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Energy
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August 01, 2024
JPML Greenlights Shale Oil Price-Fixing MDL In New Mexico
A group of U.S. shale oil producers will have to defend claims that they conspired with OPEC to artificially inflate gas prices in New Mexico federal court after the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized at least five suits there Thursday.
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August 01, 2024
Nokia Backs Expanded Broadband Use In 900 MHz Band
Nokia is joining the chorus of voices calling on the Federal Communications Commission to open up the 900 megahertz band of spectrum to other types of networks, a move they say will help utilities and other critical private enterprises.
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August 01, 2024
Groups Say DC Circ.'s Toss Of FERC OK Boosts Their Case
Conservation groups and the city of Port Isabel, Texas, told the D.C. Circuit that its recent decision to vacate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of a Northeast pipeline expansion supports their challenge of the commission's decision to approve two Texas liquefied natural gas facilities.
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August 01, 2024
Weil-Led Goldman Sachs Plugs $440M Into Power Biz
Renewable power company BrightNight on Thursday announced that it has secured a $440 million strategic investment from Goldman Sachs Alternatives' infrastructure business, which is led by Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP.
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August 01, 2024
GE Retirees Reach Deal To Resolve Pension Benefits Dispute
General Electric retirees announced Thursday they'd struck a deal with their former employer to resolve claims that GE improperly used a company spinoff to renounce responsibility for supplemental pension benefits reserved for senior executives, the plaintiff-side firm that represented the retirees said.
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August 01, 2024
EPA Objects To Colorado Air Permit For Oil And Gas Site
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is directing Colorado officials to revisit an operating permit issued for an oil and gas well site north of Denver, in response to concerns raised by a conservation group.
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August 01, 2024
5th Circ. Says Oil Crossing State Lines Made Work Interstate
The crude oil that a worker transported travels outside of Texas and thus is part of an interstate trip, the Fifth Circuit ruled, flipping a district court's decision that the Motor Carrier Act exemption didn't apply to a transporter who sought unpaid overtime.
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August 01, 2024
Rising Star: Gibson Dunn's Rahul Vashi
Rahul Vashi of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP guided Sanchez Energy Corp. and Blackstone in their $2.3 billion purchase of a working interest in a South Texas oil and gas shale play and advised Esperanza Capital Partners on its acquisition of ExxonMobil's Gulf of Mexico assets, earning him a spot among the energy law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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August 01, 2024
Senate Energy Panel Advances Permitting Overhaul Bill
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding and speeding up the permitting process for fossil fuel, renewable energy and transmission projects.
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August 01, 2024
Ga. County To End Shipwreck Spill Suit
Glynn County told a Georgia federal judge Wednesday it plans to drop all claims against shipping companies it alleged were responsible for a 2019 shipwreck that contaminated its coastline and harmed the seafood industry.
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August 01, 2024
Paul Hastings Adds Enviro Atty As Practice Co-Head
An environmental lawyer from Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP — known for his high-profile work for such clients as BP in connection with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill — has joined Paul Hastings LLP as a partner and to co-lead its environmental litigation practice.
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July 31, 2024
Ghanaian Oil Co. Hit With Sanctions In Discovery Fight
A Texas federal judge has slapped sanctions against an African energy company after finding that it lied in Ghanaian court about a discovery dispute related to a case in Ghana, saying attorney fees and costs are appropriate in relation to several proceedings.
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July 31, 2024
Calif. Bar Says Atty Can't End Billing Scandal's Hacking Claim
A San Fernando Valley attorney cannot escape an ethics charge alleging he plotted to hack the email and phone of a judge overseeing a public utility class action, the California Bar has told the State Bar Court, urging the court to reject the attorney's argument that merely "discussing plans" for a hack is not an offense.
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July 31, 2024
EPA Looks To Dismiss States' Water Rule Challenge
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking a Louisiana federal court to toss a group of conservative-leaning states' and energy industry groups' lawsuit attempting to sink its rule broadening states' and tribes' power to veto infrastructure projects over water quality concerns.
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July 31, 2024
Pipeline Cos. Can Join FERC Approval Fight
Companies behind a liquefied natural gas facility in Sonora, Mexico, and the Saguaro Connector Pipeline that will help serve it can weigh in on a challenge of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals for the pipeline, the D.C. Circuit said Wednesday.
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July 31, 2024
Telecom Trespassing On Reservation Land, Oregon Tribes Say
Lumen Technologies Inc. is trespassing on territory that belongs to the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and has been for years, according to a lawsuit accusing the telecom of continuing to operate on an expired lease instead of striking a new deal for miles of laid fiber.
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July 31, 2024
Fla. Electric Co. Ex-CEO Gets 4 Years For Privatization Plot
A Jacksonville, Florida, federal judge sentenced a former CEO of the city's electric company to four years in prison after a jury convicted him of fraud conspiracy charges in a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme connected to a process to privatize the public utility, prosecutors said Wednesday.
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July 31, 2024
Historical Association Backs Tribes In SunZia Power Line Row
The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers is asking the Ninth Circuit to intervene in a challenge by a coalition of Native American tribes and environmentalists seeking to block SunZia Transmission from routing a 520-mile power line through important cultural and historical sites in the San Pedro Valley.
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July 31, 2024
Metal Recycler Loses Contract Fight With Shredder Co.
The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday ruled against a North Carolina metal recycler in its bid to hold a heavy-equipment maker liable for backing out of a deal to sell a shredder, with the court reasoning that the recycler never signed paperwork to solidify the deal.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.
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A Recipe For Growth Equity Investing In A Slow M&A Market
Carl Marcellino at Ropes & Gray discusses the factors bolstering appetite for growth equity fundraising in a depressed M&A market, and walks through the deal terms and other ingredients that set growth equity transactions apart from bread-and-butter venture capital investing.
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Opinion
SEC Doesn't Have Legal Authority For Climate Disclosure Rule
Instead of making the required legal argument to establish its authority, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related disclosure rule hides behind more than 1,000 references to materiality to give the appearance that its rule is legally defensible, says Bernard Sharfman at RealClearFoundation.
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What 100 Federal Cases Suggest About Changes To Chevron
With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn or narrow its 40-year-old doctrine of Chevron deference, a review of 100 recent federal district court decisions confirm that changes to the Chevron framework will have broad ramifications — but the magnitude of the impact will depend on the details of the high court's ruling, say Kali Schellenberg and Jon Cochran at LeVan Stapleton.
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Opinion
SEC Should Be Allowed To Equip Investors With Climate Info
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rule to require more climate-related disclosures will provide investors with much-needed clarity, despite opponents' attempts to challenge the rule with misused legal arguments, say Sarah Goetz at Democracy Forward and Cynthia Hanawalt at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change.
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How Cos. Can Comply With New PFAS Superfund Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous substances" under the Superfund law will likely trigger additional enforcement and litigation at sites across the country — so companies should evaluate any associated reporting obligations and liability risks, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Recent Wave Of SEC No-Action Denials May Be Slowing
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in March granted no-action relief to Verizon and others on the grounds that a director resignation bylaw proposal would mean violating Delaware law, bucking recent SEC hesitation toward such relief and showing that articulating a basis in state law is a viable path to exclude a proposal, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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In Energy Disputes, Good Arbitration Clauses Are Key
Recent trends have spawned many complex energy disputes that cross jurisdictional boundaries — but arbitration offers an optimal forum for resolving such matters, especially when arbitration provisions in contracts are tailored for the energy sector, say Scott Marrs at Akerman and Andrew Barton at the American Arbitration Association and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
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10b-5 Litigation Questions Follow Justices' Macquarie Ruling
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Macquarie v. Moab that pure omissions are not actionable under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b–5(b), creating a slightly higher bar for plaintiffs and setting the stage for further litigation over several issues, say Steve Quinlivan and Sean Colligan at Stinson.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Breaking Down EPA's Rule On PFAS In Drinking Water
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first enforceable federal drinking water regulation for PFAS, which, along with reporting and compliance requirements for regulated entities, will have a number of indirect effects, including increased cleanup costs and the possible expansion of existing Superfund sites, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Fed. Circ. Ruling Shows Difficulty Of Proving Deceptive Intent
The Federal Circuit’s recent Freshub v. Amazon decision demonstrates how proving the deceptive intent requirement for inequitable conduct can be challenging, even when there is a five-year delay after abandonment before revival, say attorneys at BCLP.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.