Insights

New York – August 19, 2025: Crowell & Moring represented Halda Therapeutics in a strategic research collaboration, worth over $1 billion in total potential value, with VantAI to discover next-generation RIPTAC (Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras) medicines.

Washington – October 6, 2022: Crowell & Moring counsel Monty Cooper has been elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). Cooper is a member of the Mass Tort, Product, and Consumer Litigation and Environment & Natural Resources groups.

The rapid buildout of AI infrastructure has placed data centers at the heart of a new and expanding wave of class action litigation. Over the past several months, plaintiffs’ firms with significant experience in mass tort and environmental class actions have begun recruiting plaintiffs and filing lawsuits against data center operators, alleging that noise generated by their facilities — from cooling systems, diesel generators, and HVAC equipment — constitutes a public and private nuisance and reflects actionable negligence. Companies currently operating or constructing data centers near residential communities should treat this as a material and growing legal risk.

On June 18, 2026, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) added microplastics to the list of Candidate Chemicals maintained under the state’s Safer Consumer Products (SCP) regulations.  The listing of microplastics, which becomes effective on October 1, 2026, is the first step in the SCP regulatory process, which could lead to restrictions on products that contain or release microplastics. 

On July 1, 2026, EPA proposed the sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6), which will require public water systems (PWS) to monitor 30 unregulated contaminants — including certain PFAS chemicals — but not microplastics. For now, EPA is using other tools, such as the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), to learn more about microplastics before requiring PWSs to monitor for them.

Waterpower Week is the NHA’s annual conference for those in the North American hydro industry to focus specifically on the regulatory, policy, markets, and legislative aspects of their work. Cooper will speak on a panel titled, “Celebrating Diversity,” and will be joined by utility and trade-association representatives.

The National Bar Association (NBA) will host its 35th Annual Corporate Counsel Conference (CCC): “Turn Up the Heat,” February 24 - 26 in Miami, FL. Crowell & Moring will again be a sponsor for the conference. Over three days, the conference will provide, among other things, the general counsel roundtable, judicial panel, and an array of educational sessions, including its signature Law Firm Expo. Counsel Monty Cooper will moderate the panel titled “Recent Developments in ESG” on Thursday, February 24.

47 USC  230 (“Section 230”) was enacted as part of the United States Communications Decency Act (CDA), providing immunity to interactive computer service providers for third-party content. Known as “the 26 words that created the internet,” this statute is responsible for the development of the modern internet as we know it. While Section 230 has allowed online platforms—like major social media platforms and search engines—to flourish, the broad legal protections that Section 230 provides have become controversial. To no success, various members of Congress, the Presidential Administration, and political candidates have called for Section 230 reforms, and for the first time, the way in which we use the internet may change depending how the U.S. Supreme Court rules in a highly-anticipated Section 230 case this term. 

Please join a panel of Crowell & Moring’s Environmental and Natural Resources Group for a webinar as they conduct a review of recent federal and state government actions concerning environmental justice (“EJ”). 

Monty Cooper led an hour-long webinar presentation for the Industrial Minerals Association – North America (IMA-NA) as part of its “Workshop Webinar Series.” The presentation provided information regarding (1) comments made to the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) in response to MSHA’s recent Request for Information concerning silica exposure for workers and (2) the potential for rulemaking concerning silica. The webinar had more than 40 registrants, including health-and-safety officials and in-house counsel from, among other companies, Halliburton, Imerys, U.S. Silica Co., Wyo-Ben, Inc., Solvay Chemicals, Inc., and 3M. 

Waterpower Week is the NHA’s annual conference for those in the North American hydro industry to focus specifically on the regulatory, policy, markets, and legislative aspects of their work. Cooper will speak on a panel titled, “Celebrating Diversity,” and will be joined by utility and trade-association representatives.