Residential

  • March 26, 2024

    Hurdles Ahead For Calif. Mental Health Bond After Narrow Win

    An ambitious ballot measure meant to address California's homelessness crisis may open up new business opportunities for healthcare providers, ease overcrowding in emergency rooms and inspire other states to follow suit. But it will likely bring less-welcome results as well.

  • March 25, 2024

    LoanDepot Settles Appraisal Bias Suit After Scholar's Death

    Mortgage company loanDepot has agreed to make policy changes and pay an undisclosed amount to resolve a Black couple's lawsuit claiming their Baltimore home was undervalued because of their race, just a couple of weeks after plaintiff Shani Mott, a scholar at Johns Hopkins University, died of cancer.

  • March 25, 2024

    Conn. Justice Chides Legislature In Landlord Lien Case

    Bemoaning what he perceived as an unclear statute and its unilluminating legislative history, Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Steven D. Ecker on Monday lamented having to make a significant policy decision about whether a city or a landlord should be financially liable for tenants displaced after fire damaged a large apartment.

  • March 25, 2024

    Full 10th Circ. Stands By Revival Of Valero Pipeline Leak Suit

    The full Tenth Circuit refused to budge from a panel's February decision that partly revived an Oklahoma cattle ranch's lawsuit seeking to hold Valero Energy Corp. liable for a pipeline leak that allegedly contaminated the ranch property.

  • March 25, 2024

    HUD Says Not Enough Housing For Trafficking Survivors

    The housing needs of human trafficking survivors facing homelessness or home instability aren't being met by housing programs across the country because many of them usually aren't "scaled to meet the need," according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report.

  • March 25, 2024

    3rd Circ. Says NJ City Can't Stop Sale Of Failed Project's Sites

    The Third Circuit tossed a New Jersey city's challenge of a bankruptcy court ruling that allowed the two local properties of a failed affordable housing project to be sold to a third party, according to an unpublished opinion Monday.

  • March 25, 2024

    NJ Law Paves An Aggressive Affordable-Housing Path

    New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that will overhaul the state's affordable housing framework, signaling state priorities with an aggressive approach that has already garnered pushback from municipalities.

  • March 25, 2024

    Jury Hands Mortgage Co. $73K Win In Trade Secrets Fight

    An Ohio federal jury has found that Revolution Mortgage owes just over $73,700 to competitor Equity Resources in a case where Equity accused its rival of misappropriation of trade secrets.

  • March 25, 2024

    'Infested Slum' Suit Warrants Class Cert., Conn. Justices Told

    Former tenants of a Hartford apartment complex are urging the Connecticut Supreme Court to let them pursue class claims that the complex turned into a "mold and cockroach infested slum," arguing in a hearing Monday that a lower court focused too heavily on the differences between the conditions of each unit.

  • March 25, 2024

    DeSantis OKs Bill Easing Teardown Of Old Coastal Buildings

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill limiting local control over the takedown and replacement of coastline structures that are out of step with building codes, after changes to the measure exempted some historic waterfront districts.

  • March 25, 2024

    High Court Won't Weigh In On ND Mineral Rights Takings Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to wade into a fight over oil and gas mineral rights underneath a North Dakota lake, rejecting former rights owners' argument that states' sovereign immunity does not protect them from takings claims in federal court.

  • March 25, 2024

    Law360 2024 Real Estate Authority Editorial Board

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2024 Real Estate Authority Editorial Board, which includes leading industry experts, to provide feedback and shape coverage goals.

  • March 22, 2024

    OCC Fines Sterling Bank's Ex-COO $150K For Lax Oversight

    The former president of Michigan-based Sterling Bancorp Inc. has been ordered to pay $150,000 by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for allegedly failing to properly oversee the bank's Advantage Loan Program, which presented "high risks for fraud, money laundering, and lending misconduct."

  • March 22, 2024

    Feds Delay Community Lending Assessment Change To 2026

    Federal banking regulators have pushed back a looming implementation date for part of their revamped community lending rules, delaying the roll-out of certain changes in a move that is raising fresh criticism of the rulemaking amid an industry-backed legal challenge.  

  • March 22, 2024

    US Bank Ends $3.5B RMBS Trusts Suits Against BofA, Others

    U.S. Bank on Friday notified a New York federal judge it permanently discontinued two lawsuits against First Franklin Financial, Merrill Lynch Mortgage and Bank of America relating to substandard loans in residential mortgage-backed securities trusts worth $3.5 billion, two years after the parties reached a conditional settlement.

  • March 22, 2024

    Real Estate Co. Says Ch. 7 Trustee Ginned Up Conn. AG Probe

    A company that buys houses from financially distressed individuals and rents the homes back to their former owners filed a scathing adversary proceeding against a Chapter 7 trustee's avoidance action, claiming the trustee ginned up a "baseless" state government probe and is harming several estates she claims to be protecting.

  • March 22, 2024

    Airbnb Sued Over Conn. Woman's Fatal Burns In Jamaica

    Airbnb has taken to Connecticut federal court to defend against claims that it is financially responsible for an explosion at a Jamaican rental property that caused first-degree burns over 56% of a renter's body, eventually leading to the woman's death in the U.S. two months later.

  • March 22, 2024

    5th Circ. Lifts SEC Climate Rule Stay After 8th Circ. Lottery Win

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday lifted a temporary block on the implementation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new emissions reporting requirements, following the selection of the Eighth Circuit as the venue for consolidated proceedings of the various suits about the agency's controversial rules.

  • March 22, 2024

    Home Sellers Hope $58M Compass Deal Helps Spur Others

    Compass Inc. announced Friday that it would pay home sellers $57.5 million in the first settlement since the National Association of Realtors reached its own deal this month to pay $418 million and overhaul rules that have effectively restricted how brokers buy and sell homes and how they're paid.

  • March 22, 2024

    Crow Buys Portfolio Of Nearly 10K Manufactured Homesites

    Crow Holdings has closed a portfolio deal for 46 manufactured housing properties containing 9,838 homesites in Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Illinois and Montana, the real estate investment and development firm announced.

  • March 22, 2024

    NY Landlords Say Rent Law Update OK'd 'Warrantless' Search

    Landlords in New York's Hudson Valley have filed suit against the state and two cities, alleging a December law that raised the stakes for property owners that fail to cooperate with municipalities looking to enact rent stabilization is unconstitutional.

  • March 22, 2024

    Fla. Judge Allows Sale Of Ex-MLBer's House In Fraud Suit

    A Florida state court judge on Friday allowed the sale of a house owned by ex-Boston Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo to go forward over the objection of a sports managing company, which accused the baseball player of fraudulent transfer in order to avoid a $3 million judgment against him.

  • March 22, 2024

    5th Circ. Asked For Do-Over In Hurricane Coverage Feud

    The owners of a New Orleans apartment complex urged the Fifth Circuit to rethink ordering them to arbitrate Hurricane Ida damage claims under New York law, arguing New York's choice-of-law clause would ordinarily be unenforceable under Louisiana law if it weren't couched within the arbitration provision.

  • March 22, 2024

    Colo. Water District Illegally Doubled Tax Rate, Panel Says

    A water conservancy district violated the Colorado Constitution when it doubled its property tax rate without voter approval, a state appeals court ruled, reversing a lower court's decision against a proposed class of property owners.

  • March 22, 2024

    NYC Landlord Jailed For 'Notoriously Negligent' Conditions

    One of New York City's "most notoriously negligent landlords" will spend up to 60 days in Riker's Island jail after he ignored the conditions of two apartment buildings in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Devleopment has announced.

Expert Analysis

  • Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention

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    The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

  • Justices' Minn. Takings Ruling May Have Broad Impact

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County that a Minnesota tax foreclosure violated the U.S. Constitution's takings clause may, beyond resolving a circuit split, influence well-established foreclosure laws across the U.S., say Emily Ladd and Gregory Nowak at Miller Canfield.

  • Murdaugh Trials Offer Law Firms Fraud Prevention Reminders

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    As the fraud case against Alex Murdaugh continues to play out, the evidence and narrative presented at his murder trial earlier this year may provide lessons for law firms on implementing robust internal controls that can detect and prevent similar kinds of fraud, say Travis Casner and Helga Zauner at Weaver and Tidwell.

  • Challenging Standing In Antitrust Class Actions: Rule 23

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    A recent Sixth Circuit decision in Fox v. Saginaw County that rejected the common attempt to use Rule 23 to sidestep Article III's standing limitations shows antitrust defendants' success in challenging standing will rest on happenstance without more clarity from the Supreme Court — which no litigant should be comfortable with, say Michael Hamburger and Holly Tao at White & Case.

  • Key Limited Partnership Provisions During Market Downturns

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    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.

  • Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic

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    Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.

  • Fla. Foreign Real Estate Law Brings Broad Investment Risks

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    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.

  • Prepping Your Business Ahead Of Affirmative Action Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on whether race should play a role in college admissions could potentially end affirmative action, and companies will need a considered approach to these circumstances that protects their brand power and future profits, and be prepared to answer tough questions, say Nadine Blackburn at United Minds and Eric Blankenbaker at Weber Shandwick.

  • Tackling Judge-Shopping Concerns While Honoring Localism

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    As the debate continues over judge-shopping and case assignments in federal court, policymakers should look to a hybrid model that preserves the benefits of localism for those cases that warrant it, while preventing the appearance of judge-shopping for cases of a more national or widespread character, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • How Attorneys Can Help Combat Anti-Asian Hate

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    Amid an exponential increase in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, unique obstacles stand in the way of accountability and justice — but lawyers can effect powerful change by raising awareness, offering legal representation, advocating for victims’ rights and more, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Congress Needs To Enact A Federal Anti-SLAPP Statute

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    Although many states have passed statutes meant to prevent individuals or entities from filing strategic lawsuits against public participation, other states have not, so it's time for Congress to enact a federal statute to ensure that free speech and petitioning rights are uniformly protected nationwide in federal court, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Banking Tips For Lending To Calif. Homeowners Associations

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    With current financial markets and recent changes to California law putting a brighter spotlight on lending, banks should understand the special considerations involved in lending to homeowners associations and the various possible remedies in the event of a default, says Alex Grigorians at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Some Client Speculations On AI And The Law Firm Biz Model

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    Generative artificial intelligence technologies will put pressure on the business of law as it is structured currently, but clients may end up with more price certainty for legal services, and lawyers may spend more time being lawyers, says Jonathan Cole at Melody Capital.