=09

The Ninth Circuit's ruling this week that gave new life to a challenge of= a California city's ban on the installation of natural gas piping in newly= constructed buildings may not be as bad as it seems for the broader effort= to switch to an all-electric future, experts say.

Construction

FRIDAY, = APRIL 21, 2023

=20

=20 =20

TOP NEWS

Analysis

9th Circ. Gas Ruling Not Death Knell For Electric Futu= re

=09

By Madeline Lyskawa

The Ninth Circuit's ruling this we= ek that gave new life to a challenge of a California city's ban on the inst= allation of natural gas piping in newly constructed buildings may not be as= bad as it seems for the broader effort to switch to an all-electric future= , experts say.

Read full article »

=20

Feds Seek Up To 5 Years For 'We Build The Wall' Fraud = Trio

=09

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. government has called for= a prison term of more than four years for Iraq War veteran Brian Kolfage, = who admitted to profiting from a record-setting fundraiser involving former= Trump administration adviser Steve Bannon to purportedly build a wall betw= een the U.S. and Mexico.

=20 Motion attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Army OK To Reject Bidder For No Small Biz Details, GAO= Says

=09

By Micah Danney

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers p= roperly excluded a contractor's proposal for design-build services at a Mas= sachusetts air base because the firm neglected to provide required informat= ion about its past use of small businesses, the U.S. Government Accountabil= ity Office decided.

=20 Decision attached |=20 Read full article »


=

=20

Blank Rome Beats DQ Bid In $70M Tower Investment Fight=

=09

By Rachel Scharf

A Manhattan judge declined Thursda= y to disqualify Blank Rome LLP from representing an investor bringing a $70= million suit over the financing of midtown's supertall Steinway Tower, say= ing ultimately unsuccessful 2015 discussions about retaining the firm as de= fense counsel in the case do not pose a prejudicial conflict.

Read full article »

POLICY & REGULATION

=20

FERC Commish Questions Redo Of LNG Project Approvals

=09

By Keith Goldberg

The Federal Energy Regulatory Comm= ission on Thursday reapproved two proposed liquefied natural gas export ter= minals on the Texas Gulf Coast after the D.C. Circuit ordered revised envir= onmental reviews, but a Democratic commissioner said the agency failed to f= ix the legal deficiencies flagged by the court.

Read full article »

LITIGATION

=20

6th Circ. Grants Ky., Biz Groups' Bid To Pause WOTUS R= ule

=09

By Juan Carlos Rodriguez

The Sixth Circuit on Thursday temp= orarily granted the requests of Kentucky and business groups that it block = the Biden administration's recently implemented rule defining the scope of = the Clean Water Act while they appeal a lower court dismissal of their laws= uits.

=20 3 documents attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Maine Jury Says Avangrid Can Restart $1B Power Line Wo= rk

=09

By Tom Lotshaw

A Maine Business and Consumer Cour= t jury on Thursday cleared Connecticut-based Avangrid Inc. to restart const= ruction on a controversial, $1 billion power transmission line to bring ren= ewable energy from Canada down to New England.

=20 Verdict attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Bankrupt Mall Co. Hatches $17.5M Settlement With Inves= tors

=09

By Sydney Price

Shopping mall company CBL & As= sociates Properties Inc. has agreed to pay $17.5 million to end a lawsuit b= y investors who claim they were harmed when the company was allegedly slow = to disclose a $90 million settlement with tenants over their electric bills= .

=20 Settlement attached |=20 Read full article »

EXPERT ANALYSIS

Opinion

It's Time For Lawyers To Stand Up For Climate Justice<= /a>

=09 =09

The anniversary this week of the D= eepwater Horizon disaster offers an opportunity for attorneys to embrace th= e practice of just transition lawyering — leveraging our skills to su= pport communities on the front lines of climate change and environmental ca= tastrophe as they pursue rebuilding and transformation, says Amy Laura Cahn= at Taproot Earth.

Read full article »

=20

Mexican Reform Bill Threatens Private Sector Investmen= ts

=09 =09

Following the announcement of an e= xtensive and potentially problematic Mexican reform proposal that targets 2= 3 laws, which could considerably affect the private sector and lead to incr= eased arbitration proceedings, businesses and investors in Mexico should pr= epare for a likely changing legal landscape, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

Read full article »

<= td align=3D"right">

=20

=09

=20

LEGAL INDUSTRY

=20

ABA Says Data Breach Exposed Usernames, Passwords<= /p> =09

By Lauren Berg

The American Bar Association revea= led Thursday that an unauthorized third party had gained access to the asso= ciation's network last month and acquired usernames and passwords, but said= there have been no reports that the information has been misused.

Read full article »

=20

Trump Taps Ex-BCLP Lawyer For Upcoming Rape Trial<= /p> =09

By Hannah Albarazi

Donald Trump on Thursday tapped a = former Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP attorney for his upcoming rape = trial as the federal judge in Manhattan overseeing the case denied the form= er president's request for a jury instruction that would explain away his a= bsence from the trial.

=20 2 documents attached |=20 Read full article »

Analysis

Can Trump Prove Hush Money Was Self-Donation?

=09

By Phillip Bantz

Donald Trump, accused of falsifyin= g business records for a hush-money payment to an adult film star to k= eep their alleged affair a secret, might not be facing criminal charges in = Manhattan if he'd simply used personal or campaign money and properly repor= ted the payments to the Federal Election Commission, according to expe= rts.

Read full article »

=20

2nd Circ. Freezes Subpoena Of Ex-Trump Prosecutor<= /p> =09

By Frank G. Runyeon

A Second Circuit judge has tempora= rily halted the House Judiciary Committee from taking testimony from a form= er prosecutor for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office who investigated= former President Donald Trump.

=20 3 documents attached |=20 Read full article »

Analysis

Fox's Dominion Settlement Exposes Coverage Risks =09

By Abraham Gross and Daniel Tay

Fox Corp. and Dominion Voting Syst= ems' $787.5 million settlement to resolve Dominion's $1.6 billion defamatio= n suit against the network and avoid what was expected to be a jury trial l= asting weeks may usher in numerous challenging coverage issues, experts say= .

Read full article »

=20

A Look At The Investment Firm That Owns Dominion Votin= g

=09

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

The $787.5 million settlement reac= hed this week in a high-profile defamation lawsuit lodged by Dominion Votin= g Systems Inc. against media giant Fox Corp. represents a major victory for= New York middle market investment firm Staple Street Capital Group, which = has owned a majority stake in the voting systems company since 2018.

Read full article »

=20

Durbin Invites Justice Roberts To Testify On High Cour= t Ethics

=09

By James Arkin

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chai= r of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Thursday invited Chief Justice John= Roberts to testify before his panel on how the U.S. Supreme Court handles = ethical issues as Democrats continue to press the court to adopt a binding = code of conduct.

=20 Letter attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

4th Circ.'s Chief Judge Must Sit For Depo In Harassmen= t Suit

=09

By Hayley Fowler

A former federal public defender i= n North Carolina can depose the chief judge of the Fourth Circuit in her se= xual harassment suit against the federal judiciary, a judge has ruled, find= ing that he has "firsthand knowledge" of the events giving rise to her comp= laint.

=20 Order attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Paul Hastings Gets Subpoena As DOJ Probes Exile's Ch. = 11

=09

By Aaron Keller

The U.S. Department of Justice has= served a subpoena to a Chapter 11 trustee's law firm, Paul Hastings LLP, a= s part of a probe into whether Chinese exile Ho Wan Kwok committed bankrupt= cy fraud, the debtor's attorneys told a judge in Connecticut during a Thurs= day hearing.

Read full article »

=20

Ex-Con Accused Of Posing As BigLaw Atty, GC May Plead = Out

=09

By Pete Brush

A Florida fraudster who allegedly = impersonated white-shoe lawyers to trick corporate employees into funding $= 1 million worth of nonexistent Jeffrey Epstein-related investigations is mu= lling a guilty plea after being tripped up by what a prosecutor Thursday ca= lled a "network intrusion warrant."

Read full article »

=20

Hughes Hubbard, Ex-IP Head Fight Over Email In Pension= Case

=09

By Jasmin Jackson

Multinational firm Hughes Hubbard = & Reed LLP has urged a New York federal judge to rebuff a bid by its fo= rmer intellectual property group head who seeks to maintain access to his w= ork email amid an ongoing arbitration over pension benefits, arguing that t= he court should turn aside the "false emergency of his own making."

=20 2 documents attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Calif. Justices To Bar: Speed Up Post-Girardi Conflict= Updates

=09

By James Mills

California Supreme Court Chief Jus= tice Patricia Guerrero on Wednesday directed the State Bar of California, s= till reeling from the fallout of the Tom Girardi scandal, to move quicker i= n updating the conflict of interest code governing members of the bar's boa= rd of trustees.

Read full article »

=20

LeClairRyan Trustee Gets Court OK For Deal With Ex-Cli= ent

=09

By Leslie A. Pappas

The ex-CEO of a defunct blood test= company who filed a $603 million malpractice suit against LeClairRyan befo= re the Virginia law firm filed for bankruptcy in 2019 has agreed to settle = her claim with its bankruptcy estate for $300,000.

=20 2 documents attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Barclays To Hire Ex-HSBC Compliance Head

=09

By Sarah Jarvis

Barclays said Thursday that HSBC's= former group head of compliance, who previously held roles at UBS, Arthur = Andersen and Deloitte, will be its new chief compliance officer beginning t= his summer.

Read full article »

=20

Crypto Influencer Defies Court Order To Appear In FTX = Case

=09

By Carolina Bolado

A former FTX influencer who has al= legedly made threats to an attorney representing a proposed class of invest= ors in the collapsed cryptocurrency platform defied an order to appear in c= ourt Thursday — tweeting that he did not care — and is facing p= otential criminal charges if he does not show up in Miami on Monday.

Read full article »

=20

Philly Firm Faces 2nd Class Action Over Data Breach

=09

By Emily Sawicki

A Philadelphia labor law firm has = been named in a proposed class action in Pennsylvania state court, the seco= nd such suit filed this month by clients whose personal information was exp= osed in a 2021 data breach that the firm did not disclose for 18 months.

=20 Complaint attached |=20 Read full article »

=20

Don't Forget Alumni Engagement When Merging Law Firms<= /a>

=09 =09

Neglecting law firm alumni program= s after a merger can sever the deep connections attorneys have with their f= ormer firms, but by combining good data management and creating new opportu= nities to reconnect, firms can make every member in their expanded network = of colleagues feel valued, say Clare Roath and Erin Warner at Troutman Pepp= er.

Read full article »

=20 =20

<= img src=3D"https://sli.law360news.com/imp?s=3D734819&li=3D201&m=3Dd120cdb40= 65a859edc70326799a21fe8&p=3D191853" border=3D"0" width=3D"100%" style=3D"wi= dth: 100%; max-width:300px !important;margin-bottom:0;"/>

=20

=09 =20

COMPA= NIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

American Bar Association

American Gas Association

Avangrid Inc.

BP PLC

CBL & Associates Properties, I= nc.

California State Associ= ation of Counties

Carlyle Group LP

Central Maine Power Co.

Cerberus Capital Management LP

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

Health Diagnostic Laboratory In= c.

League of California Cities

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

LinkedIn Corp.

NBCUniversal Media LLC

National Collegiate Ath= letic Association

National League of Cities

New York University

News Corp.

Physicians for Social Res= ponsibility

Property Markets Group Inc.

Reddit Inc.

Sierra Club

State Bar of California

Trump Organization Inc.

Twitter Inc.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Valeo SA

Wells Fargo & Co.

YouTube Inc.


<= img src=3D"https://sli.law360news.com/imp?s=3D734824&li=3D201&m=3Dd120cdb40= 65a859edc70326799a21fe8&p=3D191853" border=3D"0"/>

=20

LAW = FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Law Office of David DeStefano

Mark Migdal & Hayden

Mayer Brown

McMillan LLP

Meister Seelig & Fein

Meringolo & Associates

GOVE= RNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

California Supreme Court

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Equal Employment Opportun= ity Commission

Federal Acquisition Regul= atory Council

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Election Commission

Federal Emergency Management = Agency

Federal Energy Regulatory Co= mmission

Government Accountability Office=

Louisiana Departmen= t of Environmental Quality

Maine Attorney General's Offi= ce

NAFTA

U.S. Army

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Attorney's Office

U.S. Attorn= ey's Office for the District of Connecticut

U.S= . Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Ba= nkruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals= for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals = for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. District Cou= rt for the District of Columbia

U.S. Dis= trict Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

U.S. Dist= rict Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. Dis= trict Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Environmental Protection= Agency

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Marine Corps

U.S. Secret Service

U.S. Securities and Excha= nge Commission

U.S. Supreme Court

Un= ited States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut

=20

<= td>

<= /tr>

<= img src=3D"https://sli.law360news.com/imp?s=3D125920709&li=3D201&m=3Dd120cd= b4065a859edc70326799a21fe8&p=3D191853" width=3D"2" height=3D"6" border=3D"0= " />

<= /td>