Residential

  • March 18, 2024

    Philly Nonprofit Execs Lived Large On Co. Money, Jury Told

    Jurors should not believe arguments from two nonprofit executives who are former associates of City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson who said they simply made bookkeeping mistakes and didn't concoct an alleged scheme to spend company money on things like huge bonuses, lavish vacations and bribing a Milwaukee school official, federal prosecutors said Monday. 

  • March 18, 2024

    New York Allots $260M To Create, Preserve Affordable Homes

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the state has allocated $260 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies to create and preserve 1,852 affordable homes across every region of the state.

  • March 18, 2024

    Colo. HOA Not Covered In Travelers Repair Payment Row

    A Colorado federal judge ruled a Travelers unit doesn't have a duty to defend or indemnify a Denver homeowners association seeking coverage for a dispute with a different Travelers unit that alleged it overpaid for a hailstorm property damage claim.

  • March 18, 2024

    Battle Over Mass. Rezoning Law Headed To High Court In Fall

    The Massachusetts attorney general's lawsuit to force a Boston suburb to comply with an ambitious housing law was fast-tracked Monday to the state's high court later this year, as more than a hundred towns around Boston watch how the dispute plays out.

  • March 18, 2024

    Ore. Tax Court Rejects Valuation Corrections By County

    The Oregon Tax Court agreed with a residential property owner that a county assessor's corrections of a valuation due to errors were not valid, restoring the valuation to the property's real market value before the corrections.

  • March 18, 2024

    4 Times Federal Courts Confronted NY Split On Pay Frequency

    New York federal courts are confronting a choice of whether to greenlight lawsuits alleging workers haven't been paid weekly, as state law requires for those who perform manual work, now that a split regarding such cases' viability has arisen in state appeals courts. Here, Law360 explores four cases where federal courts have picked a side amid the split in authority.

  • March 18, 2024

    Mass. Condo Owners Didn't Prove Property Was Overvalued

    Two Massachusetts property owners failed to prove their condominium was overvalued in the 2022 tax year because they didn't account for differences in the comparable properties they offered, the state tax board said in a decision released Monday.

  • March 18, 2024

    Walker & Dunlop Closes $109M Loan For Multifamily Project

    Walker & Dunlop lined up $109 million in construction financing for a 247-unit, 17-story, Class A multifamily development project in Brooklyn, New York, the commercial real estate finance services firm announced Monday.

  • March 18, 2024

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Blaivas & Associates and Kriss & Feurstein were among the law firms that helped with the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, with a pair of $70 million-plus transactions in Queens and Brooklyn leading the way.

  • March 15, 2024

    Hagens Berman Defends Bid To Lead Yardi Price-Fixing Suit

    A putative class on Friday continued to push for the appointment of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as interim lead counsel for a rent price-fixing class action in Washington federal court after property management software company Yardi Systems Inc. and multiple landlords opposed the bid.

  • March 15, 2024

    Fla. Appeals Court Ruling Could Upend Condo Terminations

    A decision by a Florida state appeals court has thrown a wrench into a common strategy employed by developers to acquire and terminate existing condominiums to replace them with new buildings, potentially upending an expected wave of such transactions in the coming years.

  • March 15, 2024

    Paxton Joins Feds In Fraud Suit Against Houston Developer

    The Texas Office of the Attorney General sued a Houston-area real estate developer for deceptive trade, fraud in real estate transactions and other offenses, joining previously announced federal litigation accusing the company and its affiliates of widespread predatory practices.

  • March 15, 2024

    NYC Settles Its Challenge Of 'Right-To-Shelter' Mandate

    New York City and the Legal Aid Society have settled the city's legal challenge of the "right-to-shelter" mandate that requires shelter to be provided to any homeless person in the city, according to a stipulation filed Friday in New York state court.

  • March 15, 2024

    Manufactured Housing Renters Defend Price-Fixing Claims

    A proposed class of manufactured housing renters has asked an Illinois federal court not to let a mobile homes data company and several manufactured housing companies escape its price-fixing claims.

  • March 15, 2024

    Mich. Judge Wrong To Toss Weather Expert From Icy Fall Suit

    A trial court judge erred by finding that a weather expert's testimony wouldn't be relevant in a caretaker's suit alleging she slipped on black ice at her employer's property, a Michigan appellate panel has said, holding that the weather leading up to and during her fall is directly related to her claims.

  • March 15, 2024

    Ariz. Rep. Urges FTC Investigation Of RealPage Software

    Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate alleged anti-competitive practices by RealPage Inc., whose rent-pricing algorithm is the subject of multidistrict antitrust litigation.

  • March 15, 2024

    NC Landowner Sues Feds, Alleging Overreach In New Water Rule

    A North Carolina landowner seeking to develop property in wetlands areas has sued the federal government over its recently amended Waters of The United States Rule, saying the rule, which includes provisions on "adjacent wetlands," directly contravenes the Supreme Court's ruling in Sackett v. EPA.

  • March 15, 2024

    Realtors Cut $418M Deal, Agree To Make Broker Fee Changes

    The National Association of Realtors said Friday that it has reached a settlement to end claims that its broker commission rules caused home sellers across the country to pay inflated fees, agreeing to pay $418 million over four years and to implement changes to its rules.

  • March 14, 2024

    Lehman Brothers Can't Undo Trial Loss Over Crisis-Era CDS

    A New York appeals court on Thursday affirmed a bench trial loss Lehman Brothers' bankrupt European unit suffered last year in a suit attempting to claw back nearly half a billion dollars from Assured Guaranty over losses on credit default swaps tied to the 2008 financial crisis.

  • March 14, 2024

    Lawmakers Secure $1.3B For Native American Housing

    A record $1.34 billion will go toward Native American housing programs as part of an appropriations package passed by Congress, a $324 million increase over last year's funding.

  • March 14, 2024

    NYC Developer Lands $150M For Sears Building Renovation

    Clipper Equity LLC secured nearly $150 million in financing from Slate Property Group's debt financing arm for the renovation of a historically landmarked former Sears location, in a deal guided by Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

  • March 14, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Vet Homelessness Grant Suit Is Moot

    The Eleventh Circuit ruled that claims brought by a Florida nonprofit when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs terminated five grants to reduce veteran homelessness after a financial audit were mooted by later agency actions.

  • March 13, 2024

    Developer Must Arbitrate Defamation Case, Court Hears

    A California man who's been accused of publicly badmouthing a Mexican developer of luxury homes in Baja California Sur to put off prospective buyers is urging a New York court to toss the developer's defamation suit against him or send the claims to an ongoing arbitration in Mexico.

  • March 13, 2024

    NJ Justices Craft Framework For Support Pet Accommodation

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday outlined how courts should assess accommodation requests for emotional support animals, reviving condo owners' claims that they were entitled to keep a dog more than double the weight limit allowed under the condominium association's policy.

  • March 13, 2024

    Mich. Justices Open To Counties' Foreclosure Liability Fears

    Two members of the Michigan Supreme Court seemed sympathetic to Michigan counties urging the court to limit their liability for holding onto surplus tax foreclosure proceeds, highlighting during oral arguments that counties were following state law in a practice that was later deemed unconstitutional.

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.