Residential

  • February 21, 2024

    Justices Reject Seattle Landlords' COVID Eviction Ban Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case from two landlords who argue COVID-19 eviction bans passed by Washington and the city of Seattle amount to a physical taking of their property in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

  • February 20, 2024

    NM Fire Victims Sue FEMA Over Compensation Delays

    Ten New Mexico residents with property damaged by the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency in federal court Friday, saying FEMA is not processing their claims in a timely manner, in violation of an assistance measure Congress passed for victims of the wildfire.

  • February 20, 2024

    FinCEN Details Owner Data Access Rules For Small Banks

    The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network on Tuesday released a compliance guide for small financial firms on accessing and safeguarding company ownership information that their customers are required to report under recently implemented rules.

  • February 20, 2024

    Restoration Architect Says Visa Denial Ignored Evidence

    A Colombian restoration architect who wants to address the affordable housing shortage in the U.S., accused immigration officials in Florida federal court of disregarding more than 1,000 pages of evidence in denying him a national interest waiver for a visa.

  • February 20, 2024

    Ex-BigLaw Atty Avoids Prison For Ch. 11 Lies

    A former BigLaw partner on Tuesday was spared any prison time for lying to a New York bankruptcy court in his 2022 personal Chapter 11 case, in an attempt to shield his assets from creditors.

  • February 20, 2024

    Fla. Firm Closes $419M Refinancing Deal For Miami Tower

    Rosenthal Rosenthal Rasco LLC has wrapped up a refinancing transaction totaling over $419 million for Panorama Tower, an 85-story mixed-use residential property in Miami, the firm announced.

  • February 20, 2024

    NC Panel Finds Condos Short-Term Rental Ban Unreasonable

    The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a condominium owners association can't ban short-term rentals through an amendment to the neighborhood's covenants, reasoning the restriction was too radical a departure from the original rules.

  • February 20, 2024

    Justices Give Feds Time In Texas, Fla. Social Media Law Fights

    The U.S. Supreme Court has set aside time for the federal government to weigh in on looming oral arguments in cases to determine the constitutionality of controversial Texas and Florida laws that restrict social media companies' ability to curb users' speech.

  • February 20, 2024

    Law Firm Wins Unredacted Deal Info In NJ Malpractice Fight

    A law firm has prevailed in a discovery battle against a sibling duo suing it for malpractice in New Jersey state court with a ruling that the plaintiffs must provide unredacted info about the settlement they reached in the underlying suit that the firm allegedly mishandled for them.

  • February 20, 2024

    Frost Brown Adds Real Estate Litigators From Spencer Fane

    Frost Brown Todd LLP announced Tuesday that it has strengthened its real estate practice group with a pair of energy-savvy litigators in Dallas who came aboard from Spencer Fane LLP.

  • February 20, 2024

    High Court Passes On Rent Stabilization Probe, For Now

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined to investigate two challenges to specific aspects of New York's rent stabilization law Tuesday after refusing to hear a facial challenge to the same law in September, but left the door ajar for future litigation.

  • February 20, 2024

    Justices Won't Review Partnership's $26M Easement Row

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to hear a partnership's bid to keep a $26.5 million deduction for a land conservation easement, letting stand a decision that the case was barred by a law that prohibits suits that restrain the collection of taxes.

  • February 20, 2024

    Winstead Taps 6 For Shareholder Positions In Texas, NC

    Winstead PC has announced that six attorneys have been named as shareholders in its Austin, Dallas and Charlotte, North Carolina, offices.

  • February 16, 2024

    NYCB Brass Face Investor Suit Over Signature Bank Takeover

    Executives and directors of New York Community Bank were named in a new shareholder derivative suit, adding to the growing list of litigation the bank and its leaders are facing over the fallout from its acquisition of Signature Bank's assets last year.

  • February 16, 2024

    PNC Bank Defeats Customer's Suit Over Fraudulent Transfer

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Friday tossed the two remaining claims in a suit alleging PNC Bank NA misled a California-based customer about stopping a money transfer to a scammer, saying the bank did not breach the account-holder agreement when it tried to recover the customer's funds.

  • February 16, 2024

    Cavco Exec's Insider Trading Case Paused Pending SEC Deal

    An Arizona federal judge on Friday paused the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's insider trading case against a former executive from modular home manufacturer Cavco Industries Inc. after the two sides reached a settlement in principle on the agency's 2017 claims.

  • February 16, 2024

    DOJ Says $3M Antitrust Deal Doesn't Fix Commission Rule

    The U.S. Department of Justice urged a Massachusetts federal court to reject a proposed $3 million settlement in an antitrust class action alleging a multiple listing service's commission rule inflated fees, saying the deal "perpetuates the very same competitive concerns that trouble the current rule."

  • February 16, 2024

    Condo Co., Insurer Settle Proposed Class Action Coverage

    A Miami condominium, its former management company and various insurers agreed to settle coverage for a proposed class action accusing the condominium companies of allowing the building to deteriorate, a Florida federal judge said Friday, staying the coverage litigation while the parties finalize the deal.

  • February 15, 2024

    NY Judge OKs Brownfield Tax Credits For Capitalized Costs

    A brownfield developer can claim New York's brownfield redevelopment tax credit on capitalized costs related to water main improvements at the site, an administrative law judge said in a determination released Thursday.

  • February 15, 2024

    NYers Sue City To Push Housing Voucher Program Expansion

    A proposed class of New Yorkers have sued Mayor Eric Adams and the city in state court seeking to force the implementation of a set of laws aimed at expanding the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement housing voucher program.

  • February 15, 2024

    Real Estate Rumors: Brause Realty, Microsoft, AcadeMir

    A Brause Realty venture has reportedly scored $75 million in financing for a New York mixed-use project, Microsoft is said to have paid roughly $17.7 million for nearly 300 acres in Minnesota, and AcadeMir Charter Schools has reportedly paid $16.6 million for a Florida property.

  • February 15, 2024

    Ex-Atty Who Lied To Grand Jury About Frauds Gets 6.5 Years

    A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a disbarred lawyer to six and a half years in prison Thursday for his 14-year, $17 million real estate Ponzi scheme, for laundering insurance scam proceeds and for his "unheard of" step of lying to a grand jury.

  • February 15, 2024

    Ariz. Panel Votes To Put Public Nuisance Tax Credits On Ballot

    Arizona property owners impacted by deemed public nuisances that local governments fail to address, which would include homelessness, could qualify for tax refunds from the state if voters approve a ballot measure advanced by a House panel.

  • February 15, 2024

    NYC Developer Owes $87M On Defaulted Condo Loans

    A New York federal judge has ordered HFZ Capital Group to hand over $87 million after a borrower defaulted on four loans guaranteed by the beleaguered development firm, denying its claims that an earlier foreclosure sale satisfying some of the loan was commercially unreasonable.

  • February 15, 2024

    9th Circ. Backs Homeowners' Cert. In Allstate Overcharge Suit

    Allstate will have to face a class action accusing it of artificially inflating home insurance premiums for thousands of California properties by double-counting built-in garage space, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled, affirming a lower court's decision.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Ways Attorneys Can Use Emotion In Client Pitches

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    Lawyers are skilled at using their high emotional intelligence to build rapport with clients, so when planning your next pitch, consider how you can create some emotional peaks, personal connections and moments of magic that might help you stick in prospective clients' minds and seal the deal, says consultant Diana Kander.

  • A Look At Lease Expansion Options In A Challenging Market

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    Expansion options can provide a powerful incentive for businesses to sign long-term leases even amid economic uncertainty, but both landlords and tenants must carefully consider the potential rights and terms, says Kris Ferranti at Shearman.

  • 5 Keys To A Productive Mediation

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    Cortney Young at ADR Partners discusses factors that can help to foster success in mediation, including scheduling, preparation, managing client expectations and more.

  • Preparing For An Era Of Regulated Artificial Intelligence

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    In light of developing regulatory activity aimed at governing the use of artificial intelligence, companies should implement best practices that focus on the fundamental principles that are driving regulators' actions, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Bankruptcy Ruling May Mean Harsh Results For Beneficiaries

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    Surety bond decisions that use subjective analyses to aid a sympathetic claimant, such as a Tennessee bankruptcy court’s recent decision in Pinnacle Constructors, create uncertainty that could ultimately lead to severe results for future beneficiaries, says Lisa Tancredi at Womble Bond.

  • High Court Dispute Shows Need For CWA Clarity

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    Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency illustrates the problems with two overly broad tests used to determine jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, and offers the U.S. Supreme Court the opportunity to once and for all determine the scope of federal authority under the landmark measure, say Thomas Ward and Jeffrey Augello at the National Association of Home Builders.

  • Evaluating The Legal Ethics Of A ChatGPT-Authored Motion

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    Aimee Furness and Sam Mallick at Haynes Boone asked ChatGPT to draft a motion to dismiss, and then scrutinized the resulting work product in light of attorneys' ethical and professional responsibility obligations.

  • 7 Tips To Increase Your Law Firm's DEI Efforts In 2023

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    Law firms looking to advance their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts should consider implementing new practices and initiatives this year, including some that require nominal additional effort or expense, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Gina Rubel at Furia Rubel.

  • Keys To A 9-0 High Court Win: Get Back To Home Base

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    When I argued for the petitioner in Morgan v. Sundance before the U.S. Supreme Court last year, I made the idea of consistency the cornerstone of my case and built a road map for my argument to ensure I could always return to that home-base theme, says Karla Gilbride at Public Justice.

  • New US Waters Definition May Rock The Boat

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    Federal agencies' latest attempt to define "waters of the United States" attempts to avoid previous rules' failings, though it will potentially increase administrative difficulties for regulated entities and also leaves ample ground for litigation, say Christopher Thomas and Andrea Driggs at Perkins Coie.

  • Atty-Client Privilege Arguments Give Justices A Moving Target

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    Recent oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case regarding the scope of the attorney-client privilege appeared to raise more questions about multipurpose counsel communications than they answered, as the parties presented shifting iterations of a predictable, easily applied test for evaluating the communications' purpose, say Trey Bourn and Thomas DiStanislao at Butler Snow.

  • 3D Printing Poses Legal Questions For Construction Cos.

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    3D printing technology holds not only a number of appealing benefits for the construction industry, but also legal ambiguities and challenges involving insurance coverage and compliance with building codes, says Kasey Joyce at Ball Janik.

  • 5 Gen X Characteristics That Can Boost Legal Leadership

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    As Generation X attorneys rise to fill top roles in law firms and corporations left by retiring baby boomers, they should embrace generational characteristics that will allow them to become better legal leaders, says Meredith Kahan at Whiteford Taylor.