Energy

  • February 14, 2025

    Solar Tech Co. SunPower Beats Investor Suit Over Defects

    A California federal court has permanently dismissed an investor's suit alleging solar power equipment company SunPower concealed product defects in order to maintain artificially high share prices, saying the investor has not established SunPower knew or could have known its statements were false when made.

  • February 14, 2025

    Trump Aims To End Limits On President's Power To Fire

    President Donald Trump has his sights set on taking down a 90-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that protects certain government officials from being fired, a U.S. Department of Justice letter confirms, and he plans to leverage his prior legal victories to deliver the precedent's death knell and expand presidential power.

  • February 14, 2025

    Old Permits Irrelevant To Pollution Controls, Texas Justices Say

    The Texas Supreme Court said that previous emissions permits have no bearing on the definition of the best available pollution control technology for new projects, weighing in on a Fifth Circuit dispute over a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Port Arthur, Texas.

  • February 14, 2025

    EPA Fires Hundreds Of Employees, Cuts Millions In Contracts

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday kept up the pace of cuts to staffing and spending, firing 388 probationary workers and canceling $60 million in contracts related to diversity, equity and inclusion and environmental justice programs.

  • February 14, 2025

    Colo. Judge Upholds $2M Agency Fine For Oil Co.'s Offenses

    A Colorado judge has found that state regulators were within their powers to revoke an agreement with an oil and gas company and impose a nearly $2 million fine that could shut the firm down after finding it engaged in "wide-spread, systemic, repeated" rule violations.

  • February 14, 2025

    EPA, Energy Dept. Rush To Fulfill Trump's Appliance Order

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy said they're acting to comply with President Donald Trump's order — delivered via social media post — that they should undo Biden-era appliance efficiency standards.

  • February 14, 2025

    Houston Energy Co. Stiffed For Cleanup Costs, Court Told

    A Houston energy company refused to decommission a toppled oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico and then failed to pay up when another party got stuck with the cleanup duty, an oil company has told a Texas federal court.

  • February 14, 2025

    Enviro Groups Back EPA On Challenged PFAS Superfund Rule

    Conservation groups are urging the D.C. Circuit to deny a string of industry challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to designate two "forever chemicals" as hazardous substances under the federal government's Superfund law, arguing that they have no merit.

  • February 14, 2025

    Judges Suggest Withdrawal Was Optional In Dam Permit Spat

    D.C. Circuit judges Friday pressed a California water district on whether it was partly to blame for delays in recertifying two hydroelectric dams, suggesting it voluntarily agreed to the state board's requests that it refile the applications in order to avoid the Clean Water Act's certification time limit.

  • February 14, 2025

    DC Judge Orders Feds To Restore Foreign Funding

    A D.C. federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore foreign funding in connection with any grants or programs in place before the inauguration, saying aid organizations have made a sufficient showing that the pause threatens their very existence.

  • February 14, 2025

    Energy Group Of The Year: V&E

    Vinson & Elkins LLP helped clients advance billions of dollars of energy transactions, from Permian Basin mega-mergers to major offshore wind acquisitions, and also helped clients embroiled in litigation secure courtroom wins, earning the firm a spot among the 2024 Law360 Energy Groups of the Year.

  • February 13, 2025

    House Dems Push Against GOP's Proposed Tax Cuts

    House Budget Committee Republicans on Thursday passed a resolution that would allow for the passage of up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and the repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act.

  • February 13, 2025

    Mexico Says Mining Co.'s $408M Arbitration Claim Is Wrong

    Mexico is fighting back against a Canadian mining company's $408 million damages claim that the country failed to remove an alleged worker blockade at a silver and zinc mine, arguing that the mineral exploration company is to blame for what were peaceful community demonstrations.

  • February 13, 2025

    Madigan Verdict Caps Stunning Fall For Powerful Chicago Pol

    Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's conviction Wednesday on bribery and wire fraud charges marked a stunning fall from grace for a man who was the longest-serving legislative leader in the country and who wielded considerable influence in the state and the city of Chicago for decades.

  • February 13, 2025

    Oil & Gas Co.'s Antitrust Suit Baseless, Insurers Say

    Insurers who hold surety bonds in an oil company and have been accused of colluding with other bondholders to demand additional collateral have urged a Texas federal court to dismiss the antitrust allegations against them, saying the dispute is contractual only.

  • February 13, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Defaulted Notes, EB-5 Investor Fraud

    The North Carolina Business Court has been handed in the first half of February a receivership case involving a defaulted $17.5 million promissory note, a fraud suit by Chinese EB-5 investors and a request to depose the chief legal officer of Smithfield Foods Inc.

  • February 13, 2025

    Trump Reciprocal Tariff Plan Could Spur Supply 'Nightmares'

    The U.S. will explore imposing reciprocal tariffs that equal rates levied by other countries importing American products, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, a move some experts worry will lead to "compliance nightmares" and COVID-level disruptions to supply chains.

  • February 13, 2025

    EPA Boss Says Biden Admin Wrongly Ceded Control Of $20B

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new leader said Thursday that $20 billion Congress appropriated for an EPA grant program had been inappropriately transferred outside the agency and is lacking adequate supervision — a claim disputed by a Biden-era official.

  • February 13, 2025

    Pa. Sues Feds Over Withheld $2B In Energy-Related Grants

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sued several Trump administration agencies on Thursday claiming the federal government has frozen $2 billion in funds dedicated to state energy- and mining-focused projects in defiance of two court orders, in a "flagrantly lawless" move.

  • February 13, 2025

    EPA Asks 5th Circ. To Pause State Ozone Plan Decision

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked the Fifth Circuit to hold off on deciding whether it was allowed to deny three states' plans to comply with federal ozone standards to give the Trump administration time to evaluate the rule at the center of the litigation.

  • February 13, 2025

    Duke Rate Hike Discrepancy Lacks Reason, NC Justices Hear

    The North Carolina Attorney General's Office urged the state's highest court Thursday to undo what it characterized as a glaring rate hike for Duke Energy Carolinas compared to what a sister entity received, saying state regulators offered no justification for the jump.

  • February 13, 2025

    Energy Group Of The Year: Cravath

    Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP secured groundbreaking legal wins for some of the U.S. energy industry's biggest players, including Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and The Williams Cos., earning the firm a spot among the 2024 Law360 Energy Groups of the Year.

  • February 13, 2025

    White & Case Environmental Partner Moves To Weil In NY

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP announced Thursday that it has hired a White & Case LLP environmental law partner for its regulatory transactions group in New York.

  • February 13, 2025

    Tribe Can't Revisit $16M Ovintiv Settlement, Feds, Utah Say

    The U.S. government and Utah urged a federal judge to reject a tribe's bid to challenge a $16 million Clean Air Act consent decree with Ovintiv USA Inc., arguing that its comments on the settlement were already considered and rejected.

  • February 13, 2025

    Orrick Hires Former Head Of A&O's Restructuring Practice

    The former head of Allen & Overy's U.S. restructuring practice prior to A&O's transatlantic merger with Shearman & Sterling has joined Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in New York.

Expert Analysis

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • Review Shipping Terms In Light Of These 3 Global Challenges

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    Given tensions in the Middle East, labor unrest at U.S. ports and the ongoing consequences of climate change, parties involved in maritime shipping must understand the relevant contract provisions and laws that may be implicated during supply chain disruptions in order to mitigate risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Cos. Face Increasing Risk From Environmental Citizen Suits

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    Environmental citizen suits stepping in to fill the regulatory vacuum concerning consumer goods waste may soon become more common, and the evolving procedural landscape and changes to environmental law may contribute to companies' increased exposure, say J. Michael Showalter and Bradley Rochlen at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

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    A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • Navigating Complex Regulatory Terrain Amid State AG Races

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    This year's 10 attorney general elections could usher in a wave of new enforcement priorities and regulatory uncertainty, but companies can stay ahead of the shifts by building strong relationships with AG offices, participating in industry coalitions and more, say Ketan Bhirud and Dustin McDaniel at Cozen O’Connor.

  • How The 2025 Tax Policy Debate Will Affect The Energy Sector

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    Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming U.S. election, 2025 will bring a major tax policy debate that could affect the energy sector more than any other part of the economy — so stakeholders who could be affected should be engaging now to make sure they understand the stakes, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • 3rd Circ. Hertz Ruling Highlights Flawed Bankruptcy Theory

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    The Third Circuit, in its recent Hertz bankruptcy decision, became the latest appeals court to hold that noteholders were entitled to interest before shareholders under the absolute priority rule, but risked going astray by invoking the flawed theory of code impairment, say Matthew McGill and David Casazza at Gibson Dunn.

  • Opinion

    This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process

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    In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Int'l Agreements Are Key For Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal

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    By replacing fossil fuels, nuclear energy has the potential to offer a major contribution to the global fight against climate change — but ensuring that nuclear power is safe and sustainable will require binding, multinational agreements for safe nuclear waste disposal, say Ryan Schermerhorn and Christopher Zahn at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Series

    Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.

  • Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.

  • How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future

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    As the electric vehicle market expands, and federal and state incentives and mandates intended to promote EV use come into effect, owners and operators of multifamily residential properties should be prepared to meet the growing demand for onsite EV charging infrastructure, say Sydney Tucker and Andreas Wokutch at Frost Brown.

  • Conn. Court Split May Lead To Vertical Forum Shopping

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    As shown by a recent ruling in State v. Exxon Mobil, Connecticut state and federal courts are split on personal jurisdiction, and until the Connecticut Supreme Court steps in, parties may be incentivized to forum shop, causing foreign entities to endure costly litigation and uncertain liability, says Matthew Gibbons at Shipman & Goodwin.

  • Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys

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    Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.

  • Enviro Policy Trends That Will Continue Beyond The Election

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    Come October in a presidential election year, the policy world feels like a winner-take-all scenario, with the outcome of the vote determining how or even whether we are regulated — but there are several key ongoing trends that will continue to drive environmental regulation regardless of the election results, say J. Michael Showalter and Samuel Rasche at ArentFox Schiff.

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