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Counsel for a former Chicago alderman accused of leveraging his power to = get developers that had business before the city to hire his law firm urged= jurors Thursday to see past the government's "noise and confusion," saying= they shouldn't focus on "offhanded, inappropriate comments" they heard on = tapes played at trial but only on his official actions.

Construction

FRIDAY, = DECEMBER 15, 2023

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TOP NEWS

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Chicago Pol Urges Jurors To Reject 'Mess'= Of Corruption Case

=09

By Celeste Bott

Counsel for a former Chicago alder= man accused of leveraging his power to get developers that had business bef= ore the city to hire his law firm urged jurors Thursday to see past the gov= ernment's "noise and confusion," saying they shouldn't focus on "offhanded,= inappropriate comments" they heard on tapes played at trial but only on hi= s official actions.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Treasury Floats Regs For Clean Energy Man= ufacturing Credit

=09

By Kat Lucero

The U.S. Treasury Department offer= ed eligibility and accounting guidance in proposed rules Thursday for = producers and sellers of solar wafers, battery cells and other critical com= ponents of clean energy technologies that want to take advantage of the new= manufacturing tax credit.

=20 Proposed Rule attached = |=20 Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Contractor Gets Order Tweaked In Quantico= Construction Suit

=09

By Alexa Scherzinger

A Virginia federal judge granted a= contractor’s request to modify an insurer’s proposed order for= default judgment against a third-party construction company in a dispute o= ver defective work at a U.S. Navy school, adding language to the order to p= revent it from affecting the contractor’s other ongoing suits.

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


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NY, Power Groups Back FERC In Grid Upgrad= e Rewards Fight

=09

By Keith Goldberg

New York utility regulators and po= wer industry players are defending the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission= for refusing to allow Empire State utilities to earn returns from grid upg= rades, saying that the utilities aren't entitled to boost their rates and t= hat they themselves endorsed the existing nonprofit system.

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

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Judge Says There's No Sign Of Bad Faith I= n Wind Farm Delay

=09

By Madeline Lyskawa

Claims that a renewable energy dev= eloper intentionally delayed the construction of a 126-megawatt wind projec= t to avoid paying out nearly $70 million from soon-to-expire federal tax cr= edits are not supported by evidence, a New York federal judge ruled Thursda= y, following the completion of a bench trial.

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

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Amazon Asks 4th Circ. To Revive Data Cent= er Kickback Suit

=09

By David Holtzman

Amazon asked the Fourth Circuit to= reopen its Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act case allegin= g a kickback scheme involving data centers in Northern Virginia cost the co= mpany millions.

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

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Nail Co. Says Steel Tariffs Perfect Test = Of Fed. Circ. Deference

=09

By Micah Danney

Oman Fasteners LLC urged the U.S. = Supreme Court to review the Federal Circuit's deference standard favoring a= ny presidential action that doesn't explicitly conflict with statutory lang= uage, saying former President Donald Trump intentionally misread the Trade = Expansion Act to expand steel and aluminum duties.

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

EXPERT ANALYSIS

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'Brownfields' Definition Key To Energy Co= mmunity Tax Credits

=09 =09

As the IRS rolls out guidance for = claiming community energy tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, a = review of the long-standing statutory definition of "brownfields" reveals t= hat it continues to serve the goal of creating opportunities for investment= in abandoned properties, says Louise Dyble at Sheppard Mullin.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Why Courts Are Nixing Insurer Defense Rec= oupment Claims

=09 =09

Following a recent trend, the Hawa= ii Supreme Court's decision in St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co. v. = Bodell Construction Co. provides a concise explanation of the argument that= an insurer generally may not recoup costs for defending claims, based on t= hree considerations, says Bradley Nash at Hoguet Newman.

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

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Bonus Spotlight

2-Year-Old Boutique Matches BigLaw Associ= ate Salaries

=09

By Tracey Read

Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes L= LP is the latest boutique firm to announce it will match or exceed the prev= ailing 2024 BigLaw associate salary scale and year-end bonuses.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Dentons Begins Search For New Global CEO =

=09

By Marialuisa Taddia

Dentons said Thursday that it has = started a search for a new global chief executive as long-time leader Ellio= tt Portnoy has decided not to seek another term in 2024.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

=20

Edelson To Skip Harvard Spring Recruiting= After Prez Remarks

=09

By Emily Sawicki

Chicago-based plaintiffs firm Edel= son PC won't be attending Harvard Law School's spring recruitment events, t= he firm said in a letter to the school on Thursday, citing comments made by= university President Claudine Gay during a recent congressional hearing on= antisemitism on college campuses.

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

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No. 3 Justice Department Official To Step= Down

=09

By Rachel Rippetoe

U.S. Associate Attorney General Va= nita Gupta will step down from her role as a top Justice Department officia= l in February, according to a release Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Senate Confirms 2 Louisiana Judges =09

By Courtney Buble

The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted = 66-24 to confirm Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Edwards Jr. to the Western D= istrict of Louisiana and 64-22 to confirm Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon L= ong to the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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Powell, Chesebro Offer One-Sentence Apolo= gies To Ga. Voters

=09

By Lauren Berg

Attorneys Sidney Powell and Kennet= h Chesebro reportedly produced one-sentence apology letters to Georgia vote= rs to fulfill a requirement of the plea deals they took in the criminal cas= e alleging they tried to help former President Donald Trump overturn his 20= 20 election loss in the Peach State.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

=20

Hagens Berman Leader Loses Pro Hac Vice B= id In PayPal Suit

=09

By Emily Sawicki

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP ma= naging partner Steven Berman will not be admitted to appear pro hac vice in= the Northern District of California as counsel for a proposed class suing = financial tech giant PayPal, a federal judge has determined, due to the hig= h volume of cases for which Berman has appeared in the district.

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

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Greenberg Traurig Atty Scores Exit In Ex-= Assistant's ADA Suit

=09

By Peter McGuire

A Greenberg Traurig attorney was r= eleased Thursday from a discrimination suit filed against the firm by his f= ormer assistant, after a Georgia federal judge found the lawyer was not an = employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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

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Firm Axed Worker For Flagging Holiday Par= ty Grope, Suit Says

=09

By Emmy Freedman

A Phoenix-based personal injury la= w firm fired a receptionist after she complained that a male attorney inapp= ropriately grabbed her inner thigh during a company holiday party, accordin= g to a suit filed in Arizona federal court.

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

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Partner Says Firm Fired Him After Alcohol= ism Relapse

=09

By Greg Lamm

A former partner with Seattle pers= onal injury law firm Adler Giersch PS was falsely accused of impropriety an= d illegally fired after he had an alcoholic relapse, according to a complai= nt filed Thursday in Washington federal court alleging violations of the Am= ericans with Disabilities Act.

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

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Kirkland Seeks To Toss Ex-Firm Atty's Se= x Bias Suit

=09

By Irene Spezzamonte

Kirkland & Ellis LLP and sever= al of its partners have pushed a California federal court to throw out a fo= rmer associate's discrimination suit, saying her claims cannot stand becaus= e they are "clearly deficient" and "obviously" late.

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

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Trump Loses Challenge To Gag Orders In N= Y AG's Fraud Case

=09

By Frank G. Runyeon

A New York appeals court on Thursd= ay rejected Donald Trump's challenge to two gag orders in the attorney gene= ral's civil fraud case against him, ruling that the former president's atto= rneys failed to properly appeal the orders.

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

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Calif. Judge Relates 2 Orrick Data Breac= h Cases To A 3rd

=09

By Matt Perez

A federal judge in California appr= oved a motion Wednesday to administratively relate two class actions agains= t Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP regarding a data breach the firm ha= d in March to a separate complaint filed by Texas resident Dennis R. Werley= in August.

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

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Judge Divvies Up Atty Fees From $785M FC= A Deal

=09

By Micah Danney

A Massachusetts federal judge issu= ed a more than 70-page finding of facts Thursday settling an attorney fee d= ispute over $21 million from a seven-year-old judgment, saying two firms ea= rned portions of what they sought for their early work on the case.

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

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Judge Halves $3M Punitive Damages To Def= amed Tax Atty

=09

By Carolina Bolado

A Florida judge on Thursday halved= a $3 million punitive damages award for the former law partner of a deceas= ed Miami tax attorney whose widow publicly accused the ex-partner of schemi= ng to keep the proceeds of a $2 million life insurance policy.

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

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Attys, Advocates Urge NY Gov. To Sign Ap= peals Reform Bill

=09

By Andrea Keckley

More than 350 attorneys, advocates= and organizations on Thursday urged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a b= ill that will expand an appellate court's ability to examine if evidence in= criminal cases was uncovered unconstitutionally by law enforcement.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

=20

Legal Aid Attys Defend Block On Union's = Israel-Gaza Vote

=09

By Braden Campbell

A group of legal aid attorneys urg= ed a New York federal judge to maintain a state court's order blocking thei= r union from holding a member vote on whether to speak out about the crisis= in Israel and Gaza, saying the statement would irreparably hurt their care= ers by drawing Jewish clients' distrust.

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

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4th Circ. Pauses Fight Over SC Legal Adv= ice Law

=09

By Chart Riggall

The Fourth Circuit agreed Wednesda= y to pause a lawsuit brought by South Carolina's NAACP chapter challenging = the legality of a state law that bars non-attorneys from giving legal advic= e while the merits of the NAACP eviction relief program at issue are under = consideration at the state-court level.

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

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Colo. Judicial Branch Holding Too Much C= ash, Audit Says

=09

By Thy Vo

The Colorado Judicial Department i= s holding nearly $12.8 million in reserves for its information technology f= und above what's allowed by statute as it prepares to overhaul its case man= agement system, according to a report released by the Colorado Office of th= e State Auditor.

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

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Ex-Federal Defender's Testimony Disputes= Retaliation Claim

=09

By Julie Manganis

A former federal defender for Nort= h Carolina's Western District testified in a federal bench trial Thursday t= hat when an attorney in his office was pulled off a high-profile case, it w= as not in retaliation for her sexual harassment claims against a supervisor= but because she was "not a team player."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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<= img src=3D"https://sli.law360news.com/imp?s=3D734819&li=3D201&m=3Dd120cdb40= 65a859edc70326799a21fe8&p=3D216173" border=3D"0" width=3D"100%" style=3D"wi= dth: 100%; max-width:300px !important;margin-bottom:0;"/>

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COMPA= NIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Amazon.com Inc.

American Home Assurance Co.

Apple Inc.

Burger King Holdings Inc.

CH Energy Group Inc.

CNA Financial Corp.

Chevron Corp.

Children's Defense Fund

Consolidated Edison Inc.

Dominion Energy Inc.

Exelon Corp.

Georgetown University

Nat= ional Association for the Advancement of Colored People

National Grid plc

Natural Resources Defense Coun= cil

Nautilus Insurance Co.

New York State Electric & G= as Corp.

Paypal Holdings Inc.

Pfizer Inc.

PrimeSource Building Products = Inc.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitutio= n

The Leadership C= onference on Civil & Human Rights

Trump Organization Inc.

Twitter Inc.

Utilities Inc.

Venmo LLC


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LAW = FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow

Miller Miller & Canby

Sanchez-Medina Gonzalez

Stone Law Group Trial Lawyers

Susman Godfrey

The Paul Woods Law Firm

GOVE= RNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Equal Employment Opportun= ity Commission

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Energy Regulatory Co= mmission

Internal Revenue Service

New York Attorney General'= s Office

South Carolina Attorney = General's Office

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Attorney's Office

U.S= . Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S= . Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana

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

U.S. Court of Appea= ls for the Eleventh Circuit

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

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. District Cour= t for the District of Arizona

U.S. District Court= for the District of Hawaii

U.S. Distric= t Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. Distri= ct Court for the District of South Carolina

U.S. Dist= rict Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. Dist= rict Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. D= istrict Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. Dist= rict Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. Dis= trict Court for the Northern District of Illinois

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

U.S. Di= strict Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Environmental Protection= Agency

U.S. Navy

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

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