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State AG Insights

Foley Hoag’s State Attorney General Investigations lawyers offer their experience, insight and skill to help your business through the considerable challenges of an AG investigation or enforcement action.

State Attorneys General Bring Lawsuit Against Executive Order on Energy Emergency
Blog May 29, 2025
Following up on our previous posts on United States energy policy under the Trump Administration, we are writing with an update on recent State Attorney General (AG) action in response to the Trump Administration’s climate and energy-focused executive actions…
State Attorney General and State Governor Responses to Executive Orders Impacting Climate and Energy
Blog April 15, 2025
In the twelve weeks since Inauguration Day, President Trump has issued dozens of executive orders, a number of which are designed to reverse the nation’s momentum on clean energy and climate action…
An Impoundment By Any Other Name
Blog January 29, 2025
A Monday night memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) ordered federal agencies to “temporarily pause” all federal funding and other agency activities that “may be implicated by” the slew of executive orders Trump issued last week…
Exxon Faces Skepticism in New York as SJC Arguments Loom
Blog December 04, 2017
U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni on Thursday, November 30, 2017 heard argument on Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's motions to dismiss Exxon's federal court challenge to their ongoing climate investigations.  Law360 has reported that Exxon faced considerable skepticism, particularly of its arguments that the investigations impinged on Exxon's freedom to participate in the climate change debate: “You don't have the right to……
Attorneys General Continue to Battle the Trump Administration Over Environmental Regulations
Blog June 16, 2017
Democratic Attorneys General have continued their efforts to combat the Trump administration's attempts to roll back environmental regulations developed under the Obama administration in two recent actions. Thirteen AGs, including Massachusetts AG Maura Healey, sent a letter last week to Scott Pruitt, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, threatening legal action if the agency takes steps to weaken or delay the greenhouse gas emissions standards that were established in……
Exxon-Healey Dispute Gets Hearing as State AGs Weigh In
Blog September 23, 2016
This week in the Northern District of Texas, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade heard oral argument on Exxon Mobil's motion for preliminary injunction against Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's civil investigative demand, issued to Exxon on April 19, 2016, which sought documents from Exxon related to its analysis of research efforts to study climate change.  The argument followed two amicus briefs from state attorneys general across the country. The first brief…
Exxon Sues Massachusetts AG to Block Civil Investigative Demand
Blog July 13, 2016
On June 15, 2016, Exxon sued Massachusetts AG Maura Healey in federal court in Texas, seeking to bar the enforcement of AG Healey's April 19, 2016 civil investigative demand, issued pursuant to M.G.L. c. 93A, the Commonwealth's unfair and deceptive practice statute.  Under c. 93A, § 6, the AG may issue investigative demands “whenever [s]he believes a person has engaged in or is engaging in any method…
State AGs on Front Lines in Battle over Clean Power Plan
Blog August 21, 2015
In dismissing as premature a lawsuit brought on July 1, 2015 by Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt against the then-unpromulgated Clean Power Plan, N. D. Oklahoma Judge Claire V. Eagan noted “there is no reason to believe that plaintiffs will have to wait for long before renewing proceedings in the D.C. Circuit if they intend to challenge the final rule.” Judge Eagan was right…
Massachusetts Attorney General to Undertake Natural Gas Study
Blog July 07, 2015
Massachusetts Attorney General Healey announced that her office will lead a study to identify and evaluate options to address regional electric reliability needs in New England through 2030. As the Massachusetts ratepayer advocate, the AG's Office has traditionally challenged the efforts of Massachusetts utilities to raise electric and gas rates before the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The announcement that her office will……
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey Describes the Role of the Ratepayer Advocate
Blog June 15, 2015
In her first speech regarding energy policy since her election, Attorney General Healey laid out some of her energy priorities before the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association's annual conference on March 12. The Massachusetts Attorney General serves as the Commonwealth's ratepayer advocate, which has traditionally solely focused on the cost of electricity and natural gas for Massachusetts consumers. In the speech, Healey noted that she expected to be a “21st century ratepayer……

ABOUT

Foley Hoag’s State Attorney General Investigations lawyers have the experience, the insight and the skill to guide your business through the considerable challenges of an AG investigation or enforcement action.

Our team knows firsthand how the AG and her line assistants approach investigations. Our legal team includes a former Massachusetts Attorney General, a former chief deputy attorney general, a former first assistant attorney general, a former deputy attorney general, a former chief of the business and labor bureau, a former deputy chief of the criminal bureau, and four partners who served as assistant United States attorneys.

Foley Hoag will work closely with you to develop and implement winning strategies to achieve your objectives and successfully resolve the investigation. And if there is no reasonable alternative but to litigate, our lawyers, including American College of Trial Lawyers fellows, have a record of substantial courtroom success. Whatever the path, we will fight to protect the reputation of your business and neutralize any adverse public relations implications arising from the AG action.