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Real Estate
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March 21, 2024
6th Circ. Probes Outside Firm's Outreach To Class Members
A Sixth Circuit judge suggested Thursday that there may be free-speech issues with an order barring outside attorneys from sending solicitation letters to potential class members poised to benefit from a pending settlement over Michigan counties' tax foreclosure practices.
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March 21, 2024
Navy Federal Wants Racial Lending Discrimination Suit Axed
Navy Federal Credit Union on Thursday urged a Virginia federal court to toss a consolidated proposed class action accusing it of racial lending discrimination following a CNN report last year, arguing the plaintiffs have not shown that they were qualified for the loans they applied for, or that the credit union considered race when denying their applications.
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March 21, 2024
Developer Says Partner Mishandled Funds In Denver Project
A real estate developer and a related online platform have accused a hedge fund in Colorado state court of misusing grant money and owing fees for a Denver commercial housing project.
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March 21, 2024
El Paso Says US Can't Weigh In On Tribal Land Suit
El Paso, Texas, is fighting the federal government's bid to back the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in its land ownership suit, arguing that the government is trying to force a school district to exchange land with the tribe for a promise it won't file aboriginal rights' claims in the area.
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March 21, 2024
Calif. Panel Revives Diner's COVID Sanitization Coverage Bid
A California state appeals court revived a diner's bid for property insurance coverage of COVID-19 losses after it determined the restaurant credibly alleged direct physical losses and that the policy's language covering losses attributable to a virus applied to COVID-19 sanitization efforts.
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March 21, 2024
Canadian Supplement Co. Seeks US Bankruptcy Recognition
A nutritional supplement supplier based in Montreal told a Delaware bankruptcy judge Thursday it needs the U.S. court to recognize its Canadian insolvency proceedings, reasoning that an eviction threat may cut off access to assets in California the debtor needs for its sale plans.
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March 21, 2024
8th Circ. Backs Attys' Win In COVID Hotel Eviction Challenge
Two government attorneys did not violate the U.S. Constitution when they gave the green light to a Minnesota police department to forcibly remove a resident from a Super 8 motel in June 2020 amid a COVID-19 era eviction ban, the Eighth Circuit ruled in a precedential opinion Thursday, citing a "dearth of precedent."
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March 21, 2024
Reorganized REIT Can't Duck Interest Post-Ch. 11, Judge Says
Texas real estate investment trust Hartman SPE LLC must pay an additional $870,000 to satisfy a secured lender's claim, a Delaware bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday, finding that even though the mortgage is set to be repaid Friday, Hartman SPE is still responsible for interest until mid-April.
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March 21, 2024
Judge In Blackstone Lease Row Wants Colo. Justices' Input
A Colorado federal judge has said he would like to have the state Supreme Court answer key questions in a putative class action against Blackstone subsidiaries, writing that tenants' claims alleging the companies' lease agreements violate state law present novel legal issues with little case law to provide guidance.
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March 21, 2024
Nursing Home Woes, Cyberattack Sparked Petersen's Ch. 11
Rising costs after the COVID-19 pandemic, cyberattacks and a general shift away from nursing homes led senior-living company Petersen Health Care to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week with about $296 million in debt, according to a declaration filed Thursday by the company's top restructuring official.
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March 21, 2024
9th Circ. Backs Rescission Of Homeowner's Property Policies
Two Safeco insurers are entitled to rescind policies issued to a woman who misrepresented that her house wasn't used for business when in fact it was rented to short-term guests, the Ninth Circuit affirmed, saying there's no genuine issue of material fact as to the commercial use of the property.
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March 21, 2024
Shumaker Hires Kass Shuler Atty In Tampa As Partner
A 13-year Kass Shuler PA attorney and one-time Florida assistant state's attorney, has joined Shumaker Loop & Kendrick LLP in Tampa as a partner, the firm announced Thursday.
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March 21, 2024
Construction Atty Moves Practice To Snell & Wilmer In Dallas
Snell & Wilmer LLP's geographic footprint and full-service capabilities helped convince a seasoned commercial litigator to move his real estate and construction law practice from Cokinos Young PC to the firm's Dallas office.
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March 21, 2024
Ky. Coal Mine Owner Tells 6th Circ. Lease Sale Was Improper
The owner of a sprawling Kentucky coal mine told the Sixth Circuit on Thursday that a sale of leases by the mine's bankrupt operator was improper because the bankruptcy court didn't hold a required hearing on changes to the assignment of leases.
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March 21, 2024
Nossaman Adds 2 Eminent Domain Partners In Texas
Nossaman LLP announced Thursday that Seijin C. Brooks and Melissa Ferringer have joined the firm's Austin, Texas, office as partners in that shop's eminent domain and valuation group.
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March 20, 2024
Petersen Health Care Files Ch. 11 Amid Suits Over HUD Loans
Assisted living facility operator Petersen Health Care Inc. and more than 100 affiliates filed for Chapter 11 protection Wednesday in Delaware as the company faces claims it has failed to pay millions of dollars in federal housing loans.
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March 20, 2024
7th Circ. Closes Door On Italian Hotel's Virus Coverage Bid
A luxury Italian hotel has no coverage for certain coronavirus-related losses, the Seventh Circuit affirmed on Wednesday, saying that the hotel's own filings contradicted its claim that it suffered a covered physical loss.
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March 20, 2024
Receiver Allowed To Have 'Evil Zombie' Standing In Fraud Suit
The Eleventh Circuit revived a receiver's Florida lawsuit seeking to recover $22 million allegedly lost in a Ponzi scheme, saying he has standing to bring fraudulent transfer claims by several companies used in the fraud because they're no longer the "evil zombies" controlled by the perpetrators.
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March 20, 2024
Philly Charter School Exec Convicted Of Embezzlement
A nonprofit executive was convicted Wednesday in Pennsylvania federal court on all 18 counts of siphoning funds from a tax-exempt educational and housing organization to live lavishly, while the same jury found a colleague guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud but absolved him of other charges.
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March 20, 2024
RedBird Sues Brookfield For $150M From Compass Deal
The private investment firm that sold Compass Datacenters to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners for $5.7 billion last year sued the infrastructure asset manager in Delaware's Court of Chancery on Tuesday, alleging that Brookfield had breached their agreement by refusing to release $150 million out of escrow.
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March 20, 2024
Faegre Drinker Adds Former Honigman Construction Pro
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has strengthened its construction and real estate litigation group in Chicago with Raj Patel, previously a partner with Honigman LLP, the firm said Wednesday.
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March 20, 2024
NY AG Scoffs At Trump's Claim Of 'Impossible' $465M Bond
The New York Attorney General's office on Wednesday disputed Donald Trump's claim that posting bond while he appeals a $465 million civil fraud judgment is a "practical impossibility," arguing the former president and his business empire haven't exhausted all avenues.
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March 20, 2024
NY High Court Revives Suit Against NYC Property Taxes
A lawsuit challenging the fairness of New York City's property tax system lives on, with New York's highest court finding a group's complaint sufficiently pleads causes of action against the city for violations of New York's Real Property Tax Law and the federal Fair Housing Act.
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March 20, 2024
Russian Exec Argues Jailed Biz Partner Can't Escape Judgment
A Russian businessman has pressed a California federal court not to vacate a default entered against his former business partner as the businessman attempts to collect an award of more than $92 million, saying it "strains credulity" to believe that his ex-partner couldn't answer the litigation while jailed in France.
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March 20, 2024
Data Center Atty Welcomes Private Equity's Embrace
Private equity's growing presence in the data center space is a boon for the sector and will help industry players build more facilities to meet growing demand for digital infrastructure, a partner in Paul Hastings' data center practice group told Law360.
Expert Analysis
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
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Litigation Can Facilitate EB-5 Investor Visa Determinations
Processing times in the EB-5 investor visa program continue to rise, but filing a mandamus claim in the right venue against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may offer applicants mired in delay a means to expedite processing, says Mark Stevens at Clark Hill.
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Transaction Risks In Residential Mortgage M&A Due Diligence
As the residential mortgage market continues to consolidate due to interest rate increases and low housing volume, buyers and sellers should pay attention to a number of compliance considerations ranging from fair lending laws to employee classification, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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FCRA Legislation To Watch For The Remainder Of 2023
If enacted, pending federal and state legislation may result in significant changes for the Fair Credit Reporting Act landscape and thus require regulated entities and practitioners to pivot their compliance strategies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Regulators Must Get Creative To Keep Groundwater Flowing
Even as populations have boomed in Sun Belt states like Arizona, California and Texas, groundwater levels have diminished due to drought and overuse — so regulators must explore options including pumping limits, groundwater replenishment and wastewater reuse to ensure future supplies for residential and commercial needs, says Jeffrey Davis at Integral Consulting.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
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Industry Takeaways From OMB's Final Buy America Guidance
The Office of Management and Budget's recently released guidance on "Buy America" requirements for federal infrastructure projects provides clarity in certain areas but fails to address troublesome inconsistencies with state laws and international trade agreements, so manufacturers and suppliers will need to tread carefully as agencies implement the changes, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth Shaw.
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What Upholding Of Short-Term Rental Law Means For NYC
A New York state judge's dismissal of Airbnb's challenge against the Short-Term Rental Registration Law will benefit the city's hospitality industry and exert downward pressure on apartment rents, and potentially provide a model for other local governments around the U.S. to curb short-term apartment rentals, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.
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Texas Produced Water Ruling Helps Clarify Oil, Gas Leases
A Texas state appeals court's recent opinion in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that the mineral lessee under an oil and gas lease owns the water extracted during oil and gas production, is a first step toward clarity on an issue that has divided the midstream industry, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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Key Provisions In Florida's New Insurer Accountability Act
Florida's recent bipartisan Insurer Accountability Act introduces a range of new obligations for insurance companies and regulatory bodies to strengthen consumer protection, and other states may follow suit should it prove successful at ensuring a reliable insurance market, say Jan Larson and Benjamin Malings at Jenner & Block.
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Pa. Case Highlights Complexity Of Oil And Gas Leases
A Pennsylvania state court's recent decision in Douglas Equipment Inc. v. EQT Production Co. is a reminder that oil and gas leases are rather strange creatures — morphing from something akin to a traditional surface lease to a mineral property conveyance the moment oil and gas is produced, says Christopher Rogers at Frost Brown.
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Best Practices For Lenders To Limit Recourse Liability
As projects face loan maturities in a higher interest rate environment, lenders should diligently observe even seemingly innocuous formalities following an event of default in order to minimize potential recourse liability, especially when borrowers have certain covenants, say Ryan Goins and Matthias Kleinsasser at Winstead.
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New 'Waters' Rule May Speed Projects, Spawn More Litigation
The Biden administration's new rule defining "waters of the United States" in accordance with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision will remove federal protection for some wetlands — which could both enable more development and lead to more legal challenges for projects, says Marcia Greenblatt at Integral Consulting.
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Fair Lending Activity: Calm On The Surface, Churning Below
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recently released annual fair lending report to Congress confirms that despite the paucity of public fair lending enforcement actions in 2022, the CFPB and prudential banking agencies are engaged in significant nonpublic oversight, examination and enforcement activities, say attorneys at Cooley.