On November 18, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted an injunction blocking enforcement of SB 261, the California law requiring certain companies to biennially report their climate-related financial...more
11/20/2025
/ Appeals ,
Appellate Courts ,
California ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
First Amendment ,
Greenwashing ,
Injunctions ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
In late September 2025, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, joined by 15 other state attorney generals, sent letters to several major technology companies launching an investigation into their renewable energy claims....more
11/19/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenwashing ,
Investigations ,
Net Zero ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Attorneys General ,
Sustainability ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On September 24, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a preliminary list of companies that it believes may fall within the scope of California’s climate disclosure laws, SB 253 (greenhouse gas emissions...more
10/10/2025
/ California ,
California Air Resources Board ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Compliance Dates ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Guidance ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government
Morrison Foerster’s State and Local Government Task Force is pleased to provide our bimonthly newsletter summarizing some of the most important and interesting developments from state attorneys general (“State AGs”) across...more
10/9/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automatic Renewals ,
Consumer Fraud ,
Deep Fake ,
Electronic Payment Transactions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Online Safety for Children ,
Payment Systems ,
Robocalling ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General
Morrison Foerster’s State and Local Government Task Force is pleased to provide our bimonthly newsletter summarizing some of the most important and interesting developments from state attorneys general (“State AGs”) across...more
8/5/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Justice ,
Financial Fraud ,
Fraud ,
Gambling ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Sports Betting ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Morrison Foerster’s State and Local Government Enforcement team is pleased to provide our bimonthly newsletter summarizing some of the most important and interesting developments from state attorneys general (“State AGs”)...more
6/4/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Climate Change ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Deep Fake ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Online Safety for Children ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
State Attorneys General
Litigation involving climate-related claims and initiatives remains a source of exposure for companies across all sectors. As the Trump administration reshuffles federal priorities, we expect that consumer litigation and...more
6/2/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Litigation ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Greenwashing ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
State Attorneys General ,
Trump Administration
As we continue into 2025, state attorneys general (AGs) will play a pivotal role in shaping environmental policy and enforcement. With anticipated resistance to environmental regulation rollbacks and a continued focus on...more
The New York Attorney General (NYAG) is expected to increase enforcement actions in 2025, especially with the enactment of several new laws designed to strengthen consumer protection and employment. At the federal level, the...more
2/25/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Climate Change ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenwashing ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
State Attorneys General
As climate adaptation and mitigation costs escalate, a wave of state climate superfund legislation is emerging across the United States. This novel approach to climate accountability, pioneered by Vermont and New York,...more
2/20/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
CERCLA ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Superfund
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on January 23, 2025, that it is reinstating its legacy notification procedure as of February 7, 2025, providing a streamlined alternative to permits for...more
2/18/2025
/ Agricultural Sector ,
APHIS ,
Biotechnology ,
Compliance ,
CRISPR ,
Final Rules ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
Innovation ,
Life Sciences ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USDA
Morrison Foerster’s State and Local Government Task Force is pleased to provide our bimonthly newsletter summarizing some of the most important and interesting developments from state attorneys general (State AGs) across the...more
1/9/2025
/ American Bar Association (ABA) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Biometric Information ,
Class Action ,
Competition ,
Data Privacy ,
Diversity ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
FCC ,
Investment Management ,
PFAS ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
Robocalling ,
State Attorneys General ,
Telecommunications ,
Textiles ,
The Clayton Act ,
Trump Administration
The year 2024 remained a busy one for state attorneys general (State AGs) and 2025 promises to be even busier. To assist in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and defense lawyers navigate the 2025 State AG enforcement...more
1/7/2025
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emerging Technologies ,
Environmental Policies ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Merger Controls ,
Monopolization ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Social Media ,
State Attorneys General ,
Trump Administration ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On December 16, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) called for public comment on key issues related to the implementation of California’s two major climate disclosure bills, the Climate Corporate Data...more
12/23/2024
/ CARB ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Comment Period ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Covered Entities ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement ,
First Amendment ,
Governor Newsom ,
Public Comment ,
Voluntary Disclosure
In a decision that raises significant questions about the future oversight of genetically engineered (GE) plants in the United States, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday, December 2,...more
12/9/2024
/ Agricultural Sector ,
APHIS ,
Appeals ,
Bioengineering ,
Crops ,
DNA ,
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
Modification ,
Plant Based Products ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
USDA
Last year, California passed three first-in-the-nation climate laws imposing disclosure obligations on thousands of companies with a presence in California. In October of 2023, California signed into law AB 1305, requiring...more
Effective as of yesterday, July 8, 2024, two widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are deemed hazardous substances under the Comprehensive...more
7/9/2024
/ CERCLA ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
National Enforcement Initiatives (NEIs) ,
OECA ,
PFAS ,
Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
The Biden Administration released a landmark Joint Policy Statement and Principles on May 28, 2024, formalizing the U.S. government’s approach to advancing high-integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets (“VCMs”) and affirming the...more
Alongside rapid advances in biotechnology that are improving fine-tuned genetic engineering in plants, regulation for such plants is also rapidly evolving, including several important updates in the past year....more
On October 7, 2023, California took a significant step toward promoting transparency and integrity of voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) and climate-related claims by enacting Assembly Bill 1305: the Voluntary Carbon Market...more
10/18/2023
/ California ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CFTC ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
European Parliament ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Green Guides ,
Net Zero ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State and Local Government
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two key climate bills as part of the California legislature’s broader Climate Accountability Package. The two laws—Senate Bill No. 253 (SB 253) and Senate Bill No. 261 (SB...more
Net zero goals and carbon neutrality have hit the mainstream, propelled over the past decade by consumer and investor demands that businesses curb greenhouse gas emissions to counter the climate crisis. In response, companies...more
In 2018, when former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb famously commented that “an almond doesn’t lactate,” he was adding perhaps the most colorful volley in a long-simmering debate about how the Food and Drug Administration...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking public comment on its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (“Green Guides” or “Guides”) as part of a 10-year review process. The FTC extended the public comment...more
The advent of AI is drastically changing the environmental law landscape. Until recently, it was nearly impossible to track the environmental impacts of corporate activities or products. The sheer immensity and complexity of...more