Environmental

  • February 21, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, V&E, Cravath, Dechert

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Diamondback Energy buys Midland Basin assets from another oil and natural gas company, GTCR closes its second strategic growth fund, Light & Wonder Inc. buys Grover Gaming's assets, and Barings acquires Artemis Real Estate Partners.

  • February 20, 2025

    DOJ Says Job Protections For ALJs Are Unconstitutional

    The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it no longer backs long-standing job protections for administrative law judges, saying it has determined that the "multiple layers of removal restrictions" shielding ALJs are unconstitutional because they violate the separation of powers doctrine.

  • February 20, 2025

    Tribes Fail To Win Reversal Of Ore. Casino Project Decision

    A D.C. federal judge has denied a bid by three tribes to reverse an Interior Department decision approving a land trust application for another tribe in what is Oregon's first off-reservation casino, ruling that they've failed to show how the project would harm them.

  • February 20, 2025

    Better Process Not Certain As White House Loses NEPA Regs

    The White House says it rescinded National Environmental Policy Act regulations in an effort to "expedite and simplify" the federal permitting process, but attorneys say the immediate effect of the move will likely be to confuse agencies and slow down project approvals.

  • February 20, 2025

    Insurer Can't Quickly Exit Broker Premium Theft Row

    A Louisiana federal court rejected most arguments made by an insurer seeking to avoid professional liability coverage of a broker whose former employee stole policy premiums and failed to secure insurance for clients, leaving the company to cover around $1 million in Hurricane Laura damage.

  • February 20, 2025

    Calif. Rail Project Back In Trump's Crosshairs With DOT Probe

    The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday launched a compliance review into California's high-speed rail project, casting uncertainty over approximately $4 billion in federal funding for the beleaguered project that is back in the Trump administration's crosshairs.

  • February 20, 2025

    FERC Chair Seeking More Clarity On Scope Of Trump Order

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie downplayed concerns Thursday that a recent executive order from President Donald Trump will erode the agency's authority, but acknowledged that it's unclear how much the order seeks to involve the White House in FERC's operations.

  • February 20, 2025

    New SEC Guidance Throws A 'Bit Of Chaos' Into Proxy Season

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent effort to loosen its guidance around what companies can exclude from their proxy statements isn't surprising given the change in administration, but the timing of its release has thrown a monkey wrench into a proxy season that is already underway, attorneys said.

  • February 20, 2025

    DOD To Shift $50B To Trump Defense Spending Priorities

    U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the agency to shift $50 billion from its 2026 budget away from "Biden-legacy programs" to programs that align with President Donald Trump's "America first" agenda. 

  • February 20, 2025

    Green Groups Ask 9th Circ. To Press EPA Again On Atrazine

    Environmental groups are urging the Ninth Circuit to reopen a long-running case against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its regulation around the pesticide atrazine, arguing that the agency's yearslong delay in completing a court-ordered review of the chemical has allowed "serious harm to people, plants and wildlife."

  • February 20, 2025

    Select SPAC Targets Are Soaring Ahead Of The Pack

    A select breed of companies that went public through mergers with special purpose acquisition companies are performing well lately — hailing mostly from a few specific industries — in stark contrast to the vast majority of SPAC merger targets that have flopped over the past few years, according to data released on Thursday.

  • February 20, 2025

    Feds Say DC Judge Can't Bar 'Hypothetical' Spending Freezes

    A Justice Department attorney argued before a D.C. federal judge Thursday that there is no basis to continue blocking the Trump administration from implementing a blanket suspension on federal spending, saying the court cannot bar "hypothetical" future freezes.

  • February 20, 2025

    Enbridge's Pipeline Tunnel Approval OK'd By Mich. Panel

    A Michigan appellate court panel on Wednesday struck down environmental groups and tribal nations' challenge to a Michigan Public Service Commission's decision to allow Enbridge Energy to dig an underground tunnel to house part of an oil and natural gas pipeline, finding state regulators' decision was supported by evidence.

  • February 20, 2025

    EPA Sued Over Approval Of Radioactive Waste Road Project

    The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit Wednesday challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's approval of the use of radioactive phosphogypsum in road construction at fertilizer producer Mosaic's facility in Florida.

  • February 20, 2025

    Mich. Judge Won't Defer Atomic Bomb Waste Suit To Agency

    A Michigan state judge on Thursday denied a Wayne County landfill's bid to dismiss claims from communities attempting to prevent the disposal site from accepting radioactive waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, finding that the court can hear the case rather than deferring to the state's environmental agency.

  • February 20, 2025

    NY Expands Local Power To Give Storm Damage Tax Breaks

    New York state expanded municipalities' authority to provide property tax breaks to owners of property damaged by severe storms and other natural disasters by allowing that relief to be granted for small business' property as part of a bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

  • February 20, 2025

    Musk's X Seeks Cash At $44B Valuation, Plus More Rumors

    Elon Musk is seeking to raise money for his social media platform X at a $44 billion valuation — the same price he paid to buy the site in 2022 — while BP is considering selling its Castrol lubricants unit for $10 billion and KKR could inject $5 billion into ailing British utility Thames Water. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • February 20, 2025

    BakerHostetler Environmental Pro Jumps To Morgan Lewis

    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP has hired the former national co-chair of BakerHostetler's environmental team as a partner in its environmental litigation practice, the firm said Thursday.

  • February 19, 2025

    Eaton Fire Class Action Blames SoCal Edison Power Lines

    Southern California Edison was hit with a proposed class action Tuesday alleging that its failure to maintain its electrical grid and shut down power lines during fire weather conditions sparked the Eaton Fire that killed 17 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena, California.

  • February 19, 2025

    Lululemon Gets 'Greenwashing' Ads Suit Tossed

    Lululemon Athletica Inc. has escaped a proposed class action accusing it of misleading the public into thinking the company is environmentally friendly, after a Florida federal judge tossed the suit because the consumers couldn't make a price-premium connection.

  • February 19, 2025

    PVC Pipe Giant Atkore Discloses DOJ Grand Jury Probe

    Atkore Inc.'s antitrust woes have grown from civil price-fixing litigation targeting the company's PVC pipe manufacturing, according to a new investor filing disclosing a U.S. Department of Justice criminal investigation.

  • February 19, 2025

    MDL Plaintiffs Misread Blackout Protocols, Texas Justices Told

    Transmission and distribution utility providers told Texas justices Wednesday that the thousands of plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation stemming from a crippling winter storm in 2021 "misunderstand" how load-shedding protocols work as it pushed the court to free it of the final two claims in the MDL.

  • February 19, 2025

    10th Circ. Says ARCO Superfund Suit Wasn't Too Late

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Wednesday determined ARCO's lawsuit to force a smelter to contribute to environmental cleanup costs at an old Colorado mine wasn't time-barred because a district court mischaracterized the claim.

  • February 19, 2025

    FERC Watchers Seek Clarity As Trump Curbs Agency Powers

    Energy industry representatives hope to get some clarity from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members at the agency's monthly open meeting on Thursday, as uncertainty over the commission's future swells in the wake of President Donald Trump's moves to curb independent agencies' powers.

  • February 19, 2025

    Energy Credit Market Still Robust Amid Uncertainty, Attys Say

    Companies continue to buy and sell valuable tax credits earned from large-scale clean energy tax development projects despite President Donald Trump's active efforts to undermine renewable energy and cut the federal workforce administering the incentives, practitioners said Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • In SF Water Case, Justices Signal How Loper May Be Applied

    Author Photo

    Skeptical questions from U.S. Supreme Court justices during oral argument in San Francisco v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offer hints of how the court intends to apply limits on agency regulatory autonomy established last term in Loper Bright, says Karen Cullinane at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Trump Rollback Of Biden Enviro Policies: What To Expect

    Author Photo

    Donald Trump's upcoming second presidential term will usher significant shifts in U.S. environmental and natural resource law and policy — and while the Biden administration is racing to secure its legacy, the incoming Trump administration is making plans to dramatically roll back most, if not all, of Biden's environmental initiatives, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

    Author Photo

    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

    Author Photo

    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • Dissecting New Circuit Split Over SEC's Proxy Adviser Rule

    Author Photo

    The Sixth Circuit recently upheld the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's partial rescission of enhanced conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements for proxy voting advice businesses, creating a circuit split over broader questions concerning the standard for assessing the legality of agency actions in general, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • The Unfolding Potential of Green Hydrogen In Brazil

    Author Photo

    A new federal law in Brazil establishing a legal framework for hydrogen development is the country's latest step toward creating a favorable environment for green hydrogen production, but significant challenges — including high production costs, technological hurdles and a lack of infrastructure — remain, says David Andrew Taylor at Almeida Advogados.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

    Author Photo

    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • A Shift In Control Of Congress May Doom These Enviro Regs

    Author Photo

    If the election leads to a change in control of Congress, lawmakers will likely use the lookback provision of the Congressional Review Act to challenge the Biden administration's late-term regulatory efforts — including recent initiatives on air pollutant source classification, lead pipe removal and hydrofluorocarbon emissions, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

  • Election Could Bring Change In Weather For Offshore Wind

    Author Photo

    Under another Trump administration, the offshore wind sector would encounter substantial headwinds, as Trump's policy track record emphasizes fossil fuel dominance and environmental rollbacks, while a Harris victory would likely further entrench the pro-renewable energy stance taken by the Biden administration, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

    Author Photo

    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

    Author Photo

    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors

    Author Photo

    For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Environmental archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!