In re Lipsky
The Supreme Court of Texas held that courts may consider all relevant circumstantial evidence when granting or denying an expedited motion to dismiss suits that could stifle a defendant's communication on matters of public concern under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA). The case arose aft...
Shell Offshore, Inc. v. Greenpeace, Inc.
A district court granted an oil company's motion for a temporary restraining order barring environmental activists from entering a 1,000 meter "safety zone" around three drilling vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone. The company alleged that Greenpeace USA is acting in concert with Greenpeace...
Coalition for Responsible Regulation, Inc. v. Environmental Protection Agency
The D.C. Circuit, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, No. 12-1146, 44 ELR 20132 (2014), amended a prior decision in which it upheld four EPA rulemakings governing greenhouse gases (GHGs). The four rules are: (1) EPA's endangerment finding, in which i...
Beardslee v. Inflection Energy, LLC
New York's highest court refused to extend hydraulic fracturing leases entered into between energy companies and landowners. The leases contained a "force majeure" clause, excusing the parties from nonperformance due to events outside their control, as well as "habendum clauses," establishing the pr...