Sidley Transportation

Congratulations to Allison Davis, who has been elected to partnership, effective January 1, 2025. Based in Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, Allison represents railroads before federal courts and federal agencies such as the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). She also advises parties in transactions involving rail lines or other transportation assets and counsels clients on compliance with federal transportation regulations.

The California Air Resources Board has approved amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that increase the stringency of requirements for producers through updated carbon intensity targets, caps on the use of biofuels to generate credits, new verification requirements with a “true-up” for carbon intensity calculations, and other requirements. Read our insights here, https://bit.ly/4hIeHUq.

On November 12, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision holding that National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality are not binding because they are ultra vires. The decision is likely to introduce uncertainty into a NEPA process that has existed for nearly 50 years — and provide new grounds for both challenging and defending NEPA reviews. Read here for our insights, https://bit.ly/3O4AXuh.

On October 31, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission published its highly anticipated rule to establish a new licensing framework for advanced nuclear power reactors, including small modular reactors. Read here for our five key takeaways from the proposed rule: https://bit.ly/4fEgrMB.

Read here as Sidley senior counsel Terry Hynes weighs in on the future of high-speed rail in the U.S. #rail #highspeedrail #railindustry #railroads

Sidley is representing Wafra, a global alternative investment manager with approximately US$28 billion AUM, in its #acquisition of specialty finance platform Aquila Air Capital from funds managed by Warburg Pincus LLC.   The Sidley team is being led by Brien Wassner, Atman Shukla, Adrian Z., and Kelly Dybala. Read more here, https://bit.ly/4f9Hkb6.

Sidley has been named a finalist for 2024 “Legal Adviser of the Year” at the IJInvestor Awards for Americas. The awards recognize outstanding fundraising and deployment, as well as M&A activity in the energy and infrastructure sector. Read more here, https://bit.ly/3U1Aood.

Join us in Houston on November 14–15 for Sidley Fuels School. On November 14, we will host ”Refining 101,” presented by Michael Galassini of DTN Institute. The program will cover the basics of petroleum refining, the processing units that make up typical refining configurations in world markets, and the key factors comprising the economic drivers of refinery operations. On November 15, we will host a series of Sidley-led panels discussing critical developments in the energy and sustainability sectors. Topics will include updates on federal fuels regulations and the LCFS climate change disclosures, insights into ESG practices and greenwashing concerns, and the latest advancements in sustainable aviation fuels. Learn more here, https://lnkd.in/gsr5BK_F. 

Lexology Panoramic: Rail Transport 2025, edited by Sidley partner Matt Warren, provides an overview of laws governing rail transportation in several jurisdictions worldwide. Sidley lawyers Allison Davis, Marc Korman, and Morgan Lindsay join Matt to share their insights in the United States chapter; Matt also provides the 2025 Global Overview. Read more here, https://bit.ly/3zL5uts.

The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security published a much-anticipated proposed rule that would prohibit certain connected vehicles transactions involving hardware and software linked to China and Russia. The sweeping restrictions, proposed to take effect beginning with model year 2027 vehicles, would affect the entire U.S. automotive industry. Read our insights here, https://bit.ly/3TLpD9I.