Environmental

  • January 23, 2025

    Trump's Pick To Lead EPA Advances In Senate

    President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cleared a Senate committee vote Thursday, setting up a vote in the full chamber for his confirmation.

  • January 22, 2025

    Apple Sued Over Alleged PFAS In Smartwatch Wristbands

    Apple Inc. is at least the second smartwatch maker to be hit with a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of knowingly using toxic forever chemicals in manufacturing the devices' wristbands, according to a complaint filed in California federal court.

  • January 22, 2025

    Pa. Justices: NGA Doesn't Bar State Board's Permit Reviews

    Pennsylvania's Environmental Hearing Board should have heard challenges to state regulators' approval of a natural gas compressor station, not dismissed them for lack of jurisdiction, Pennsylvania justices said Wednesday, ruling that the board's consideration of such disputes is not preempted by the federal Natural Gas Act.

  • January 22, 2025

    Former Pioneer CEO Sues FTC Over Exxon Board Block

    The former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, Scott Sheffield, accused the Federal Trade Commission of violating his constitutional rights by barring him from serving on Exxon Mobil Corp.'s board when the agency cleared a $60 billion merger between Exxon and Pioneer.

  • January 22, 2025

    Justices Urged To Affirm Texas Nuke Waste Site Ruling

    Several states, Texas politicians and landowner groups threw their support behind the Lone Star State's fight against a temporary nuclear waste storage facility, telling the U.S. Supreme Court the federal government doesn't have the power to authorize the site.

  • January 22, 2025

    Investor Alleges Utility Put Profits Above Storm Preparation

    CenterPoint Energy Inc.'s board of directors was hit with a lawsuit Wednesday from a shareholder who alleges the company's handling of Hurricane Beryl revealed it engaged in "financial engineering" designed to boost profits over operational efficiency.

  • January 22, 2025

    Space Explorer Voyager Technologies Confidentially Files IPO

    Defense and space exploration company Voyager Technologies Inc. said Wednesday it has confidentially filed plans for an initial public offering, marking the second company from the industry to join the IPO pipeline this week and potentially benefiting from increased government funding for space travel.

  • January 22, 2025

    'The Hills' Reality Stars Latest To Sue Over Palisades Fire

    "The Hills" reality TV show stars Spencer and Heidi Pratt are among the latest Palisades Fire victims to sue the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power alleging an empty local reservoir made it more difficult for first responders to put out the devastating blaze.

  • January 22, 2025

    8th Circ. Finds Monsanto PCB Case Can Stay In Federal Court

    The Eighth Circuit on Wednesday allowed General Electric Co. and others to keep in Missouri federal court a suit by Monsanto Co. seeking defense for suits against Monsanto over polychlorinated biphenyls, finding that the suit was removed to federal court on time.

  • January 22, 2025

    Full DC Circ. Stands By Wipeout Of FERC Pipeline Approvals

    The D.C. Circuit has rejected Williams Cos.' requests to reconsider a panel's decision scrapping Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals of a five-state expansion of the company's Transco pipeline system, despite more than a half-dozen amicus parties backing the rehearing requests.

  • January 22, 2025

    Navajo Nation Looks To Block Federal Mineral Leasing Ban

    The Navajo Nation has sued the U.S. Department of the Interior in a bid to block a Biden administration order withdrawing federal land from new mineral leasing and development near a national park in New Mexico, saying the ban would cause tribal allottees to suffer financial hardships.

  • January 22, 2025

    Army, SD Tribe Fight For Early Win In Dakota Access Row

    The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are both asking for early wins in a challenge to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline over alleged violations of federal environmental laws.

  • January 22, 2025

    White House Shutters DEI Offices, Puts Workers On Leave

    The U.S. Office of Personnel Management told federal agencies to close offices focused on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by Wednesday evening and lay off staffers by Jan. 31, part of President Donald Trump's larger efforts to combat workplace diversity programs.

  • January 21, 2025

    What Gov't Contractors Must Know About Trump Exec Actions

    President Donald Trump's flood of executive orders following his inauguration included a number of measures targeted at or broadly affecting federal contractors, such as lifting Biden administration antidiscrimination and climate change-related requirements and restarting border wall construction.

  • January 21, 2025

    Navy, Tetra Tech Strike $97M Deal Over Navy Cleanup Work

    The U.S. Navy and a Tetra Tech unit have reached two settlements amounting to $97 million, resolving claims the subsidiary billed the Navy for radiation remediation services at a former Navy shipyard in San Francisco that it did not actually perform.

  • January 21, 2025

    EPA Defends Power Plant Effluent Rule At 8th Circ.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking the Eighth Circuit to reject challenges to its rule setting new wastewater limitations for coal-fired power plants that have been lodged by green groups, Republican-led states, utilities and industry organizations.

  • January 21, 2025

    SoCal Edison Must Hand Over Data In Eaton Fire Suit

    A Los Angeles County judge ordered Southern California Edison Co. on Tuesday to produce data from its distribution circuits in the Altadena, California, neighborhood to a victim of the Eaton Fire, the first step in litigation over this month's deadly and destructive blaze.

  • January 21, 2025

    EPA Tells DC Circ. Its PFAS Superfund Rule Is On Solid Ground

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has claimed that it is perfectly within its authority to label two forever chemicals as "hazardous substances" under the federal Superfund law, urging the D.C. Circuit to toss an industry group's challenge to its designation powers.

  • January 21, 2025

    EPA Tells Justices That Air Pollution Cases Belong In DC Circ.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is urging the nation's highest court to rule that most judicial challenges to its air pollution rules belong in the D.C. Circuit, while small petroleum refiners say other, regional circuit courts are proper venues.

  • January 21, 2025

    Trump EV Rollbacks Spell Regulatory Whiplash For Auto Cos.

    President Donald Trump's rollback of Biden administration policies intended to accelerate the U.S. auto industry's movement toward electric vehicles creates new uncertainties for a domestic EV supply chain that was already grappling with slowing consumer demand, experts say.

  • January 21, 2025

    Too Early For Liability In Pollution Suit, Sherwin-Williams Says

    Sherwin-Williams has urged a New Jersey court to reject the Garden State's bid to find it liable for natural resource damages at the site of one of its former paint manufacturing plants, arguing the state's motion is premature.

  • January 21, 2025

    Trump Moratorium Is An Ill Wind For Project Development

    President Donald Trump's sweeping directive to halt federal reviews and permitting of wind farms creates fresh uncertainty over whether many projects slated to be built can secure necessary approval and financing.

  • January 21, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Refuses To Restore Solar Cell Patent Claims

    An Indian industrial conglomerate failed on Tuesday to persuade Federal Circuit judges to breathe new life into a patent covering a way of assembling solar cells that it had asserted in Delaware federal court against a Korean rival.

  • January 21, 2025

    Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Offshore Drilling Ban

    Texas sued the Biden administration one last time during the administration's final hours, saying in a complaint Monday that orders banning oil and gas leasing in more than 625 million acres of federal waters run "afoul of the Constitution."

  • January 21, 2025

    Colo. Justices Say Elephants Don't Get Habeas Rights

    The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday said the state's habeas statute only gives humans the right to petition against unlawful detention, upholding the dismissal of a habeas petition filed on behalf of five elderly elephants at a zoo.

Expert Analysis

  • Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys

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    Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • What's Still Up In The Air After Ruling On Calif. Climate Laws

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    A California federal court's recent ruling on challenges to California's sweeping climate disclosure laws resolved some issues, but allows litigation over the constitutionality of the laws to continue, and leaves many important questions on what entities will need to do to comply with the laws unanswered, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • Cos. Should Inventory Issues To Prep For New Congress

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    As the legislative and oversight agendas of the 119th Congress come into sharper focus, corporate counsel should assess and plan for areas of potential oversight risk — from tax policy changes to supply chain integrity — even as much uncertainty remains, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Conservation Easement Cases Weave Web Of Uncertainty

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    Much of the IRS and Justice Department’s recent success in prosecuting syndicated conservation easement cases can be attributed to the government’s focus on the so-called PropCo ratio, which could indicate treacherous waters ahead for participants and their advisers, even under the incoming Trump administration, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Trump Fossil Fuel Focus Won't End Interest In Clean Energy

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    A second Donald Trump administration is expected to prioritize expanding oil and gas drilling and reducing regulations — but some clean energy investments, including energy storage, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel, will likely continue to garner bipartisan and market support, says Scott Segal at Bracewell.

  • EPA's New Lead Pipe Rule Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently released update to its Lead and Copper Rule is a major step forward in the elimination of lead from drinking water systems, but it lacks meaningful guidance on alternative materials, jurisdictional concerns, cost allocation and other topics, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • What To Expect From State AGs As Federal Control Changes

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    Under the next Trump administration, Democratic attorneys general are poised to strengthen enforcement in certain areas as Republican attorneys general continue their efforts with stronger federal support — resulting in a confusing patchwork of policies that create unintended liabilities for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

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

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    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

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    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

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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. 

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