Vinson & Elkins LLP

EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) Vacated by D.C. Circuit Court
Eric A. Groten, Patrick Lee, July 18, 2008
On July 11, 2008, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Clean Air Interstate Rule, or "CAIR," in its decision in North Carolina v. EPA. Promulgated by EPA in 2005, CAIR would have permanently capped emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) from power plants...

Mediation: Is It Still a Poor Alternative to Judicial or Arbitral Proceedings?
James Lloyd Loftis, Samantha Tite, July 18, 2008
Historically, the general consensus of mediation - a form of alternative dispute resolution that typically entails a confidential process of negotiation that is facilitated by a neutral third party - has been that it is a watered-down version of dispute resolution that rarely results in settlement....

New Legislation Could Force Rethink about Designating U.S. Arbitral Seats
Mark J. Beeley, James Lofits, July 18, 2008
For years the Federal Arbitration Act has meant that the U.S. has been seen as a welcome home of international arbitration, with venues such as New York, Miami and Houston seeing ever increasing designations as arbitral seats. Recent developments in the U.S. Senate may however suggest that the...