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Firm News 6 results

Firm News | 3 min read | 06.20.24

Environmental and Sustainability Lawyer Marcus Navin-Jones Joins Crowell & Moring’s Brussels Office

Marcus Navin-Jones has joined Crowell & Moring’s Environment and Natural Resources Practice Group as a senior counsel in the Brussels office, bringing in-depth experience advising on environmental and sustainability law issues.

Firm News | 9 min read | 06.06.24

Crowell Attains Leading Rankings in Chambers USA 2024

Washington – June 6, 2024: Crowell & Moring earned 78 rankings for 67 lawyers, as well as 41 national and statewide practice area rankings, in the Chambers USA 2024 guide. The rankings are driven by independent interviews of clients and lawyers at peer firms.
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Firm News | 3 min read | 12.14.23

Former Amazon Senior Sustainability Counsel Juge Gregg Joins Crowell & Moring

Juge Gregg, most recently senior corporate counsel on the sustainability legal team for Amazon, has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in the firm’s Environment and Natural Resources Practice Group.

Client Alerts 47 results

Client Alert | 3 min read | 07.02.24

The New Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

New EU legislation is about to be adopted which will require pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies to pay water pollution costs. More specifically, it will oblige those companies to pay for the clean-up and removal of micropollutants from effluent water. In addition, it will increase the risk of pharmaceutical and other companies facing legal damage-to-health claims. The new EU legislation – called the (Recast) Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (“New UWWTD”) – is expected to be formally adopted in Q3/4 of this year.
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Client Alert | 1 min read | 06.24.24

GSA Incentivizes FSS Contractors to Reduce Single-Use Plastic but Rejects Banning Plastic in Federal Procurement

On June 6, 2024, the General Services Administration (GSA) issued a final rule seeking to minimize the use of single-use plastic (SUP) packaging materials in goods procured through the Federal Supply Schedules (FSS).  Rather than instituting an outright ban on SUP packaging, GSA opted to incentivize FSS contractors to offer SUP-free products through providing a special icon in GSA Advantage for FSS contractors self-certifying that their products are SUP-free.  The final rule explains that the SUP-free icon is intended to act “as an important discriminator when buyers are making purchasing decisions” so that FSS contractors that adopt this voluntary measure will become more marketable in the federal procurement space.  While application of the final rule is limited to purchases from the FSS, GSA believes that the final rule will “also create positive spillovers as non-FSS contracting firms adopt similar policies to compete with FSS contractors in non-FSS markets.”  GSA also explained that the final rule is an “initial step” in providing more sustainable packaging and that the goal is to encourage other federal agencies to eventually adopt these practices into other government contracts.  Importantly, GSA will rely on self-certification that identified products are SUP-free and will not require any third-party verification, as the increased regulatory burden could discourage participation of small businesses.  The final rule is effective starting July 8, 2024.
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Client Alert | 7 min read | 05.13.24

SEC Enforcement Actions Signal Enhanced Scrutiny Around “AI Washing”

Over the past few years, the use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) has exploded across multiple industries and many financial services institutions have come to rely on AI—or claim to rely on AI—to generate, assist, and complete business objectives.  So, too, has the regulatory scrutiny around “AI washing,” or firms’ overstating or misrepresenting their use of AI to attract investors.  Similar to "greenwashing," where regulators have scrutinized public claims by companies that they are more environmentally friendly than they actually are, the concept of AI washing has come into sharp focus for the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), evidenced by multiple public warnings and two recent enforcement actions.
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Press Coverage 9 results

Press Coverage | 03.23.22

How to Prepare for SEC’s Climate-Related Disclosure Rule

Compliance Week

Press Coverage | 02.03.22

Watch: Are Businesses Living Up to ESG Requirements?

SupplyChainBrain

Publications 9 results

Publication | 01.10.24

Environmental: Litigating the Biden Climate Agenda

Litigation Forecast 2024
When it comes to environmental laws and regulations, the only question is when—not if—the courts will be asked to resolve contentious issues. Such is the case with a rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, under the Clean Air Act, to limit the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel-fired power plants.
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Events 6 results

Event | 02.27.24 - 03.01.24

ESG in Energy, Trade and Supply Chain: Cleaner, Greener and More Responsible

Join us in Houston to connect with hundreds of international attorneys from some of the most distinguished law firms, energy companies, and governmental institutions worldwide. Together, we will explore current issues in energy and cutting-edge strategies to address them.

Event | 01.29.24, 12:30 PM CET - 5:30 PM CET

Navigating Towards Sustainable Value Creation: Challenges and Opportunities for Governance

In collaboration with GUBERNA and IBJ

Event | 05.04.23 - 05.05.23

Canadian Bar Association Environmental, Energy and Resources Summit

Crowell Partner Ellie Dawson will be speaking on a panel at the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Summit. The summit will be taking place May 4-5, 2023. Ellie's panel, "The ABC's of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance)," will take place on May 4 at 4:00pm-5:00pm. The summit is presented by the CBA Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section.

Webinars 19 results

Webinar | 05.21.24, 12:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT

Climate Change in 2024: Inflation Reduction Act and Other Key Developments

Coming off of the hottest year on record, policymaking and enforcement are becoming increasingly important in our country’s ongoing quest to balance environmental protection with consumer and industry interests. The infrastructure legislation and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 are both seen as major steps forward for U.S. federal climate law and our efforts to reduce emissions. On the heels of those bills have been a series of pieces of guidance – related both to the implementation of those bills as well as agency guidance, including the SEC’s finalized climate disclosure rule.

Webinar | 04.10.24

ESG and Sustainability Roundtable ABA SEERies: Sustainability Claims and Greenwashing Risks

Join the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) for the new "ESG and Sustainability Roundtable SEERies," where hot topics related to environmental, social, governance, and sustainability developments in the U.S. and beyond will be discussed. Each session will cover a key topic or development in this space and provide attendees with the chance to hear and learn from practitioners and experts across different sectors, industries, and jurisdictions. These events will also include breakout sessions, featuring in-house-only breakouts that give attendees opportunities to discuss and collaborate with their counterparts in other organizations under the Chatham House Rule.

Webinar | 09.13.22, 8:00 AM EDT - 9:00 AM EDT

ESG and Insurers: Understanding the Current Landscape and the Risks Ahead

ESG is a major challenge for insurers. All businesses are being called upon to reevaluate their products and purpose, including their role as employers of diverse, engaged workforces. Plaintiffs’ counsel have already begun to take advantage of changing regulatory and consumer expectations, and ESG-related claims are being pursued in the courts over a wide range of issues. Not only are insurers figuring out how to help others manage these risks, they’re also trying to determine the many ways ESG affects them. 
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Speaking Engagements 10 results

Blog Posts 3 results

Blog Post | 02.24.22

European Commission Issues a Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence

Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law

Blog Post | 02.17.22

U.S. Senators Introduce the Slave-Free Business Certification Act

Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law

Blog Post | 01.18.22

Will New York’s Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act Set a Trend?

Crowell & Moring’s Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer

Podcasts 1 result

Podcast | 01.24.23

Fastest 5 Minutes Special Edition: Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Act in 2023

This special edition of the Fastest 5 Minutes podcast covers recent developments related to the Infrastructure Bill and Inflation Reduction Act, and key areas to watch in 2023. The podcast features a cross practice team of Crowell partners, so we offer perspectives from tax, energy, labor and employment, government contracts, ESG, environmental, and government affairs. Crowell & Moring's "Fastest 5 Minutes" is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without.
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