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Energy
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December 12, 2024
Ex-FBI Informant Admits To False Accusations In Biden Case
A former FBI informant accused of making fake criminal accusations against President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, will plead guilty to tax evasion and falsifying records in a federal investigation, according to a deal filed Thursday in a California federal court.
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December 12, 2024
Energy Co. Gets Redo Of $150M Power Plant Explosion Trial
A California appeals court has ordered a new trial and vacated a $150 million verdict against Diamond Generating Corp. in a suit by the family of a worker killed in a power plant explosion, saying the jury should have been instructed to determine whether DGC retained enough control over the plant's operations to be held liable.
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December 11, 2024
Gold Miner Sarama Hits Burkina Faso With $115M Claim
A gold exploration and development company with operations in West Africa said Wednesday it has commenced arbitration proceedings against Burkina Faso, seeking damages of AU$180 million ($115 million) in a dispute over the state's alleged expropriation of a mining project.
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December 11, 2024
Tesla Stockholder Contests $345M Musk Pay Fight Fee In Del.
A Tesla Inc. stockholder has asked to intervene in the Delaware Court of Chancery class derivative case that scuttled CEO Elon Musk's 10-year, $55.6 billion compensation plan, citing objections to court approval of a stock or cash fee award for class attorneys worth $345 million.
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December 11, 2024
Justices Won't Block EPA Coal Ash Rule During Court Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Kentucky electric utility's effort to halt implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule strengthening federal regulations for the safe management of coal ash.
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December 11, 2024
Mixed 5th Circ. Backs $14M Exxon Texas Air Pollution Fine
A mixed Fifth Circuit on Wednesday backed a $14 million fine against ExxonMobil Corp. over air pollution in southeast Texas, with a per curiam opinion stating the court wouldn't have reheard the case if it had known it would take more than 18 months to issue an opinion.
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December 11, 2024
Metal Recycler Accused Of Polluting Connecticut Streams
Global industrial recycling firm Sims Metal was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit by an environmental watchdog group claiming the company lets stormwater and snow runoff drag metal particles and other pollutants into streams that enter Long Island Sound in greater New Haven, Connecticut.
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December 11, 2024
EPA Gives States, Tribes Clearer Path To Water Permit Power
States and Native American tribes have a clearer path to gaining the authority to set water pollution standards that may be even stronger than federal ones under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule finalized Wednesday.
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December 11, 2024
Del. Bar Urged To Push Back On Musk's Chancery Criticism
Nearly 100 legal professionals, mainly plaintiffs bar attorneys and law professors, have called on the Delaware State Bar Association to defend the state's chancellor against attacks that tech and social media billionaire Elon Musk launched after a stinging defeat of his nearly $56 billion, multiyear Tesla Inc. package in January.
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December 11, 2024
DC Circ. Lets Pipeline Safety Rule Remain Amid Agency Fix
The D.C. Circuit has agreed to leave in place one of four new safety standards for gas transmission pipelines while the U.S. Department of Transportation works to amend them, after an industry group said not doing so could cause unnecessary repair costs.
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December 11, 2024
Law Firm Must Share Files, Face Malpractice Claim, Suit Says
A mining company wants Pittsburgh-based Sherrard German & Kelly PC to hand over its files regarding the representation of a former client who was on the losing end of a multimillion-dollar judgment in 2022 and assigned its malpractice claim to the mining company.
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December 11, 2024
Developer, Feds Ask Justices To Pass On Offshore Wind Case
The federal government and Vineyard Wind 1 LLC are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a Massachusetts group's latest bid to block the large offshore wind farm taking shape in waters off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
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December 11, 2024
ConEd Escapes Fired In-House Atty's Gender, Age Bias Suit
A New York federal judge tossed an attorney's suit claiming she was fired by Con Edison out of age and gender animus after complaining that her boss unfairly criticized her, ruling she failed to show that her identity rather than her yearslong performance issues got her canned.
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December 10, 2024
Feds Tell Justices To Stay Out Of Climate Change Tort Fights
U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar on Tuesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to weigh in on climate change torts filed against fossil fuel companies, arguing in a pair of briefs that the state court cases aren't the correct vehicles for resolving the issues, at least not yet.
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December 10, 2024
BNP Paribas Seeks High Court Appeal In Sudan Refugee Case
BNP Paribas has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify the standard for permitting immediate appeals of class certifications, arguing the Second Circuit was wrong to deny it such review in a class action accusing the bank of enabling human rights abuses in Sudan.
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December 10, 2024
Wash. Woman Accused Of Smuggling Oil, Gas Parts To Russia
A Washington-based regional manager of a freight forwarding company is accused of helping Russians evade U.S. export controls and sanctions issued after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine by illegally shipping industrial oil and gas equipment to Russia through intermediary countries like China, New York federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
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December 10, 2024
Feds Propose Enviro Protections For Monarch Butterfly
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposed rule on Tuesday that would list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and designate 4,395 acres of critical habitat in coastal California.
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December 10, 2024
Kid Climate Activists Ask Justices To Save Twice-Nixed Case
Youth plaintiffs have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their climate change lawsuit against the federal government but said the court should decide a key death penalty case first that involves a similar constitutional question.
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December 10, 2024
Venezuela Oil Cos. Say $23M Suit Wasn't Properly Served
Two Venezuelan oil companies urged the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday to undo a $23 million judgment for a Florida-based chemical distributor, arguing neither company was properly served the summons and complaint.
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December 10, 2024
Ga. Justices Say Courts To Decide Whether Utilities Are Taxes
A Georgia trial court wrongly decided it could not judge whether a county's utility rates are a backdoor tax on property owners, the state's highest court said Tuesday, ruling that a restriction on the state Legislature's power to "regulate or fix" rates doesn't bar review by the judicial branch.
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December 10, 2024
Utah Counties' Narrow NEPA Test Meets High Court Critics
Utah counties looking to narrow courts' ability to review federal agencies' environmental analyses of proposed projects hit roadblocks Tuesday from skeptical U.S. Supreme Court justices and the U.S. Department of Justice, who said the proposed limits go too far.
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December 10, 2024
Judge Says Indiana Grid Project Law Is Discriminatory
An Indiana federal judge has blocked the state's right of first refusal law granting Indiana-based utilities the first attempt at securing new transmission project contracts in the state, saying the law discriminates against out-of-state economic interests.
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December 10, 2024
Insurer QBE Settles Suit Over Failed $18M Wind Support Deal
Belgium-based insurer QBE Europe has settled a lawsuit accusing it of wasting available policy limits on pointless litigation rather than make a reasonable offer in a separate $18 million dispute over a failed wind support vessel deal, according to a Tuesday filing.
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December 10, 2024
Google, TPG To Help Steer $20B Clean Energy Investment
Google and an arm of private equity shop TPG that is focused on solutions to combat climate change revealed plans to partner with clean energy company Intersect Power to invest $20 billion in renewable power infrastructure by the end of the decade, with an initial plug of $800 million announced on Tuesday.
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December 10, 2024
Ex-Conn. Utility Execs Win Pretrial Diversion Bid In 2nd Case
A Connecticut federal judge has approved pretrial diversion agreements between federal prosecutors and two former public utility executives, pausing a second prosecution as the duo prepare to serve prison sentences in a case alleging they misused public funds.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.
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Hawaii Climate Insurance Case Is Good News For Energy Cos.
The Hawaii Supreme Court's recent ruling in a dispute between an oil company and its insurers, holding that reckless conduct in the context of activities that can cause climate harms is covered by liability policies, will likely be viewed by energy companies as a positive development, say attorneys at Fenchurch Law.
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Opinion
6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School
Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.
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Implications Of NY Climate Case For Generating Facilities
Regardless of how Greenidge Generation LLC v. New York Department of Environmental Conservation develops on remand, this decision has immediate repercussions for generating facilities seeking permit applications and renewals in New York, likely involving Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act considerations, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.
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Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware
Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out
In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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How Litigation, Supply Chains Buffeted Offshore Wind In 2024
U.S. offshore wind developers continue to face a range of challenges — including litigation brought by local communities and interest groups, ongoing supply chain issues, and a lack of interconnection and transmission infrastructure — in addition to uncertainty surrounding federal energy policy under the second Trump administration, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity
Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Permitting, Offtake Among Offshore Wind Challenges In 2024
Although federal offshore wind development started to pick up this year, many challenges to the industry became apparent as well — including slow federal permitting, the pitfalls of restarting permits after changes in project status, and the difficulties of negotiating economically viable offtake agreements, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.
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Series
Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.
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Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review
For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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What Fed. Circ. Ruling Means For Patent Case Dismissals
The Federal Circuit's recent decision in UTTO v. Metrotech is significant because it specifically authorizes district courts to dismiss patent infringement lawsuits without a separate Markman hearing, but only when the meaning of a claim term is clear and case-dispositive, says Peter Gergely at Merchant & Gould.
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How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin
In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.
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DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation
A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
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Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks
A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.