Bracewell LLP

Bracewell?announced today that it has secured a major win for the firm’s client Denka Performance Elastomer (DPE) in the long-standing, scientifically flawed lawsuit brought by the Biden-era US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Denka is the sole US producer of Neoprene, a popular synthetic rubber used in many products, including autos and trucks, adhesives, medical devices, wetsuits and other applications. The LA-based plant uses the chemical chloroprene in the making of Neoprene. In February 2023, EPA filed an unprecedented lawsuit against Denka, relying on Section 303 of the Clean Air Act and seeking to shut down DPE’s facility. Bracewell successfully fended off EPA’s motion for preliminary injunction in 2023 and convinced the court to allow targeted discovery over the strenuous objections by EPA. Denka ultimately filed a motion for summary judgment that forced EPA to postpone a March 2024 trial on the merits in order to publish a final rule that singled out Denka’s facility for disparate treatment. In response to EPA’s new rule, Bracewell assisted Denka in obtaining an extension from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to comply with the rule’s extremely short compliance period and persuaded the Fifth Circuit to grant a stay preventing EPA from disregarding the LDEQ’s extension. EPA resumed the Imminent and Substantial Endangerment (ISE) litigation last fall and pushed to set a trial date for mid-April 2025. The agreement, announced on Friday, March 7, dismisses EPA’s case without a trial. “We are extremely pleased to have achieved this result for our client. Defending the company and securing the dismissal exemplifies Bracewell’s excellence in integrating legal, government relations and strategic communications services to achieve successful outcomes on environmental matters for our clients,” said?Jason B. Hutt, partner in Bracewell’s Washington, DC office and chair of the firm’s environment, lands and resources practice. “This was hard fought, cutting-edge litigation, and it ended with the proper result,” said?David Super, a Bracewell trial partner in Washington, DC. The result was achieved in close collaboration with Louisiana counsel, Jones Walker.

The US Treasury Department has announced a suspension of enforcement actions under the Corporate Transparency Act until the CTA’s reporting regime can be reformed through further rulemaking. Learn more from Ben Martin, Caroline W. Ellis and Gabriela Hindera in this Bracewell Update: https://hubs.ly/Q03bQhVj0 #cta #corporatetransparencyact #ustreasury

Bracewell was among the law firms honored for its role in McDermott International’s restructuring, which was named a finalist for Restructuring Deal of the Year for the 26th annual IFLR Europe Awards. Winners will be announced April 3 at a ceremony in London. Bracewell represented Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank on the successful refinancing of approximately $2.6 billion of letter of credit and term loan facilities. This matter, In re McDermott International, Inc., also recently won the American Bankruptcy Institute’s International Matter of the Year Award. Led by New York partner Jeris Diana Brunette, the Crédit Agricole CIB refinancing was implemented through a cross-border restructuring process, pursuant to a transaction support agreement among a steering committee of letter of credit issuers and lenders, and an ad hoc group of cross-over lenders, participants and shareholders agreed in September 2023. The refinancing, which closed on March 25, 2024, amends and extends the facilities through June 2027. #legalaward #financialrestructuring #iflr

New competition rules coming online in the UAE at the end of March could lead to increased legal filings and a rise in M&A activity. Learn more from Christopher Williams and Amelia Bowring in Aletihad: https://hubs.ly/Q03bHd8j0 #mna #uae #coprorateandsecurities

Senior principal Caitlin Sickles has been named the 2025 Young Alumna of the Year for Marquette University's Diederich College of Communication. This annual award honors recent graduates for outstanding professional achievement, leadership and community impact. A member of the firm's Policy Resolution Group (PRG), Caitlin specializes in message development, spokesperson training, advocacy strategy and reputation management. She leads PRG’s digital communications program, providing comprehensive brand development counsel, including sophisticated social media management and its use for effective advocacy. She is also recognized for her work outside the firm. She currently serves as president of the Calvary Women’s Services board of directors. Calvary is a Washington, DC nonprofit organization that provides housing as well as services like healthcare, education and job readiness programs to local women experiencing homelessness. #bracewell #womeninlaw #biglaw

What is significant about the US Supreme Court's recent ruling on the corporate piercing veil doctrine? Learn more from Rachel Goldman, Jonathon Hance, Russell Gallaro, Julia Boyce and Ryan Marren in this week's Bracewell Brief. #scotus #corporategovernance #litigation

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How are federal workforce reductions impacting environmental legal practitioners? Hear more from Bracewell''s Taylor Stuart on the latest episode of the Environmental Law Monitor podcast: https://hubs.ly/Q03bmdKt0 #environment #litigation #trumpadministration