On October 26, in the case of Day v. Johns Hopkins Health Sys. Corp., divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the District Court’s ruling that the common law “Witness Litigation Privilege” protects an expert witness in a Black Lung Benefits Act benefits proceeding…
Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Presidential Memorandum Promotes Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West
In a Memorandum dated October 19, 2018 and entitled Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West, the President has directed the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce to work together to minimize “unnecessary regulatory burdens and foster more efficient decision-making” so that major federal water projects…
Selected Environmental Actions Posted on the Fall 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulator Actions
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, housed in the Office of Management and Budget, has issued the Fall 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions to be taken over the next several months by federal executive departments and agencies. This report will highlight some of the environmental actions,…
In Ohio is a subcontractor’s faulty work covered under your CGL Policy?
In Ohio Supreme Court Finds Subcontractor’s Faulty Workmanship Causing Damage to the Work Itself Not Covered under CGL Policy, my colleague Matt Stockwell discusses a decision last week by the Ohio Supreme Court, in Ohio Northern University v. Charles Construction Services, Inc., that unfortunately narrowed the scope of insurance coverage for…
Terra FIRRMA: How Upcoming CFIUS Reform Will Impact the Real Estate Sector
The Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) is an inter-agency committee designed to review foreign investments that raise national security concerns. While you may have seen CFIUS play a role in prior transactions, upcoming expanded regulations will further impact acquisitions of U.S. real estate. How exactly will…
“The Rent Is Too Damn High.” Will California’s Proposition 10 Help?
In less than two weeks, California voters will decide whether to pass Proposition 10, which would allow cities and counties across the state to expand rent control. Supporters of the measure say it will protect tenants during a time of unprecedented housing affordability problems in California. Opponents argue that the…
The Great Clean Water Act Divide
Pillsbury attorneys Anthony Cavender and Amy Pierce recently published their Law360 article titled 6th Circ. Creates Deep Divide Over Reach Of CWA. Their article discusses recent decisions from the federal appellate courts that have raised new questions about the scope of Clean Water Act-related (CWA) issues that once seemed settled. These…
Ninth Circuit Holds that 1993 Budget Appropriations Language Does Not Compel the Corps of Engineers to use 1987 Wetlands Guidance Indefinitely
On September 21, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided the case of Tin Cup, LLC v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A divided panel of the Court of Appeals (although all members concurred in the result) held that legislative language in a 1993 appropriations act does…
Maximizing Insurance Recoveries When Loss is Imminent
In Hurricane Florence: Maximizing Insurance Recoveries, Pillsbury’s Joe Jean and Peter Gillon discuss the immediate and proactive steps affected businesses and other organizations should take to maximize their insurance recovery. 1. Obtain and Review Your Insurance Policies. 2. Assess All Possible Coverages. 3. Place All Insurers on Notice. 4. Document…
Fourth Circuit Issues New Ruling on Point Sources Under the CWA
The Clean Water Act (CWA) authorizes citizen suits to enforce the provisions of the law which requires a permit to discharge a pollutant from a point source into navigable waters. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Upstate Forever v. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, held that discharges…