Real Estate

  • April 09, 2024

    Embattled Houston Law Firm Files Ch. 11

    Insurance law firm MMA Law Firm on Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court, weeks after a federal judge declined to toss a suit seeking class damages over the Houston firm's allegedly illegal efforts to solicit clients in hurricane-related property damage cases.

  • April 09, 2024

    Tribal Co. Says Calif. DA Shouldn't Escape Greenhouse Fight

    A Native American-owned corporation is asking a California federal court not to throw out its suit aiming to block the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office from destroying its greenhouses, saying federal abstention isn't proper because the state proceeding the DA references is against a different party.

  • April 08, 2024

    7th Circ. Won't Demolish Obama Center Approval

    Federal agencies properly reviewed the environmental impacts of building the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park, the Seventh Circuit ruled Monday, once again rejecting opponents' attempts to stop construction of the campus set to open in 2026.

  • April 08, 2024

    Citibank Can't Dodge Liability After Escrow Theft

    A Washington state appeals court said Monday that Citibank and a predecessor lender can't avoid liability after an escrow agent allegedly embezzled nearly $1 million from a real estate company's refinancing deals, in an opinion that said the trial court failed to correctly apply controlling case law still "good" after 70 years.

  • April 08, 2024

    Idaho Land Deal Would Sustain Legacy Of Pollution, Tribes Say

    A group of Idaho tribes is urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold a lower court ruling granting a partial win in their challenge to a land transfer for a fertilizer plant's expansion, arguing that if allowed to go forward, it would continue a decadeslong legacy of contamination for their communities.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Regulators' Fraud Fears Are 'Nonsense,' Developer Says

    A real estate developer has told Michigan's high court that the state is raising unfounded concerns that Michigan will become a haven for fraudsters if the top court does not adopt a federal judicially created test to determine when an investment is a security, telling the justices Michigan's own securities law is controlling.

  • April 08, 2024

    AIG Acted In Bad Faith In Hurricane Dispute, Homeowners Say

    Owners of a $95 million oceanfront mansion near Miami told jurors Monday that AIG should be punished for acting in bad faith in handling a claim for damage from Hurricane Irma, saying the company repeatedly prioritized maximizing profits at the expense of customer service.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Judge Not Persuaded Wineries' Agritourism Is Speech

    A Michigan federal judge has found a local ban on wineries hosting weddings is not a commercial speech restriction despite the advertising potential of such events, again trimming a contentious zoning dispute ahead of trial. 

  • April 08, 2024

    Conn. Law Firm Demands Insurer Pay More For Leak In Office

    A Connecticut law firm and a real estate company have accused their insurer of failing to fully cover damage from a leak at their New Haven offices despite a $2.2 million policy in a suit removed to Connecticut federal court by the insurer.

  • April 08, 2024

    Tribes Say Army Corps Mistakes Their Claims In 5th Circ. Row

    Two Native American tribes and a conservation group have told the Fifth Circuit that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an Enbridge Inc. unit have intentionally mischaracterized their claims in litigation seeking to challenge the agency's permit authorization for a major oil terminal on Texas' Gulf Coast.

  • April 08, 2024

    NY Bar Assoc. Building Owner's Ch. 11 Dispute Gets Mediator

    A New Jersey bankruptcy judge on Monday ordered mediation for two Chapter 11 cases tied to the owner of the historic New York County Lawyers Association Building in Manhattan, naming longtime bankruptcy lawyer Albert Togut to referee the process.

  • April 08, 2024

    Oak Flat Mining Decision Treads On Human Rights, UN Told

    The San Carlos Apache Tribe is urging a United Nations committee to ask the United States to withhold any permissions that would allow Resolution Copper Co. to proceed with any activity on a plot of land known as Oak Flat, arguing that a Ninth Circuit ruling allowing the land transfer merits urgent intervention to prevent further human rights violations on the sacred site.

  • April 08, 2024

    Atlantic City Hotels Say Gov't Backing Can't Save Pricing Suit

    Atlantic City casino-hotels continue to push a New Jersey federal judge to toss room rate price-fixing allegations they say get no help from a U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission intervening brief that argued algorithmic collusion is just as liable under antitrust law.

  • April 08, 2024

    GRSM50 Adds 3rd Construction Pro From Sandberg Phoenix

    Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP, now known as GRSM50, continued recent growth in its construction practice group Monday with the hire of two new partners joining the nationwide firm in its St. Louis and Tampa, Florida, offices from Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard PC.

  • April 08, 2024

    Atty Can't Slip Willkie Partner's Suit Over NY Post Story

    A Connecticut federal judge has declined to toss a Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP partner's abuse of process case against a Constitution State attorney who allegedly orchestrated an unflattering New York Post article as retaliation for an underlying disqualification bid, ruling that the suit is not blocked by litigation privilege.

  • April 08, 2024

    3 Firms Build $2.3B Hospitality Biz SPAC Merger

    Singapore-headquartered Hotel101 Global Pte Ltd., a hotel prop-tech operator pioneering a standardized "condotel" business model, announced Monday that it plans to go public through a merger with blank-check company JVSPAC Acquisition Corp. in a deal built by three firms that will give it an equity value of $2.3 billion post-closing.

  • 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

    Contractor Says Apartment Developer's Missteps Cost $8.5M

    A general contractor has filed an $8.5 million lawsuit in North Carolina's Business Court accusing a developer of misleading it about an apartment complex project's safeguards and failing to cover the resulting cost overruns and delays.

  • April 05, 2024

    Real Estate Authority: Proxy Fights, EV Effect, CBRE Forecast

    Law360 Real Estate Authority covers the most important real estate deals, litigation, policies and trends. Catch up on this week's key developments by state — as well as on the proxy fights in store for 2024, the impact of electric vehicles on development and predictions from CBRE Group Inc.'s global chief economist.

  • 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

    NJ Recycler's Fire Damage Suit To Remain In NJ, Judge Rules

    A New Jersey federal judge declined to move a paper recycler's fire coverage dispute to New York, but did agree to toss one of its claims against its insurer, finding the recycler's declaratory judgment and breach of contract claims were duplicative.

  • 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

    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

    Homeowners' Energy Efficient Rebates Not Income, IRS Says

    The U.S. Department of Energy rebates awarded to taxpayers who bought an energy efficient home or retrofitted their current residence to reduce energy consumption won't need to be reported in the property owner's gross income, the IRS announced Friday.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • NJ Foreclosure Law Will Have Multifaceted Impact On Lenders

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    New Jersey's A.B. 5664 introduces significant reforms to foreclosure proceedings in the state, potentially lessening the burden on lenders and servicers to maintain foreclosed properties, but also brings new limitations and time frames, say Christina Livorsi and Wael Amer at Day Pitney.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Canada

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    In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • How Lease Obligations Can Affect Subchapter V Debt Cap

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    Two recent bankruptcy rulings in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of New York take opposite positions on whether unmatured lease obligations are considered noncontingent debt for the purposes of calculating debtors' Subchapter V eligibility, say Joseph Orbach and Henry Thomas at Thompson Coburn.

  • Trends That Will Shape The Construction Industry In 2024

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    Though the outlook for the construction industry is mixed, it is clear that 2024 will bring evolving changes aimed at building projects more safely and efficiently under difficult circumstances, and stakeholders would be wise to prepare for the challenges and opportunities these trends will bring, say Josephine Bahn and Jeffery Mullen at Cozen O'Connor.

  • 11 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2023

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    Under Rohit Chopra’s leadership, 2023 was an industrious year for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with developments including the release of the proposed personal financial data rights rule, publication of proposed rules involving public registries for nonbanks and the bureau's continuous battle against junk fees, all of which are sure to further progress in 2024, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Insured Takeaways From 10th Circ. Interrelated Claims Ruling

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    The Tenth Circuit's recent ruling in American Southwest Mortgage v. Continental Casualty that multiple claims arising from consecutive audit years were interrelated — and thus subject to a per claim limit — creates a concerning precedent for policyholders, so companies should negotiate relevant policy language, says Michael Stockalper at Saxe Doernberger.

  • NY CRE Lenders Need Clarity On Foreclosure Standing

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    Recent contradictory New York case law regarding issues of standing in commercial real estate litigation creates confusion for borrowers and lenders alike, and should be addressed by courts in advance of the anticipated onslaught of commercial mortgage-backed securities foreclosures, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

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    New York's banking and financial sector saw a number of notable regulatory and legislative changes in the final quarter of 2023, including guidance on climate risks and heightened cybersecurity protocols issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services, as well as final revisions to virtual currency listings in the state, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

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    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Adjusting Deals To Reflect Shifts In The CRE Market

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    As the commercial real estate market strengthens and moves out from a challenging time, industry participants should consider any concessions made due to recent trends and update transaction documents accordingly before entering into new deals, says Alexander Davis at Mayer Brown.

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