Real Estate

  • April 12, 2024

    Hedge Fund Fires Back At Hotel REIT With Proxy Contest Suit

    Blackwells Capital LLC has fired back at Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. with a lawsuit against the hotel REIT and its board chair Monty Bennett, seeking a green light to move forward with a campaign to place its own candidates on the company's board.

  • April 12, 2024

    Feds Say Ga. Apartments Denied Wheelchair Accommodation

    Federal prosecutors on Thursday hit a Savannah, Georgia, apartment complex, a local housing authority and other defendants with a Fair Housing Act complaint alleging they denied a disabled resident an accessible apartment in spite of her repeated requests that they accommodate her disability.

  • April 12, 2024

    Mich. Township Wants Suit Over Foiled Pot Dispensary Tossed

    A Michigan township is urging a federal court to toss a lawsuit filed by a cannabis entrepreneur and local developers who claim the municipality's leaders blocked them from opening a marijuana dispensary, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction.

  • April 12, 2024

    SEC Says Developer Pulled EB-5 Funds From Nursing Homes

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused a Las Vegas developer of using $10 million raised by overseas investors hoping to immigrate to the U.S. to pay down a loan for a project unconnected to their immigration applications.

  • April 12, 2024

    NJ Firm Wants Boardwalk Malpractice Suit Tossed For Good

    Hankin Sandman Palladino Weintrob & Bell has called on a New Jersey federal court to lift a stay and allow the firm to pursue summary judgment in a legal malpractice lawsuit from a couple over their investment in an Atlantic City Boardwalk amusement park, which resulted in an $11.8 million claim against the investors.

  • April 12, 2024

    Vermont Attys Can't Be Sued In Connecticut, Court Says

    Two Vermont firms that handled the sale of a Connecticut man's second home near a Vermont ski town cannot be sued in Connecticut because the lawyers' business models and the disputed cash transfers that spurred the litigation were not sufficiently directed toward Connecticut, a three-judge appellate panel ruled on Friday.

  • April 12, 2024

    The Week In Trump: Catch Up On The Ex-President's Cases

    Donald Trump and his legal team proved that they are nothing if not persistent as they repeatedly tried — and failed — to hit the brakes on the former president's porn star hush money trial in Manhattan.

  • April 12, 2024

    Justices Back Property Owner In Dispute Over Permit Fees

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that a $23,420 local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner's rural manufactured home isn't exempt from scrutiny as a Fifth Amendment taking simply because the charge is allowed by legislation.

  • April 11, 2024

    DC Circ. Mulls Jurisdiction In Fight Over Jewish Texts

    The D.C. Circuit is set to decide whether a D.C. federal court can consider a Jewish group's allegations that Russia is illegally holding onto its long-lost sacred religious texts, after hearing arguments early Thursday in the appeal of a case that's been kicking around the lower court's docket for two decades.

  • April 11, 2024

    Wash. Justices Side With EB-5 Firm Over Arbitration Award

    Washington's high court ruled on Thursday that the payment of an arbitration award does not resolve a case seeking to confirm that award, standing by a lower court's decision to enter a confirmation order on an investment firm's $11.5 million win against a beleaguered developer over missed payments on a loan.

  • April 11, 2024

    REIT Hit With Suit By Ex-CEO Over Share Buyback Conflict

    A real estate investment trust has been hit with a proposed class action by its former CEO alleging the company's insiders breached their fiduciary duties by failing to make a legitimate effort to repurchase certain preferred shares prior to their redemption date, leading to severe dilution of the common shares.

  • April 11, 2024

    NJ Town Pays $5.5M To Exit Claims It Steered Deloitte HQ Deal

    Morristown, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle claims that officials meddled in a project to relocate accounting firm Deloitte's headquarters to one town site in an attempt to direct the project to another owned by developers they preferred.

  • April 11, 2024

    Colo. Developer Sues Over Remodeling Impact Fees

    A Colorado developer has accused Pitkin County's Board of Commissioners in Colorado federal court of wrongfully charging impact fees on the remodel of a residential property.

  • April 11, 2024

    Pacific Pipeline To Pay Calif. Landowners $70M Over Oil Spill

    A class of landowners urged a California federal judge to sign off on a $70 million deal with Pacific Pipeline Co. to resolve litigation stemming from the rupture of an onshore pipeline that leaked 140,000 gallons of crude oil near Santa Barbara, California, according to a motion for settlement approval entered Wednesday.

  • April 11, 2024

    LA's COVID-19 Anti-Eviction Law A Taking, 9th Circ. Told

    A Los Angeles landlord urged the Ninth Circuit during a Thursday hearing to revive his $100 million suit against the city over its COVID-19 anti-eviction moratorium, arguing the lower court erred when it found the moratorium against eviction of defaulting tenants didn't constitute a physical taking by the government.

  • April 11, 2024

    Dallas Developers Must Each Pay Bond In $400M Foreclosure

    A Texas appeals court on Thursday ordered developers to cough up more money as they appeal a ruling in a roughly $400 million foreclosure case involving an upscale residential tower in Dallas, saying that each of the debtors needed to file a bond as the case works its way through appeals.

  • April 11, 2024

    Odebrecht Exec Details Bribes To Ex-Ecuador Comptroller

    The former director of Odebrecht SA's operations in Ecuador told jurors Thursday that he paid millions in bribes to "Miami" — a code name for Ecuador's former comptroller — related to various infrastructure projects the Brazilian conglomerate was building in the country.

  • April 11, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Insurer Owes Defense In Home Damage Suit

    A general contractor's insurer must defend it against claims that it abandoned the construction site of a custom-built home, the Eleventh Circuit ruled Thursday, rejecting the insurer's reliance on two exclusions barring coverage for damage to "that particular part" of property the contractor worked on and corresponding repairs.

  • April 11, 2024

    Proskauer Adds Kirkland Partner For Tax, Estate Issues

    Proskauer Rose LLP has added to its private client services department a partner from Kirkland & Ellis LLP who specializes in developing domestic and international tax and estate plans for clients with very high net worth, the firm announced.

  • April 11, 2024

    Houston Atty Beats Real Estate Deal Malpractice Suit

    In a split decision Thursday, a Houston attorney accused of malpractice was handed a win by the majority of a three-justice Lone Star State appellate panel that cleared her of negligence in connection with a 2014 contract inked between the owner of a property management company and a pair of apartment complex investors, finding that she obtained no "improper benefit" from representing both sides.

  • April 11, 2024

    Treasury Proposes Steeper Foreign Investment Law Penalties

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a notice Thursday proposing to sharpen its procedures and enforcement practices for reviewing foreign investment deals for national security issues, according to an announcement.

  • April 11, 2024

    Akerman Adds Another Real Estate Litigator In NYC Office

    Akerman LLP has hired a litigator who focuses his practice on a range of real estate matters and is joining the firm's New York City office as a partner, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • April 10, 2024

    Texas Panel Seeks Evidence In $1M Real Estate Quagmire

    A Texas appellate panel suggested Wednesday that both sides fighting about a soured real estate financing deal need to do more to make their cases, asking attorneys during oral arguments to point to evidence that either confirms or refutes the existence of a contract.

  • April 10, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Revive White And Williams Malpractice Suit

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday declined to revive a $30 million legal malpractice suit brought by a home improvement product manufacturer against White and Williams LLP, finding the claim should have been brought in an earlier action between the parties.

  • April 10, 2024

    3rd Circ. Revives Retaliation Suit Against Pa. House GOP

    The Third Circuit breathed new life Wednesday into a former district office manager's lawsuit alleging she was fired by the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus for reporting she had discovered mold in a state representative's office, finding she was acting outside her job duties when she spoke up.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Mass. Banking Brief: The Notable Compliance Updates In Q3

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    Among the most significant developments in the financial services space in the third quarter of the year, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court handed down a stunning endorsement of the state's fiduciary duty rule, and banking regulators continued their multiyear crackdown on unregistered entities, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • NY Co-Ops Must Avoid Pitfalls When Navigating Insurance

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    In light of skyrocketing premiums, tricky exclusions and dwindling options, New York cooperative corporations must carefully review potential contractors' insurance policies in order to secure full protection, as even seemingly minor contractor jobs can carry significant risk due to New York labor laws, says Eliot Zuckerman at Smith Gambrell.

  • Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

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    Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

  • Insurance Rulings Continue Expansion Of Appraisal's Ambit

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    Two recent Illinois insurance cases allowing property damage appraisers to determine causation — Wysoczan v. Cambridge in federal court and Shelter v. Morrow in state appellate court — perpetuate a judicial trend that will result in a slower, more expensive and cumbersome appraisal process that resembles litigation, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

  • Series

    In The CFPB Playbook: The Bureau In The Courts

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    From defending the constitutionality of its funding and the scope of its rulemaking authority in the courts to releasing more nonbinding guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had a busy summer. Orrick's John Coleman discusses all this and more in the second installment of quarterly bureau activity recaps by former CFPB personnel.

  • Calif. Climate Disclosure Bills Promise Challenges For Cos.

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    Two novel climate disclosure bills recently passed by the California Legislature will pose challenges for many businesses — especially private companies that are less familiar with climate-related reporting obligations — and will require investments of significant time and effort in processes, procedures and personnel, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

  • Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

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    As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Fintech Cos. Should Consider Asset-Based Financing For RE

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    Fintech companies that own or plan to acquire real property may be able to utilize asset-based financings to access more efficient and cost-effective forms of capital beyond traditional venture capital sources, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices

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    The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: European Union

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    As the EU makes ESG regulation a priority, companies — both those based in the EU and others just doing business there — need to keep abreast of myriad new legislation that has either already taken effect or will in the near future, as noncompliance could result in fines, damages and director liability, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.

  • What To Consider When Converting Calif. Offices To Housing

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    In light of California legislators' recent efforts to expedite the process for converting offices into residential buildings, developers should evaluate both the societal upsides, and the significant economic and legal hurdles, of such conversions, says Steven Otto at Crosbie Gliner.

  • Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees

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    The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Ch. 12 Ruling Is A Helpful Addition To Interest Rate Case Law

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    In its recent In re: Topp ruling, the Eighth Circuit addressed the question of which rate of interest debtors should pay under a bankruptcy plan, showing that the choice of interest rate plan is a factual issue subject to appellate review for clear error, and not a legal issue subject to de novo review, says Donald Swanson at Koley Jessen.

  • Appellate Rulings Highlight Telecom Standard Uncertainties

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    Two recent contrasting appellate opinions in Cellco v. White Deer Township and NMSurf v. Webber — interpreting Sections 332 and 253 of the Communications Act, respectively — demonstrate the continuing uncertainty carriers face when challenging state and local requirements that may impede their provision of telecommunications services, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • As AI Pricing Tools Evolve, So Does Antitrust Risk

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    As the use of pricing algorithms has given rise to regulatory scrutiny and civil actions, such as RealPage Rental Software Antitrust Litigation in the Middle District of Tennessee and Gibson v. MGM in the District of Nevada, independent pricing decisions and other best practices can help limit antitrust risk, say attorneys at Axinn.

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