On April 19, 2024, EPA announced its highly anticipated final rule designating two polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS")—perfluorooctanoic acid ("PFOA") and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid ("PFOS")—as "hazardous substances" under...more
4/22/2024
/ CERCLA ,
Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure
On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced its highly anticipated final National Drinking Water Regulation ("NPDWR") for six per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), which establishes...more
The Situation: In 2019, Congress amended the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA") to require the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to promulgate a reporting rule on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"). EPA...more
12/12/2023
/ Contamination ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Importers ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retroactive Application ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") recently issued an enforcement policy cautioning companies engaged in "negative option marketing" of potential legal action if the sign-up process for subscription services fails to...more
The Background: In recent years, the scientific and regulatory communities have paid increasing attention to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), which have been common components for decades in consumer and...more
The Situation: Under the Class Action Fairness Act, the Department of Justice may object to federal class action settlements it believes are unfair or inequitable to unnamed class members.
The Result: In the past year,...more
The Situation: Recently amended Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e)(2) requires courts to analyze several factors in evaluating whether to approve class settlements.
The Result: Class action settlements that would...more
The Court's decision reinforces the inflexibility of the Federal Rules' deadline to file petitions for permission to appeal and cautions against reliance on equitable principles, even where diligence and good cause may exist....more
3/7/2019
/ Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Collective Actions ,
Decertification ,
Equitable Tolling ,
Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure ,
Filing Deadlines ,
FRCP 23(f) ,
Interlocutory Appeals ,
Motion for Reconsideration ,
Nutraceutical Corp v Lambert ,
SCOTUS
In a victory for class action defendants, the United States Supreme Court's decision in Microsoft Corp. v. Baker puts an end to plaintiffs' manufactured appeals as of right from denials of class certification. The Court's...more
6/27/2017
/ Appeals ,
Article III ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Final Judgment ,
FRCP 23 ,
Interlocutory Appeals ,
Microsoft v Baker ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Voluntary Dismissals