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Environmental
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July 05, 2024
Judge Rips High-Rise's 'Remarkable' $8.5M Coverage Pursuit
An Illinois federal judge smacked down an $8.5 million coverage bid from the former owners of Chicago's historic Pittsfield building after finding they "boldly and repeatedly" misrepresented the extent of repair costs, instead ordering them to repay Travelers.
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July 05, 2024
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court
This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.
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July 05, 2024
Farmworkers Union Wins Partial Block Of DOL Wage Rules
A Washington federal judge partly blocked U.S. Department of Labor rules on prevailing wage rates that a union claimed depressed farmworkers' wages, saying the agency failed to consider effects on workers and must reinstate wage rates from 2020.
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July 05, 2024
Unilateral Climate Policies Threaten Trade, WTO Deputy Says
Touting a new trade agreement between Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Switzerland, a World Trade Organization deputy director-general said the multilateral system is at a crossroads where more countries must work together to address the link between trade and climate change or risk harming progress on both fronts.
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July 05, 2024
3rd Circ. Preview: Ponzi Scheme, Merck Vaccine Heat Up July
The Third Circuit's July argument schedule is sizzling with several high-stakes cases, including two whistleblowers attempting to make drugmaker Merck answer for allegedly inducing the U.S. government to pay for substandard mumps vaccines.
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July 03, 2024
Enviva Execs Individually Escape ESG Investor Action
A Maryland federal judge dismissed several executives and underwriters for wood pellet giant Enviva Inc. from a proposed securities class action seeking recompense for stock drops over reports they "greenwashed" claims of sustainability, saying the suit failed to show the defendants made conscious misstatements.
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July 03, 2024
Ind. Panel OKs Coverage For Taiwanese Chemical Co. Owners
An Indiana appeals court ruled that a Taiwanese company's owners were additional insureds and that an insurer could not stack various policies' deductibles and retentions to reduce the coverage it owed for defense costs of a chemical exposure class action.
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July 03, 2024
Sandy Cleanup Workers Agree To End Prevailing Wage Suit
Five workers told a New Jersey federal judge they agreed to put to rest their suit against a disaster recovery company and a waterfront building company claiming they should have been paid prevailing wages while clearing roadways and waterways in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
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July 03, 2024
Appliance Co. Must Face Stove Pollutant Risk Claims
Sub-Zero Group Inc., a maker of luxury kitchen appliances, can't get out of a proposed class action accusing it of selling gas stoves that emit pollutants, a Wisconsin federal judge has ruled, saying federal energy efficiency laws do not "at this point" invalidate the state law claims.
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July 03, 2024
Monsanto Ducks Roundup Case As Philly Plaintiff Withdraws
A plaintiff in the Philadelphia Roundup weedkiller mass tort has voluntarily discontinued her case against Monsanto after a city judge granted summary judgment on all but one claim, letting the Bayer AG unit off the hook in the suit, at least temporarily, about a week before it was slated to go before a jury.
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July 03, 2024
Canadian IPO Market Remained Largely 'Deserted' In First Half
Only 12 companies completed initial public offerings on Canadian exchanges in the first half of 2024 — half of which were actual operating businesses — continuing a multiyear decline in new listings for Canada, new data shows.
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July 03, 2024
GM Inks EPA Emissions Settlement, Removes Carbon Credits
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that General Motors has voluntarily retired nearly 50 million metric tons of greenhouse gas credits to resolve allegations the automaker understated the emissions of about 6 million vehicles.
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July 03, 2024
Solar Biz Says Duty Circumvention Probe Ignored Contractors
A solar importer urged the trade court to unwind the U.S. Department of Commerce's expansion of duties on Chinese solar products to Cambodian goods, alleging flaws with how the department assessed how much manufacturing occurred in Cambodia.
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July 03, 2024
Feds Must Act On Right Whale Protections, Green Groups Say
Conservation groups are pushing a D.C. federal judge to order the National Marine Fisheries Service to act on a proposal meant to reduce the number of vessels killing and injuring North Atlantic right whales, saying its inaction is helping push the imperiled species toward extinction.
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July 03, 2024
After Chevron Deference: What Lawyers Need To Know
This term, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, a precedent established 40 years ago that said when judges could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking. Here, catch up with Law360's coverage of what is likely to happen next.
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July 02, 2024
Tribal Nations Want In On Red States' Water Rule Dispute
Seven tribal nations are asking a North Dakota federal court for permission to intervene in a group of red states' challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule revision that considers tribal rights in addressing water quality standard regulations, arguing that their rights to aquatic resources could be harmed should the law be overturned.
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July 02, 2024
Travelers Says No Coverage For Energy Co.'s Enviro Dispute
A Travelers unit said it has no coverage obligations to an energy company in a now-settled Louisiana state court suit over environmental damage, telling a Texas federal court that the company's failure to notify the insurer of the suit for more than eight years violated the policies.
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July 02, 2024
Northrop Must Face 3K Homeowner Class Over Contamination
A California federal judge Monday granted class certification to 3,200 homeowners who sued Northrop Grumman over the release of cancer-causing chemicals from a nearby circuit board manufacturing site they alleged reached their homes, finding the location and extent of the contamination in the area are subject to common proof.
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July 02, 2024
Judge Says Feds Exceeded Question Limit In Pollution Suit
A Michigan federal judge has denied the federal government's bid to force a coke oven battery company to respond to questions about business decisions and parent company involvement, holding that it has exceeded an agreed-upon limit of so-called interrogatories in its Clean Air Act case.
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July 02, 2024
DLA Piper Hires Former Goodwin Corporate Partner In DC
A former Goodwin Procter LLP partner has joined DLA Piper's corporate practice in the firm's Washington, D.C., office, where he will advise clients on mergers and acquisitions and other transactions.
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July 02, 2024
Enbridge, Tribes Spar Over Payout In Pipeline Trespass Row
Enbridge Energy told the Seventh Circuit a recent ruling that resulted in a tribe receiving a nearly $400 million payout for trespassing does not apply to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe's current trespass challenge, arguing the district court recognized that this case presents a different set of facts.
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July 02, 2024
Justices Revive FERC Solar Fight, Citing Chevron Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the D.C. Circuit to rethink its approval of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision granting market benefits for a small-scale solar energy project in Montana following the justices' blockbuster decision upending judicial deference to regulatory agencies.
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July 02, 2024
Flint Needs State Help After Years Of Pipe Delays, Judge Says
A Michigan federal judge said the city of Flint's repeated failures to replace lead water service lines for residents shows it doesn't have the "wherewithal" or funds to finish the project and granted yet another extension to complete the work with offered help from the state of Michigan.
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July 02, 2024
The Commercial Real Estate Q&A's You Can't Miss
Check out Law360 Real Estate Authority's most buzzed-about commercial real estate Q&As from the first half of 2024.
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July 02, 2024
Data Analysis Shows Swift Influx In EPA Brownfield Grants
A Law360 Real Estate Authority analysis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's brownfield grant awards since the program's inception shows a steep increase in funding, particularly in funding of cleanups, since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed in 2021.
Expert Analysis
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How Act 126 Will Jump-Start Lithium Production In Louisiana
Louisiana's recent passage of Act 126, which helps create a legal and regulatory framework for lithium brine production and direct lithium extraction in the state, should help bolster the U.S. supply of this key mineral, and contribute to increased energy independence for the nation, say Marjorie McKeithen and Justin Marocco at Jones Walker.
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Legal Battles Show Brands' Dilemma In Luxury Resale Trend
Recent litigation, such as Chanel's pending case against The RealReal, underscores the intricate balance luxury brands must strike between protecting their trademarks and embracing the burgeoning secondhand market that values sustainability, says Prachi Ajmera at Michelman & Robinson.
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Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond
Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.
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How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving
Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.
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An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants
With PFAS liability exposures attracting increased media attention, now is a good time for companies that could be exposed to liability related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to review existing and past insurance policies, and consider taking proactive steps to maximize their likelihood of coverage, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep
Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.
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Opinion
It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills
After recent fires at landfills in Alabama and California sent toxic fumes into surrounding communities, it is clear that existing penalties for landfill mismanagement are insufficient — so policymakers must enact major changes to the way we dispose of solid waste, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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EPA Heavy-Duty Vehicle GHG Rules Face Bumpy Road Ahead
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for owners and operators of heavy-duty vehicles are facing opposition from both states and the transportation industry, and their arguments will mirror two pending cases challenging the EPA's authority, says Grant Laizer at Adams and Reese.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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A Look At M&A Conditions After FTC's Exxon-Pioneer Nod
The Federal Trade Commission's recent consent decree imposing several conditions on Exxon Mobil's acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources helps illustrate key points about the current merger enforcement environment, including the probability of further investigations in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors, say Ryan Quillian and John Kendrick at Covington.
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Opinion
US Solar Import Probe's Focus On China Is Misguided
The U.S. Department of Commerce's recent anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation focuses on the apparent Chinese ownership of solar device importers in four Southeast Asian countries — a point that is irrelevant under the controlling statute, says John Anwesen at Lighthill.
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3 Recent Decisions To Note As Climate Litigation Heats Up
Three recent rulings on climate-related issues — from a New York federal court, a New York state court and an international tribunal, respectively — demonstrate both regulators' concern about climate change and the complexity of conflicting regulations in different jurisdictions, say J. Michael Showalter and Robert Middleton at ArentFox Schiff.