In an intriguing new development, Gabon, a Central African country, has taken over the oil business, effectively overriding an existing $1.3 billion agreement with a French energy company. The international legal community has largely supported Gabon’s move, with legal experts involved stipulating that Gabon is within its rights to assume control of the oil company,…
At least 49 people have been killed in a remote Papua New Guinea Highlands region, making it likely one of the deadliest recent massacres in the region, according to reports from Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Papua New Guinea’s National Broadcasting Corporation. The massacre took place in Wapenamanda, a remote village in the Enga Province,…
Husch Blackwell, a leading law firm, has secured two significant additions to its energy and natural resources industry group with the recruitment of Brian Potts and David Zoppo. These two individuals will be joining the team as partners, enhancing the firm’s capabilities in its Madison, Wis., office. According to the announcement by Husch Blackwell, Brian…
Reed Smith has expanded its team with the addition of Luis Fortuño and Juliya Arbisman, both joining the firm as partners after stepping away from their previous roles at Steptoe, according to official statements made by the firm on Thursday. Partner Luis Fortuño becomes part of the regulatory and investigations practice based in Washington, D.C….
On January 17, 2024, the US Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases, Loper Bright Enterprises, Inc. v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, challenging the legal principle known as Chevron deference. This principle, established in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, holds that courts should defer to a federal agency’s…
On January 17, the US Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments for two notable cases: Relentless v. Department of Commerce and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. Legal professionals view these as opportunities for the current court to rethink the judicial doctrine of Chevron deference, which guides courts to defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous…
On 17th January, the United States Supreme Court engaged in a heated argument on whether to overturn one of the foundational cases that govern how government agencies interpret laws. The culmination of this debate could dramatically impact the functionality of the government going forward. Forty years ago, in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the…
The Supreme Court appears on the precipice of overturning 40 years of legal precedence by dismantling the Chevron deference doctrine, a decision that might alter the course of administrative law in the United States. Named for the case of Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc, 467 U.S. 837 (1984), the rule of…
The fate of the 40-year-old doctrine that courts should defer to federal regulators, more commonly known as the Chevron doctrine, was put into question in the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. A conservative-led campaign against the practice has apparently run into headwinds as predictions of a ‘litigation tsunami’ ensued and justices voiced concerns about a…
Crowell & Moring, a significant player in the legal sphere, has recently expanded its environment, energy, and natural resources practice group with a new partner, Ruta Kalvaitis Skučas as reported on Bloomberg Law. Before shifting to Crowell & Moring, Skučas was associated with K&L Gates. Beyond her stint at K&L Gates, she has been advising…
The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in two significant cases that could redefine the court’s deference to executive agency powers in interpreting ambiguities in federal laws. Central to these two cases is the requirement for herring fisheries to fund observers used in governmental overfishing monitoring efforts. The two cases in discussion are Loper Bright…
The Supreme Court’s Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council ruling has constituted a legal pillar for almost four decades, guiding courts to defer to a government agency’s reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute. However, recent oral argumentation over three and a half hours suggests an altered trajectory, making the survival of the rule, known as…
On Wednesday morning, U.S. Supreme Court justices tackled the complex question of whether to reevaluate a longstanding precedent that gives preference to federal agencies’ interpretations during rulemaking procedures typically referred to as “Chevron deference“. The discussion surrounding Chevron deference is a contentious topic within the realm of administrative law. It originates from the landmark 1984…
On Monday, a court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, convicted four land rights activists, associated with the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC), of provoking a so-called “peasant revolution”. The Cambodian government accused the activists of plotting against the state, as a result of the activists’ discussion on the historical course of wealth distribution and land…
In the face of a generally sluggish deals market, 2023 managed to present notable moments. The year was marked by significant activity in the energy sector, largely benefitting from commodity prices, while the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors also excelled, thanks to strong balance sheets bolstered by pandemic-related cash inflows. Notably, overall deals activity dropped by…
London’s High Court has recently declared Dechert and former partner Neil Gerrard “100% responsible” for the superfluous workload while representing their previous client, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC). Justice Waksman, presiding over the case, disclosed during the hearing that Dechert and Gerrard had sought to lessen the costs they were accountable for. However, as it…
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a well-established law firm, has started discussions regarding the possibility of opening a new office in Houston. This would be the firm’s first ever branch in Texas. The move appears to be a strategic decision to strengthen the firm’s standing within the energy deals market. The law firm, currently…
Dec. 14, 2023 – In a move likely to strengthen the firm’s environment and natural resources practice, Juge Gregg, formerly senior corporate counsel for Amazon, has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner, the firm announced this Thursday. During his tenure at Amazon, Gregg served on the sustainability legal team providing legal guidance on the…
Global law firms Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling have recently merged, forming one of the largest players within the legal sector. With this significant combination, the top leadership positions within the firm are now up for election, with as many as eight prominent partners competing for the roles of the managing partner and…
Top multinational law firm, K&L Gates, has recently welcomed two highly experienced Justice Department lawyers, Varu Chilakamarri and Michael Culhane Harper, to the firm’s D.C. office. This strategic move is set to significantly strengthen K&L Gates’s environment, land, and natural resources practice, as well as its white collar defense and investigations practice. Varu Chilakamarri joins…
Two veteran lawyers from the Justice Department have transitioned their careers, joining K&L Gates firm in Washington, D.C., thus becoming the latest in a series of departures from the federal agency as the presidential election year looms. Varu Chilakamarri has joined K&L Gates’ environment, land, and natural resources practice, while Michael Harper has become part…
As the landscape of world legal matters continues to shift, these recent developments have made the headlines: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s former global head of tax, Ulf Johannemann, is “highly likely” to be found guilty of aiding and abetting tax fraud, according to a senior judge in Germany. The landmark trial has been in session in…
Maurice Thompson, head of energy, maritime and natural resources in Australia for Clyde & Co, along with the majority of his team, are set to depart the firm for Holman Fenwick Willan. Thompson, who is also based in Melbourne, leads the Australian aviation group and the global drones group at Clyde & Co. He will…
Continuing a recent trend of departures, Clyde & Co’s head of energy, maritime and natural resources in Australia, Maurice Thompson, is set to leave the firm for Holman Fenwick Willan along with most of his team. This move marks one of a series of high-profile partner departures from Clyde & Co. Maurice Thompson, who also…
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Prairie Valley Disposal, Inc., (Prairie Valley) have entered into an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) on October 24th. The matter in question centers around an alleged infringement of the Missouri Air Conservation Law, according to case reference No. APCP-2023-026. This update is noteworthy for legal professionals in…