On July 18, 2014, Andrews & Springer LLC and Scott + Scott LLP filed a derivative class action lawsuit on behalf of Duke Energy Corporation ("Duke" or the "Company") against the Company's board of directors alleging breaches of fiduciary duty for exposing Duke to billions of dollars in liability over its coal ash management. The complaint, which was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery, alleges that Duke officials knew that coal ash, which was stored in unlined retention ponds, was contaminating water, and cites violations filed after the Dan River spill by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
