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Real Estate
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May 24, 2024
Conn., Property Owners Say Town Is Wrong On Housing Law
Connecticut's Department of Housing and several property owners in New Canaan are taking issue with the town's arguments in a bid to pause its lawsuit challenging the state's denial of affordable housing credits, saying the town is misinterpreting a recently passed bill.
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May 24, 2024
Realtors Want Case Over 'Cooperation' Rule To Stay Dismissed
The National Association of Realtors urged a California federal court not to reconsider dismissing a case targeting rules that prevent real estate agents from listing properties outside their affiliated networks, after the case took a trip to the Ninth Circuit.
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May 24, 2024
NY AG Sues Over Illegal Long Island Wetland Construction
New York prosecutors on Friday sued to force a contractor to pay nearly $600,000 and restore a Long Island wetland area the company has been using as a storage site after illegally clearing vegetation and building a parking lot more than a decade ago.
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May 24, 2024
Biden's Judicial Impact And What's Left On The Wish List
President Joe Biden secured confirmation of his 200th federal judge Wednesday and has transformed the judiciary by picking more women and people of color than any other president. But the upcoming election season could derail his hopes of confirming many more judges.
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May 24, 2024
DC Circ. Says Bainbridge Can't Have Argentina's Building
The D.C. Circuit on Friday denied an appeal from Bainbridge Fund Ltd. in a property dispute with Argentina, saying the company can't take possession of the property in an effort to satisfy a $95 million judgment over defaulted bonds.
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May 24, 2024
Software-Aided Price Fixing Under Antitrust Assault
Claims that companies in the same industry are using software middlemen to fix prices are percolating in federal courts around the country, with cases targeting major operators in residential real estate, hospitality and health insurance, among other areas.
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May 24, 2024
Insurer's Coverage Suit Premature, Ga. Apt. Complex Says
An apartment complex facing negligence claims over a shooting told a Georgia federal court that its insurer's suit seeking to avoid coverage must be tossed, arguing that without any factual findings in the underlying state court action, any finding on the insurer's duty to indemnify would be premature.
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May 24, 2024
Wells Fargo Opposes Class Cert. In Race Lending Bias Suit
Wells Fargo urged a California federal judge to reject a class certification request from a group of plaintiffs claiming the bank offered non-white borrowers loans with higher interest rates and worse terms, while also applying more scrutiny to their applications.
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May 24, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen an IT engineer seek permission to search a landfill hiding a hard drive supposedly storing millions of pounds in bitcoin, Glencore take on legal action by American Century Investments, gold payment app Glint bring a breach of duty claim against FRP Advisory, and an ongoing dispute between a solicitor and the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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May 24, 2024
CFPB Seeks $20M Penalty For Inaccurate Loan Data
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged a Florida federal court to hit Freedom Mortgage with a $20 million civil penalty for allegedly submitting error-filled government mortgage loan data.
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May 23, 2024
Entrepreneur Ordered To Pay $15M For Unlicensed Pot Stores
A New York state court hit a cannabis seller with a $15 million judgment Thursday after he was found to be selling marijuana without a license at seven locations inside the state, according to an announcement by the state's attorney general.
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May 23, 2024
SD Governor Now Banned By All Nine Of State's Tribes
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is asking South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to clarify and apologize for her repeated statements that tribal leaders are working with drug cartels after its executive council voted to ban her from their lands, becoming the last of the state's nine tribes to take such action.
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May 23, 2024
PNC, Loan Officers Ink $12M Deal In Rest Break Suit
PNC Bank has agreed to pay nearly $12 million to end a class action alleging the bank didn't pay mortgage loan officers for time spent on breaks and failed to issue accurate wage statements, according to a joint motion filed Wednesday in California federal court.
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May 23, 2024
FirstKey Sanctioned For Trying To Coerce Workers In OT Suit
A Texas federal judge sanctioned FirstKey Homes LLC for issuing coercive communications to employees in an apparent effort to steer them from joining a proposed wage and hour class action, finding Wednesday the only purpose the company had was "attempting to undermine the collective action in this case."
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May 23, 2024
Ill. Justices OK $28M Tax Value Appeal Without Payment
A power company's property in Illinois was not required to pay disputed property taxes before appealing a valuation, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed Thursday, upholding a reduction in the assessment of about $28 million.
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May 23, 2024
Split Ohio High Court Says Jury Must Mull Drilling Rights Row
A split Ohio Supreme Court unraveled a trial court ruling in favor of oil and gas rights owner Tera LLC that acted as the basis of a $40 million damages award against Gulfport Energy, reasoning Thursday that there is a "genuine issue of material fact" over the meaning of certain terms in parties' lease agreement.
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May 23, 2024
Houston Law Firm Wants To DQ Creditors' Counsel In Ch. 11
Troubled MMA Law Firm PLLC is seeking to stop another firm from representing its bankruptcy creditors, arguing that MMA's principal had previously spoken with the other firm as a prospective client and had shared confidential information that now could be used against his firm.
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May 23, 2024
Oakland Coliseum Sold To Black-Led Biz Group For $105M
The City of Oakland has agreed to sell its share of the Oakland Coliseum to a group of Black community, business and investment leaders for a minimum of $105 million in a deal that the city said will pave the way for affordable housing units, outdoor space and future developments.
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May 23, 2024
Wow Such Basic: Justices Back Crypto Fans In Dogecoin Duel
It's up to judges, not arbitrators, to figure out whether contracts between businesses and consumers have subtly superseded earlier agreements to hash out disputes in arbitration rather than litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
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May 22, 2024
Skadden, Latham Lead Specialty Insurer's Upsized $128M IPO
Private equity-backed insurer Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. on Wednesday priced an upsized $128 million initial public offering above its planned price range, represented by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and underwriters' counsel Latham & Watkin LLP, marking the first sizable insurance IPO of 2024.
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May 22, 2024
Zillow Trade Practices Case Meets Skeptical Conn. Judge
A federal judge in Connecticut on Wednesday seemed skeptical of a real estate sales associate's proposed class action complaint against Zillow Inc., suggesting that the website's "Zestimates" of home values are protected by the First Amendment during a summary judgment hearing on the sole remaining claim in the dispute.
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May 22, 2024
CBRE Calls Exec's Noncompete Right Fit In A Small World
A Texas appellate court wondered Wednesday whether a temporary injunction that seemingly bars a former CBRE executive from working in his trade anywhere in the world goes too far, and questioned the validity of the underlying noncompete agreement at the center of the legal battle.
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May 22, 2024
Ill. Justices Weigh Zurich's Right To Recover $3M Flood Loss
The Illinois Supreme Court weighed Wednesday whether Zurich American Insurance Co. can recoup $3 million from a subcontractor for water damage repair costs the insurer paid to a general contractor despite Zurich filing suit on behalf of a different insured.
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May 22, 2024
Developer Had No Duty To Verify Flood Model, Court Hears
A Houston-area developer indicated before a state appeals court Wednesday that the consequences of entering a judgment in favor of more than 400 homeowners whose properties flooded during Hurricane Harvey would be catastrophic, as their claims boil down to the developer's alleged failure to double-check modeling conducted by an outside consultant.
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May 22, 2024
Chancery Keeps RedBird-Brookfield Dispute Stay In Place
A Delaware vice chancellor declined Wednesday to rule from the bench on a preliminary injunction sought by Redbird Capital Partners in a dispute over a Brookfield Infrastructure Partners claim for a $150 million escrow included in its $5.7 billion purchase of RedBird data center projects last year.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.
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How Recent Laws Affect Foreign Purchase Of US Real Estate
Early diligence is imperative for U.S. real estate transactions involving foreign actors, including analysis of federal and state foreign investment laws implicated by the transaction, depending on the property's nature and location, the parties' citizenship, and the transaction's structure, say Massimo D’Angelo and Anthony Rapa at Blank Rome.
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Opinion
New La. Gas Pipeline Projects Must Respect Rules And Rights
As pipeline developers rush to join in Louisiana's Haynesville Shale gas boom, established operators like Energy Transfer are justified in demanding that newer entrants respect safety rules, regulatory requirements and property rights when proposing routes that would cross existing pipelines, says Joshua Campbell at Campbell Law.
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SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap
As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.
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Reducing Carbon Footprint Requires A Tricky Path For CRE
As real estate owners find themselves caught between rapidly evolving environmental, social and governance initiatives and complicated societal debate, they will need to carefully establish formal plans to remain both competitive and compliant, say Michael Kuhn and Mahira Khan at Jackson Walker.
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New CMS Rule Will Change Nursing Facility Disclosures
A new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services significantly expands disclosure requirements for nursing facilities backed by private equity companies or real estate investment trusts, likely foreshadowing increased oversight that could include more targeted audits, say Janice Davis and Christopher Ronne at Morgan Lewis.
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What New Calif. Strike Force Means For White Collar Crimes
The recently announced Central District of California strike force targeting complex corporate and securities fraud — following the Northern District of California's model — combines experienced prosecutorial leadership and partnerships with federal agencies like the IRS and FBI, and could result in an uptick in the number of cases and speed of proceedings, say attorneys at MoFo.
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What Shareholder Approval Rule Changes Mean For Cos.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved proposed rule changes to shareholder requirements by the New York Stock Exchange, an approval that will benefit listed companies in many ways, including by making it easier to raise capital from passive investors, say attorneys at Baker Botts.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Zimbabwe Ruling Bolsters UK's Draw As Arbitration Enforcer
An English court's recent decision in Border Timbers v. Zimbabwe, finding that state immunity was irrelevant to registering an arbitration award, emphasizes the U.K.'s reputation as a creditor-friendly destination for award enforcement, say Jon Felce and Tulsi Bhatia at Cooke Young.
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Series
ESG Around The World: Brazil
Environmental, social and governance issues have increasingly translated into new legislation in Brazil since 2020, and in the wake of these recently enacted regulations, we are likely to see a growing number of legal disputes in the largest South American country related to ESG issues such as greenwashing if companies are not prepared to adequately adapt and comply, say attorneys at Mattos Filho.
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Series
Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.
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High Court Case Could Reshape Local Development Fees
If last month's oral arguments are any indication of how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, it's unlikely the justices will hold that the essential nexus and rough proportionality tests under the cases of Nollan, Dolan and Koontz apply to legislative exactions, but a sweeping decision would still be the natural progression in the line of cases giving property owners takings claims, says Phillip Babich at Reed Smith.
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Opinion
White Collar Plea Deals Are Rarely 'Knowing' And 'Voluntary'
Because prosecutors are not required to disclose exculpatory evidence during plea negotiations, white collar defendants often enter into plea deals that don’t meet the U.S. Supreme Court’s “knowing” and “voluntary” standard for trials — but individual courts and solutions judges could rectify the issue, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.
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How 2 CFPB Advisory Opinions Affect Reporting Agencies
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued two advisory opinions last month that demonstrate a continued commitment to address inaccuracies in background check reports and consumer file disclosures through broad interpretation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, expanding on a coordinated federal agency effort, say attorneys at Cooley.