Real Estate

  • June 02, 2025

    Seattle Owner Questions Insurer's $8.5M Water Damage Denial

    A Seattle building owner urged a Washington federal court to grant it a partial early win in a coverage dispute over $8.5 million in water damage, telling the court that under state law, none of the four exclusions its insurer cited when denying coverage are applicable to the water intrusion loss.

  • June 02, 2025

    Fla. Appeals Court Backs Police In Pot Smell Search Dispute

    A Florida state appeals court has found that the smell of fresh cannabis can be enough to support probable cause for a car search in an area known for crime and drug trafficking, reversing a trial court order that suppressed evidence obtained in such a search.

  • June 02, 2025

    Sacramento County Inks Encampment ADA Settlement

    The county of Sacramento and a proposed class of residents with disabilities told a California federal court on Monday they have reached a tentative deal amid a suit alleging the city and county violated various state and federal laws by allowing homeless encampments to block sidewalks.

  • June 02, 2025

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In May

    Massachusetts judges grappled with accusations of fraud in the sale of a struggling life sciences company and gave the benefit of the doubt to a vendor who allegedly sold the state gallons of ineffective hand sanitizer, among other notable rulings last month.

  • June 02, 2025

    PG&E, Lenders Hit With Suit Over Solar Panel 'Scheme'

    Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. and several other companies were accused in California federal court of running a "bait-and-switch" scheme in which they saddle homeowners with hidden fees after tricking them into financing solar panel installations through zero-interest loans.

  • June 02, 2025

    Insurer Not Liable For $8.5M Florida Condo Defect Damages

    A Florida federal judge freed an insurer from paying any of the $8.5 million in damages connected to shoddy work at a Florida condo, finding there wasn't an allocation accounting for which claims were covered and which claims were not in an agreement between the condo and a contractor. 

  • June 02, 2025

    Judge Finds Exec Sought To Dodge Chicago Hotel Fraud Order

    A construction company and executive found by a jury in 2022 of misusing millions intended for Chicago's Nobu Hotel are facing contempt orders from an Illinois federal judge for concealing cash withdrawals and construction work as an investor attempts to collect a $22 million judgment.

  • June 02, 2025

    Feds Want 12½ Years For Ex-Ill. Speaker Convicted Of Bribery

    Prosecutors are urging an Illinois federal judge to sentence former state House Speaker Michael Madigan to prison for 12½ years for bribery, conspiracy and fraud, saying his conduct adds "another sordid chapter to Illinois' storied reputation of corruption" while Madigan, armed with more than 200 letters of support, seeks only probation.

  • June 02, 2025

    Holland & Knight Adds Squire Patton RE Pro In Dallas

    Holland & Knight LLP has added a former Squire Patton Boggs LLP partner in its Dallas office, bolstering its real estate section.

  • June 02, 2025

    Nebraska Tax Commission Upholds Farm's $1.89M Valuation

    A Nebraska farm valued at $1.89 million was accurately assessed in line with other agricultural property, the state's Tax Equalization and Review Commission found, rejecting claims by the property owner that it was over-assessed.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ashurst, King & Wood Guide $9.1B Soul Patts Merger Plan

    Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd. and building products maker Brickworks Ltd. plan to merge into a company with a market capitalization of AU$14 billion ($9.1 billion), aiming to eliminate a decades-old cross-shareholding structure and create a unified entity, the Australian investment firm disclosed on Monday.

  • June 02, 2025

    Justices Seek US Opinion In Jewish Texts Expropriation Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday requested the federal government to weigh in on a petition challenging a D.C. Circuit ruling concluding that federal courts do not have jurisdiction over a Jewish group's decades-old allegations that Russia is illegally holding on to its long-lost sacred texts.

  • May 30, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Religious Land, Hotel Surge, Land-Banking

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including interviews with attorneys about recent disputes over land use for religious purposes, a surge in hospitality sector transactions, and the rise of land-banking law.

  • May 30, 2025

    Rocket Mortgage Class Asks Justices To Scope Decertification

    Rocket Mortgage borrowers who saw their class action against the lender decertified have told the U.S. Supreme Court that another pending case before it will resolve the question that undid their own class standing, and their litigation should be put on hold until that case is resolved.

  • May 30, 2025

    No Sanctions For Stamford In Zoning Fight Over Gyms

    A Connecticut judge declined to sanction the Stamford Board of Representatives after a real estate company accused it of withholding and destroying documents relevant to their zoning fight, ruling that "the evidence of withheld discovery was equivocal at best."

  • May 30, 2025

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    Saying that June's circuit court calendars include important arguments in all practice areas would be hyperbolic — but just slightly. That's because significant showdowns are imminent involving appellate procedure principles, "click-to-cancel" rules, government procurement protests, judiciary employment protections and litigation risk insurance — as well as President Donald Trump's felony convictions and extraordinary deportation measures.

  • May 30, 2025

    Crowdfunding, Reg A Deals Grow Slowly As SEC Weighs Ideas

    Equity crowdfunding and expanded Regulation A offerings have grown slowly since going live over the past decade, according to new data, leaving open questions on whether regulators will ease rules to bolster these alternatives to traditional capital raising.

  • May 30, 2025

    Feds, AGs Scoff At Landlords' Bid To Toss Antitrust Case

    Landlords embroiled in an antitrust suit misconstrued the law and agreements at the heart of the case, the federal government and state enforcers said on Thursday as they urged a North Carolina federal court to reject the landlords' bid to dismiss.

  • May 30, 2025

    Missouri Judge Rejects Berkshire Unit's Transfer Appeal Cert. Bid

    A Missouri federal judge on Friday denied a Berkshire Hathaway unit's motion to certify the company's denied transfer bid for a consolidated antitrust broker fees class action.

  • May 30, 2025

    Pa. Justices Back Hospital Tax Break Despite High Salaries

    The corporate structure and high executive pay at a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, hospital were not reason enough to take away its nonprofit, tax-exempt status, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

  • May 30, 2025

    Cleveland Says Browns' Stadium Suit Is In Wrong Venue

    Cleveland asked an Ohio federal court Friday to reconsider its decision to allow the Cleveland Browns to amend their lawsuit over a planned stadium move, arguing that the judge failed to address the city's jurisdictional challenge.

  • May 30, 2025

    Praying Or Parking? Religious Land Use Fights Head To Court

    Local zoning and planning boards, usually unelected decision-making bodies, often operate with sweeping discretion that can provide cover for discrimination against religious communities. But backed by pro bono attorneys, religious groups are leaning on a 2000 federal law in their bid for court intervention.

  • May 30, 2025

    Atlanta Seeks Win In Ex-Building Officials' Age Bias Suit

    A former Atlanta building official has failed to show his age was the deciding factor in not being promoted to a chief inspector role, the city told a federal court, urging it to toss the man's discrimination lawsuit.

  • May 30, 2025

    Ex-Ohio Mayor, Councilman Found Guilty In Corruption Trial

    An Ohio state jury has convicted a former Ohio mayor and a member of the same town's City Council of multiple corruption-related felonies and misdemeanors, and each man has been barred from public office for seven years.

  • May 30, 2025

    REIT Investors' $12M Deal Over NexPoint Merger Get Final OK

    A New York federal judge granted final approval to a $12 million securities class action settlement reached with Jernigan Capital investors who alleged the defendants omitted material information amid a 2020 sale to NexPoint Advisors, and awarded $3.9 million in fees Thursday to lead counsel for prosecuting the case.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

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    Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.

  • 5 Insurance Types For Mitigating Tariff-Related Trade Losses

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    The potential for significant trade-related losses as a result of increased tariffs may cause companies to consider which of their insurance policies, including marine, builders risk, trade credit, and directors and officers, could provide coverage to alleviate the financial impact, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

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    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

  • Avoiding Pitfalls Around New Calif. Commercial Lease Law

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    A California law that became effective this year requires commercial landlords to extend certain protections previously afforded to residential tenancies, and a few key provisions of the law especially warrant reexamination of leasing and operational processes, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

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    Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

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    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

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    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • The Path Forward For Construction Cos. After Calif. Wildfires

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    The increasing frequency of disastrous wildfires, like those that recently occurred in California, presents a set of complex challenges for the construction industry, including regulatory hurdles and supply chain disruptions that can complicate rebuilding efforts, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Know The Rules And Costs Of New Fla. Condo Inspection Law

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    Following the first report deadline for a structural integrity law meant to prevent disasters like the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida condominium associations and unit owners should understand the process of conducting compliant inspections and anticipate new assessments to fund required maintenance, say attorneys at Ball Janik.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    Among the most notable developments in California banking in the first quarter of the year, regulators and legislators issued regulations interpreting debt collection laws, stepped up enforcement actions, and expanded consumer protections for those affected by wildfires, says Stephen Britt at Severson & Werson.

  • Addressing Tariff Price Escalation In Construction Contracts

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    As construction projects across the U.S. face uncertainty surrounding material price increases driven by government-imposed tariffs, owners and developers should draft strong contracts to protect themselves from tariff-related cost overruns and delays, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

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