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The Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic and conservation allies ar= e urging the Ninth Circuit to block winter construction on the Willow oil a= nd gas project on Alaska's North Slope as the court considers their appeal = of a ruling upholding Bureau of Land Management approvals for the controver= sial energy development.

Construction

THURSDAY= , DECEMBER 7, 2023

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TOP NEWS

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Groups Renew Fight To Block Willow Constr= uction At 9th Circ.

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By Tom Lotshaw

The Sovereign Iñupiat for a L= iving Arctic and conservation allies are urging the Ninth Circuit to block = winter construction on the Willow oil and gas project on Alaska's North Slo= pe as the court considers their appeal of a ruling upholding Bureau of Land= Management approvals for the controversial energy development.

=20 Motion attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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DC Circ. Urged To Undo 'Deeply Flawed' EB= -5 Investor Ruling

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By Britain Eakin

A D.C. federal judge had no ration= al basis to find that a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy pr= eventing Chinese investors from obtaining visas immediately was not a revie= wable final agency action, they have said in a bid to undo that decision.

=20 Brief attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Concrete, Cement Cos. Hit With Antitrust = Suit After EU Raids

=09

By Jared Foretek

A group of construction chemical c= ompanies are facing a new class action alleging they made anti-competitive = agreements and engaged in price-fixing on their concrete and cement additiv= es, weeks after European antitrust regulators announced an ongoing probe in= to the industry.

=20 Complaint attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »


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Steel Co. Scores H-2B Extensions After CO= VID-Related Delays

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By Katherine Smith

A Delaware steel fabricator has wo= n extended work permits for 50 staff on a wind turbine project after a U.S.= Department of Labor appellate board ruled that a certifying officer had fa= iled to properly consider delays caused by the pandemic.

=20 Decision attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Mich. Justices Go Down 'Rabbit Hole' In R= are Zoning Appeal

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By Carolyn Muyskens

From a relatively quiet Michigan S= upreme Court bench that was hearing a rare high-court zoning appeal Wednesd= ay, one justice indicated some sympathy for zoning officials who want to un= do a decision saying they can't block a NextEra Energy subsidiary from expa= nding a wind farm.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

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Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Co= nduct

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The U.S. Supreme Court recently ad= opted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely= with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bid= s, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

=20 1 document attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

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A Gov't Contractor's Guide To Davis-Bacon= Prevailing Wages

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In light of shifting federal infra= structure priorities and recent updates to U.S. Department of Labor regulat= ions, employers should take the time to revisit the basics of prevailing wa= ge requirements for federal contractors under the Davis-Bacon Act and simil= ar laws, says Timothy Taylor at Holland & Knight.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Bonus Spotlight

More Law Firms Join In On Associate Raise= s And Bonuses

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By Aebra Coe

The number of law firms offering t= heir associates year-end bonuses and 2024 raises in line with or exceeding = those put forward by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP last month has continue= d to tick upward, with at least three more joining in as of Wednesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Proskauer's Chair To Step Down, Citing He= alth Concerns

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By Xiumei Dong

After nearly three years at the he= lm, Steven Ellis, chair of Proskauer Rose LLP, is set to step down from his= role in April 2024 due to health-related concerns, the firm confirmed to L= aw360 Pulse on Wednesday.

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Spencer Fane Pushes Growth With Snow Chri= stensen Merger

=09

By Aaron West

Spencer Fane LLP announced on Wedn= esday that it will merge with Utah law firm Snow Christensen and Martineau = next year — Spencer Fane's second merger in recent months as it = expands its presence in the Western United States.

=20 1 document attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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BigLaw Firms Are Focused On Growth Going = Into 2024

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By Aebra Coe

A primary concern for large law fi= rms for the next year is how to continue to get bigger, whether that's thro= ugh lateral hiring or combinations, even as the geopolitical and macroecono= mic environments remain volatile, according to a report released Wednesday.

=20 1 document attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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GCs, CLOs Expect To Give More Work To Law= Firms In 2024

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By Michele Gorman

Top corporate lawyers are spending= more on outside counsel, and many think they will increase that amount fur= ther in 2024 because of their various legal needs, from new matters to regu= latory headwinds to employee activism, according to a report released Wedne= sday.

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Group That Challenged Law Firm DEI Plans = No Further Suits

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By Daniel Connolly

Edward Blum, head of an organizati= on that filed lawsuits against diversity fellowships at large law firms on = behalf of non-minority applicants, says the suits have already changed firm= s' behavior and the group has no current plans to file similar legal action= s.

=20 1 document attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Winston & Strawn Closing Hong Kong Of= fice Next Year

=09

By Tracey Read

After 15 years in business, Winsto= n & Strawn LLP will shutter its Hong Kong office before the Chinese New= Year, the firm told Law360 Pulse on Wednesday.

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Commercial Contracts Cases Hit 10-Year Lo= w In 2022

=09

By Ryan Boysen

Commercial contracts litigation ha= s slowed down considerably in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with new c= ase filings reaching their lowest level in a decade last year before beginn= ing to rebound in 2023, following a brief but dramatic spike in 2020, accor= ding to a new report Thursday.

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Trump's NY Gag Appeal Claims Laughable, J= udge's Atty Says

=09

By Frank G. Runyeon

The New York state trial court tha= t hit Donald Trump with gag orders in his civil fraud case defended those d= ecisions Wednesday in an appellate filing, calling Trump's alleged free spe= ech injuries "risible" compared to the potential harm to court staff.

=20 Brief attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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9th Circ. Backs Calif. Bar In ADA Fight, = Alters Immunity Test

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By Lauren Berg

An en banc Ninth Circuit panel Wed= nesday affirmed that the State Bar of California has sovereign immunity fro= m an attorney's lawsuit claiming it failed to provide him with adequate dis= ability accommodations during a COVID-19-era bar exam while updating its te= st for deciding whether an entity is an arm of the state.

=20 Opinion attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Boy Scouts Victim Group's Firms Can't Ge= t Fees, Judge Rules

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By Ben Zigterman

A Delaware bankruptcy judge has de= clined to approve the ad hoc Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice's $21 m= illion request for fees in the Boy Scouts of America's Chapter 11 case, rul= ing that while it played a major role in the restructuring, it fell short o= f the requirements set by the bankruptcy code.

=20 Decision attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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McElroy Deutsch Rips Former Exec's 'Oppr= essive' Subpoenas

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By Jake Maher

McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Car= penter LLP wants to erase subpoenas from a former executive accused of stea= ling from the firm, telling a New Jersey court that the requested informati= on about the firm's tax returns, employee salaries and employees' credit ca= rd use is "irrelevant" and overly intrusive.

=20 Motion attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Fla. Justices Mixed On DeSantis' Suspens= ion Of Prosecutor

=09

By Madison Arnold

Florida justices appeared divided = Wednesday over whether the state's highest court was the right place to has= h out a politically charged dispute over Gov. Ron DeSantis' suspension of e= lected state prosecutor Monique Worrell for neglect of duty.

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Texas Pregnancy Case Attys Apologize For= Child Name Reveal

=09

By Ken Downey Jr.

Attorneys on both sides of a Texas= Supreme Court case focused on a woman's claims that a doctor did not perfo= rm a requested procedure to prevent her from becoming pregnant again apolog= ized to the court after revealing the name of the child.

=20 Letter attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Investors Slam Baker Donelson's Discover= y Bid In Ponzi Suit

=09

By Emily Sawicki

A federal receiver who sued Baker = Donelson, accusing the BigLaw firm of allowing a Ponzi scheme to unfold in = its Jackson, Mississippi, office, is attempting to fight a sweeping discove= ry request the firm entered last month, arguing there is "no precedent for = the broad, invasive victim discovery" the firm seeks.

=20 2 documents attached |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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COMPA= NIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

American Bar Association

BMO Harris Bank NA

BTI Consulting Group Inc.

Bank of America Corp.

Boy Scouts of America

LexisNexis Group Inc.

State Bar of California

The Wilderness Society

Trump Organization Inc.

Volkswagen AG

Wells Fargo & Co.


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LAW = FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Cadwalader Wickersham

GOVE= RNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Bureau of Land Management

California Supreme Court

Competition and Markets Authori= ty

European Commission

Federal Acquisition Regul= atory Council

Florida State Senate

Florida Supreme Court

Internal Revenue Service

New York Attorney General'= s Office

Office of Federal = Contract Compliance Programs

Texas Supreme Court

U.S. Bankruptcy= Court for the District of Delaware

U.S. Citizenship and Imm= igration Services

U.S. Co= urt of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

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

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S= . District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

Wage and Hour Division

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