Commercial

Expert Analysis

• Foreign Investment In Real Estate Is Getting More Complicated

  

  Increasing federal scrutiny and a proliferation of new state laws targeting foreign investment in real estate may complicate or prevent transactions even by U.S. companies or funds that have shareholders or limited partners from China and other countries of concern, say attorneys at Akin.

• 5th Circ. Ruling Aids Insureds In Contractual Exclusion Rows

  

  The Fifth Circuit's recent insurance decision in Windermere Oaks v. Allied World, in favor of coverage, provides policyholders with guidance on how to distinguish between contractual and noncontractual claims when insurers deploy broadly worded liability exclusions to deny coverage, say Max Louik and David Ledet at Reed Smith.

• What OneMain Order Says About CFPB's Regulatory Priorities

  

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent action against OneMain Financial Group and others reflect a continuing trend of arguably historic regulatory scrutiny for consumer lenders, and send a strong message that the CFPB is taking a tough stance against deceptive sales practices, say Felix Shipkevich and Jessica Livingston at Shipkevich.

• 2nd Circ. Reinsurance Ruling Correctly Applied English Law

  

  Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article's argument, the Second Circuit correctly applied English law when it decided in Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania v. Equitas that concurrent reinsurance certificates required the reinsurer to cover loss in accordance with the law of the policy's governing jurisdiction, say Peter Chaffetz and Andrew Poplinger at Chaffetz Lindsey.

• Hospitality Biz Must Prep For Seaweed Damage Coverage

  

  With the Great Atlantic Sargassum Seaweed Belt, a 10-million-ton mass of brown seaweed, potentially about to approach the coasts of the U.S. Southeast, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, affected policyholders should consider whether their losses are covered by their property insurance policies, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• Sackett's US Waters Redefinition Is A Boon For Developers

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent landmark ruling in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should reduce real estate project delays, development costs and potential legal exposures — but developers must remain mindful of how new federal and state regulations governing wetlands could affect their plans, say attorneys at Morris Manning.

• For NY Wind And Solar Projects, Some Tax Assessment Clarity

  

  Recent legislation, which moots a challenge to New York’s discounted cash flow method for assessing solar and wind project real property taxes, lifts a cloud of uncertainty and brings new considerations for developers, investors and lenders, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

• How Electric Vehicles Will Affect Land Use And Development

  

  The increasing use of electric vehicles will bring significant issues for cities and real estate developers to consider, as cities will require substantially more infrastructure to meet electric vehicles' charging needs, says John Lushis at Norris McLaughlin.

• 2nd Circ. Reinsurance Ruling Misconstrues English Law

  

  The Second Circuit's finding in Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania v. Equitas Insurance, that London-based reinsurer Equitas owed coverage for losses outside the policy period, stems from that court's misinterpretation of English law on reinsurance policy construction, says Christopher Foster at Holman Fenwick.

• Key Limited Partnership Provisions During Market Downturns

  

  With a recession potentially on the horizon, fund managers should carefully examine their funds' limited partnership agreements for items that may be affected by economic downturns, and assess whether modifications may be appropriate, says Matthew Posthuma at Ropes & Gray.

• Fla. Foreign Real Estate Law Brings Broad Investment Risks

  

  Last month, Florida became the latest state to enact legislation prohibiting Chinese investors from acquiring certain interests in real property, introducing significant legal uncertainty and consequences for real estate stakeholders and the private equity industry, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• How REITs Can Prep For SEC's Repurchase Disclosure Rules

  

  With real estate investment trusts' share repurchase activity on the rise, REITs should beware the potential enforcement risks that may arise from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rules requiring additional disclosures regarding such repurchases, says Zach Swartz at Vinson & Elkins.

• As Sackett Trims Feds' Wetlands Role, States May Step Up

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency extinguishes federal authority over many currently regulated wetlands — meaning that federal permits will no longer be required to discharge pollutants in affected areas, but also that state regulators may take a more active role, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.