Energy

  • August 29, 2024

    5th Circ. Rules That Welding Inspector Isn't An Employee

    The Fifth Circuit refused Wednesday to revive a welding inspector's claim that a company he performed work for violated federal labor law by refusing to pay him wages and overtime, ruling in a published opinion that the inspector's claim failed since he wasn't an employee but an independent contractor.

  • August 29, 2024

    5th Circ. Got Biofuel Ruling Right, Refiners Tell Justices

    The U.S. Supreme Court shouldn't review a Fifth Circuit decision vacating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's denial of small refiners' requests for exemptions from their renewable-fuel program obligations, the refiners told the justices Wednesday.

  • August 29, 2024

    Albright Boots $8B EV Trade Secrets Suit For Improper Venue

    U.S. District Judge Alan Albright tossed out a $7.8 billion trade secrets dispute between two electric vehicle companies, adopting a federal magistrate judge's recommendation that the case should be handled in Israel where he said both companies and the majority of the individuals related to the matter already are.

  • August 29, 2024

    SunPower Eyes Sept. Auction As IP Objection Nixed For Now

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Thursday overruled an objection to bidding procedures for the assets of residential solar technology company SunPower Corp. from a former subsidiary, finding the dispute over use of the SunPower brand should be heard later.

  • August 29, 2024

    Foley & Lardner Must Face Ex-Clients' Breach-Of-Duty Action

    A Texas appellate court has reversed a decision that let Foley & Lardner LLP escape a suit filed by two partners in an oil and gas venture who allege that the firm failed to disclose conflicts of interest and misused their confidential information after representing them in several matters.

  • August 29, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Ackman IPO, Covestro Takeover, Trinitech

    Bill Ackman is reviving plans for an initial public offering of his new closed-end fund, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is inching closer to launching a takeover of plastics company Covestro, and private equity owners are exploring a $2 billion sale of financial software firm Trintech. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • August 29, 2024

    Trade Court Wants More Info To Decide Generator's Duty Rate

    A U.S. Court of International Trade judge won't yet resolve whether a Korean energy company could import the supermodule for its hydrogen fuel cell generator into the U.S. duty-free, saying he needs more information on the product.

  • August 29, 2024

    Judge Asked To OK Settlement For Halliburton CERCLA Suit

    Halliburton and more than 30 companies seeking to recover costs associated with the cleanup of long-accumulated contamination at a Superfund site have struck a settlement in California federal court in an attempt to bring to a close a decade of litigation.

  • August 29, 2024

    Nippon Pledges $1.3B For US Steel In Quest For US Approval

    Nippon Steel Corp. has pledged to inject an additional $1.3 billion into United States Steel Corp. facilities as the Japanese company looks to get over the finish line with U.S. regulators on its controversial $14.9 billion merger proposal.

  • August 29, 2024

    Nasdaq To Pay $22M CFTC Fine Over Incentive Program

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission slapped Nasdaq Futures Inc. with a $22 million fine Thursday based on allegations that the now-shuttered derivatives exchange failed to disclose an incentive program for high-volume traders.

  • August 29, 2024

    Marathon Oil Stockholders Approve $23B ConocoPhillips Deal

    Marathon Oil Corp. said Thursday it has received the necessary stockholder approval for its pending $22.5 billion merger with ConocoPhillips, as the companies race to get the deal done amid an ongoing U.S. regulatory review.

  • August 29, 2024

    Kirkland Guiding Oneok On $5.9B Energy Infrastructure Deals

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP is guiding Oneok Inc. on agreements to purchase Global Infrastructure Partners' interest in EnLink Midstream LLC for $3.3 billion, and GIP's interest in Medallion Midstream LLC for $2.6 billion, expanding Oneok's energy transport and storage capabilities in the Permian Basin and Gulf Coast, the company said in a statement Thursday. 

  • August 28, 2024

    Utah Counties Tell Justices DC Circ. Took NEPA Too Far

    A coalition of seven Utah counties called on the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to upend a D.C. Circuit decision revoking federal approval of a rail line to transport crude oil from Utah, arguing the ruling saddles the U.S. Surface Transportation Board with "endless make-work far outside its wheelhouse."

  • August 28, 2024

    Red States Raise Alarm Over Methane Rule Retroactivity

    Republican led-states and industry groups have called on a Tenth Circuit panel to reconsider its decision to vacate a district court ruling that partially invalidated an Obama-era rule limiting venting and flaring from oil and gas wells on federal land, arguing it could lead to retroactive enforcement of the rule.

  • August 28, 2024

    Contractor Drops Fed. Circ. Challenge To Registration Rule

    The federal government and a joint venture on Wednesday agreed to end a Federal Circuit appeal that questioned whether the U.S. State Department unfairly disqualified the company from a security contract over its failure to register on the contracting database.

  • August 28, 2024

    Citgo Auction Delayed Again, This Time Till November

    A Delaware federal judge has adjourned until November a closely watched sales process for Citgo's parent company — an auction aimed at satisfying billions of dollars' worth of Venezuelan debt — in order to provide a court-appointed special master more time to vet a yet undisclosed bidder.

  • August 28, 2024

    2nd Circ. Affirms Ex-GE Engineer's Espionage Conviction

    A General Electric Co. engineer convicted of conspiracy to commit economic espionage lost his bid Wednesday to undo his conviction, with a three-judge panel on the Second Circuit affirming the judgment of the New York district court.

  • August 28, 2024

    Russia Seeks Pause On $5B Naftogaz Award Suit

    Russia thinks that the D.C. federal court overseeing a bid by Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas company to enforce a $5 billion arbitral award over the seizure of its Crimean assets ought to pause the matter while proceedings in the Netherlands play out.

  • August 28, 2024

    The Biggest Enviro Cases To Watch In 2024: Midyear Report

    Environmental attorneys can expect to see several developments in pending litigation during the remainder of 2024, including two cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear about Clean Water Act regulations for San Francisco and the extent of the federal government's authority as part of environmental reviews for projects. Here are some of the biggest cases to watch in the rest of 2024.

  • August 28, 2024

    Venezuela Argues For Pause In Chemical Co. Seizure Suit

    Venezuela is asking the Eleventh Circuit to put litigation accusing the country of unlawfully seizing a chemical company over sham drug charges on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on an expropriation case Holocaust survivors are pursuing against the Hungarian government.

  • August 28, 2024

    DC Circ. Rejects Challenges To Nuke Waste Storage Site

    A D.C. Circuit panel rejected a slew of challenges to federal regulators' approval of a temporary nuclear waste storage site in New Mexico, ruling that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was right to include forward-looking terms about federally owned spent nuclear fuel in the license.

  • August 28, 2024

    NY Firm Calls Gas Co.'s Contract And Fee Claims Duplicative

    Albany, New York-based Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP has moved to trim breach of contract and disgorgement of fees claims brought by a former client over allegedly bungled tax advice, telling a New York federal judge the claims are redundant when the ex-client is also pursuing a legal malpractice cause of action. 

  • August 28, 2024

    Power Services Co. Denied Early Win In Injury Coverage Suit

    A power services company failed to show it's owed coverage for a suit by a man who was injured while working at a power station, a Rhode Island federal court ruled, finding a genuine issue of material fact concerning who is at fault for the injuries.

  • August 28, 2024

    Judge Adds $2.4M To $2M IP Verdict Against Mining Co.

    A Texas federal judge ordered a Norwegian mining company to pay $2.4 million, on top of a $2 million jury verdict, covering oil drilling device sales made after they were found to infringe a rival's intellectual property.

  • August 27, 2024

    CFTC Fines TOTSA $48M Over Market Manipulation Attempts

    Swiss energy trader TOTSA will pay $48 million for allegedly trying to manipulate the market for futures contracts linked to a type of refined gas mainly used in automobiles in Europe, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Tuesday, with one commissioner dissenting over "flimsy evidence that is speculative and circumstantial." 

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

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    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • New State Carbon Capture Laws: Key Points For Developers

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    Multiple states have introduced or expanded legal frameworks for carbon capture and sequestration this year, and while there are some common themes, many of these state laws include unique approaches and requirements — which developers and investors should be aware of when considering potential projects and investment risks, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • New NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule Adds Compliance Complexity

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recently announced final rule on new corporate average fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks will create challenges for manufacturers, which must also comply with the EPA's multipollutant rule and California's zero-emission vehicle programs, say Joanne Rotondi and Hannah Graae at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    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.

  • Series

    After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects

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    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.

  • How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy

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    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.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    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.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    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.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

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    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.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    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.

  • The Rise Of State And Local Environmental Leadership

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    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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