Environmental

  • July 18, 2025

    Judge Demands Layoff Plans From Trump Administration

    A California federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to hand over reorganization and reduction-in-force plans linked to an executive order directing layoffs at federal agencies, finding that the government's privilege claim was outweighed by the plaintiffs' need for the information to pursue their claims under the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • July 18, 2025

    Calif. Sues Trump Admin Over $4B High-Speed Rail Fund Cuts

    California's High-Speed Rail Authority hit the Trump administration with an Administrative Procedure Act lawsuit in California federal court Friday, claiming the Federal Railroad Administration's abrupt termination of $4 billion in grants to the electric rail project was arbitrary, politically motivated and based on Trump's "extreme antipathy toward California."

  • July 18, 2025

    EPA To Lay Off Science Office Workers Amid Reorganization

    Scientists performing independent research that often supports regulations intended to protect human health and the environment are set to lose their jobs as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency eliminates its Office of Research and Development.

  • July 18, 2025

    Feds Fight Bid To Block Pacific Monument Fishing Permits

    The federal government is fighting a bid by conservation groups to vacate a letter by the Trump administration that they say gave the go-ahead for permit holders to commercially fish in a Pacific Coast national monument, arguing it wasn't an agency decision that has any legal rights or obligations.

  • July 18, 2025

    Interior Process Tweaks Will Further Stymie Wind And Solar

    The wind and solar energy industries, already stressed by Trump administration and congressional regulatory and financial restraints, face a new roadblock as the Department of the Interior will increasingly involve its political leadership in project approval process details.

  • July 18, 2025

    Hearing Set In Phoenix For Oak Flat Copper Mine Lawsuits

    An Arizona federal judge has set an August hearing date to consider injunction bids by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and environmental groups in their lawsuits seeking to block Resolution Copper Co.'s mining project on Oak Flat, an ancient tribal worship site.

  • July 18, 2025

    Ga. Facility Exposed Workers, Families To Mercury, Suit Says

    A group of former employees and contractors, as well as their family members, have filed suit in Georgia federal court over allegations they were exposed to dangerous and harmful levels of mercury at Olin Corp.'s Augusta, Georgia, facility from 1965 forward.

  • July 18, 2025

    FTC Nixes Exxon-Pioneer, Chevron-Hess Board Ban Deals

    The Biden-era Federal Trade Commission settlements clearing Exxon's purchase of Pioneer and Chevron's acquisition of Hess are no more, after the now Republican-controlled agency said there was no need to condition acquisition approvals on banning the CEOs of Pioneer and Hess from the boards of the combined companies.

  • July 18, 2025

    Texas Court Tosses Cities' Challenge To 'Death Star' Bill

    A state appeals court tossed three Texas cities' challenge to a bill nicknamed the "Death Star," writing that they hadn't properly shown they'd be injured by the bill's mandate that state law preempt local ordinances.

  • July 18, 2025

    Trump Flexes Air Law Power To Delay Compliance Deadlines

    President Donald Trump has postponed deadlines to comply with air pollution standards for companies in the coal power, chemical manufacturing, medical sterilization and iron ore industries, relying on special presidential power contained in the Clean Air Act.

  • July 18, 2025

    Top 5 Energy Decisions Of 2025: A Midyear Report

    A game-changing U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could significantly narrow federal environmental reviews of energy projects punctuated a busy first half of 2025 for the industry in the courts. Here are several court decisions that stood out for energy attorneys in the first half of this year.

  • July 18, 2025

    Snake Spotting Voids OK Of Sprawling Calif. Housing Plan

    A federal judge has halted a 314-acre master-planned development in Chico, California, after finding federal officials wrongly concluded in 2020 that the endangered giant garter snake had not been observed on the site despite a sighting of the animal in the area a dozen years prior.

  • July 17, 2025

    Calif. Tribe Renews $700M Casino Suit With Lobbying Claim

    A D.C. federal judge will let a California tribe amend its suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior for axing its eligibility to run a proposed $700 million casino on new claims that a competing tribe successfully orchestrated a politically influential lobbying campaign.

  • July 17, 2025

    Norfolk Southern Blames Quarry For $2.1M Sinkhole Costs

    Norfolk Southern has sued the current and former owners of a Philadelphia-area quarry for more than $2.1 million, alleging Wednesday that their decades of mining operations opened up a sinkhole that caused a 2023 train derailment.

  • July 17, 2025

    EPA Merging Offices As Reorganization Continues

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday said it's consolidating and shuffling some of its internal offices, including those handling finance and enforcement, the latest in a series of changes and cutbacks at the EPA.

  • July 17, 2025

    Chevron, Syngenta Can't Get Paraquat Mass Tort Out Of Philly

    A Pennsylvania state judge called a request from Chevron and Syngenta to move several paraquat weedkiller cases out of the Philadelphia court's mass tort system for purported greener pastures "daft," defending the system as specifically designed for such litigation.

  • July 17, 2025

    Mass. Cities Seek Order Forcing Trash Hauler To Honor Pacts

    Nearly three weeks after Republic Services workers went on strike, six Massachusetts communities went to court Thursday seeking an order compelling the trash hauler to immediately address what they say is a public health nuisance.

  • July 17, 2025

    Insurer Says Pollution Exclusion Applies To Asbestos Suits

    A Berkshire Hathaway unit said it doesn't owe coverage to a paint and drywall product manufacturer in a number of asbestos exposure suits, telling a Texas federal court Thursday that coverage is barred by a pollution exclusion in its umbrella and excess policies.

  • July 17, 2025

    NJ Sewer Agency Sued Over $232M Skanska Gas Plant Project

    A community group and the city of Newark filed separate lawsuits in New Jersey state court to stop a regional sewerage authority from building a $232 million gas-fired backup power plant in the city, citing the state's Environmental Justice Law.

  • July 17, 2025

    Neb. Asks Justices To Resolve River Dispute With Colo.

    Nebraska is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve its claims that Colorado is failing to deliver water from the South Platte River according to the terms of an early 20th-century compact.

  • July 17, 2025

    Pyrophyte's 2nd SPAC Raises $175M To Target Energy Biz

    Special purpose acquisition company Pyrophyte Acquisition Corp. II began trading on the public markets on Thursday after raising $175 million in its initial public offering.

  • July 16, 2025

    Travelers Avoids Bad Faith Claim In Yacht Damage Dispute

    A Travelers unit did not act in bad faith when handling a yacht owner's claim for coverage after its yacht was destroyed during Hurricane Irma, a Florida federal court ruled Wednesday, saying, at the time, it was unclear whether Florida law or federal maritime law applied.

  • July 16, 2025

    FCC Looks To Streamline Regs For Enviro Reviews

    The Federal Communications Commission expects to move a plan forward in August that would overhaul its rules for scrutinizing telecom and broadband projects under the National Environmental Policy Act.

  • July 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Tosses Atty-Farmer's Suit Over USDA Organic Label

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld a U.S. Department of Agriculture rule allowing farm collectives in the U.S. and other countries to be certified as "organic" under one certificate and not inspected annually, tossing an attorney-turned-Oregon hazelnut farmer's suit alleging Turkish growers were defrauding the system.

  • July 16, 2025

    FEMA Targeted In 20-State Suit Over Pre-Disaster Grant Cuts

    A coalition of 20 states led by Washington and Massachusetts sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Boston federal court Wednesday, accusing the Trump administration of illegally cutting off billions of dollars in grants for proactive disaster mitigation projects across the country.

Expert Analysis

  • CO2 Oil Recovery Vs. Carbon Capture: Key Legal Differences

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    As more states seek primacy over carbon capture and storage wells, it is increasingly important for companies to understand the regulations surrounding CCS, and how they differ from the arguably less complex legal framework for the closely related technology of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery, says Sarah Milocco at Husch Blackwell.

  • Recent Cases Suggest ESG Means 'Ever-Shifting Guidelines'

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    U.S. courts have recently handed down a number of contradictory decisions on important environmental, social and governance issues, adding to an already complex mix of conflicting political priorities, new laws and changing regulatory guidance — but there are steps that companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Future Of The Superfund PFAS Rule

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent grant of a pause in litigation while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviews the Biden-era designation of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous" under the Superfund law creates new uncertainty for companies — but more lawsuits are likely as long as the rule remains in effect, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • Managing Anti-Corporate Juror Views Revealed By CEO Killing

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    After the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson laid bare deep-seated anti-corporate sentiments among the public, companies in numerous industries will have to navigate the influence of related juror biases on litigation dynamics, say Jorge Monroy and Keith Pounds at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Opinion

    California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed

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    A bill in the California Legislature that would let victims of climate-related disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires sue oil and gas producers for spreading misinformation about climate change is too vague, retroactive and focused on one industry to survive constitutional scrutiny, says Kyla Christoffersen Powell at the Civil Justice Association of California.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • BlackRock Suit Highlights Antitrust Risks Of ESG

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    In Texas v. BlackRock, pending in Texas federal court, 13 state attorneys general are suing large institutional investors in the coal business, underscoring key reasons companies may want to alter their approach to developing and implementing policies related to environmental, social, and governance factors, especially if coordination with competitors is involved, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Evidence Rule May Expand Use Of Out-Of-Court Statements

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    A proposed amendment to Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(A) would broaden the definition of nonhearsay, reflects a more pragmatic approach to regulating the admissibility of out-of-court statements by declarant-witnesses, and could help level the playing field between prosecutors and criminal defendants, say attorneys at Hangley Aronchick.

  • How Courts Can Filter Nonmeritorious Claims In Mass Torts

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    Nonmeritorious claims have been a key obstacle to settlement in many recent high-profile mass torts, but courts may be able to use tools they already have to solve this problem, says Samir Parikh at Wake Forest University.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

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