Expert Analysis

• Ambiguity In 'Buy America' Implementation May Slow Projects

  

  The White House Office of Management and Budget's most recent guidance, which builds on a complex patchwork of Buy America restrictions that vary by federal agency, would perpetuate government contractors' uncertainty regarding product and material classification and could delay infrastructure projects, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.

• La. Suit Could Set New Enviro Justice Litigation Paradigm

  

  Inclusive Louisiana v. St. James Parish, a lawsuit filed recently in Louisiana federal court that makes wide-ranging and novel constitutional and statutory claims of environmental racism based on centuries of local history, could become a new template for environmental justice litigation against governments and businesses, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• The Legal Consequences Of High PFAS Background Levels

  

  As federal and state regulations around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances proliferate, emerging scientific literature is showing that PFAS exist in many environments at background levels that exceed regulatory limits — and the potential legal implications are profound, say Grant Gilezan and Paul Stewart at Dykema and Dylan Eberle at Geosyntec Consultants.

• IRS Green Energy Tax Credit Notice Provides Needed Clarity

  

  Recent IRS guidance clarifying how the government will determine energy community locations for purposes of bonus clean energy tax credits should help resolve risk allocation disagreements among financing parties and parties to merger and acquisition transactions, say Casey August and Paul Gordon at Morgan Lewis.

• How State Laws Are Taking On Clean Energy Project Protests

  

  By enacting legislation that streamlines siting and permitting for large-scale renewable energy infrastructure projects, states like Illinois, New York and California are keeping approval processes out of the reach of "not in my backyard" opponents and increasing the probability of meeting ambitious climate goals, says Bo Mahr at Husch Blackwell.

• Evaluating The Legal Standing Of Natural Elements

  

  Wednesday's observance of World Water Day invites questions about anthropocentric or ecocentric approaches to the rights of natural elements as thinking shifts about the legal standing of such resources, say Susan Lutzker at Lutzker & Lutzker and Thomas Wallentin at Kunz Wallentin.

• How Crypto-Friendly Bank Failures Will Change Tech Industry

  

  The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital are likely to result in significant shifts in how the global tech industry and its financial partners address legal, compliance, regulatory and business risks, says Erin Bryan at Dorsey & Whitney.

• Insureds Must Prep For Drought-Related Service Interruptions

  

  Amid the ongoing U.S. water crisis, corporate policyholders must prepare for the emerging risk of service interruption property damage and time element loss, including through careful examination of their current and renewal property policies, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

• How To Select The Right Arbitrator For A Construction Dispute

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  In construction disputes, selecting an arbitrator is a critical decision with many nuances to consider, as different types of potential panelists all come with their own experiences, views and possible biases, says Edward Gentilcore at Blank Rome.

• Liquefied Natural Gas Outlook: Industry Under Pressure

  

  While last year saw a remarkable turnaround in the liquefied natural gas market, with strong demand for U.S. LNG projects, the industry must now confront problems including increased credit and construction costs, and the possibility of fewer LNG conversions due to higher prices, say Monica Hwang and Silvia Smith at O'Melveny.

• Bid Protest Spotlight: Lessons For Joint Ventures

  

  In this month's bid protest roundup, Alissandra McCann at MoFo examines recent decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims of particular significance to joint ventures, concerning past performance evaluation and misrepresentation, and registration in the System for Award Management.

• India's Budget Proposals May Ease Entry For Certain Sectors

  

  India’s recently released budget includes proposals to facilitate doing business in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City and moderate thousands of compliance requirements, opening up new opportunities for foreign businesses in the digital infrastructure, manufacturing and renewable energy sectors, say Mukesh Butani and Seema Kejriwal at BMR Legal.

• Key Considerations For Appointing A Real Estate Receiver

  

  With commercial real estate loan distress expected to grow dramatically in the coming months, lenders should make sure to understand best practices for seeking appointment of a receiver over a defaulted property, say Dave Wald at Wald Realty Advisors and Mark Silverman at Locke Lord.