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Energy
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October 22, 2024
UK Probes Iberdrola's €5B Electric Power Co. Deal
Britain's antitrust authority said Tuesday that it has decided to investigate Spanish utility company Iberdrola's proposed acquisition of an 88% stake in Electricity North West to examine whether it could weaken competition in U.K. markets.
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October 21, 2024
EV Charging Co. Defeats Investor Suit Over Merger Statements
A California federal judge on Monday threw out, for good, an investor suit accusing electric-vehicle charging company Volta Inc. of making false and misleading statements around the time of its merger, finding once again that the investors failed to show how the statements were actually false and misleading.
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October 21, 2024
Rio Grande LNG, Texas LNG Want DC Circ. FERC Ruling Redo
Backers of liquefied natural gas projects on Texas' Gulf Coast are asking the D.C. Circuit to revisit a panel ruling that vacated their Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reauthorization orders, with Rio Grande LNG LLC saying that the flawed ruling threatens to halt its $18 billion project and put its future at "grave risk."
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October 21, 2024
Madigan Part Of 'Corruption At The Highest Levels,' Jury Told
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his loyal right hand Michael McClain engaged in an eight-year "campaign of bribery," leveraging his public office and leadership roles to steer business to Madigan's property tax law firm, enrich his allies with do-nothing jobs and maintain his considerable political power, prosecutors told an Illinois federal jury Monday.
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October 21, 2024
Rule Aims To Give Geothermal Energy Projects A Boost
The U.S. Department of the Interior said it's pitching a new categorical exclusion that's intended to speed up geothermal resource discovery efforts on public lands, with a proposed rule slated to be published Tuesday.
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October 21, 2024
Russia Says Stay Needed In $208M Ukraine Utility Award Fight
The Russian Federation has once again asked a D.C. federal judge to pause litigation filed by a Ukrainian utility to enforce a nearly $208 million arbitral award, saying it is ignoring the potential impact of Dutch annulment proceedings on the award's confirmation.
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October 21, 2024
11 House Dems Back DOI In Offshore Lease Challenge
A coalition of House Democrats are supporting the U.S. Department of the Interior in a petroleum industry challenge to a 2024-2029 offshore oil and gas leasing program, telling the D.C. Circuit the federal government isn't required to "make decisions with blinders on."
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October 21, 2024
DC Circ. Unsure Right Law Used To Challenge Alaska LNG Project
Two conservation groups faced a skeptical D.C. Circuit panel on Monday in their challenge to the U.S. Department of Energy's reapproval of a $44 billion liquefied natural gas project in Alaska.
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October 21, 2024
Judge Says Wind Turbine Co. Can't Base H-2B App On 1 Deal
A U.S. Department of Labor judge refused a wind turbine company's request to hire seasonal workers for a contract, saying the project wasn't enough to prove the company was experiencing a labor shortage, when it regularly takes on contract work.
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October 21, 2024
Gov't Seeks To End Most Presumptive 'Buy American' Waivers
The White House said Monday the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council will remove most items from its list of presumptive exemptions to the "Buy American" requirements for federal acquisitions, including crude oil, furthering the Biden administration's efforts to boost domestic manufacturing.
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October 21, 2024
Judge Hints 'Contract' Key To Utility Cleanup Enforcement
An Avangrid Inc. unit's responsibility or lack thereof for cleaning up a contaminated former power plant hinges on whether a partial consent order from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or DEEP, is legally a contract, a state court judge signaled Monday.
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October 21, 2024
V&E Helps EnCap Amass $5.25B For Latest Energy Fund
Houston, Texas-based EnCap Investments LP, advised by Vinson & Elkins LLP, on Monday announced that it wrapped its 12th energy-focused fund after securing $5.25 billion from investors.
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October 21, 2024
High Court Will Review Clean Air Act Jurisdiction Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review Tenth Circuit and Fifth Circuit rulings that reached different conclusions about whether legal challenges to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air pollution rules belong in the D.C. Circuit.
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October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms
The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
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October 18, 2024
Colo. County, Enviros Back DC Ruling In High Court Rail Fight
Conservation groups and a Colorado county are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a D.C. Circuit ruling that overturned federal approval of a rail project proposed to haul crude oil out of Utah's Uinta Basin, as justices set arguments for a challenge to that ruling for Dec. 10.
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October 18, 2024
States, Public Health Groups Defend EPA Power Plant Rule
A group of 21 states and the District of Columbia called on the D.C. Circuit on Friday to reject myriad challengers' attempts to unravel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to control greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
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October 18, 2024
US Fights PetroSaudi Bid To Limit $380M Seizure
The U.S. on Friday slammed a PetroSaudi company's request for a California federal court to clarify that officials can only seize 5% of a $380 million award, calling the request an improper attempt at revisiting a 3-year-old court ruling.
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October 18, 2024
Judge Blasts Feds' 'Utter Failure' To Quantify Climate Impact
A Colorado federal judge has ruled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the Clean Water Act and other federal guidelines in approving a dredging permit for a Denver dam project, calling out the agency's "utter failure" to study the impacts of climate change and alternatives that would avoid impacting wetlands.
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October 18, 2024
Natural Gas Producer Will Pay $9.4M For Excess Air Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New Mexico Environment Department have reached a $9.4 million settlement with Hilcorp Energy Co., resolving claims the company failed to reduce emissions during well completion operations, in violation of the Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law.
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October 18, 2024
Ore. Water Rights Issues Grounded In State Law, 9th Circ. Told
The Klamath Irrigation District is asking the Ninth Circuit to certify two questions to the Oregon Supreme Court concerning the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's authority to use and control the use of water under Oregon law.
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October 18, 2024
SunPower Corp. Gets OK For Chapter 11 Plan
A Delaware bankruptcy judge Friday approved residential solar technology company SunPower Corp.'s plans to distribute the proceeds of its asset sales to the creditors in its Chapter 11 case after hearing all objections had been resolved or put off.
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October 18, 2024
$50B Russia, Yukos Case Poses New Questions For DC Circ.
A D.C. Circuit panel suggested during oral arguments Friday that Russia's bid to revive its sovereign immunity claim in a $50 billion arbitration enforcement case poses some new legal questions for the appeals court.
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October 18, 2024
Fed. Circ. Partly Restores Suit Over Utility Line Patent
The Federal Circuit has revived part of a lawsuit that alleged Metrotech Corp. infringed a competitor's patent covering ways for finding underground utility lines, finding that a lower court needs to take another look at key patent terminology.
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October 18, 2024
FERC Extension For Pipeline Spur Warranted, DC Circ. Told
The developer of a southern spur of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and two potential customers are asking the D.C. Circuit to nix conservation groups' challenge of a construction deadline extension the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted for the so-called Southgate project.
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October 18, 2024
Conn. Brother Wants No Jail Time In Brazilian Oil Scheme
A Connecticut man who pled guilty to laundering money in a Brazilian oil bribery scheme that also ensnared his brother says he should not be sentenced to jail time because he needs cancer treatments and has been "devastated financially."
Expert Analysis
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What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business
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.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
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.
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The Rise Of State And Local Environmental Leadership
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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NYSE Delisting May Be The Cost Of FCPA Compliance
ABB’s recent decision to delist its U.S. depository receipts from the New York Stock Exchange, coupled with having settled three Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions, begs the question of whether the cost of FCPA compliance should factor into a company's decision to remain listed in the U.S., says John Joy at FTI Law.
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CFTC Action Highlights Necessity Of Whistleblower Carveouts
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's novel settlement with a trading firm over allegations of manipulating the market and failing to create contract carveouts for employees to freely communicate with investigators serves as a beacon for further enforcement activity from the CFTC and other regulators, say attorneys at Davis Wright.
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5 Tips For Solar Cos. Navigating Big Shifts In US Trade Policy
Renewable energy developers can best mitigate new compliance risks from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s increased tariffs on imported solar cells, and simultaneously capitalize on Treasury Department incentives for domestic solar manufacturers, by following five best practices in the changing solar trade landscape, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Series
Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
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Half-Truths Vs. Omissions: Slicing Justices' Macquarie Cake
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Macquarie v. Moab provides a road map for determining whether corporate reports that omit information should be considered misleading — and the court baked it into a dessert analogy that is key to understanding the guidelines, say Daniel Levy and Pavithra Kumar at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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3 Areas Of Enforcement Risk Facing The EV Industry
Companies in the EV manufacturing ecosystem are experiencing a boom in business, but with this boom comes increased regulatory and enforcement risks, from the corruption issues that have historically pervaded the extractive sector to newer risks posed by artificial intelligence, say attorneys at MoFo.
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Ambiguity Ruling Highlights Deference To Arbitral Process
A New York federal court’s recent ruling in Eletson v. Levona, which remanded an arbitral award for clarification, reflects that the ambiguity exception’s analysis is not static and may be applied even in cases where the award, when issued, was unambiguous, says arbitrator Myrna Barakat Friedman.
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Keeping Up With Carbon Capture Policy In The US And EU
Recent regulatory moves from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission in the carbon capture, sequestration and storage space are likely to further encourage the owners and operators of fossil fuel-fired power plants to make decisions on shutdowns or reconfiguration to meet the expanding requirements, say Inosi Nyatta and Silvia Brünjes at Sullivan & Cromwell.
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New State Climate Liability Laws: What Companies Must Know
New legislation in Vermont and New York creating liability and compliance obligations for businesses deemed responsible for climate change — as well as similar bills proposed in California, Massachusetts and Maryland — have far-reaching implications for companies, so it is vital to remain vigilant as these initiatives progress, say Gregory Berlin and Jeffrey Dintzer at Alston & Bird.
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EU Investor-State Dispute Transparency Rules: Key Points
The European Union's recent vote to embrace greater transparency for investor-state arbitration will make managing newly public information more complex for all parties in a dispute — so it is important for stakeholders to understand the risks and opportunities involved, say Philip Hall, Tara Flores and Charles McKeon at Thorndon Partners.
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Despite Calif. Delays, Climate Disclosure Rules Are Coming
Progress continues on state, federal and international climate disclosure regimes, making compliance a key concern for companies — but the timeline for implementation of California's disclosure laws remains unclear due to funding and timing disputes, says David Smith at Manatt Phelps.