Don’t let the excellence of those around you go unrecognized. It only takes a few minutes to nominate a colleague who stands out in the crowd. The Indianapolis legal community is fortunate to be home to many talented, dedicated professionals, and we need your help in identifying the best of the best. 

Nominations are encouraged for the following IndyBar awards via a single online application form that only takes a few minutes to complete.

After a successful debut in 2022, IDEM and the IndyBar Environmental Law Section hosted their second annual Update and Emerging Issues Seminar. The seminar brings IDEM staff and local practitioners together to discuss pressing topics outside the context of individual cases. 

In late May 2023, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Sackett v. EPA, 143 S.Ct. 1322. The issue before the Court was whether the Sacketts violated the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) by backfilling their property with dirt and rocks before building a home. The Court answered this question in the negative, concluding they did not violate the CWA.

The National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) was signed into law on January 1, 1970 and requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions. On July 31, 2023, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) published its proposed rule titled “Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule” in the Federal Register to “revise, update and modernize” the NEPA implementing regulations. This proposed rulemaking is known as Phase 2 of CEQ’s amendments to the NEPA regulations. 

PFAS litigation continues to pick up steam, with several recent settlements announced.The Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) multi-district litigation based in Charleston, South Carolina generated major settlements in June. Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva reached a tentative agreement to resolve all PFAS-related drinking water claims with a class of U.S. public water systems.

Congratulations and best wishes to these IndyBar members on their career moves and accomplishments! Have something to share? Email Julie Armstrong to be featured.

 
Taft welcomes Elizabeth Little as an attorney in the firm's Bankruptcy and Restructuring group in the Indianapolis office. She provides integrated and strategic legal counsel on financial matters, including complex financial transactions, corporate debt restructurings, related litigation matters, and commercial contracts.

 
Chad Oswald has joined Dentons in Indianapolis as of counsel. A member of Dentons’ Commercial Litigation practice, Chad focuses his practice on fiduciary, commercial and real estate disputes. He also represents small businesses, shareholders, closely held business members and large corporations in complex commercial litigation.
 

ChatGPT is all anyone can seem to talk about these days, from grandmas to grade schoolers.  That is how you know when a technology has captured the popular zeitgeist. Now, if you haven’t used it yet, or are unfamiliar with it, ChatGPT is what is called a ‘generative AI’ tool, that is rendered in the form of a chatbot.

The nomination period has begun for the 2024 Boards of Directors for the Indianapolis Bar Association AND the Indianapolis Bar Foundation. There are also opportunities for service with the Association's Section and Division Executive Committees.  Volunteering with IndyBar is an invaluable opportunity to play a role in the future of our legal community.

The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train has remained in the national spotlight since the incident occurred on February 3, 2023. An overheated wheel bearing caused the train to derail, resulting in thirty-eight cars becoming derailed. Eleven of those cars were carrying hazardous chemicals. 

On May 4, 2023, Governor Holcomb signed House Bill 1623 into law as Public Law 249, which limits state regulation of coal combustion residuals. The new law precludes the adoption of rules surrounding the disposal of coal combustion residuals in landfills or surface impoundments that are more stringent than applicable federal standards.