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Energy
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July 31, 2024
Wash. Court To Rethink Gas Chain's Tax Duty On Fuel Cards
A Washington state appeals court said it would reconsider its May decision that a Pacific Northwest gas station chain that issued fuel cards to customers must pay the state business and occupation tax when holders of those cards purchase gas from other participating gas station chains.
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July 31, 2024
Honesty Worries Justify Gas Co. Worker Firing, 4th Circ. Says
The Fourth Circuit upheld a Baltimore gas company's win over a former mechanic's lawsuit alleging he was unlawfully terminated for taking medical leave because of a diabetes-related condition, ruling Wednesday that suspicions of dishonesty provided a credible reason for letting him go.
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July 31, 2024
Attys Can Seek Security Clearance In Cuellar Bribery Case
Attorneys for U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar can apply for a security clearance to facilitate potential discussions of classified information in connection with bribery charges against the congressman, a Texas federal judge said Wednesday, remarking multiple times that federal prosecutors had taken "inconsistent" positions on classified material connected to the case.
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July 31, 2024
Rising Star: McGuireWoods' Emilie McNally
Emilie McNally of McGuireWoods LLP has guided NiSource Inc. through the $2.15 billion sale of a minority stake in its subsidiary to Blackstone, and represented Dominion Energy Inc. in its $14 billion sale of three local natural gas distribution companies, earning her a spot among the energy law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 31, 2024
Southern Co. Beats Retirees' Suit Over Mortality Data
Federal benefits law doesn't mandate specific actuarial assumptions in the calculation of pension payments, a Georgia federal judge ruled as he tossed a proposed class action alleging that a Southern Co. subsidiary's use of decades-old mortality tables shorted retirees by thousands of dollars.
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July 31, 2024
Willkie-Led Silver Hill Secures $1.13B For 4th Fund
Energy-focused private equity shop Silver Hill Energy Partners, advised by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, on Wednesday announced that it clinched its fourth fund after racking up $1.13 billion of total investor commitments.
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July 30, 2024
Prosecutors Say Bribery Ruling Won't Disrupt Madigan Trial
Prosecutors accusing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan of corruption said Monday night his case is unaffected by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling limiting the reach of a bribery statute that once criminalized gratuities, saying the government's allegations do not rely on gratuities, so "this dog will not hunt."
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July 30, 2024
Texas Appeals Court Says $10M Verdict For Railcar Co. Stands
A Texas appeals court said that Trinity Industries Leasing Co. is entitled to the full $10.6 million verdict that a jury previously awarded the company, finding Monday that corrosion on a railcar by itself didn't trigger limitations on Trinity's breach claim.
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July 30, 2024
Tanzania To Pay Indiana Resources $90M In ICSID Dispute
Tanzania has agreed to pay $90 million to a trio of Indiana Resources Ltd.'s majority-owned firms in a settlement over the African country's alleged unlawful expropriation of a nickel sulfide project, according to the Australian mining company.
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July 30, 2024
Colo. Justices Step Into Boulder Climate Change Case
The Colorado Supreme Court has ordered a trial court to defend its decision greenlighting the bulk of municipalities' attempts to make Suncor subsidiaries and Exxon pay for damages allegedly caused by climate change.
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July 30, 2024
DC Circ. Must Block EPA Mercury Rule, Challengers Say
Challengers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule tightening mercury and other toxic metal emission standards for some coal-fired power plants are hitting back against arguments by the agency and its supporters that their requested stay of the rule isn't warranted.
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July 30, 2024
High Court Ruling Dooms EPA Smog Plan, DC Circ. Told
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to halt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to reduce smog-forming emissions across several states is reason enough for the D.C. Circuit to invalidate the rule, several states, industry groups and energy companies argued.
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July 30, 2024
NJ Men Accused Of Running $6.7M Fuel Investment Scam
Two Middlesex County men ran a scheme using fake identities and "sham companies" to defraud investors out of about $6.7 million that they thought was going into fuel products businesses, according to an indictment announced Monday by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
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July 30, 2024
Exxon Loses Bid For Avangrid Docs In Mass. Climate Suit
ExxonMobil will not gain access to potentially millions of documents from wind energy company Avangrid as part of the Massachusetts attorney general's long-running climate change suit, after a state court judge found it "inconceivable" that the sought-after material could be relevant to the case.
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July 30, 2024
DC Circ. Tosses FERC's OK Of Northeast Pipeline Expansion
The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday threw out the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of a Northeast pipeline expansion, ruling that the agency overlooked the project's "enormous" greenhouse gas emissions and failed to properly consider the lack of market need for the added natural gas capacity.
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July 30, 2024
$8.5B Gores-Led Metal Packaging Co. SPAC Draws Del. Suit
A former shareholder of the blank-check company that took Ardagh Metal Packaging Group SA public has packaged up a Delaware Court of Chancery lawsuit seeking damages in the wake of the merged company's stock plunge after going public in an $8.5 billion cash-and-share deal.
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July 30, 2024
Utility Co. Denied Injunction In Row Over Apprentice Workers
A Michigan federal judge has denied a utility construction and maintenance company's bid for an injunction against a joint labor-management committee supervising apprentice line workers in the company's antitrust suit, finding that the company is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its claim.
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July 30, 2024
DC Circ. Wants Chevron Ruling Addressed In GHG Case
The D.C. Circuit asked challengers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's tighter greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles to discuss how the litigation is affected by recent court decisions, including the U.S. Supreme Court's blockbuster ruling that undid what is known as Chevron deference.
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July 30, 2024
Bradley Arant Adds Energy Atty In Atlanta From Boutique
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has expanded its Atlanta shop with a former boutique law firm attorney who focuses on the electric power industry, strengthening its work guiding clients on renewable energy projects.
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July 30, 2024
Houston Energy CEO Ran $21M Stock Scheme, SEC Says
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday sued the head of a Houston energy company in Texas federal court, alleging he raised more than $21 million from over 300 investors nationwide through a fraudulent and unregistered offering of preferred stock in his fuel-blending company.
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July 30, 2024
Rising Star: Sidley's Atman Shukla
Atman Shukla of Sidley Austin LLP has helped guide some of the energy infrastructure industry's biggest players through multibillion-dollar acquisitions, including Enbridge Inc.'s $3 billion purchase of Moda Midstream Operating LLC, earning him a spot among the energy law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 29, 2024
Fla. Judge Trims Metal Trader's Suit Against Guatemalan Atty
A Florida state court judge has trimmed a defamation-related lawsuit brought by a metal trader, allowing the company's complaint to proceed under a single cause of action alleging that a Guatemalan attorney triggered sanctions against the company by lying to U.S. officials.
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July 29, 2024
2nd Circ. Backs $44.6M For Feds In Deadly Navy Ship Crash
The Second Circuit has upheld a New York federal judge's decision ordering Energetic Tank Inc. to pay the federal government more than $44.5 million in damages and prejudgment interest for its oil tanker's role in a deadly August 2017 collision with a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Singapore Strait.
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July 29, 2024
Gas Refinery Co. On Hook For Worker's $1.6M Injury Award
An Ohio appellate panel has affirmed a $1.6 million award to an energy services worker who suffered serious injuries after thousands of gallons of jet fuel spilled onto him, saying there is sufficient evidence to support the $5.3 million verdict, which was later reduced.
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July 29, 2024
Subcontractor Partially Nixes Claims Over Defense Of MDL
A subcontractor facing consolidated personal injury claims over a chemical leak at a LyondellBasell facility in La Porte, Texas, voluntarily tossed its coverage claims against one of its insurers in Texas federal court, while noting it's still pursuing its coverage demands against two other insurers.
Expert Analysis
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Unpacking The New Russia Sanctions And Export Controls
Although geographically broad new prohibitions the U.S., U.K. and EU issued last week are somewhat underwhelming in their efforts to target third-country facilitators of Russia sanctions evasion, companies with exposure to noncompliant jurisdictions should pay close attention to their potential impacts, say attorneys at Shearman.
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Args In APA Case Amplify Justices' Focus On Agency Power
In arguments last week in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve, the U.S. Supreme Court justices paid particular importance to the possible ripple effects of their decision, which will address when a facial challenge to long-standing federal rules under the Administrative Procedure Act first accrues and could thus unleash a flood of new lawsuits, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.
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Mitigating Whistleblower Risks After High Court UBS Ruling
While it is always good practice for companies to periodically review whistleblower trainings, policies and procedures, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent whistleblower-friendly ruling in Murray v. UBS Securities helps demonstrate their importance in reducing litigation risk, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.
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What Recent Setbacks In Court Mean For Enviro Justice
Two courts in Louisiana last month limited the federal government's ability to require consideration of Civil Rights Act disparate impacts when evaluating state-issued permits — likely providing a framework for opposition to environmental justice initiatives in other states, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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New Hydrogen Regulations Show The Need For IP Protections
The introduction of hydrogen regulations, such as the IRS' proposed tax credit for clean hydrogen under the Inflation Reduction Act, are reshaping the competitive landscape, with intellectual property rights an area of increased emphasis, say Evan Glass and James De Vellis at Foley & Lardner.
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Series
ESG Around The World: Gulf Cooperation Council
The Gulf Cooperation Council is in the early stages of ESG policy implementation, but recent commitments by both states and corporations — including increases in sustainable finance transactions, environmental commitments, female representation on boards and human rights enforcement — show continuing progress toward broader ESG goals, say attorneys at Cleary.
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Steps For Companies New To Sanctions Compliance
Businesses newly required to implement compliance programs due to the increased breadth of mandatory sanctions and export controls, including 500 additional Russia sanctions announced last Friday, should closely follow the guidance issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and other regulators, say Jennifer Schubert and Megan Church at MoloLamken.
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6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media
In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.
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Why Biz Groups Disagree On Ending Chevron Deference
Two amicus briefs filed in advance of last month's U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo highlight contrasting views on whether the doctrine of Chevron deference promotes or undermines the stable regulatory environment that businesses require, say Wyatt Kendall and Sydney Brogden at Morris Manning.
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A Look Ahead For The Electric Vehicle Charging Industry
This will likely be an eventful year for the electric vehicle market as government efforts to accelerate their adoption inevitably clash with backlash from supporters of the petroleum industry, say Rue Phillips at SkillFusion and Enid Joffe at Green Paradigm Consulting.
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A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise
After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.
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Opinion
Exxon Court Should Clarify Shareholder Proposal Exclusion
ExxonMobil last month took the unusual action of asking a Texas federal judge whether a proposal from climate activists seeking to limit oil and gas sales could be excluded from its 2024 proxy statement, and the court should use this opportunity to reevaluate SEC policy and set clear limits on when shareholder proposals can be included, says Stephen Bainbridge at UCLA School of Law.
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Challenges Remain In Financing Energy Transition Minerals
COP28, the latest U.N. climate conference, reached a consensus on a just and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, but more action and funding will be needed to ensure that developed countries responsibly source the minerals that will be critical for this process, say attorneys at Watson Farley.
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Exxon ESG Proxy Statement Suit May Chill Investor Proposals
Exxon Mobil’s recent use of a Texas federal lawsuit to intimidate shareholders into withdrawing a climate-friendly proxy proposal could inspire more public companies to sue to avoid adopting ESG resolutions — a power move that would chill activist investor participation and unbalance shareholder-corporate relations, say Domenico Minerva and James Fee at Labaton Keller.
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Series
Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.