Environmental

  • December 05, 2024

    Judge Backs Army Corps' Denial Of Bidder On $5M Project

    A federal claims court judge on Wednesday affirmed the government's decision to reject an Illinois company's bid for a $5 million island habitat restoration, saying its ratings for past work and difficulties with an ongoing project were both fairly considered.

  • December 05, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Revisit Ruling On Bush-Era Mining Regulation

    The D.C. Circuit said Thursday it won't reconsider a June panel decision that upheld a 20-year-old mining regulation that removed limits on the amount of land around a mining site that can be used for secondary activities such as waste disposal.

  • December 05, 2024

    Feds Invest $849M For Water Infrastructure Improvements

    An $849 million investment from the Biden administration will support 77 water infrastructure development projects throughout the country's western states and tribal communities that are located along major river basins in an effort to restore canal capacity, sustain treatment, replace aging hydropower production equipment and provide maintenance to older project buildings.

  • December 05, 2024

    Battery Recycling Firm To Go Public Via $250M SPAC Merger

    Renewable energy-focused Ace Green Recycling Inc. has agreed to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition company Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II in a deal that values Ace Green's equity at $250 million, both parties have announced.

  • December 04, 2024

    Some Religious Gathering Limits Are OK, Texas Justices Told

    The city of San Antonio hit back Wednesday at Native American church members' reliance on a Texas constitutional amendment banning limitations on religious services, telling the Texas Supreme Court that the amendment must be viewed in the context of COVID-19 restrictions.

  • December 04, 2024

    Trump Picks Ex-Congressman For IRS Commissioner

    President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he has tapped a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives to lead the Internal Revenue Service during his coming second term.

  • December 04, 2024

    No Coverage For P&G Environmental Claims, Insurers Say

    A group of Hartford units told an Ohio federal court Wednesday they owe no coverage to Procter & Gamble Co. for three underlying lawsuits accusing the company of contaminating groundwater in New York, and for a separate warehouse fire in Michigan that caused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to intervene.

  • December 04, 2024

    Gorsuch Exits Utah NEPA Suit Amid Flak Over Billionaire Ties

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from a case involving a controversial railway project Wednesday afternoon, the high court's clerk said, following calls for him to step away from the National Environmental Policy Act dispute in light of his connections to a Colorado billionaire.

  • December 04, 2024

    P&C Insurers Post $4.1B Underwriting Gain In Big Reversal

    The U.S. property and casualty insurance market recorded a $4.1 billion net underwriting gain in the first nine months of 2024, according to a report issued Wednesday by global credit rating agency AM Best, which called the turnaround a significant improvement from the prior year's $32.1 billion loss.

  • December 04, 2024

    Ex-Worker Says Contractor Fired Him Over Religious Needs

    An electric vehicle charging station contractor was sued in Georgia federal court by a former employee who alleged he was fired for utilizing a religious accommodation that allowed him to leave work early on Fridays to observe the Jewish Sabbath.

  • December 04, 2024

    Hoopa Valley Tribe Wants In On Trinity River Water Row

    The Hoopa Valley Tribe is looking to intervene in a challenge to the Bureau of Reclamation over its operation of California's Trinity River water flows in an effort to dismiss the case, arguing that the litigation can't proceed without it, due to its federal property interests in the dispute.

  • December 04, 2024

    Farmers Insurance Off Hook In Homeowner's Fire Loss Appeal

    A California homeowner who alleged that an agent underinsured her scorched $3 million Malibu home cannot blame Farmers Insurance, a state appeals court affirmed, finding in a published opinion that the agent acted independently when obtaining a policy via a fire insurance pool for her client.

  • December 04, 2024

    EPA Finalizes Changes To Chemical Review Process

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a rule to improve the efficiency of its new chemical review process that also makes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals," ineligible for exemptions that allow for shorter, less robust chemical reviews.

  • December 04, 2024

    Del. Justices Skeptical $2.4B SPAC Deal Misled Investors

    Delaware Supreme Court justices pressed a stockholder attorney on Wednesday to explain how the blank-check company that took electric vehicle venture Canoo Holdings Ltd. public in a $2.4 billion deal breached its duties by failing to reveal information it purportedly had yet to receive.

  • December 04, 2024

    Treasury Finalizes Broad Energy Investment Tax Credit Regs

    The U.S. Treasury Department released final regulations Wednesday for the clean energy investment tax credit, which includes notable changes to the proposed energy property definition to include functional components in calculating the incentive's value, such as a biogas facility's upgrading equipment.

  • December 04, 2024

    Ethylene Oxide Suits Sent Back To Ill. State Court

    An Illinois federal judge said Tuesday that lawsuits accusing several companies of polluting the air with ethylene oxide were improperly removed to federal court, despite a state judge's statement that two defendants reaching settlements was cause for removal.

  • December 04, 2024

    DuPont Asks Court For Pause In $1 Billion Pollution Suit

    Chemours and E.I. du Pont de Nemours urged a New Jersey state court to pause a small town's billion-dollar lawsuit over pollution from the former DuPont Chambers Works facility in order to appeal a recent ruling, arguing clarity from the Appellate Division is necessary.

  • December 03, 2024

    Investor Attys Seek $6.6M Cut Of $20M Metal Price-Fixing Deal

    Attorneys for investors settling platinum and palladium price-fixing claims against Goldman Sachs and others for $20 million have asked a New York federal judge to award them fees equivalent to a third of the settlement amount, or more than $6.6 million, a below-lodestar request that they said is, "clearly, not a windfall situation."

  • December 03, 2024

    Feds, Nuke Storage Co. Ask Justices To Nix Bar On Waste Site

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Interim Storage Partners LLC are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Fifth Circuit ruling barring a license for the company to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel at a site in Texas's Permian Basin.

  • December 03, 2024

    Ex-Braves Blast Tax Court's 'Disregard' In Easement Fight

    Two former Atlanta Braves players penalized for allegedly overstating the value of a conservation easement donation urged the Eleventh Circuit to toss the costly ruling against them, saying the U.S. Tax Court's decision showed "blatant disregard" for the appeal court's precedent in deciding the matter.

  • December 03, 2024

    ND Calls Tribes' Bid For Riverbed Mineral Rights 'Irrational'

    North Dakota has hit back against the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation's attempt to win a federal court declaration that it owns mineral rights beneath a portion of the Missouri River, arguing that the three tribes' claim of riverbed ownership is "irrational."

  • December 03, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Trump-Era Rule On Genetically Engineered Crops Tossed

    A California federal judge on Monday vacated a 2020 Trump-era rule that a group of agricultural and environmental organizations alleged significantly reduced government oversight over genetically engineered crops, grasses and trees, granting the groups a partial summary judgment win due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's inadequate explanations for the rule.

  • December 03, 2024

    5th Circ. Judge Doubts Deepwater Horizon Claims Can Survive

    A Fifth Circuit judge on Tuesday questioned whether cleanup workers' claims following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill can survive in the face of a demanding evidence standard adopted from toxic tort cases.

  • December 03, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    December's appellate forecast calls for a squall of showdowns in a tiny time period before the holidays, including arguments involving recent U.S. Supreme Court cases, Big Tech's patents and popular purveyors of health food. In addition, winds of change are swirling around the White House's litigation posture and judicial nominations, and we'll quiz you on the latter in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing.

  • December 03, 2024

    MTA, NY Officials Rip Bid To Block Revised Congestion Pricing

    New York officials have told a federal judge that residents, truckers and community groups cannot sideline Manhattan's recently resurrected congestion pricing, saying there's zero merit to the plaintiffs' claims that they'd be irreparably harmed by allegedly unconstitutional and discriminatory tolls.

Expert Analysis

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

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    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

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    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
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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Calif. Ruling Offers Hope For Mitigated Negative Declarations

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    In Upland Community First v. City of Upland, a California appeals court upheld a warehouse development's mitigated negative declaration over its greenhouse gas emissions thresholds — a rare victory against this type of challenge providing reassurance that such declarations can be upheld, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

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