Residential
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February 01, 2023
Texas Bills To Ban Chinese Buyers Slammed As 'Un-American'
Two proposed bills in the Texas Legislature that seek to ban citizens from China, Iran, Russia and North Korea from buying property in the state have led to an outcry from real estate attorneys and Asian American communities, who say the efforts are racist and unconstitutional.
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February 01, 2023
Hochul Floats NY Biz Tax Hike Extension, Appeal Rule Change
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday pitched extending an expiring corporate tax rate increase for three years and allowing the state's tax department to appeal taxpayer wins from a state tribunal in her executive budget recommendation.
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February 01, 2023
Real Estate Rumors: J Lo, Manhattan Development, John Buck
Jennifer Lopez is reportedly hoping to fetch $42.5 million with the sale of a Los Angeles home, Manhattan Development is said to be seeking approval for a Cincinnati multifamily project, and John Buck has reportedly dropped $53 million on a Chicago development site.
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February 01, 2023
Cleveland Suburb Sued Over Out-Of-County Landlord Fee
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is facing a lawsuit in federal court brought by a property owner who says the suburb's $100-a-year registration fee for landlords who do not live nearby is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
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February 01, 2023
Washington State Legislation To Watch In 2023
Washington lawmakers are pushing to enshrine protections for abortion and contraceptives in the state's constitution, while other bills seek to put legal liability on the firearm industry, reduce plastic pollution, and alleviate the lack of available and affordable housing in the state. Here, Law360 highlights Washington legislation to watch this year.
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February 01, 2023
Court OKs Settlement In City National Redlining Suit
An agreement between City National Bank and the U.S. government requiring the bank to make its financial services available in majority-Black and Hispanic areas of Los Angeles has received a California federal judge's approval, ending a suit alleging the company engaged in unlawful redlining.
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February 01, 2023
Braverman Greenspun Merges With Real Estate Boutique
Braverman Greenspun PC, a New York firm that advises cooperatives, condominiums, shareholders and unit owners, is combining with New York boutique Finder Novick Kerrigan LLP, which specializes in residential and commercial real estate law and litigation, the firms said Wednesday.
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February 01, 2023
Real Estate Group Of The Year: Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig LLP attorneys helped CBRE Investment Management land a $4.9 billion portfolio of American and European logistics properties, and anchored the Necessity Retail REIT's rebrand with a $1.3 billion deal for 81 open-air shopping centers, landing the firm a spot among Law360's 2022 Real Estate Groups of the Year.
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February 01, 2023
Dykema Promotes 10 Attorneys To Member In 7 Offices
National law firm Dykema promoted 10 attorneys to member in its offices in Texas, Michigan and Illinois, ranging in practice from real estate to tax to litigation and environmental, the firm recently announced.
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February 01, 2023
Tate Extension A Nuisance To Homeowners, Top Court Rules
Residents of luxury London apartments next to the Tate Modern Museum won their battle over the viewing platform that lets visitors look into their homes after a narrow majority of the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the extension was a nuisance.
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January 31, 2023
Real Estate Rumors: American Legion, Wharton, Blue Monster
An American Legion post in Minnesota is reportedly considering a $67.5 million redevelopment plan, Wharton Properties is said to have landed $260 million to refinance a New York property, and Blue Monster Investments is reportedly hoping to build 36 apartments in South Florida.
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January 31, 2023
Texas Justices Mull If Homebuyer Gets Seller's Arb. Pact
The Texas Supreme Court considered Tuesday whether a homebuyer inherits an arbitration clause the prior homeowner signed with the builder, prompting one justice to ask why it's taken so long for the question to make it to the high court.
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January 31, 2023
Parties In $1.37M Hartford Construction Fight Will Try To Settle
The general contractor and the owner of the mixed-use Park & Main development in downtown Hartford will enter early settlement talks with a subcontractor that filed a lawsuit last week over an alleged breach of contract worth at least $1.37 million, a federal judge in Connecticut ruled.
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January 31, 2023
Realtor Urges NC Appeals Court To Back Contract Spat Ruling
Courtney Carter Homes LLC asked North Carolina's appellate court to support a lower court's $240,000 ruling that Wynn Construction owed unpaid commissions after the developer sold dozens of assets, including homes listed by the real estate agent, to another company.
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January 31, 2023
Fraudulent Property Transfer Isn't Covered, Title Insurer Says
A real estate company's title insurer told a New York federal court it doesn't need to cover the company in underlying litigation alleging it intentionally bought a $5.8 million property in the Catskills from individuals unauthorized to sell it in order to defraud the property owner.
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January 31, 2023
HUD Lines Up $80M For Technical Assistance Grants
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday that more than $80.6 million in federal grants will become available to local partners through an initiative designed to help those entities implement the agency's programs.
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January 31, 2023
CBRE Multifamily Expert Says Prices May Fall In Early 2023
Multifamily property prices may fall in the first half of 2023 as additional interest rate hikes come down the pike, although values could stabilize later in the year, a multifamily expert at commercial real estate services firm CBRE told Law360.
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January 31, 2023
Ga. Home Inspectors Escape Wrongful Death Suit On Appeal
A home inspection contract prevents a Georgia widow from suing inspectors over her late husband's death on the couple's property, the Georgia Court of Appeals held Tuesday, while urging state lawmakers to prevent such a "harsh" outcome.
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January 31, 2023
Judge Cries 'Shotgun Pleading' Over Hilton Timeshare Suit
A Florida federal judge tossed a Maryland woman's suit accusing Hilton Grand Vacations of wrongfully refusing to cancel her ownership interest in a timeshare in Orlando, Florida, ruling that the suit contained shotgun pleading.
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January 31, 2023
PNC Bank Settles Michigan Couple's Bankruptcy Suit
A Michigan couple told a federal court on Tuesday they reached a settlement agreement with PNC Bank, resolving claims that it did not send statements about their loan after they were discharged from bankruptcy in 2018.
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January 31, 2023
As Trial Nears, Lennar Mulls Remedy To Build In LA Suburb
With a jury trial scheduled to start next Monday in its battle to build hundreds of houses in the Los Angeles suburb of La Habra, Lennar may be trying to use the so-called builder's remedy to evade the city's zoning laws.
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January 31, 2023
Real Estate Group Of The Year: Hogan Lovells
Hogan Lovells successfully closed out an initially hostile $23 billion real estate investment trust deal, and led VICI Properties through its $17.2 billion play to become America's largest experiential real estate owner, landing a spot among Law360's 2022 Real Estate Groups of the Year.
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January 30, 2023
Texas High Court Won't Review Shoreline Annexation Ruling
The Texas Supreme Court rejected the city of Corpus Christi's review petition for a lower court ruling that backed the city of Ingleside's summary judgment win over Corpus Christi's suit, which alleged Ingleside issued ordinances in 2015 and 2016 in an attempt to annex part of the Texas shoreline.
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January 30, 2023
FHA Expands Eligibility For COVID-19 Mortgage Support
The Federal Housing Administration has expanded the temporary mortgage assistance options it enacted early in the COVID-19 pandemic to include all eligible borrowers who fall behind on payments, regardless of the cause.
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January 30, 2023
Texas City Not Immune In Harvey Flood Suit, Court Told
A group of over 400 property owners told a Texas appellate panel on Monday that a city can't hide behind governmental immunity in a suit over their flooded land, even if it was trying to protect its own residents from additional flooding after Hurricane Harvey.
Expert Analysis
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Atty-Client Privilege Arguments Give Justices A Moving Target
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.
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3D Printing Poses Legal Questions For Construction Cos.
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.
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5 Gen X Characteristics That Can Boost Legal Leadership
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.
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6 Questions For Boutique Firms Considering Mergers
To prepare for discussions with potential merger partners, boutique law firms should first consider the challenges they hope to address with a merger and the qualities they prioritize in possible partner firms, say Howard Cohl and Ron Nye at Major Lindsey.
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5 Tips For Adding Value To Legal Clients' Experience In 2023
Faced with a potential economic downturn this year, attorneys should look to strengthen client relationships now by focusing on key ways to improve the client experience, starting with a check-in call to discuss client needs and priorities for the coming year, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Legal Standing For Nature: The Road Not Taken
Fifty years have passed since former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas asked whether natural objects like trees and rivers should have standing — and while the high court has since narrowed access to the courtroom for potential environmental plaintiffs, Douglas' vision is worth revisiting, says Ninth Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown.
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Where ESG And Director Fiduciary Duty Overlap
Despite ideological arguments to the contrary, directors and officers' fiduciary duties do not preclude their consideration of environmental, social and governance principles in corporate decision making, say Luis Fortuño at Steptoe & Johnson and Evan Slavitt at Paper Excellence.
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Preparing For Congressional Oversight Of Chinese Trade
Attorneys at WilmerHale discuss China-related priorities for the new Congress, including likely areas of focus for the new select committee on strategic competition between the U.S. and China, and suggest steps potentially affected businesses can take to prepare for heightened scrutiny.
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What To Expect In Builder's Risk Insurance Claims In 2023
The builder's risk insurance industry is in store for more complex claims this year due to rising interest rates, labor and materials volatility, and externalities complicating project scheduling, say Jane Warring at Zelle and Michael Haugen at J.S. Held.
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US May Soon Have New Weapons In Sanctions Enforcement
As the U.S. government operates at breakneck speed in its sanctions enforcement against Russian oligarchs, multiple legislative and regulatory efforts may give prosecutors new teeth to pursue charges against the facilitators of sanctions evasion, who have largely avoided indictment due to statutory limitations, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
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10 Environmental And Energy Issues To Watch In 2023
After a year of transformative changes in the environmental and energy space, 2023 promises more big developments — including greenwashing litigation, finalized environmental, social and governance regulations, further scrutiny of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and an ongoing focus on environmental justice, say attorneys at ArentFox.
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What Will Keep Legal Talent Professionals Up At Night In 2023
Hybrid work environments, high demand for lateral hires and a potential slowdown of the economy defined 2022 in the always-busy marketplace for legal talent, and as BigLaw looks at the year ahead, there are five major sources of concern for the teams charged with securing and retaining that talent, say advisers at Baretz+Brunelle.
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The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2022
A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from the "great resignation" to potential expansion of attorney-client privilege.