closing statements can streamline the process and also improve case strategy, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • How Courts' Differing Views On Standing Affect PFAS Claims

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    Two recent opinions from New York federal courts — in Lurenz v. Coca-Cola, and Winans v. Ornua Foods North America — illustrate how pivotal the differing views on standing held by different courts will be for product liability litigation involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, particularly consumer claims, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • New State Carbon Capture Laws: Key Points For Developers

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    Multiple states have introduced or expanded legal frameworks for carbon capture and sequestration this year, and while there are some common themes, many of these state laws include unique approaches and requirements — which developers and investors should be aware of when considering potential projects and investment risks, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • New NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule Adds Compliance Complexity

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recently announced final rule on new corporate average fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks will create challenges for manufacturers, which must also comply with the EPA's multipollutant rule and California's zero-emission vehicle programs, say Joanne Rotondi and Hannah Graae at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Series

    After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Loper Bright v. Relentless decision brought an end to Chevron deference, Congress' unique delegation of discretionary authority to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will likely insulate it from the additional judicial scrutiny that other federal agencies will face, say Ryan Lighty and Scott Clausen at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy

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    The National Environmental Policy Act is central to the Biden administration's environmental justice agenda — but the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo casts doubt on the government's ability to rely on NEPA for this purpose, and a pending federal case will test the strategy's limits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

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    For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

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