Real EstateRSS

  • February 13, 2012

    NY Landlord Says DSW Must Pick Up Filene's Lease

    The landlord of a Manhattan retail complex filed a breach of contract suit against shoemaker DSW MS LLC in New York state court Friday, claiming DSW is responsible for a commercial lease that belonged to now-bankrupt Filene's Basement through 2024.

  • February 13, 2012

    Panel Won't Combine Dallas County MERS Case With MDL

    The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Wednesday refused to allow Merscorp Inc., which runs an electronic mortgage registration database, to combine a Dallas-based suit with an Arizona MDL brought by disgruntled homeowners.

  • February 13, 2012

    White House Sets Out $45B For HUD In 2013

    The Obama administration on Monday earmarked $44.8 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in its proposed $3.8 trillion fiscal year 2013 budget, increasing its commitment by $1.4 billion in an effort to help families remain in their homes and revive distressed neighborhoods.

  • February 13, 2012

    Special Servicer Takes Over $182M Hancock Center Loan

    A special servicer took control of a $182 million loan on the John Hancock Center on Thursday, setting the stage for a potential legal battle between owners and lenders over the iconic Chicago skyscraper.

  • February 13, 2012

    Defunct Bank's Officers Kick Investor Suit Over Bad Loans

    A federal judge on Monday dismissed a securities class action and scaled back a related $26.2 million Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. lawsuit against ex-officers and directors of the now-defunct First Centennial Bank who allegedly disregarded the bank's underwriting standards in issuing 16 risky commercial real estate loans.

  • February 13, 2012

    Borrowers Go After CWCapital In Mortgage Contract Suit

    A proposed class action accusing CWCapital LLC of asserting excessive authority in certain commercial mortgage financing agreements and forcing borrowers to waive their rights to a jury trial was removed to Texas federal court Friday.

  • February 13, 2012

    Sherman Oaks Dwellers Want Luxury Development Downsized

    Homeowners in the upscale Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles are drumming up letters of opposition to a proposed development of an eight-story residential building and more than 60,000 square feet of retail space ahead of a Thursday review by the neighborhood planning commission.

  • February 13, 2012

    Wynn's Macau University Donation Draws SEC Scrutiny

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is probing Wynn Resorts Ltd.'s $135 million endowment for a Macau university, which is tied to the company's planned expansion of its huge casino development in the region, the casino and hotel operator said Monday.

  • February 13, 2012

    Ex-Deputy Associate AG Returns To Alston Real Estate Team

    Former U.S. Deputy Associate Attorney General Karol Mason has rejoined her old firm, Alston & Bird LLP, as a partner in the real estate finance and capital markets group, where she will concentrate on public and project finance, the firm announced Friday.

  • February 13, 2012

    Q&A With Hodgson Russ' Sujata Yalamanchili

    The commoditization of certain legal practices, such as house closings and some real estate mortgage loans, is a concern. As the process for handling these matters becomes mechanical and the pressure to keep legal fees low remains strong, I worry that lawyers are spending little time or care on these matters, says Sujata Yalamanchili, leader of Hodgson Russ LLP's real estate, finance and bankruptcy practice area.

  • February 13, 2012

    Empire State Building Owners Plan $1B IPO, New REIT

    The owners of a sprawling office portfolio that includes the iconic 102-story Empire State Building in Manhattan have filed a $1 billion initial public offering in an effort to consolidate their holdings and create a new real estate investment trust, according to regulatory documents filed Monday.

  • February 10, 2012

    Perkins Coie Adds Two Business Lawyers In Boise

    Perkins Coie LLP has added two well-rounded business lawyers to its Boise, Idaho, office, bolstering the branch’s litigation and transactional practices, the firm announced Friday.

  • February 10, 2012

    Lyon Homes Gets Nod On Ch. 11 Plan To Cut Debt By 36%

    William Lyon Homes won court approval Friday to proceed with a reorganization plan that will slash the homebuilder's debt load by 36 percent and infuse the company with $85 million in new equity capital.

  • February 10, 2012

    St. Paul Drops Fair Housing Appeal Before High Court Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court was set to weigh in on whether intentional bias is necessary for housing discrimination claims later this month, but the case was dismissed Friday after the city of St. Paul, Minn., dropped its appeal.

  • February 10, 2012

    DLA Piper Lands Top Spot In Real Estate Ranking

    With real estate roots dating back nearly a century and a global presence employing more than 470 real estate attorneys, DLA Piper has expanded its practice to anticipate changes in the volatile real estate market and become the largest group devoted the practice in the U.S.

  • February 10, 2012

    Ability To Close Affects Standing In Real Estate Suit: NY Court

    New York's highest appeals court on Thursday reversed a lower court's ruling that a developer was liable for damages resulting from the termination of a property purchase contract, saying the buyer had failed to prove that it was “ready, willing and able” to close on such a deal.

  • February 10, 2012

    Law Firms To Blame In Part For NY Leasing Pullback: Brokers

    Financial services giants and law firms alike have been leasing less office space in New York over the past few months, which has depressed overall leasing activity in some neighborhoods, two veteran New York brokers said Friday.

  • February 10, 2012

    Law360 Ranks Largest Real Estate Practice Groups

    New York may be one of the world’s most watched real estate markets, but its law firms don't always boast the biggest real estate headcounts, Law360’s list of the firms with the largest estate practices shows.

  • February 10, 2012

    LaSalle, Quantum Form $1B Real Estate Venture

    Swiss asset manager Quantum Global Real Estate and the investment arm of Chicago-based real estate services giant Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. have formed a joint venture to invest $1 billion in real estate across the world, the companies announced Friday.

  • February 10, 2012

    Q&A With White & Case's Steven Vainder

    A working knowledge of the techniques and certifications involved in "green building" is becoming essential for any attorney representing a client in the real estate industry, says Steven Vainder, a partner with White & Case LLP specializing in real estate law.