Perspectives on Environmental

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 135 attorneys have been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2025, with two attorneys highlighted as “Lawyers of the Year” and 70 attorneys listed as “Ones to Watch.”

ArentFox Schiff advised Wintrust Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: WTFC) on its merger with Macatawa Bank Corporation. On August 1, the parties jointly announced the completion of their previously announced merger whereby Wintrust acquired Macatawa in an all-stock transaction.

Often motivated by the lack of federal engagement on environmental issues, various states have evaluated adding “Green Amendments” to their state constitutions. The practical impact of these amendments will be borne out as they are used and challenged in state courts.

Join ArentFox Schiff Partners, Bina Joshi and David Loring, as they discuss key takeaways from the “Safe CCS Act” and what it means for the future of carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and sequestration in Illinois.

With terms like “net zero” and “carbon positive” proliferating in marketing jargon across industries, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has recently stepped in to clarify what constitutes a “zero emissions” building.

On June 27, the US Supreme Court issued an opinion in SEC v. Jarkesy that limits the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) ability to administratively seek civil penalties against defendants for securities fraud.

Discussion of administrative law usually doesn’t happen at the dinner table. But a series of recent US Supreme Court decisions may have changed this introducing talk of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the importance of ‘Chevron’ deference to normal people far outside the legal academy.

In the latest installment of Five Questions, Five Answers, host Birgit Matthiesen sits down with Thomas Boylan, regulatory director at Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), to discuss the importance and benefits of transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs), specifically electric school buses, for public health, climate, and economic advantages.

On the final day of its term, the US Supreme Court rejected the principle of “administrative finality,” an additional blow to federal agencies after the Court rejected “Chevron deference” the previous day.

Governments are increasingly discussing climate change, including resilience to climate impacts and how to promote the energy transition.

Partner J. Michael Showalter was quoted on the US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the so-called Chevron deference, a 40-year-old doctrine giving federal agencies deference in interpreting laws.

On the second-to-last day of its term, the US Supreme Court issued its decisions in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Dep’t of Commerce.

A recent US Supreme Court decision, which grabbed headlines because it involved an abortion-related drug, with potential repercussions in litigation far-removed from health care due to the decision hinging on “standing,” i.e., when parties have been injured in a manner permitting them to sue.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 70 attorneys were recognized as leaders in their field and 23 practices spanning the firm’s litigation, regulatory, and transactional capabilities were ranked among the best in the country in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

On May 26, the Illinois legislature passed comprehensive carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) legislation.

On May 15, BIC USA Inc. was hit with a proposed class action in California federal court concerning allegations that some of its razors contain per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals.”

Climate change decisions continue to heat up as we head into summer 2024.

Juliana v. United States — brought by 21 children against the United States and alleging that the government has failed to adequately respond to climate change — has ping-ponged through the federal court system since 2015.

Amid a rise in state laws and regulations governing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), two congressional Democrats introduced the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act (FCRAA) in their respective chambers on April 18.

Partner David Loring was quoted by Law360 discussing the impact of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

On April 8, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued interim guidance for public comment regarding the destruction and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Below, we discuss the guidance and potential implications for PFAS remediation.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a suite of final rules aimed at reducing contamination, emissions, and discharges from coal- and gas-fired power plants on April 25.

Federal environmental enforcement can be civil, criminal, or both.

Earlier this week, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a new rule designating two per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Regulators at all levels are seeking to advance climate-change related policies. Of late, municipalities have increasingly sought to “decarbonize” buildings and related infrastructure through changes to building codes and legislation like “gas bans.”