Commercial

  • August 21, 2024

    Fla. Real Estate Co.'s Assets Frozen After $56M Ponzi Claims

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has secured an asset freeze in its suit against a Florida-based real estate investment company whose managers misused tens of millions of investor proceeds, including by paying investors "in a Ponzi-like fashion."

  • August 21, 2024

    Venable Guides Hyatt's $335M Standard International Buy

    Hyatt Hotels Corp. will acquire hospitality company Standard International's brands and a majority of its affiliates in an up to $335 million deal guided by Venable LLP, as Hyatt continues a push to shed some of its physical assets.

  • August 21, 2024

    3rd Circ. Affirms Health Chain Win In Pa. Hospital Sale Dispute

    The seller of a Pennsylvania hospital was in compliance with its state licensing requirements when the facility was sold, and thus, did not violate the terms of the sale agreement when the buyer needed to update its fire-safety plans to stay licensed, the Third Circuit has affirmed.

  • August 21, 2024

    KKR Pays $337M For 6 US Industrial Warehouses

    KKR purchased a 2 million-square-foot, fully leased portfolio of six Class A industrial logistics warehouses in a $337 million deal, the global investment firm announced Monday.

  • August 21, 2024

    Alleged WeWork Fraudster Fires Dickinson Wright Before Trial

    Lawyers from Dickinson Wright PLLC told a New York federal judge on Wednesday that they have been discharged by the former CEO of real estate investment firm ArciTerra ahead of his October trial for issuing a bogus $77 million offer for WeWork shares.

  • August 21, 2024

    NJ Health System Calls Proskauer DQ Bid A 'Litigation Tactic'

    RWJBarnabas Health urged a New Jersey federal judge to reject its competitor's attempt to disqualify Proskauer Rose LLP from representing the healthcare system in an antitrust suit, telling the court the "litigation tactic" is merely the plaintiff's effort to replace opposing counsel because its case is going badly.

  • August 21, 2024

    Proptech Sector Stuck In The Doldrums, But Eyeing A Way Out

    Hopes that the property technology sector would rebound in 2024 after a down year have not materialized so far — with a recent report showing funding has actually dropped further — but investment and technology professionals anticipate improvements soon and see the potential for major long-term growth.

  • August 21, 2024

    Minn. Tax Court Cuts $2.5M From Office Building Value

    The local valuation of a Minnesota office building recently occupied by the state Department of Education was too high, the state tax court said, cutting about $2.5 million from the assessment.

  • August 21, 2024

    Cooley Atty Expects San Diego Life Sciences Supply To Slow

    As many San Diego life sciences projects are wrapping up, new real estate supply should slow and in turn push the local vacancy rate down, a Cooley real estate lawyer told Law360 Real Estate Authority in an interview.

  • August 20, 2024

    Steward Health, Landlord Spar Over Ch. 11 Hospital Sales

    Bankrupt hospital operator Steward Health Care has filed an adversary suit against the landlord for 30 of its hospitals, Medical Properties Trust, saying the landlord is throwing a wrench in the sale process for the facilities and trying to hoover up all the proceeds.

  • August 20, 2024

    4 Firms Rep Wells Fargo's Sale Of Servicing Biz To Trimont

    Commercial mortgage loan services company Trimont will be the biggest loan servicer in the U.S. after Wells Fargo agreed to sell it a part of its business in a deal guided by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP and Trilegal, the bank and Trimont announced Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    Pa. Justices Say No Public Benefit To Railroad Land Grab

    The general public needed to be the primary beneficiary for a railroad to use eminent domain to take over part of a property and reactivate a siding, and that standard was harder to meet now compared with when a century-old precedent was set, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    Mass. Parcels Were Properly Valued Despite Construction

    Two parcels of land in a Massachusetts town were properly valued and should not have their value decreased based on construction on a nearby property, the state Appellate Tax Board said in a decision released Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    Allen Matkins Tax Group Leader Jumps To Covington In LA

    Covington & Burling LLP has added to its Los Angeles office a partner with more than 20 years of experience who most recently led Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP's tax group, describing the new hire as "one of the country's leading authorities on partnership tax."

  • August 20, 2024

    Son Can't Protect Property In $10M Tax Case, US Says

    A man whose father is serving a 22-year fraud sentence shouldn't be allowed to stop the IRS from seizing property he claims he bought fairly from his parents, the U.S. government told a Georgia federal court, saying he's a nominee of his parents, who owe $10 million in taxes.

  • August 20, 2024

    A Deep Dive Into Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women In Law Report

    The legal industry continues to see incremental gains for female lawyers in private practice in the U.S., according to a Law360 Pulse analysis, with women now representing 40.6% of all attorneys and 51% of all associates.

  • August 20, 2024

    These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships

    The legal industry still has a long way to go before it can achieve gender parity at its upper levels. But these law firms are performing better than others in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling that prevents women from attaining leadership roles.

  • August 20, 2024

    Kirkland-Led Dermody Closes $1B Real Estate-Focused Fund

    Real estate-focused private equity shop Dermody Properties, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, on Tuesday announced that it successfully closed its fourth commingled fund after securing just over $1 billion in capital commitments.

  • August 19, 2024

    Colo. Justices Take Up Firm's Malicious Prosecution Defense

    The Colorado Supreme Court said Monday it would hear a Denver law firm's appeal arguing that winning a dispositive motion in an earlier suit protects against a later malicious prosecution claim from the target of the first case.

  • August 19, 2024

    Fraud Trial Waylaid By Last-Minute Bid For Remote Testimony

    A Florida federal judge on Monday delayed a bench trial in a lawsuit over real estate investment fraud claims after the alleged victims brought an emergency motion to testify remotely from Africa, with the judge saying she'd have to consider whether rules allow the case to proceed despite their absence.

  • August 19, 2024

    Gould & Ratner Rehires Construction Atty For Chicago Office

    Gould & Ratner LLP rehired Ellen M. Chapelle, who previously worked there as a partner on the construction team, for another stint as a construction partner and a new role as the chair of the insurance counseling and recovery team, the firm announced.

  • August 19, 2024

    Citibank Sues NYC Developer Over $180M In Defaulted Loans

    Citibank and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA are seeking to foreclose on a midtown Manhattan property owned by developer RFR Holding LLC, after the borrower failed to pay off $180 million in debt that matured in June.

  • August 19, 2024

    Mont. Tax Board Restores $1M Value To Commercial Property

    A commercial property in Montana was correctly valued at about $1 million, the state's tax appeals board said, reversing a county tax board and upholding the income approach to the valuation used by the state revenue department.

  • August 19, 2024

    Insurer Blames Panda Express Grease For $176K Water Leak

    An insurer demanded Chinese fast food chain Panda Express Inc. repay it more than $176,000 for damages allegedly caused when the restaurant's grease-filled pipes backed up, leaking water into a clothing store covered by the insurer, in a case the eatery moved to Washington federal court.

  • August 19, 2024

    Kasowitz Urges NY Court To Toss Supertall Tower Suit

    Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP asked a New York state court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by two limited liability companies tied to AmBase Corp. over Manhattan's troubled supertall Steinway Tower.

Expert Analysis

  • A Guide For Landlords Pivoting To Medical Office Buildings

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    The current commercial real estate landscape presents a unique opportunity for landlords, real estate developers and investors to accommodate the growing health care industry's need for office buildings, though proper navigation of complex regulations and leasing concerns is necessary, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • How Investors Can Seize Renewables Opportunities In RE

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    As governments and stakeholders increasingly focus on sustainability in the real estate sector, investors could capture significant upside by implementing an operational real estate strategy focused on renewable energy sources, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Insurance Cos. Are Stretching Construction Standard Limits

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    In the construction sector, the importance of closely vetting downstream parties' insurance policies has never been more critical — owners and general contractors need to be on the lookout for ever broader carrier-specific expansions of standard insurance provisions that are perilous for risk transfer, says Eric Clarkson at Saxe Doernberger.

  • Potential WeWork Bankruptcy May Disrupt Coworking Spaces

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    If WeWork files for bankruptcy, as hinted at in its recent quarterly earnings report, landlords may struggle to take over management of WeWork's coworking spaces, but the coworking industry as a whole is showing some promise in adapting to the market's evolving post-pandemic office needs, says Ann Chandler at Hall Estill.

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

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    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • A Cautionary Tale Of Flawed Debt Accounting And SEC Fines

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent improper-accounting charges against Malvern Bancorp and its ex-CFO highlight crucial practice issues, including the need to objectively evaluate borrowers' credit, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Bat's Newly Endangered Status Likely To Slow Development

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    A recent change in the classification of the northern long-eared bat from "threatened" to "endangered" could have significant effects on development in large portions of the Eastern and Southeastern U.S. — and in the absence of straightforward guidelines, developers will have to assess each project individually, says Peter McGrath at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    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.

  • Litigation Can Facilitate EB-5 Investor Visa Determinations

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    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.