We’re back with another edition of LexBlog’s Top 10 in Law Blogs – the first of its kind on our stunningly redesigned front page! This week the environment took center stage, with David O’Connor writing about the expansion of clean energy policies; Sheila Millar and JC Walker on Amazon’s $1.5 million settlement for deceptive biodegradable claims; and Stuart Kaplow on, yes, you read that right, a multimillion dollar award in a sustainable hog case. Here’s to another beautiful weekend!

Expansion of Clean Energy Policies Continues – By David O’Connor: A law recently enacted by the Massachusetts legislature and signed by Governor Charlie Baker will increase the use of renewable fuels to produce electricity, allow the development of more offshore wind farms, enable more technologies to qualify for energy efficiency incentives and increase the use of technologies that store electricity. It is the third clean energy law enacted in Massachusetts since 2016. View Full Post

A New Era for Data Protection in Brazil – By Latham & Watkins LLP: Brazilian Congress passes a data protection bill that seeks to improve privacy and cybersecurity. By Amadeu Ribeiro and Thiago Luís Sombra (Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados) and Jennifer Archie and Terese Saplys The Brazilian Congress has been working on a bill relating to the protection of personal data for over eight years. View Full Post

23 California DAs Obtain $1.5 Million Settlement for Deceptive Biodegradable Claims – By Sheila Millar and JC Walker: Environmentally conscious consumers often look for products advertised as “green.” But labeling plastic products as “biodegradable” may land you on the legal compost heap if you can’t meet federal and state regulations governing green marketing. Amazon was just the latest company to find itself in the crosshairs when 23 California district attorneys charged that it violated state law when it marketed and sold products labeled “biodegradable” or “compostable.” View Full Post

First Known Drone Attack in Venezuela – By Kathryn Rattigan: Last weekend, in Venezuela, the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, was attacked by two armed drones carrying explosives that were detonated while Maduro was delivering a speech on live television during a military ceremony. Although Maduro was not struck by the explosives, his administrative officials called it an assassination attempt. View Full Post

A Guardian of the Greens – By Adam Faderewski: Denton County attorney William Brotherton enjoys spending time on the golf course. After 13 years serving as a gallery guard on the 14th hole at the Masters, Brotherton has seen some of the best golfers in the world play. So when an opportunity to serve as a marshal on the 16th hole at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland for the British Open presented itself, Brotherton jumped at the chance. View Full Post

How the Trump Tariffs Affect Healthcare – By Sheryl D. Rosen: It’s not just pile drivers, combines, and frozen fish. Much of the news coverage has discussed how industrial and agricultural products are subject to new Trump administration tariffs on goods imported from China.  However, the list of Chinese products subject to the new tariffs also includes goods more familiar to healthcare providers: items like pacemakers, rubber medical gloves, MRI and CT machines, and sterilizers. View Full Post

The NLRB Continues to Protect Vulgarity in the Workplace – By Joshua M. Henderson: Just when employers thought they were safe to restrict offensive speech and restore decorum in the workplace, a recent decision by the Board serves as a stark reminder that offensive workplace speech may still find protection under the National Labor Relations Act. InConstellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, LLC, the Board decided that an employee who wrote the words “whore board” on an overtime sign-in sheet was engaged…

David Rueff – By Colin S. Levy: David Rueff has practiced law for more than 20 years. He also is a certified project manager through the Project Management Institute (PMP®) and is certified in the Toyota Manufacturing Production System (Lean). David leads a team of attorneys and project managers to implement project management for Baker Donelson clients, in-house corporate legal departments and disaster recovery programs. View Full Post

Jury Awards Millions in Sustainable Hog Case – By Stuart Kaplow: Last week a jury in federal court awarded more than $470 million to six people who live from one-third of a mile to one mile away from a hog farm, run by Murphy Brown an affiliate of Smithfield Foods, in a rural patch of Pender County, North Carolina. The lawsuit is the third to go to verdict of more than two dozen cases pending in North Carolina. View Full Post

Hands-On Learning: Bucerius Law School Computational Law and Rules-Driven Automation Course – #LegalTechBucerius – By Daniel W. Linna Jr.: In July I had the honor of teaching for the inaugural Legal Technology and Operations summer program at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany. The program attracted 33 students from all over the globe: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Estonia, Egypt, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. View Full Post