Introduction - A recent decision by Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) (“FCC”) has renewed important questions with respect to legal privilege, its varied conceptual and practical scopes and...more
Having 20/20 Vision For the New 2020 Global Low Sulfur Requirement for Low Sulfur Fuel for the Shipping Industry
Starting on January 1, 2020, most oceangoing commercial vessels (regardless of the cargo or purpose of the...more
On June 21, 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lucia et al. v. Securities and Exchange Commission, [1] that the appointment of certain administrative law judges (“ALJs”) was unconstitutional, and that those with matters...more
7/2/2018
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Administrative Proceedings ,
Appeals ,
Appointments Clause ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Final Written Decisions ,
Lucia v SEC ,
Officers of the United States ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Special Trial Judges (STJs)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently issued a decision that may be of interest to recyclers and others who generate or handle materials for recycling and reclamation. On July 7, 2017, in American Petroleum...more
Do you manufacture, distribute or sell products such as trash cans, cell phones, computers, furniture, watch bands, uniforms, sportswear, or office supplies that have labels claiming that the products are “antimicrobial” or...more
In assessing potential sanctions against corporations, prosecutors must decide whether and how to exercise their discretion when evaluating penalties to impose upon a company whose employees engaged in wrongdoing despite the...more
The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (“2015 Act”) became law in November 2015. The stated purpose of the 2015 Act is “to improve the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to...more
In accordance with direction from the Trump administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has published a final rulemaking delaying the effective date of 30 pending regulations until at least March 21,...more
2/2/2017
/ Biofuel ,
CERCLA ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FIFRA ,
RCRA ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
Renewable Fuel ,
Renewable Fuel Standard ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Trump Administration
In December of 2015 the Department of Justice (“DOJ”)and the Department of Labor jointly announced an expansion of the “Worker Endangerment Initiative” to address violations of worker safety and environmental laws. In...more
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) primary method of regulating ballast water and other discharges is the Vessel General Permit (VGP). Under its Clean Water Act authority, the EPA established the VGP to impose...more
This client alert is the fourth in a series that discusses the significant changes instituted by the passage of a new federal Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). The first alert addressed broadly the law’s myriad of changes....more
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), passed by Congress and signed into law in 1966, “established a policy of openness toward information within the control of the Executive Branch, and a presumption that such records...more
The federal district court in the state of Wyoming recently enjoined the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) from regulating hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), effectively ending, at least for now, the federal government’s...more
A case recently argued before the Ninth Circuit, Pakootas v. Teck Cominco Metals, Ltd., 9th Cir., No. 15-35228, could pave the way for a new theory of liability for parties who release air emissions during the course of...more
Imagine this hypothetical: A local fire marshal says to Mary Jones, who runs the residence halls at a major university, “It must be nice having seats at the Saturday football games.” Mary gets the message and thinks that if...more
On October 9, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a stay of the Obama Administration’s new rule defining the scope of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The stay postpones...more
Last week the Fifth Circuit issued a ruling that reduces uncertainty regarding criminal liability for taking migratory birds. In particular, the ruling alleviates potential liability for facilities where interactions with...more
On August 11, 2015, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California struck down a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the “Service”) regulation that increased the maximum duration of programmatic permits...more
On May 27, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) jointly released a final rule (the “Clean Water Rule”) redefining the scope of their shared jurisdiction under...more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) recently listed the northern long-eared bat (the “Bat”) as a “threatened” species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) and issued an interim “species-specific” rule...more
We have previously reported on cases in which opponents to energy projects continue to expand their challenges to include not just direct sponsors of the projects, but their financial supporters as well. In particular, we...more
Over the last three decades, federal agencies have increasingly used “interpretations” to “explain” what a formal regulation means, rather than to go through the more expensive, complicated and slow process of changing the...more
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently published two proposed regulations that may positively affect retailers and transporters, if implemented as proposed. In addition, PHMSA finalized a...more
In the K&L Gates’ Global Government Solutions 2014 Annual Outlook, we reported on a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California raising questions about whether inter-agency consultations...more
In 2007, the Supreme Court told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) it was wrong to conclude that it lacked the authority to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted from vehicles, because GHGs are an “air...more