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  • October 21, 2024

    2nd Circ. Axes Claims Victoria's Secret Mogul Aided Epstein

    The Second Circuit on Monday refused to revive a suit accusing billionaire developer and Victoria's Secret tycoon Leslie Wexner, his wife and four of their organizations of facilitating Jeffrey Epstein's sexual assault of a minor, finding the appeal improperly raised new arguments.

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Doubts Calif. City Can Sue Over Housing Mandates

    A Ninth Circuit panel expressed skepticism Monday that Huntington Beach, California, has standing to sue the state in federal court over California's housing mandates because it's an autonomous charter city, with one judge saying the city "is not some free floating entity that gets to do whatever it wants."

  • October 21, 2024

    Colo. Tenants Facing Eviction Are Entitled To Jury Trials

    The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that tenants in the state have a right to jury trials in eviction actions filed by their landlords if factual disputes exist in the case.

  • October 21, 2024

    US, Land Donor Settle Fight Over $1.9M Cut To Deduction

    The federal government settled a suit brought by a Louisiana partnership that accused the IRS of using a flawed appraisal to drive down its tax deduction for a land donation by nearly $1.9 million, according to Louisiana federal court filings.

  • October 21, 2024

    KKR REIT GC Resigns, Will Assume Role At KKR

    KKR Real Estate Finance Trust, the publicly traded real estate investment trust arm of asset management giant KKR, said in a public filing Monday that its general counsel will step back from the REIT and assume a role at KKR.

  • October 21, 2024

    DC Moves To Buy NBA, NHL Arena In $800M Overhaul Plan

    Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday announced the introduction of legislation to buy Capital One Arena for $87.5 million to keep the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards in town, after months of negotiations with Sidley Austin LLP advising the arena owner.

  • October 21, 2024

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Greenberg Traurig and Fried Frank were among the law firms that handled the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, a period headlined by a nearly $160 million Manhattan deal.

  • October 21, 2024

    5th Circ. Asked To Nix Insurer's $2.2M Assault Coverage Win

    A group of Texas trial lawyers urged the Fifth Circuit to reverse a Texas federal court's order permitting a bar's insurer to pay only its $1 million limit for a $3.2 million personal injury judgment, arguing the underlying plaintiffs made a valid presuit settlement demand.

  • October 21, 2024

    Justices Won't Review IRS' Additions To Developer's $2M Deal

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it wouldn't review an Eleventh Circuit decision allowing the Internal Revenue Service to back out of a deal to settle an Alabama real estate developer's tax debt for $2 million.

  • October 18, 2024

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • October 18, 2024

    5th Circ. Partially Upholds $2M Win In Hurricane Coverage Suit

    The Fifth Circuit has upheld in part a Louisiana church's more than $2 million judgment win against an insurer that was accused of not paying enough for the church's hurricane damage claims.

  • October 18, 2024

    Feds Defend Bribery Charge Against NYC Mayor Adams

    Federal prosecutors pushed back Friday on New York City Mayor Eric Adams' attempt to erase a bribery charge from his indictment, arguing that while Adams claims his acts were "routine" and allowed under a recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent, a jury could still find his alleged favor trading illegal.

  • October 18, 2024

    NFL Stadiums May Lose $11B To Climate Change By 2050

    Three NFL stadiums could suffer up to an estimated $11 billion in losses by 2050 due to climate change, according to a report this week from a climate risk data analytics company.

  • October 18, 2024

    Minn. Tax Court Refuses Big Changes To Parking Lot's Value

    The Minnesota Tax Court lowered the assessed value of a parking lot property by about $200,000 to $11.7 million, rejecting arguments for larger changes by the property owner and a county.

  • October 18, 2024

    NYC Building Sold After Losing Half Of Tenants To Ch. 11

    A historic mixed-use building in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood that was ravaged by the bankruptcies of two major tenants has been acquired and recapitalized by a partnership of RXR Realty and Hudson Bay Capital through a $421 million financing package from Blackstone, the buyers announced Friday.

  • October 18, 2024

    Winston & Strawn Expands New Miami Office Footprint

    Winston & Strawn LLP is planning to rent more room at Miami's largest office building come 2025, cementing its presence at the property it once deemed a temporary home while it waited for construction at the 830 Brickell office tower to wrap up, a managing partner of the law firm told Law360 Friday.

  • October 17, 2024

    Ex-NFL Player Indicted For Real Estate Embezzlement

    Former Detroit Lions player Chris Harrison skimmed loan proceeds intended for real estate developments to fund personal expenses, including Rolex watches, landscaping services and a home mortgage, federal prosecutors alleged when announcing charges against the former NFL player on Thursday.

  • October 17, 2024

    Lender Says Denver Property Owner Defaulted On $27M Loan

    A lender told a Colorado state court that it wants a Denver retail property to be placed in receivership after the owner allegedly defaulted on a $27.1 million commercial mortgage loan this month.

  • October 17, 2024

    Milton Brings High Insured Costs, Familiar Pressures To Fla.

    While Florida avoided a worst case scenario following Hurricane Milton's landfall, insurance experts say that the high cost of the storm will add familiar pressures to a Florida homeowners insurance market that has been battered for years by storms.

  • October 17, 2024

    Mont. Tax Board Upholds Assessment On Storage Facility

    The owner of a Montana commercial property used to house storage units was unable to lower its value because the state Tax Appeal Board gave more weight to the state Department of Revenue's valuation using an income analysis. 

  • October 17, 2024

    Fried Frank Guides Extell's $159M Madison Avenue Tower Buy

    Fried Frank advised on Extell Development's acquisition of a 24-story tower at 655 Madison Avenue for nearly $160 million after seller Williams Equities moved to demolish the building in August.

  • October 17, 2024

    Trepp Eyes CMBS Loans On Southeast Coast After Hurricanes

    Real estate research firm Trepp has its eye on four commercial mortgage-backed securities collateralized by office, hotel and mall properties in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the firm reported Wednesday.

  • October 17, 2024

    Meet Attys In Chancery Fight Over Helene-Damaged Paper Mill

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP attorneys are representing the owner of a shuttered paper mill in flood-ravaged western North Carolina in a Delaware Chancery Court action that aims to force a development group, represented by Ross Aronstam & Moritz LLP, to buy and redevelop the site.

  • October 16, 2024

    Real Estate Lenders Are Borrowers In Debt Funds' Rise

    Private credit may have stepped in to fill the void when banks pulled back significantly from lending to commercial property owners, but that doesn't mean banks have left the picture.

  • October 16, 2024

    Developers Push On After Mich. Township Bike Law Loss

    Two developers urged a Michigan federal court to upend a Jamestown Charter Township ordinance under which some developers must fund the construction of bike paths, arguing that fees they were charged under the law were unconstitutional takings.

Expert Analysis

  • Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • Navigating FEMA Grant Program For Slope Fixes After Storms

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    In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it is critical for governments, businesses and individuals to understand the legal requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant programs to obtain funding for crucial repairs — including restoration of damaged infrastructure caused by landslides and slope failures, says Charles Schexnaildre at Baker Donelson.

  • Smith's New Trump Indictment Is Case Study In Superseding

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    Special counsel Jack Smith’s recently revised Jan. 6 charges against former President Donald Trump provide lessons for prosecutors on how to effectively draft superseding indictments in order to buttress or streamline their case, as necessary, says Jessica Roth at Cardozo Law School.

  • Consider Best Legal Practices For Commissioning Public Art

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    Commissioning public art for real estate projects can provide many benefits to real estate developers and the public, but it's important to understand the unique legal and contracting aspects of the process to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget, says Sarah Conley Odenkirk at ArtConverge.

  • Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.

  • Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.

  • Climate Among Many Factors Driving Up RE Insurance Costs

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    A proactive approach to risk management may determine the viability of the U.S. commercial real estate sector as weather crises and other factors drive insurance costs higher, says Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Debriefings, Timeliness, Documentation

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    ​James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims concerning an agency's decision not to hold post-award discussions, a timeliness trap in certain Federal Supply Schedule procurements and the importance of providing contemporaneous documentation in price-evaluation protests.

  • Collecting Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The therapeutic aspects of appreciating and collecting art improve my legal practice by enhancing my observation skills, empathy, creativity and cultural awareness, says attorney Michael McCready.

  • A Look At Recent Case Law On Expedited Judgment In NY

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    A number of recent New York state court decisions clarify and refine the contours surrounding Civil Practice Law and Rule 3213, providing landlords, lenders and other payees guidance on how to seek accelerated judgment in certain litigation, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.

  • Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage

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    The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ recently launched webpage, which details the actions — and inactions — that led to enforcement activity, provides important insights for dealmakers about filing requirements, mitigation commitments and the cost of noncompliance, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Reassessing Lease Provisions To Account For ESG Initiatives

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    As companies seek to build ESG considerations into their businesses, it's crucial to understand how such initiatives can quickly become significant enough to compel reassessment of lease agreement provisions, and how best to modify leases accordingly, say Julian Freeman and Gabe Pitassi at Cox Castle.