Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva will pay New Jersey up to $2bn to settle environmental claims related to PFAS, otherwise known as "forever chemicals." The settlement, announced by State Environmental Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, is the largest in the state's history. It includes $875m over 25 years and a remediation fund of up to $1.2bn. DuPont said the agreement resolves all pending claims for legacy contamination at four sites. LaTourette emphasised accountability for polluters, observing: "Polluters who place profit above public well-being . . . can expect to be held responsible." PFAS are persistent in the environment and pose health risks.

 

New Jersey Herald

NJ.com

U.S. News

UPS and its affiliates have agreed to pay $1.7m to settle a lawsuit filed by district attorneys from 45 California counties regarding the improper disposal of hazardous waste. The lawsuit, initiated after a lengthy investigation into 140 UPS locations, accused the company of irresponsibly placing hazardous and medical waste in regular trash bins, which were then sent to unsuitable landfills. The Riverside County district attorney's office noted that UPS was cooperative and has since implemented new waste management systems and training for employees. “The safety of our employees and communities, and care for our environment, are the highest priorities at UPS,” the company said. The settlement includes $1.4m in civil penalties, $140,000 for cost reimbursement, and $205,000 for environmental projects.

 

Los Angeles Times

The Culinary Workers Union, representing 60,000 hospitality workers in Nevada, has achieved a significant milestone by unionizing all major casinos on the Las Vegas Strip for the first time in its 90-year history. The victory follows a change in ownership at the Venetian, which had resisted union efforts for 25 years. “Together, we've shown that change can be a positive force,” said Patrick Nichols, president and CEO of the Venetian. The new contracts secured a historic 32% pay increase over five years, with workers earning an average of $35 hourly by the end of the contract. Despite national declines in union membership, the Culinary Union's success highlights its resilience and ability to adapt to the evolving casino industry. Ted Pappageorge, the union's secretary-treasurer, said: “It's always been our goal to make sure that this town is a union town.” However, challenges remain: some workers have expressed dissatisfaction with union leadership. 

 

U.S. News

Phillips 66 has been ordered by a California court to pay $800m in damages to Propel Fuels for stealing trade secrets to enhance its renewable fuel capabilities, with the penalty including $195m in punitive damages. The court described Phillips 66's actions as "reprehensible," noting that the company had exploited its bargaining power during acquisition discussions before launching its own competing products.

 

Reuters

The Huione Group, a Cambodian conglomerate known for selling insurance, money exchange, and financial services, has been described as a "critical node" for laundering at least $4bn from scams and crypto heists by the U.S. Treasury. The company's network has helped supercharge the growth of Asia's cyberscam industry into a multi-billion dollar behemoth. The U.S. Treasury has identified three entities as having played roles in helping criminal syndicates move illegitimate funds: Huione Pay, cryptocurrency exchange Huione Crypto, and online marketplace operator Haowang Guarantee (formerly Huione Guarantee). These entities function as a single entity, serving clients such as transnational crime organisations and the Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking group. The risks presented by Huione's association with illicit actors and transactions are based on either an absence of or ineffective anti-money laundering/know your customer (AML/KYC) policies and procedures.

 

Bloomberg

Alternative legal services providers are updating their offers as an increasing number of in-house legal teams plan to use generative artificial intelligence in the name of cost-cutting efficiency.

 

Financial Times

Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has significantly expanded its presence in Nashville by hiring 20 lawyers from the litigation boutique Neal & Harwell, including 15 partners. The move is set to enhance WBD's litigation capabilities, with the majority of the new recruits joining the firm's business litigation group. Merrick Benn, WBD's US Chair and CEO, said: “Their arrival will immediately strengthen our trial bench by bringing decades of litigation experience.” Notable partners include Ben Aaron, who has expertise in personal injury and commercial disputes, and Bill Ramsey, who has over 40 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Ramsey expressed enthusiasm about the transition, saying: “This is an exciting new chapter for our team.”

 

The Global Legal Post

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the leading Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has reached out to IRS Commissioner Billy Long regarding potential audits of Jeffrey Epstein's tax planning activities. Wyden highlighted that Epstein, who was not a qualified accountant or tax attorney, received hundreds of millions of dollars for his services, adding: "It is unthinkable that these transactions [...] were never audited or investigated." Wyden is seeking a comprehensive list of IRS audits related to Epstein, including the status and outcomes of these investigations, as well as an assessment of whether Epstein's tax planning was ever evaluated by IRS professionals.

 

Bloomberg Tax

Accounting Today

Bharath Mohan has joined McGuireWoods as a partner in its private equity practice in New York. He represents private equity and growth equity firms, as well as multinational corporations, advising on complex transactions. Mohan has extensive experience leading deal teams in cross-border agreements across the United States, Europe, Central America, and Asia. Previously, he was with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

 

Bloomberg Law

Olivier Guersent, the outgoing head of the European Commission's antitrust unit, has said regulatory scrutiny may soon bear down on Big Tech so-called 'acquirehire' deals where start-ups' founders and senior managers are hired rather than the companies being acquired. Instances include Microsoft's $650m deal to hire most of the employees of AI start-up Inflection. Guersent said acquihires can be considered a merger as staff are part of a company's assets, and the Commission was pushing national agencies with call-in powers to act. Such powers allow them to refer below-EU threshold mergers to the EU enforcer. "So we need to be patient and have enough member states that have call-in provisions and use them. But we are working on it. Within the [European Competition Network], we are actively encouraging it to do so," Guersent said.

 

Reuters

High-profile investor Ray Dalio has expressed his concern regarding the recent dismissal of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer by U.S. President Donald Trump. Dalio said he would likely have taken similar action, citing doubts about the quality of economic data, but emphasized the need for transparency, saying: "It would be good if President Trump made his thinking clear." Critics, including J.P. Morgan's chief U.S. economist Michael Feroli, have warned that such political interference could undermine trust in official economic data. Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, described the current methods for calculating employment figures as "obsolete and error-prone," and is advocating for significant reforms to how the government assesses economic conditions.

 

U.S. News