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Energy
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September 10, 2024
Vorys-Led Infrastructure Biz Buys Steel Maker For $30M
Hill & Smith PLC said Tuesday that it has bought U.S. steel manufacturer Whitlow Electric Service Co. Inc. for $30.2 million, as the infrastructure products supplier continues a spending spree to expand its global operations.
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September 10, 2024
Biofuel Group Wants Renewable Fuel Redo At DC Circ.
Growth Energy said a D.C. Circuit panel erred when it said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should have exempted small petroleum refiners from renewable fuel blending requirements and held the biofuel trade group didn't have standing to challenge alternative compliance actions the agency later enacted.
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September 10, 2024
'Structuring Issue' Snarls TC Energy's CA$1B Pipeline Deal
Canadian natural gas company TC Energy on Tuesday paused its planned CA$1 billion ($736.7 million) sale of a minority stake in a pipeline system and assets to an Indigenous-owned buyer, citing a "transaction structuring issue."
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September 10, 2024
Glencore's Billionaire Ex-Head Of Oil In Court Over Bribery
Six former Glencore employees, including the commodity giant's billionaire former global head of oil, appeared at a London court on Tuesday for the first time to face charges of making corrupt payments to an agent in West Africa.
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September 09, 2024
DC Judge Won't Halt Colo. Trail Over Radiation Concerns
A D.C. federal judge will allow a trail development project in Colorado's Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge to move forward, rejecting a preliminary injunction bid from environmental and public health groups that claimed federal regulators disregarded unsafe levels of radiation in the area when authorizing the project.
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September 09, 2024
Judge Won't End Mich. Dam Flooding Suit Before Discovery
A Michigan judge said Monday it would be premature to free the state from liability for two dams' collapse before further discovery, telling government lawyers he would be reversed "in a nanosecond" if he ended the suit so soon.
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September 09, 2024
EPA Power Plant GHG Rule Is Unworkable, DC Circ. Told
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's push to curb greenhouse gas pollution from power plants imposes unrealistic carbon capture and sequestration requirements, jeopardizes power grid reliability and exceeds its Clean Air Act authority, two dozen states and a host of coal and utility groups told the D.C. Circuit on Friday.
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September 09, 2024
Chinese Reinsurers Can't Exit Reimbursement Suit Yet
Two property insurers properly served Chinese reinsurers with their suit alleging that they owe more than $43 million in unpaid reinsurance claims, an Iowa federal court ruled, rejecting the reinsurers' argument that under the Hague Convention the insurers had to instead serve their suit via China's central authority.
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September 09, 2024
Russia Says DC Circ. Ruling Erodes $5B Award To Yukos
A recent D.C. Circuit ruling that Spain must comply with $395 million in arbitration awards awarded to Yukos Oil's financing arm undermines the company's $5 billion claim against Russia because the country, unlike Spain, never ratified the international treaty on which the court relied, Russia has told a D.C. federal court.
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September 09, 2024
Sentencing Of Ex-Ecuador Official Delayed By Late Gov't Filing
A frustrated Florida federal judge on Monday pushed back the sentencing of Ecuador's ex-comptroller — who was convicted of laundering more than $12 million in bribes — after admonishing the government for an "inexplicably and undeniably late" forfeiture motion filed at 4 p.m. Friday.
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September 09, 2024
Investment Firm Can't Fell Timber Co.'s Carbon Offset Suit
The North Carolina Business Court has trimmed a timber company's lawsuit accusing a forestland investment firm of overstating land's carbon offset value in a sale, but let most of the claims escape being felled, reasoning that the timber company's complaint alleged plausible accusations of contract violations.
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September 09, 2024
5th Circ. Lets BP Keep Deepwater Horizon Cleanup Suit Win
The Fifth Circuit won't upend BP's win in a suit by a boat captain alleging he was injured while helping with the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, finding the trial court rightly excluded his expert for failing to prove that exposure to the chemicals could have caused his claimed injuries.
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September 09, 2024
Red States, Industry Look To Sink EPA Vehicle Emissions Rule
The federal government's rule requiring reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks and vans must be squashed because it favors electric vehicles in a way only Congress can do, 26 red states and a coalition of business groups have told the D.C. Circuit.
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September 09, 2024
FERC Botched Tenn. Pipeline Approval, Enviro Orgs Tell DC Circ.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relied on a botched climate change analysis to unlawfully approve a Tennessee pipeline project that will serve a Tennessee Valley Authority gas-fired power plant that is set to replace a coal-fired plant, environmentalists told the D.C. Circuit.
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September 09, 2024
Ohio Train Derailment Plaintiffs Seek Final OK Of $600M Deal
Residents and others affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, last year are asking an Ohio federal court for final approval of a $600 million settlement, including a $162 million payout for their attorneys.
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September 09, 2024
Zeta MDL Judge Limits Talk Of Arnold & Itkin Billing 'Scheme'
A Harris County judge said on Monday she would limit what questions a drilling rig owner could ask witnesses about where they received medical care during an upcoming trial amid allegations that attorneys for seamen injured while on the ship during Hurricane Zeta engaged in a scheme to inflate medical bills.
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September 09, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Delaware's Court of Chancery made some expensive decisions last week, ranging from a $130 million stockholder award and a freeze on $450 million in equity financing to a whopping $1 billion bill for fraud and breach of contract damages. New cases aimed at Virgin Galactic, settlements pulled in Hemisphere Media Group Inc. and court hearings involving Apollo Global Management heated up. In case you missed it, here's the roundup of news from Delaware's Court of Chancery.
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September 09, 2024
Federal Law Preempts Standby Shift Claims, Oil Co. Says
Oil refinery workers' claims that they didn't receive compensation for their 12-hour standby shifts require an interpretation of the collective bargaining agreements and the Labor Management Relations Act preempts the claims, a company told a California federal court.
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September 09, 2024
EU Should Loosen Merger Rules To Compete, Report Says
The European Union should loosen its merger rules and reform trade policy and the energy market in order to boost EU competitiveness enough to catch up with the U.S. and China, a former European Central Bank president reported Monday.
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September 09, 2024
EPA Enforcement Alert Issued For Illegal HFC Imports
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it is cracking down on illegal imports of hydrofluorocarbons, potent greenhouse gases that are used in refrigeration and air-conditioning and slated to be phased down.
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September 06, 2024
Texas Biz Court Will Be A Brave New World For Energy Cos.
Energy companies gained a new forum to hash out their legal fights Sept. 1 when the Texas business court recently started hearing cases, but questions about the court and how it'll operate might give companies pause before they take the plunge. Here's what energy companies and energy attorneys should know as the new court gets up and running.
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September 06, 2024
Ex-CEO Of Defunct Solar Co. Seeks Sanctions In Fraud Suit
The former CEO of a bankrupt solar energy firm filed a motion for sanctions Friday in Michigan federal court, alleging the plaintiffs' counsel misrepresented the ex-CEO's inability to produce information during a discovery meeting regarding claims he defrauded customers by selling faulty solar systems.
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September 06, 2024
2nd Circ. Won't Revive Solar Cos.' National Grid Tax Suit
The Second Circuit declined to revive one of two proposed class actions brought by solar companies against National Grid alleging it illegally charged them for taxes in an effort to dampen competition from renewables, finding on Friday that the district court properly determined it lacked subject matter jurisdiction.
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September 06, 2024
Ex-Conn. Utility Execs Can't Shake Convictions At 2nd Circ.
The Second Circuit issued a mammoth 140-page decision Friday upholding punishments including a $748,000 restitution order for three former executives convicted of stealing from a Connecticut utility cooperative, but the court threw out the utility's bid for a $9.6 million reimbursement for fronting the defendants' attorney fees.
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September 06, 2024
EPA Updates Public Engagement Plan For 1st Time In 20 Years
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is beefing up its public engagement policy to better communicate with community members, Native American tribes, businesses, trade groups and other parties with a stake in the EPA's programs and regulations.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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The Ethics of Using Generative AI In Environmental Law
The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools is challenging environmental lawyers, consultants and government agencies to determine when and how these tools can be responsibly, ethically and productively integrated into their practices to streamline research, predictive analytics and regulatory compliance, say Ahlia Bethea and Pamela Esterman at Sive Paget.
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Carbon Offset Case A Win For CFTC Enviro Fraud Task Force
An Illinois federal court's decision in Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Ikkurty — earning the CFTC a sizeable monetary award that will likely incentivize similar enforcement pursuit — shows the impact of the commission's Environmental Fraud Task Force, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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DC Circ. Int'l Arb. Ruling Leaves Award Holders In Legal Limbo
In NextEra v. Spain, the D.C. Circuit recently ruled that district courts could enforce arbitral awards in energy investors' decadelong dispute with Spain, suggesting award holders could succeed in U.S. courts, but also that foreign sovereigns could render any such victories economically meaningless, says Jeff Newton at Omni Bridgeway.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers certification cases touching on classwide evidence of injury from debt collection practices, defining coupon settlements under the Class Action Fairness Act, proper approaches for evaluating attorney fee awards in class action settlements, and more.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Series
Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.
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Brownfield Questions Surround IRS Tax Credit Bonus
Though the IRS has published guidance regarding the Inflation Reduction Act's 10% adder for tax credits generated by renewable energy projects constructed on brownfield sites, considerable guesswork remains as potential implications seem contrary to IRS intentions, say Megan Caldwell and Jon Micah Goeller at Husch Blackwell.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Energy And AI: Key Issues And Future Challenges
Artificial intelligence promises new technical advantages for the energy industry, but it is also responsible for vast, and growing, energy consumption — so the future of AI and energy will require balancing technological advancement with regulatory oversight, environmental responsibility and infrastructure development, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Opinion
The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address
A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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Opinion
It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union
As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act
In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.