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Energy
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March 26, 2025
Coalition Says Trump Admin Flouted Federal Rehiring Order
The Trump administration responded to an injunction compelling it to rehire over 15,000 fired probationary employees by placing them on leave, not bringing them back to work, a coalition of advocates for the workers told a California federal judge Wednesday, saying the administration hasn't complied with the injunction.
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March 26, 2025
DOI Lacked Authority To Cancel Arctic Leases, Judge Says
The U.S. Department of the Interior lacked authority to cancel seven oil and gas leases issued to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a federal judge has ruled, saying the federal agency was required to get a court order before doing so.
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March 26, 2025
Trump Pick To Lead EPA Attys Grilled In Senate On Experience
President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's legal division came under intense scrutiny Wednesday as Senate Democrats questioned his legal experience and his relationship with a senior member of Trump's personnel team.
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March 26, 2025
Duke Energy Wins $20M In SC Investment Credits On Appeal
Duke Energy can have about $20 million in tax credits that were disallowed by South Carolina's tax agency because the law governing the credits grants a $5 million annual limit, not a $5 million lifetime limit, an appeals court ruled Wednesday, overturning an administrative law judge.
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March 26, 2025
Big Oil Cos. Must Face Tribal Climate Suits In State Court
A pair of lawsuits by Washington tribes alleging Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 deceived consumers about the climate impacts of burning fossil fuels belong in state court, a federal judge said Wednesday, handing the tribes a win in their venue dispute with the Big Oil companies.
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March 26, 2025
FERC Pressed To Reject $26.6B Constellation-Calpine Merger
Consumer and environmental groups have urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to block Constellation's $26.6 billion purchase of Calpine, saying a tie-up of two of North America's largest independent power producers would reduce competition in the nation's largest regional electricity market.
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March 26, 2025
French Co. Fails To Win Arbitration Bid In Payment Dispute
French engineering company Saipem SA has lost its bid for a stay in a London court as it looks to arbitrate claims asserted by Panamanian logistics provider Destin Trading Inc. related to an alleged $7 million shortfall in payment for a Congo River project.
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March 26, 2025
Ex-GE Exec Gets 7 Years For Fraud In $1B Angola Energy Deal
A Manhattan federal judge hit a former GE Power executive with seven years in prison Wednesday, after a jury convicted him of forgery and taking a $5 million kickback while working on a $1.1 billion deal in his native Angola.
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March 25, 2025
Elliott Says Phillips 66 Aims To Thwart Its Proxy Contest
Elliott Investment Management on Tuesday accused Phillips 66 and its board of directors in Delaware Chancery Court of reducing the number of board seats up for election at the energy conglomerate's next annual shareholder meeting in order to thwart the hedge fund's impending proxy contest.
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March 25, 2025
Barretts Says Talc Injury Claims Belong To Ch. 11 Estate
Talc miner Barretts Minerals Inc. sought a Texas bankruptcy court's determination that talc injury claims based on inadequate asbestos testing are property of the estate in its Chapter 11 case, saying the question is a crucial hurdle as the company mediates a potential settlement with its affiliates, unsecured creditors and the future claims representative.
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March 25, 2025
Baltimore Bridge Collapse: One Year Later
Federal accident investigators' recent determination that Maryland could've done more to protect Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge from a devastating collapse may complicate the sprawling legal battle over liability and damages in the year since a cargo ship struck the bridge and crippled a major East Coast transportation hub.
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March 25, 2025
Venezuelan Law Invalidates $2B Bonds, PDVSA Argues
Venezuela's state-owned oil company is fighting back against efforts by creditors to enforce some $2 billion in defaulted bonds, dismissing as "illogical" the creditors' argument that the underlying bond documents were exempt from a requirement for National Assembly approval.
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March 25, 2025
Canadian Miner Faces Deadline Over $10M Romania Award
A cash-strapped Canadian mining company is nearing a deadline to put up security for an approximately $10 million costs award issued to Romania after the country prevailed in the company's $4.4 billion arbitration over a blocked gold and silver mining project.
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March 25, 2025
North Carolina OSHA 'Incentive' Suit Dismissed Again
North Carolina labor officials have once again dodged a corrosion control company's lawsuit claiming the state agency wrongfully incentivized workplace safety inspectors to find violations, after a federal judge accepted a magistrate judge's analysis that the latest suit largely copied one that had already been tossed.
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March 25, 2025
Industry Backs BlackRock Over States' 'Crippling' Coal Suit
Two leading financial industry groups are throwing their support behind BlackRock Inc. and two other asset managers fighting a state-backed antitrust suit over their coal company investments, with one group arguing that forcing the firms to divest would have "crippling effects" for tens of millions of American investors.
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March 25, 2025
Insurers Claim 4th Circ. Must Revisit Ruling For Aluminum Co.
Insurers in a coverage cap dispute with an aluminum company have asked the Fourth Circuit to reconsider an opinion holding that an ambiguous policy provision must be construed in the company's favor, calling it contrary to South Carolina law.
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March 25, 2025
Edison Shareholder Latest To Sue Utility Brass Over Eaton Fire
Southern California's Eaton Fire could have been prevented had directors and officers of Southern California Edison's parent company not breached their duty to mitigate fire risks, especially in light of the public utility's "unfortunate long history" of improperly maintaining equipment, according to a new derivative shareholder filed in California state court.
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March 25, 2025
Utah Tribe 'Doubled-Down' In Bidding Scheme Row, Court Told
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other state officials are asking a federal court to dismiss a challenge by the Ute Indian Tribe that accuses them of a racist bidding scheme to prevent a land purchase just outside its reservation, arguing that its claims are precluded by federal law.
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March 25, 2025
Ship Co. Targets Vessel Seizure In $12M Arbitration Dispute
A U.S. shipping charter firm that specializes in the offshore wind market has urged a Mississippi federal court to let it seize a deep-sea motor vessel as it looks to enforce more than $12 million of arbitral awards against a Mexican maritime company.
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March 25, 2025
AI Clean Energy Co.'s Execs Get Shareholder Suit Axed
Leaders of artificial intelligence-driven clean energy company Stem Inc. have avoided, for now, a suit accusing them of misleading investors ahead of a merger, with the court ruling the suit is a "puzzle pleading" that does not sufficiently justify why certain statements should be considered fraudulent.
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March 25, 2025
Split 10th Circ. Finds Arbitrator Went Too Far With USW Award
A divided Tenth Circuit panel concluded Tuesday that an arbitrator went beyond his powers when finding salaried employees at an HF Sinclair facility in Wyoming must be part of a bargaining unit represented by the United Steelworkers, saying the issue was not brought to arbitration by either party.
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March 25, 2025
Justices Grapple With Circuit Courts' Clean Air Act Authority
U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday indicated they want to preserve circuit courts' jurisdiction over certain regional Clean Air Act disputes but recognized that Congress deliberately prioritized the D.C. Circuit's authority in many important areas of the law.
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March 25, 2025
Colo. Judge Rejects Sanctions Against Oil Co. In Patent Fight
A Colorado federal judge said Tuesday that an oil and gas equipment company was in no position to seek sanctions against a competitor after making "contradictory and potentially unfounded" arguments in a patent fight, rejecting a magistrate judge's finding that the competitor violated a disclosure rule.
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March 25, 2025
Con Ed To Enact Reforms To Settle NY AG's Bias Case
New York utility provider Consolidated Edison Inc. will pay $750,000 and implement a series of workplace reforms to resolve an investigation that found it allowed widespread discrimination and harassment of female and nonwhite employees, state Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday.
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March 25, 2025
Colo. Atty Gave $2M Mineral Rights To Other Client, Suit Says
The special district for a Colorado residential community has sued its former lawyer and firms White Bear Ankele Tanaka & Waldron PC and Spencer Fane LLP for malpractice, claiming the attorney failed to secure its mineral rights, instead executing a deal that favored one of Spencer Fane's other clients.
Expert Analysis
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Navigating The Trump Enviro Rollback And Its Consequences
The Trump administration's rapid push for environmental deregulation will lead to both opportunities and challenges, requiring companies to adopt strategic approaches to a complex, unpredictable legal environment in which federal rollbacks are countered by increased enforcement by states, and risks of citizen litigation may be heightened, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.
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4 Do's And Don'ts For Trial Lawyers Using Generative AI
Trial attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools should review a few key reminders, from the likelihood that prompts are discoverable to the rapid evolution of court rules, to safeguard against embarrassing missteps, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.
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Defense Strategies For Politically Charged Prosecutions
Politically charged prosecutions have captured the headlines in recent years, providing lessons for defense counsel on how to navigate the distinct challenges, and seize the unique opportunities, such cases present, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.
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Series
Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.
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8 Ways Cos. Can Prep For Termination Of Their Enviro Grants
The federal government appears to be reviewing energy- and infrastructure-related grants and potentially terminating grants inconsistent with the Trump administration's stated policy goals, and attorneys at DLA Piper provide eight steps that recipients of grants should consider taking in the interim.
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The Syria Sanctions Dilemma Facing Trump Administration
Parties looking to engage in transactions involving Syria will be watching the expiration of General License 24 in July, when the Trump administration will need to decide whether to make significant changes to the Syrian sanctions program and reconsider the de facto government's status as a foreign terrorist organization, says Charlie Lyons at Ferrari & Associates.
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How Trump EPA Could Fix Carbon Combustion Residuals Rule
The Trump administration is likely targeting the recently adopted carbon combustion residual rule, especially since it imposes very stringent, detailed and expedited requirements on coal power plants — but even if the rule is not vacated entirely, there are measures that could greatly reduce its regulatory burden, says Stephen Jones at Post & Schell.
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Nippon Order Tests Gov't Control Over Foreign Investments
The U.S. government is primarily interested in restraining foreign transactions involving countries of concern, but former President Joe Biden’s January order blocking the merger of Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel shows that all foreign direct investments are under the federal government’s microscope, say attorneys at Blank Rome.
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Opinion
Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice
A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.
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How Trump Orders Roll Back Energy Efficiency Mandates
President Donald Trump's first-day executive orders — including a freeze on administrative rules, an order to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and a directive to broaden consumers' appliance choices — have shifted federal policy on energy efficiency, and bring new considerations for companies engaging with the U.S. Department of Energy, say attorneys at HWG.
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In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege
Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.
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What Banks Need To Know About Trump's Executive Orders
While the numerous executive orders and memos from the last few weeks don't touch on many of the issues the banking industry expected the Trump administration to address, banks still need to pay attention to the flurry of orders from strategic, compliance and operational perspectives, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.
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Emerging Energy Trends Reflect Shifting Political Landscape
As the Trump administration settles in, some emerging energy industry trends, like expanded support for fossil fuel production, are right off of its wish list — while others, like the popularity of Inflation Reduction Act energy tax credits, and bipartisan support for carbon capture, reflect more complex political realities, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.
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As EPA Backs Down, Expect Enviros To Step Up Citizen Suits
As President Donald Trump's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draws down federal enforcement efforts, environmental groups will step into the void and file citizen suits — so companies should focus on compliance efforts, stay savvy about emerging analytical and monitoring methods, and maintain good relations with neighbors, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.
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How Criminal Enforcement Of Trump Tariffs May Work
While tariff enforcement has traditionally been handled as a civil matter, tariffs are central to President Donald Trump's broader economic, immigration and national security agendas — making it likely that the U.S. Department of Justice will be tasked with criminal enforcement of tariff evasion, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.