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Inflation Reduction Act
Administrative Enforcement Reforms Continue
The current Administration has focused on reforming federal administrative agency enforcement by emphasizing transparency, due process, and fair notice. The concepts of due process and fair notice are well-established legal precepts, and they are critical to the regulated community. For...
HSR Notification Thresholds Increase for 2020
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has announced the annual revisions to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (“HSR Act”) thresholds, which will become effective on February 27, 2020. The revised thresholds will apply to any merger or acquisition closing on or...
JOAs: “Good Faith” and the implied qualification of express contractual powers
There have been a number of recent English Court decisions concerning implied obligations of good faith. In May 2019, we considered the potential impact of those decisions on joint operating agreements in the oil & gas industry (“ JOAs ”)...
The Global Sustainable Finance Movement
The present and future impacts of climate change, human rights violations, environmental, labor and regulatory violations and poor corporate governance on the quality of investments and credit risks have spurred widespread recognition of the importance of environmental, social and governance...
DOJ and FTC Propose Highly Anticipated Vertical Merger Guidelines
On January 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission released draft Vertical Merger Guidelines for public comment. The new guidelines, which will replace the outdated 1984 Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines, are intended to assist the business...
NEPA "Neat": The Proposed Rule, Distilled
The Administration has just issued a proposed rule that would amend the federal regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA applies to nearly every federal action of consequence, including federal projects, permits for private activity, grants, funding decisions...
Why Should I Care About the Federal Review Process as Long as I get my Permit?
In this webinar, we discussed why it is critical to actively participate in and influence the review process leading up to a federal permit decision. Getting a permit quickly may not be sufficient if the agency has made basic mistakes...
Staying Compliant in 2020 and Beyond - Drug Testing, Marijuana, and CBD Laws & Trends
Bracewell Partner Robert Nichols tackled the layers of drug testing laws and regulations affecting employers. Our webinar explored trends we see across the country and explain how to stay complaint no matter where your business operates. Special emphasis was given...
When Does it Pay to be Absent From Work? Developments in State and Local Paid Leave Requirements
Leslie Selig Byrd and Amber Dodds discuss the increasing number of state laws and local ordinances requiring paid leave benefits to employees. Many of these require a minimum number of hours of accrued paid time off for illness or preventative...
Not Just a Hashtag: Legislation Created by #MeToo
On November 5, 2019, Bracewell attorneys Amy Karff Halevy and Becky Baker discussed the ways in which sexual harassment and discrimination laws are dramatically changing at the state and local level in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The webinar...
Final Rule Imposes Expansive New Requirements for Liquid Pipelines
PHMSA recently finalized a rule that significantly revises certain aspects of liquid pipeline safety regulation under 49 CFR Part 195. Nearly nine years in the making, the final rule is intended to address PHMSA and NTSB accident investigation findings from...
Environmental Enforcement Defense 101
The federal and state environmental agencies have a vast array of enforcement tools with which they seek to impose penalties or require significant capital and process improvements on the part of the regulated community in circumstances where the agencies identify...
PHMSA Updates its Latest Enforcement Tool: Emergency Order Final Rule
On October 1, 2019, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA or the Agency) issued three long awaited final rules . This post addresses the Agency’s final rule on Emergency Orders , a significant new tool in PHMSA’s pipeline...
Integrated Exploration and Extraction Service Contracts: the new model to be used by Pemex to reactivate fields and increase production
The 2019-2023 Business Plan for Pemex and its Subsidiaries (the “Business Plan”) provides that Pemex aims to promote partnerships between the public and the private sectors under a risk-sharing scenario that expects to achieve optimal exploitation and increase crude oil...