Residential

  • April 08, 2024

    Simpson Reps Blackstone On $10B AIR Communities Buy

    Blackstone has agreed to purchase Apartment Income REIT Corp. in a take-private transaction valued at approximately $10 billion, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP serving as legal counsel, respectively, the firms said Monday. 

  • April 05, 2024

    LA Agrees To Pay $1M For Delay In Homeless Camp Reduction

    The city of Los Angeles has consented to getting rid of nearly 10,000 homeless camps in the city over four years and paying $1 million in sanctions for failing to abide by its settlement agreement with a local coalition that sued Los Angeles over how it has handled its homelessness crisis.

  • April 05, 2024

    DC Circ. Says DOJ Can Reopen Realtor Antitrust Probe

    The D.C. Circuit said on Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice can reopen an antitrust investigation into the National Association of Realtors, despite an earlier agency settlement over the association's rules.

  • April 05, 2024

    Shelter Network Fights Public Camping Ban At High Court

    A network of more than 200 women's and family shelters told the U.S. Supreme Court that an Oregon city's prohibition on camping in public spaces subjects involuntarily homeless women and children — who are often put in that position due to gender-based violence — to further potential harm.

  • April 05, 2024

    Cos. Say Fair Housing Groups Can't 'Manufacture' Injury

    Property management company AION Management LLC and multiple property owners urged a Delaware federal court to dismiss a disability bias suit filed by the federal government, arguing that the government's opposition to their dismissal motion "relies on mischaracterizations" of case law and federal law.

  • April 05, 2024

    Pa. Supreme Court Snapshot: COVID Coverage Starts Spring

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's April lineup will prepare the justices to deliver highly anticipated guidance on whether business losses stemming COVID-19 pandemic orders should be covered by insurance and if Pittsburgh can compel rental-property owners to register and undergo training.

  • April 05, 2024

    Conn. Fraudulent Property Transfer Suit Against Atty Resolved

    A New York doctor and the real estate attorney and developer he accused of transferring his Fairfield, Connecticut, property to benefit a scammer have resolved a federal lawsuit, agreeing to quiet the title and dismiss all other causes of action, following the reported settlement of a separate state court action.

  • April 05, 2024

    NC High Court Snapshot: Law Firm Battles Defamation Suit

    The Supreme Court of North Carolina has a stacked calendar heading into spring arguments, from an appeal over Black-owned properties targeted for demolition to a law firm's attempt at dodging defamation claims over allegations of voter fraud.

  • April 05, 2024

    Redwood Trust REIT CLO Earned $2.7M In 2023

    Mill Valley, California-based real estate investment trust Redwood Trust paid Chief Legal Officer Andrew P. Stone $2.7 million in total compensation in 2023, according to a regulatory filing from the housing investor.

  • April 04, 2024

    Judge Punts 'Warning Shot' Condo Sale Bid In Giuliani Ch. 11

    A New York bankruptcy judge held off on deciding if Rudy Giuliani must sell his Florida condo Thursday, cautioning attorneys for the former New York City mayor that the official committee of unsecured creditors might take more extreme steps in the Chapter 11 case if its concerns over Giuliani's expenses aren't addressed.

  • April 04, 2024

    Homeowner Asks 9th Circ. To Rethink Fire Coverage Ruling

    A woman who was prevented from coverage of a 2021 house fire by the Ninth Circuit asked the court to rehear her case, arguing among other things that she did not lie to her insurer about renting her home, because she didn't fill out the insurance application.

  • April 04, 2024

    ISP Tells FCC Bulk Billing Deals Are Pro-Consumer

    An internet service provider is trying to convince the Federal Communications Commission that banning bulk billing in apartment buildings is not the way to go and that the arrangements are actually a "key tool for closing the digital divide."

  • April 04, 2024

    FDIC Reports Discriminatory Lending At SouthStar Bank

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has downgraded SouthStar Bank's community lending rating, reporting that a review of the institution's lending practices revealed evidence of redlining, according to an evaluation released by the agency.

  • April 04, 2024

    Ginnie Mae, HUD Must Face Bank's Vacated Lien Suit

    A Texas federal judge trimmed but declined to dismiss Texas Capital Bank's suit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Government National Mortgage Association program over a vacated loan lien that the bank says was worth tens of millions of dollars.

  • April 04, 2024

    Last-Resort Insurers Grapple With Increasing Exposure

    Insurance pools meant to serve as backstops for consumers shut out of traditional markets are grappling with increased exposure to natural disasters, according to experts and market data, a trend that observers say is concerning as climate change intensifies storms.

  • April 04, 2024

    Ex-NY Court Atty Found Guilty Of Official Misconduct

    A New York state jury on Thursday found a former appeals court attorney guilty of official misconduct for using her position to provide a legal opinion that helped her husband and his law firm secure a $55,000 payment from a new client.

  • April 04, 2024

    Va. Ups Income Tax Credits For Landlords In Housing Program

    Virginia doubled the maximum amount of income tax credits that may be issued to qualifying landlords who participate in a housing choice voucher program under a bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

  • April 04, 2024

    MV Realty Abusing Ch. 11 Process, Bankruptcy Court Told

    State prosecutors, federal agencies and consumer advocates have told a Florida bankruptcy judge that MV Realty is using the Chapter 11 process to avoid enforcement and enshrine a set of predatory agreements designed to extract millions in junk fees from homeowners over the next 40 years.

  • April 04, 2024

    Surfside, Fla., Condo Collapse Victims To Get Additional $4.8M

    A Florida judge signed off Thursday on an additional $4.8 million distribution to the victims of the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium after the receiver overseeing the defunct condominium association told the court the association had fewer financial obligations and tax liabilities than expected. 

  • April 03, 2024

    Nationstar Adds 'Junk Fee' For Loan Payoff Quote, Suit Says

    A proposed class hit Nationstar Mortgage LLC with a suit alleging the mortgage servicing firm illegally charges homeowners a "junk fee" for written payoff quotes in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

  • April 03, 2024

    US Bank Beats $100M Suit Over Role As CDO Trustee

    A New York federal judge has freed U.S. Bank from a more than $100 million conflict-of-interest lawsuit brought by a group of mortgage-backed CDOs, which accused the bank of obstructing their efforts to sue over underlying mortgage bond losses tied to the 2008 financial crisis.

  • April 03, 2024

    Tenants Seek To Join NJ Rent Control Exemption Suit

    Two Jersey City tenant associations have urged a New Jersey federal judge to allow them to intervene in a suit filed by a landlord and its property manager over a revoked rent control exemption.

  • April 03, 2024

    EPA Faces Down Water Rule Challenge In Texas

    The federal government has asked a Texas federal judge to toss lawsuits filed by Texas, Idaho and more than a dozen industry groups challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers' rule defining the extent of the Clean Water Act's reach.

  • April 03, 2024

    Md. Lawmakers OK Special Tax Rates For Vacant Property

    Maryland would authorize its counties and the city of Baltimore to impose special tax rates on vacant or abandoned property under legislation approved by lawmakers and headed to the governor.

  • April 03, 2024

    Colo. Judge Rejects Landlord's Bid To Toss Unfair Fee Suit

    A Colorado state judge rejected a property management company's bid to toss a class action accusing it of charging unfair rental application fees, writing in an order that a Denver renter has done enough to allege the company violated a 2019 law aimed at protecting renters from inflated charges.

Expert Analysis

  • Challenging Standing In Antitrust Class Actions: Rule 23

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    A recent Sixth Circuit decision in Fox v. Saginaw County that rejected the common attempt to use Rule 23 to sidestep Article III's standing limitations shows antitrust defendants' success in challenging standing will rest on happenstance without more clarity from the Supreme Court — which no litigant should be comfortable with, say Michael Hamburger and Holly Tao at White & Case.

  • Key Limited Partnership Provisions During Market Downturns

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    With a recession potentially on the horizon, fund managers should carefully examine their funds' limited partnership agreements for items that may be affected by economic downturns, and assess whether modifications may be appropriate, says Matthew Posthuma at Ropes & Gray.

  • Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic

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    Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.

  • Fla. Foreign Real Estate Law Brings Broad Investment Risks

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    Last month, Florida became the latest state to enact legislation prohibiting Chinese investors from acquiring certain interests in real property, introducing significant legal uncertainty and consequences for real estate stakeholders and the private equity industry, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Prepping Your Business Ahead Of Affirmative Action Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on whether race should play a role in college admissions could potentially end affirmative action, and companies will need a considered approach to these circumstances that protects their brand power and future profits, and be prepared to answer tough questions, say Nadine Blackburn at United Minds and Eric Blankenbaker at Weber Shandwick.

  • Tackling Judge-Shopping Concerns While Honoring Localism

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    As the debate continues over judge-shopping and case assignments in federal court, policymakers should look to a hybrid model that preserves the benefits of localism for those cases that warrant it, while preventing the appearance of judge-shopping for cases of a more national or widespread character, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • How Attorneys Can Help Combat Anti-Asian Hate

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    Amid an exponential increase in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, unique obstacles stand in the way of accountability and justice — but lawyers can effect powerful change by raising awareness, offering legal representation, advocating for victims’ rights and more, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Congress Needs To Enact A Federal Anti-SLAPP Statute

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    Although many states have passed statutes meant to prevent individuals or entities from filing strategic lawsuits against public participation, other states have not, so it's time for Congress to enact a federal statute to ensure that free speech and petitioning rights are uniformly protected nationwide in federal court, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Banking Tips For Lending To Calif. Homeowners Associations

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    With current financial markets and recent changes to California law putting a brighter spotlight on lending, banks should understand the special considerations involved in lending to homeowners associations and the various possible remedies in the event of a default, says Alex Grigorians at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Some Client Speculations On AI And The Law Firm Biz Model

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    Generative artificial intelligence technologies will put pressure on the business of law as it is structured currently, but clients may end up with more price certainty for legal services, and lawyers may spend more time being lawyers, says Jonathan Cole at Melody Capital.

  • How Rent Proposals May Affect Most Populous Md. County

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    Of the various legislative changes concerning rent controls and property taxes that are being considered in Montgomery County, Maryland, comparatively milder controls are likely to prevail, but even these lenient measures may make it more difficult for the county to fulfill its needs for new housing, says Michael Murray at Greysteel.

  • A Lawyer's Guide To Approaching Digital Assets In Discovery

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    The booming growth of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens has made digital assets relevant in many legal disputes but also poses several challenges for discovery, so lawyers must garner an understanding of the technology behind these assets, the way they function, and how they're held, says Brett Sager at Ehrenstein Sager.

  • High Court's Ethics Statement Places Justices Above The Law

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    The U.S. Supreme Court justices' disappointing statement on the court's ethics principles and practices reveals that not only are they satisfied with a status quo in which they are bound by fewer ethics rules than other federal judges, but also that they've twisted the few rules that do apply to them, says David Janovsky at the Project on Government Oversight.