Inflation Reduction Act
Thinking about Hiring Interns? New Case Reminds Employers of Rules on Interns
To listen to the podcast, please click here . Following similar decisions involving Hearst Corporation and Viacom, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York recently granted conditional certification of a potential nation-wide class of approximately 3,000 current...
East Africa Licensing Update
When bidding in Tanzania's 4 th Offshore Licensing Round was officially closed on 15 May, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) announced bids by CNOOC, RAK Gas, ExxonMobil/Statoil, Mubadala and Gazprom and with other licensing rounds in the region scheduled...
Has the Sun been Shining too Brightly in the UK?
Last week (13 th May) the Department of Energy & Climate Change (" DECC ") unveiled proposals to " maintain the growing momentum behind renewable electricity investment in the UK, while continuing to deliver value for money for consumers. "...
Mexican President Submits Legislation to Congress for Implementation of Constitutional Energy Reforms
Following the historic constitutional energy reforms passed by the Mexican Congress in December 2013, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto submitted on April 30, 2014 for the consideration and approval of the Mexican Congress the secondary legislation (the "Legislation") that will...
Supreme Court Upholds EPA's Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
To listen to the podcast, please click here . In a 6-2 decision, the United States Supreme Court upheld EPA's justification for the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), breathing life back into the rule that had been vacated by...
Appeals Court Upholds FTC Merger Challenge
To listen to the podcast, please click here . On April 22, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a decision of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finding that the merger of two hospital systems in...
SEC Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation Initiative Targets Issuers and Underwriters with a “Prisoner’s Dilemma”
To listen to the podcast, please click here . On March 10, 2014, the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation Initiative (MCDC) – an offer for municipal issuers and their underwriters...
Distress in the Defense Industry: Opportunities and Obstacles
To listen to the podcast, please click here . The U.S. defense industry is facing a new battle – financial distress. Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and Iraq combined with reductions in the defense budget and sequestration have taken...
Texas Greenhouse Gas Regulations Go Into Effect
On April 17, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's new greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations became effective, establishing the framework for a new GHG permitting program at TCEQ, which the agency hopes to begin implementing in the summer of 2014. Before...
Spill Prevention under the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule
We've blogged about the scope of EPA's proposed Waters of the United States rule and whether it provides any additional clarity to the current regulatory scheme. With this post, we'll start to outline some direct potential impacts on different segments...
CFTC Seeks Input on Dodd-Frank Implementation Issues Affecting Energy End-Users
With most of its rules implementing the swap regulatory provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank") in place, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") is seeking new public input on several aspects of its Dodd-Frank...
Proposed "Waters of the U.S." Rule: Can Significant Nexus Be Clarified?
On March 31 , we discussed that, at best, EPA's and the Corps' proposed rule defining what waters fall under federal jurisdiction provides only partial clarity. The agencies have done little to clarify the circumstances in which there is no...
Proposed "Waters of the U.S." Rule Improves Regulatory Clarity - In Part
On March 28, we looked at the question of whether the rule proposed by the U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers redefining their Clean Water Act jurisdiction was just a restatement of the current law. Today we will look...
What do "Abacus Guy," Mom, and Computers That Say "Stop!" Have in Common? They May be Unpatentable Abstract Ideas.
To listen to the podcast, please click here . Nine Justices of the Supreme Court and three oral advocates held over 100 spectators at bay for just over an hour as they debated—of all things—patents. Today’s case, Alice Corp. vs...
Texas One Step Closer to Obtaining Authority to Issue GHG Air Permits
As anticipated, on March 26, 2014, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) adopted rules to implement House Bill 788, which required the Commission to establish greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rules. The new rules will become effective on April 17...