Commercial
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September 25, 2025
SmartLabs Accused Of Dodging Rent On Cambridge Lab
Boston-headquartered SmartLabs is facing a lawsuit over millions in unpaid rent owed to the landlord of one of its Cambridge facilities, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.
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September 25, 2025
Wis. Judge Backs Wildlife Refuge Land Swap Deal
A Wisconsin federal judge has granted summary judgment to the federal government and two utility companies against all claims in a suit filed by conservationist groups that alleged that the government wrongfully approved a land exchange deal with the utilities so the companies could build part of a 101-mile transmission line project through a wildlife refuge.
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September 25, 2025
Holland & Knight Launches Real Estate Dispute Team
Holland & Knight LLP announced it has formed a new real estate disputes and advocacy team, noting the group will provide counsel to clients on lease litigation matters, complex contract claims and other commercial property disputes.
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September 25, 2025
The Torch Tower, With A Thrill Ride, Back Online In Manhattan
Construction has resumed at Extell Development's supertall hotel and thrill ride project in Manhattan known as The Torch, and Law360 has updated the status of that project on its tall buildings tracker.
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September 24, 2025
Tower Developer Linked To Menendez Ally Wants Suit Tossed
The developer behind a disputed high-rise project — once led by a businessman convicted in the bribery scheme involving former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez — is asking a New Jersey judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a neighboring municipality, arguing the case is incurably flawed.
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September 24, 2025
Calf. Property Owner Renews Ch. 11 With $10M+ In Debt
The owner of a lot in California estimated to be worth $46 million renewed efforts to perform a Chapter 11 and address unsustainable debt, having filed for bankruptcy earlier this year but not completing the process.
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September 24, 2025
Hyperscalers Say Spend Hits $400B With 5 New US Sites
OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank on Wednesday said they are planning five additional U.S. sites to host artificial intelligence data centers, in a step toward spending $500 billion on their Stargate project by the end of 2025.
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September 24, 2025
Davis Polk Guides $1B Manhattan Buy Across The Finish Line
New York City recently saw its first single-asset commercial real estate deal above the $1 billion mark in 2025, and a Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP lawyer who worked on the matter told Law360 that the trade is a sign of strength in the Manhattan office market.
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September 24, 2025
Final JC Penney Ch. 11 Distributions On Horizon, Atty Says
Lawyers winding down the bankruptcy estate of department store J.C. Penney told a Texas bankruptcy judge on Wednesday they expect to be able to make final creditor payments shortly, nearly five years after the Chapter 11 plan took effect.
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September 24, 2025
Rick Perry's Data Center REIT Launches Plans For $550M IPO
Fermi America, a venture by former U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to build a 5,000-acre Amarillo, Texas, energy and data center, sought a $13.1 billion valuation Wednesday in an initial public offering guided by Haynes Boone and Vinson & Elkins LLP.
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September 24, 2025
Marsh US Real Estate Leader On Insurance Landscape
Commercial real estate companies, squeezed by higher interest rates in recent years, have also seen a dramatic increase in insurance premiums. Duncan C. Ellis, who leads Marsh's U.S. and Canada real estate and hospitality practice, spoke to Law360 Real Estate Authority about what's behind the trends in commercial real estate insurance.
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September 24, 2025
Ohio House Bill Seeks Approval Rule For Some Property Tax
Ohio would require some political subdivisions to obtain approval from their member governing bodies before imposing property tax above a statutory limit under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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September 24, 2025
11th Circ. Asked To Combine Easement Deduction Appeals
The Eleventh Circuit should consolidate two cases appealing U.S. Tax Court rulings that cut $47 million in deductions for conservation easement donations, a partnership argued, saying the government's opposition to combining them overlooks the opportunity to save resources.
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September 23, 2025
Task Force Advances $3.5B NYC Marine Terminal Plans
A key task force has advanced the New York City Economic Development Corp.'s $3.5 billion plan to revitalize a 122-acre section of the Brooklyn waterfront, which would modernize and expand the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
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September 23, 2025
Wilmington Trust Seeks Receiver After $19M Loan Default
A single-asset real estate firm that owns an office building in the Denver Technological Center, or DTC, filed for Chapter 11 and faces a request for a receiver over the building it owns after it defaulted on a $19 million loan last year, according to court filings.
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September 23, 2025
Conn. Atty Denies Blame For Title Co.'s $920K Refinancing Loss
A Connecticut lawyer sought to fend off arguments in state court by Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. that his alleged mistakes on a $2.5 million refinancing led to a $920,000 loss for the insurer, claiming he and the company owed distinct duties to a policy-holder.
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September 23, 2025
Pelorus Kicks Off $1B Fund To Bolster Cannabis Businesses
Pelorus Capital Group has launched a $1 billion fund for investing in marijuana operating businesses to coincide with its existing cannabis real estate strategy, in a bet on the industry's capital needs, the company said Sept. 23.
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September 23, 2025
Star Chef Didn't Violate 'Vague' Pact With Boston, Judge Says
A Massachusetts state court has ruled that a "vague" agreement between celebrity chef Barbara Lynch and the city of Boston to escrow proceeds from the sale of her flagship No. 9 Park restaurant while the city seeks to collect her unpaid taxes doesn't prevent Lynch from using the funds to pay other creditors.
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September 23, 2025
Windels Marx Leads $27.5M Houston Multifamily Financing Deal
Private markets investment firm Siguler Guff & Co. LP originated a $27.5 million mezzanine loan that is part of $86 million worth of refinancing for a 404-unit Houston luxury multifamily property in a mezzanine loan deal guided by Windels Marx.
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September 23, 2025
Savannah-Area Industrial Portfolio Scores $102M Refi
Washington D.C.-based alternative asset manager EJF Capital and Connecticut real estate firm North Signal Capital said Tuesday that they've closed on a $102 million refinancing for an industrial portfolio near Savannah, Georgia.
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September 22, 2025
EB-5 Industry Leaders Ponder Path To Long-Term Future
While the 35-year-old EB-5 investment visa program has been enjoying arguably its strongest period, following recent reforms, the program's fate came up frequently during the Advanced EB-5 Industry Conference last week in Miami — and that was before President Donald Trump signed an order to roll out his own "gold card" investment visa program late Friday.
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September 22, 2025
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Last week, Match.com secured approval for a $30M settlement over its 2019 reverse spinoff from IAC, and Vice Chancellor Morgan T. Zurn urged decorum among Delaware lawyers, comparing recent legal turmoil to dark times in British monarchy history. Here's the latest from the Chancery Court.
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September 22, 2025
Developer Gets 8 Years For Fraud That Sunk Belize Project
A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a California real estate developer with a previous fraud conviction Monday to eight years in prison, after a jury convicted him of defrauding investors who backed a big luxury development he controlled called Sanctuary Belize.
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September 22, 2025
2 More NYC Casino Proposals Fold
The last remaining proposal for a casino in Manhattan has failed to obtain a full gaming license in New York City, and, ahead of a vote, local elected officials have also ruled out a Coney Island casino plan.
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September 22, 2025
Atlanta-Area Hotel Sued On Claims It Ignored Sex Trafficking
A woman has sued a property management company and the owner-operator of a Super 8 in College Park, Georgia, where she said employees were aware of but did nothing to prevent her from being sex trafficked as a minor.
Expert Analysis
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How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors
The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Foreclosing Lenders Still Floating In Murky Legal Waters In NY
The New York foreclosure landscape remains in disarray after the state's highest court last month declined to weigh in on whether legal changes from 2022 that severely curtailed lenders' ability to bring successive foreclosure cases were retroactive, says Brian Rich at Barclay Damon.
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NYC Hotel Licensing Law's Costs May Outweigh Its Benefits
A hotel licensing bill recently approved by New York's City Council could lead to the loss of many nonunionized hotels that cannot afford to comply, says Stuart Saft at Holland & Knight.
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Calif. Ruling Offers Hope For Mitigated Negative Declarations
In Upland Community First v. City of Upland, a California appeals court upheld a warehouse development's mitigated negative declaration over its greenhouse gas emissions thresholds — a rare victory against this type of challenge providing reassurance that such declarations can be upheld, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.
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There's No Crying In Property Valuation Baseball Arbitration
The World Series is the perfect time to consider how the form of arbitration used for settling MLB salary disputes — in which each side offers competing valuations to an arbitrator, who must select one — is often ideal for resolving property valuation disputes, say Sean O’Donnell at Herrick Feinstein and Mark Dunec at FTI Consulting.
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Webuild Ruling Complicates Arb. Award Enforcement In US
A Delaware federal court's recent decision in Sociedad Concesionaria Metropolitana de Salud v. Webuild, if read literally, could undercut the United States' image as a proarbitration jurisdiction by complicating creditors' efforts to enforce awards against property in this country, says Jeff Newton at Omni Bridgeway.
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How To Avoid A Costly CPA Limitation Hidden In Most Leases
The lease audit rights clause is a seemingly innocuous provision in most commercial real estate leases that ends up costing tenants millions of dollars each year, as they have unwittingly agreed to retain only an accountant to investigate and settle financial issues, says Jason Aster at KBA Lease Services.
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Navigating FEMA Grant Program For Slope Fixes After Storms
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it is critical for governments, businesses and individuals to understand the legal requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant programs to obtain funding for crucial repairs — including restoration of damaged infrastructure caused by landslides and slope failures, says Charles Schexnaildre at Baker Donelson.
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Smith's New Trump Indictment Is Case Study In Superseding
Special counsel Jack Smith’s recently revised Jan. 6 charges against former President Donald Trump provide lessons for prosecutors on how to effectively draft superseding indictments in order to buttress or streamline their case, as necessary, says Jessica Roth at Cardozo Law School.
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Consider Best Legal Practices For Commissioning Public Art
Commissioning public art for real estate projects can provide many benefits to real estate developers and the public, but it's important to understand the unique legal and contracting aspects of the process to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget, says Sarah Conley Odenkirk at ArtConverge.
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Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA
After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.
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Climate Among Many Factors Driving Up RE Insurance Costs
A proactive approach to risk management may determine the viability of the U.S. commercial real estate sector as weather crises and other factors drive insurance costs higher, says Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner.
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Bid Protest Spotlight: Debriefings, Timeliness, Documentation
James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims concerning an agency's decision not to hold post-award discussions, a timeliness trap in certain Federal Supply Schedule procurements and the importance of providing contemporaneous documentation in price-evaluation protests.