A Minnesota appeals court upheld a lower court decision allowing protestors who face felony charges for shutting down a petroleum pipeline to assert the "necessity" defense. The protestors claimed their actions were necessary to prevent environmental harm caused by the use of fossil fuels, particula...

A Texas court, ruling on a petition for pre-suit discovery, held that it would have jurisdiction over a major oil corporation's potential lawsuit against several California cities that have filed suit against it relating to climate change. The company's potential claims would allege, among other thi...

A Wisconsin appellate court held that an insurer had no duty to defend a manufacturing company for various environmental cleanup costs. The insurer issued the company multiple excess insurance policies, all of which provide a duty to defend only if an occurrence is covered under the excess insurance...

The Federal Circuit held that the U.S. government is not liable for flood damages that property owners in the New Orleans area incurred following Hurricane Katrina. The property owners filed suit under the Tucker Act, alleging that the government's construction and operation of the Mississippi River...

A Colorado court, on motions for summary judgment, held that state and federal law preempt portions of a city ordinance concerning the regulation of oil and gas development within its boundaries. The provisions for minimum setbacks prohibit what state regulations would allow. As such, they are preem...

The Eighth Circuit held that a lower court must hold a new trial with respect to a family's claims for punitive damages against a former manufacturing company for tricholorethylene contamination that allegedly caused their daughter to develop autoimmune hepatitis. The contamination occurred between ...