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Energy
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February 04, 2025
'Every Breath' A 'Struggle' For Lyondell Leak Worker, Jury Told
A lung specialist told a Houston jury Tuesday that he would be "surprised" if the only surviving repairman who worked on a leak at a Texas LyondellBasell plant lived longer than 15 years without major medical intervention due to his chemical exposure four years ago.
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February 04, 2025
5th Circ. Mulls If Green Orgs. Have Injury In Injection Well Case
A Fifth Circuit panel pondered whether environmental groups will suffer an injury adequate to challenge underground injection wells in Louisiana, asking during oral arguments Tuesday whether the groups can bring a legal claim for an event 50 years down the road.
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February 04, 2025
EPA, Interior Leaders Unveil Focus On US Energy Production
The heads of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled plans for their agencies that largely focus on bolstering President Donald Trump's U.S. energy dominance policy.
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February 04, 2025
AI Clean Energy Co. SPAC Suit Should Be Zapped, Judge Says
A federal magistrate judge has recommended dismissing, without prejudice, a derivative shareholder suit accusing the top brass of Stem Inc., an artificial intelligence-driven clean energy company, of making misleading statements leading up to a conflicted merger with a special purpose acquisition company, saying no one should have to "connect the dots" to figure out what is specifically being alleged against them.
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February 04, 2025
Pushing The Envelope In Climate Law: Murder Charges
Climate change legal advocates are pointing to wildfires in Los Angeles, hurricanes in the Southeast and a regulation-averse presidential administration as evidence that local prosecutors should begin going after fossil fuel companies with criminal charges — up to and including homicide.
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February 04, 2025
Mich. Supreme Court Says City's Electricity Fee Is Illegal Tax
A franchise fee added to East Lansing, Michigan, residents' energy bills is a disguised tax, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday, saying the fee was used to raise revenue for the city without first being approved by voters.
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February 04, 2025
DLA Piper Partner To Testify At Cognizant Evidence Hearing
Prosecutors told a New Jersey federal judge Tuesday that the managing partner of DLA Piper's Houston office will testify at a Feb. 18 evidentiary hearing in a criminal bribery case against two former executives of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., which tapped the law firm for an internal investigation into the alleged corrupt scheme in India.
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February 04, 2025
White House Lacks Authority To Issue NEPA Regs, Judge Says
The White House Council on Environmental Quality has no authority to issue binding National Environmental Policy Act regulations, a North Dakota judge has ruled, scrapping challenged regulations the Biden administration had enacted.
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February 04, 2025
6th Circ. Urged To Back $600M Train Derailment Deal
Norfolk Southern and East Palestine, Ohio, residents defended a $600 million class settlement in Sixth Circuit briefs Monday, saying the deal provides meaningful relief to people and businesses impacted by a 2023 train derailment and release of toxic chemicals.
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February 04, 2025
Wash. Gov. Orders Look At Data Centers' Tax Revenue Impact
Washington's governor issued an executive order directing the state's Department of Revenue to create a work group to examine the impact of data centers on the state's tax revenue and economy and recommend policies to address tax revenue needs in relation to other priorities.
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February 04, 2025
US, Osage Nation Fight Bid To Stay $4.2M Wind Farm Order
The U.S. government is fighting a bid by Enel Green Power North America to stay a $4.2 million judgment and permanent injunction that requires it to remove 84 wind turbines from the Osage Nation's reservation, arguing that the company is unlikely to prevail in a Tenth Circuit appeal.
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February 04, 2025
Veteran Energy Attorney Joins Baker Botts In Austin
Baker Botts LLP announced Tuesday that an experienced energy attorney who's spent over 30 years working in various government and private practice roles has joined the firm's office in Austin, Texas, as a partner.
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February 04, 2025
Pearl Energy Closes $999.9M Fund, Tioga Raises $125M
Kirkland & Ellis LLP-advised Pearl Energy Investments on Tuesday revealed that it clinched its fourth flagship fund after securing $999.9 million in investor commitments, while Atlanta-based multi-strategy real estate investment firm Tioga Capital closed its fourth fund after raising $125 million in capital commitments.
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February 04, 2025
Shell Workers' 401(k) Suit Gets Class Nod, But No Early Wins
A Texas federal judge awarded class certification to more than 10,000 current and former Shell Oil Co. workers in their suit claiming the energy behemoth mismanaged their $10 billion 401(k) plan, but he declined to grant either side early wins.
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February 04, 2025
China Hits US Energy Goods With Retaliatory Tariffs
China on Tuesday slapped tariffs on U.S. coal, crude oil and liquefied natural gas as part of its retaliation against additional tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by President Donald Trump.
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February 03, 2025
DOJ Poised To Prosecute Threat-Makers Against DOGE
A federal prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump offered Elon Musk his office's support to "protect" the work of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency headed by the billionaire businessman, including "legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people."
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February 03, 2025
Texas Appeals Court Wipes Exxon's $2.5M Oil Cleanup Verdict
A Texas appeals court has wiped a more than $2.5 million verdict for ExxonMobil Pipeline Co., finding that successive owners of its pipeline hadn't agreed to assume the cleanup costs of an oil spill.
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February 03, 2025
Blank Rome Adds Ex-Babst Calland Litigator In Pittsburgh
Blank Rome LLP has expanded its Pittsburgh office with the recent addition of a business litigator who moved her practice after three years with Babst Calland Clements and Zomnir PC.
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February 03, 2025
Sidley Adds Paul Hastings Energy, Finance Pro In Houston
Sidley Austin LLP added a former Paul Hastings LLP partner specializing in energy industry transactions to its energy, transportation and finance team in Houston, the firm announced Monday.
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February 03, 2025
Power Cos., States Ask DC Circ. To Dispose Of Coal Ash Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acted arbitrarily and well beyond its authority when it enacted a new rule to strengthen federal regulations for coal ash, a score of electric utility entities and Republican-led states told the D.C. Circuit.
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February 03, 2025
US Steel, Nippon Say Election Politics Blocked $14.9B Deal
Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. and U.S. Steel Corp. on Monday filed their opening brief in a suit against former President Joe Biden and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States over a blocked $14.9 billion mega-merger, alleging the deal was blocked purely due to election-year politics and not national security as claimed.
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February 03, 2025
Lumio Gets OK To Liquidate Through Ch. 11 After Asset Sale
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday approved solar panel provider Lumio Holdings Inc.'s Chapter 11 liquidation plan, months after the company agreed to sell its business to Zeo Energy Corp.
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February 03, 2025
DC Judge Joins RI In Blocking Trump Funding Freeze
A D.C. federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing a freeze on federal spending while a group of nonprofits sue over the move, ruling the pause appears to "suffer from infirmities of a constitutional magnitude."
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February 03, 2025
PetroQuest Gets OK For $20.6M Texas Oilfield Sale
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday approved the $20.6 million sale of PetroQuest Energy's East Texas oilfields, more than two years after a failed attempt to sell those fields sparked a lawsuit that helped land the company in Chapter 11.
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February 03, 2025
ADNOC, OMV Merger Talks Move Ahead In 'Positive Manner'
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. says talks with Austria's OMV to create a new global polyolefins group, potentially valued around $30 billion, are proceeding "in a constructive and positive manner."
Expert Analysis
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
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.
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Series
After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects
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.
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How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy
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.
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Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations
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.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
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.
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Series
Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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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What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Rise Of State And Local Environmental Leadership
While Congress is deadlocked, and a U.S. Supreme Court with a hostility toward the administrative state aggressively dismantles federal environmental oversight, state and local governments are stepping up with policies to shape a more sustainable future for all species, says Jonathan Rosenbloom at Albany Law School.
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NYSE Delisting May Be The Cost Of FCPA Compliance
ABB’s recent decision to delist its U.S. depository receipts from the New York Stock Exchange, coupled with having settled three Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions, begs the question of whether the cost of FCPA compliance should factor into a company's decision to remain listed in the U.S., says John Joy at FTI Law.
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CFTC Action Highlights Necessity Of Whistleblower Carveouts
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's novel settlement with a trading firm over allegations of manipulating the market and failing to create contract carveouts for employees to freely communicate with investigators serves as a beacon for further enforcement activity from the CFTC and other regulators, say attorneys at Davis Wright.
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5 Tips For Solar Cos. Navigating Big Shifts In US Trade Policy
Renewable energy developers can best mitigate new compliance risks from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s increased tariffs on imported solar cells, and simultaneously capitalize on Treasury Department incentives for domestic solar manufacturers, by following five best practices in the changing solar trade landscape, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Series
Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
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Half-Truths Vs. Omissions: Slicing Justices' Macquarie Cake
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Macquarie v. Moab provides a road map for determining whether corporate reports that omit information should be considered misleading — and the court baked it into a dessert analogy that is key to understanding the guidelines, say Daniel Levy and Pavithra Kumar at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.