Environmental

  • September 04, 2025

    Solar Co. Mosaic Gets OK For Debt-For-Equity Ch. 11 Plan

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Thursday approved residential solar panel financing firm Mosaic's plan to reorganize and hand ownership of its loan servicing business to its secured lender, after no buyers came forward at a Chapter 11 auction.

  • September 04, 2025

    Trump's Wind Project Halt Faces Suits From Conn., RI, Ørsted

    The decision by President Donald Trump's administration to stop a nearly completed wind project slated to power the New England region was met with two lawsuits on Thursday, with the attorneys general of Connecticut and Rhode Island and developer Ørsted seeking to resume construction.

  • September 04, 2025

    FERC Nominee Says He Supports Review Of Removal Protections

    A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission nominee said Thursday that he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will rethink long-standing tenure protections guaranteed for members of independent agencies, raising the eyebrows of U.S. senators concerned about FERC's future under President Donald Trump.

  • September 04, 2025

    Feds Sue SoCal Edison Over Eaton, Fairview Wildfires

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued Southern California Edison, seeking a combined $77 million in a pair of lawsuits alleging that its negligence in maintaining its infrastructure caused the catastrophic Eaton wildfire in January and devastating Fairview fire in 2022.

  • September 04, 2025

    Unions Defend Challenge To Federal Work Safety Agency Cuts

    Unions representing nurses, teachers, miners and factory workers have asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge to preserve their challenge to the Trump administration's cuts to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, saying they have standing to sue because they "rely on NIOSH's lifesaving work."

  • September 04, 2025

    Wash. Justices To Review Voter Measure Backing Natural Gas

    The Washington State Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on a dispute over a law approved by voters that prevents local governments and code officials in the state from passing rules restricting or discouraging the use of natural gas.

  • September 04, 2025

    Cube Highways Trust Mulls $600M IPO, Plus More Rumors

    Indian infrastructure investment trust Cube Highways Trust is considering a $600 million initial public offering, premium diaper brand Coterie is in talks to be acquired by consumer goods business Mammoth Brands, and European antitrust regulators have reportedly paused their investigation into ADNOC's $17.1 billion acquisition of German chemicals producer Covestro.

  • September 03, 2025

    Ga. County Can't Recoup Bio-Lab Emergency Response Costs

    A Georgia federal judge said a metro Atlanta county can't recover its emergency services expenses in responding to the massive Bio-Lab chemical plant fire last year, but left the door open for the county to win damages from the resulting economic fallout of the disaster.

  • September 03, 2025

    How Morgan & Morgan Got Ousted As Top Federal Tort Filer

    Heavyweight injury firm Morgan & Morgan PA was ousted from the top spot for most federal court filings in the past three years thanks to more than 2,000 individual cases filed in Mississippi over drinking water there, according to a new analysis by Lex Machina, whose rich trend data also shows how other firms fared over the same period.

  • September 03, 2025

    DOI Casino Approval Overturned For Ignoring Tribal Input

    The U.S. Department of the Interior went beyond its authority and failed to properly consult with another local tribe when it approved the Koi Nation's plan to build a casino on newly acquired trust land, a California federal judge has ruled.

  • September 03, 2025

    Ex-Latham Atty Who Quit Over Trump Deal Joins Stoel Rives

    Former BigLaw associate Sam Wong, who publicly quit Latham & Watkins LLP earlier this year in response to a deal it reached with the Trump administration to avoid executive orders targeting the firm, said he has joined Stoel Rives LLP, where he will be advising clients on energy projects, regulatory matters and more. 

  • September 03, 2025

    Feds Move To Sink Mass. Offshore Wind Farm Approval

    The federal government said Wednesday it will yank approval for a Massachusetts offshore wind farm 20 miles south of Martha's Vineyard, the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to stymie U.S. offshore wind development.

  • September 03, 2025

    Enviro Groups Urge 11th Circ. To Keep Detention Center Shut

    Seven environmental groups filed an amicus brief Tuesday in the appeal of an order shutting down an Everglades immigration detention center, arguing that the district court was right to enjoin the center because the federal government failed to fulfill its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.

  • September 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds Ruling Against Wash. Tribe's Fishing Claims

    A Ninth Circuit panel Wednesday affirmed a lower court's ruling that determined a Washington tribe fell short of its evidentiary burden to establish that a 19th century treaty included its customary fishing grounds near the Puget Sound after vacating the dispute for further review last year.

  • September 03, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Md. Immunity Doesn't Apply In Tugboat Case

    The Fourth Circuit said Wednesday that a tugboat owner's petition seeking to limit its liability over a 2015 accident involving Maryland's Nanticoke River Memorial Bridge does not infringe on the state's sovereign immunity, so it can proceed in the district court.

  • September 03, 2025

    Feds Seek $140M Fine For Mich. Energy Co. Over Air Pollution

    The federal government on Tuesday advocated for $140 million in penalties for a Michigan energy company the government alleges shares responsibility for air pollution resulting from coke production, while the energy company maintained it tried to comply with the state-issued permit, in briefs filed this week ahead of a bench trial later this month.

  • September 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Saves Tribes' Cultural Superfund Claims Against Teck

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday revived the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's natural resource damages claims against Teck Cominco Metals Ltd. for the company's alleged pollution of the Columbia River.

  • September 03, 2025

    Wash. Court Pressed To Immediately End EV Funding Freeze

    Clean energy advocates have urged a Washington federal judge to wipe out the Trump administration's decision to freeze funding for new electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, saying the government can't be allowed to drag its feet on a pledge to restore funding.

  • September 03, 2025

    EPA Withdraws Slaughterhouse Water Pollution Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday withdrew a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed stricter water discharge regulations on meat and poultry slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities across the country.

  • September 03, 2025

    Calif. Senate Panel OKs Property Tax Break For Tribes

    Native American tribes in California would be eligible for open space exemptions to property taxes under legislation approved by a state Senate panel that's heading for a final vote.

  • September 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Says EPA Can Freeze Climate Grant Funds

    A D.C. Circuit panel vacated an injunction on Tuesday ordering Citibank to relinquish grant funding frozen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, finding green groups are not likely to succeed on the merits of their "essentially contractual" claims.

  • September 02, 2025

    Two Unions Fight Trump Order Ending Labor Rights

    Unions representing thousands of employees of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Weather Service challenged in a lawsuit Tuesday in D.C. federal court an executive order by President Donald Trump ending their collective bargaining agreements. 

  • September 02, 2025

    11th Circ. Affirms Slashing Ex-Braves' $47M Easement Break

    A $47 million conservation easement deduction for a partnership founded by two former Atlanta Braves players was overvalued, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday, saying none of the partnership's arguments undermined the U.S. Tax Court's finding that the easement property was worth far less than it claimed.

  • September 02, 2025

    Dow Faces Investor Suit Over Tariff-Related Disclosures

    Raw materials supplier Dow Chemical Co. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging its decision to reduce shareholder payouts earlier this year contradicted its earlier claims of its ability to withstand economic uncertainty, including tariffs.

  • September 02, 2025

    Judge Dumps Challenge To Portland Fuel Terminal Ban

    An Oregon federal judge on Tuesday tossed a lawsuit challenging a ban on new oil and gas terminals in Portland, Oregon, agreeing that the state of Montana and fuel industry groups failed to show that the ordinance is unconstitutional.

Expert Analysis

  • Clean Energy Tax Changes Cut Timelines, Add Red Tape

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    With its dramatic changes to energy tax credits, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reshape project financing and investment planning — and wind and solar developers, especially those in the early stages of projects, face stricter timelines and heightened compliance challenges, says Dan Ruth at Balch & Bingham.

  • High Court Cert Spotlights Varying Tests For Federal Removal

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    A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to review Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, a case involving the federal officer removal statute, highlights three other recent circuit court decisions raising federal removal questions, and serves as a reminder that defendants are the masters of removal actions, says Varun Aery at Hollingsworth.

  • Trump Air Emissions Carveouts Cloud The Regulatory Picture

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    President Donald Trump's new proclamations temporarily exempting key U.S. industries from air toxics standards, issued under a narrow, rarely-used provision of the Clean Air Act, will likely lead to legal challenges and tighter standards in some states, contributing to further regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

  • How Property Insurers Serve As Climate Change Harbingers

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    Thomas Dawson at McDermott discusses the role that U.S. property insurers may play in identifying and assessing climate risk, as well as in financing climate change adaptation projects, in light of global warming and shifting geopolitical realities.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • Managing Risks As State AGs Seek To Fill Enforcement Gap

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    Given an unprecedented surge in state attorney general activity resulting from significant shifts in federal enforcement priorities, companies must consider tailored strategies for navigating the ever-evolving risk landscape, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • A Deep Dive Into 14 Nixed Gensler-Era SEC Rule Proposals

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month formally withdrew 14 notices of proposed rulemaking, including several significant and widely criticized proposals that had been issued under former Chair Gary Gensler's leadership, signaling a clear and definitive shift away from the previous administration, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • A Look At Trump 2.0 Antitrust Enforcement So Far

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    The first six months of President Donald Trump's second administration were marked by aggressive antitrust enforcement tempered by traditional structural remedies for mergers, but other unprecedented actions, like the firing of Federal Trade Commission Democrats, will likely stoke heated discussion ahead, says Richard Dagen at Axinn.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Tips For Cos. From California Climate Reporting FAQ

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    New guidance from the California Air Resources Board on how businesses must implement the state's sweeping climate reporting requirements should help companies assess their exposure, understand their disclosure obligations and begin documenting good-faith compliance efforts, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

  • What Calif. Insurance Ruling Means For Smoke Damage Limits

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    As California continues to grapple with an increasing number of wildfire claims, a state court's recent Aliff v. California FAIR Plan decision serves as a clear directive to insurers that policy language that narrows the scope of fire coverage below the California Insurance Code's minimum standards is impermissible, say attorneys at Wood Smith.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Calif. Air Waivers Fight Fuels Automakers', States' Uncertainty

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    The unprecedented attempt by Congress and the Trump administration to kill the Clean Air Act waivers supporting California's vehicle emissions standards will eventually end up in the U.S. Supreme Court — but meanwhile, vehicle manufacturers, and states following California's standards, are left in limbo, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

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