More Real Estate Coverage

  • April 09, 2024

    Ohio Justices Voice Displeasure With Woodland Deduction

    Several Ohio Supreme Court justices sounded skeptical Tuesday of the state tax commissioner's valuation of a deduction for clearing woodlands that factors into assessments of agricultural properties, saying the figure appeared to be arbitrarily low.

  • April 08, 2024

    Citibank Can't Dodge Liability After Escrow Theft

    A Washington state appeals court said Monday that Citibank and a predecessor lender can't avoid liability after an escrow agent allegedly embezzled nearly $1 million from a real estate company's refinancing deals, in an opinion that said the trial court failed to correctly apply controlling case law still "good" after 70 years.

  • April 08, 2024

    Idaho Land Deal Would Sustain Legacy Of Pollution, Tribes Say

    A group of Idaho tribes is urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold a lower court ruling granting a partial win in their challenge to a land transfer for a fertilizer plant's expansion, arguing that if allowed to go forward, it would continue a decadeslong legacy of contamination for their communities.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Regulators' Fraud Fears Are 'Nonsense,' Developer Says

    A real estate developer has told Michigan's high court that the state is raising unfounded concerns that Michigan will become a haven for fraudsters if the top court does not adopt a federal judicially created test to determine when an investment is a security, telling the justices Michigan's own securities law is controlling.

  • April 08, 2024

    Tribes Say Army Corps Mistakes Their Claims In 5th Circ. Row

    Two Native American tribes and a conservation group have told the Fifth Circuit that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an Enbridge Inc. unit have intentionally mischaracterized their claims in litigation seeking to challenge the agency's permit authorization for a major oil terminal on Texas' Gulf Coast.

  • April 08, 2024

    Oak Flat Mining Decision Treads On Human Rights, UN Told

    The San Carlos Apache Tribe is urging a United Nations committee to ask the United States to withhold any permissions that would allow Resolution Copper Co. to proceed with any activity on a plot of land known as Oak Flat, arguing that a Ninth Circuit ruling allowing the land transfer merits urgent intervention to prevent further human rights violations on the sacred site.

  • April 05, 2024

    NJ Recycler's Fire Damage Suit To Remain In NJ, Judge Rules

    A New Jersey federal judge declined to move a paper recycler's fire coverage dispute to New York, but did agree to toss one of its claims against its insurer, finding the recycler's declaratory judgment and breach of contract claims were duplicative.

  • April 05, 2024

    5th Circ. Won't Touch Texas Oil Export Terminal License

    The Fifth Circuit has rejected environmentalists' attempt to undo federal approval for a deepwater oil export terminal off Texas' Gulf Coast, finding the U.S. Coast Guard adequately considered the environmental consequences of the facility in its environmental assessment.

  • April 04, 2024

    PE Firm Announces $1.25B JV To Buy, Develop Marinas

    Private equity firm Centerbridge Partners LP and marina owner Suntex Marina Investors LLC have formed a joint venture that aims to acquire and develop new marinas in the U.S. that are worth more than $1.25 billion, according to a joint announcement.

  • April 03, 2024

    Nationstar Adds 'Junk Fee' For Loan Payoff Quote, Suit Says

    A proposed class hit Nationstar Mortgage LLC with a suit alleging the mortgage servicing firm illegally charges homeowners a "junk fee" for written payoff quotes in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

  • April 03, 2024

    Mortgage Co. Targeted In News Report Hit With RICO Suit

    United Wholesale Mortgage LLC, its parent company and its CEO were hit with a proposed class action Tuesday in Michigan federal court accusing them of scheming with mortgage brokers to steer borrowers into more expensive loans the same day that Hunterbrook Media, a new journalism and hedge fund outfit, published its first investigative piece focused on the company.

  • April 03, 2024

    Maine Nuclear Waste Sites Not Eligible For Tax Exemption

    Maine won't allow facilities that store spent nuclear fuel to qualify as air pollution control facilities for property tax exemption purposes under clarifying legislation signed by the governor.

  • April 03, 2024

    Skanska Inks $1.4B Contract To Replace Seattle Bridge

    Skanska and Washington's Department of Transportation closed a $1.4 billion bridge replacement contract that aims to update Seattle's Portage Bay Bridge so that it's up to "current seismic resiliency standards," the construction and development company announced.

  • April 01, 2024

    Investors Group Says New EB-5 Guidance Violates APA

    A trade association of EB-5 visa regional centers brought U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services into D.C. federal court, accusing the agency of abruptly changing the minimum investment period for foreigner investors seeking green cards without soliciting public comments.

  • April 01, 2024

    SmartRent Workers Get Class Cert. In Unpaid OT Row

    A Georgia federal judge has granted conditional class certification to a group of former and current employees of a smart home technology firm, who allege the company failed to compensate them correctly for overtime hours they worked.

  • April 01, 2024

    Trump Urges 11th Circ. To Revive $475M CNN Defamation Suit

    Donald Trump has asked the Eleventh Circuit to revive a $475 million defamation lawsuit the former president filed against CNN, alleging the network spent years "wrongfully Hitlerizing" him by calling his challenges to the 2020 election results his "Big Lie."

  • April 01, 2024

    High Court Won't Hear Mass. Residents' Tribal Land Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition by a group of Massachusetts residents seeking to reverse a ruling that allowed the Department of the Interior to take 321 acres into trust for the development of a billion-dollar tribal hotel and casino.

  • March 29, 2024

    Atty Called A Flight Risk In $1.3 Billion Tax Fraud Case

    An attorney serving a 23-year prison sentence for tax fraud in a $1.3 billion conservation easement scheme is a flight risk and should remain in federal custody while he waits for his appeal, the government told a Georgia federal court Friday.

  • March 28, 2024

    8th Circ. Won't Revive Fannie, Freddie Investors' FHFA Suit

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday refused to revive Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors' suit alleging the Federal Housing Finance Agency's leadership and financial deals violated the U.S. Constitution, saying the investors failed to show how they were harmed by the now-upended restrictions on removing the agency's director.

  • March 28, 2024

    Va. Landowners Return To Supreme Court In FERC Challenge

    Virginia residents with property being condemned for the Mountain Valley Pipeline are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a D.C. Circuit decision dismissing their suit challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's eminent domain authority, and its ability to delegate that authority to private companies.

  • March 27, 2024

    Navajo Sue Feds Over Withheld Forestry Program Funds

    The Navajo Nation claims the U.S. Department of the Interior unlawfully withheld more than a million dollars in funding for its contracted forestry management program, telling a D.C. federal judge the department should be forced to provide the money and accept the funding agreements proposed by the nation.

  • March 27, 2024

    Pittsburgh Aims To Ax $14M Of Nonprofits' Tax Waivers

    Officials with the city of Pittsburgh announced Wednesday that they will file challenges to tax exemptions for more than 100 properties within the city, claiming that they are no longer owned by nonprofits or serving a charitable function and should put up to $14 million back on local tax rolls.

  • March 27, 2024

    Smith Gambrell Sued For Keeping $4.6M In Real Estate Row

    Several business entities involved in the failed purchase of a Brooklyn development property contend that Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP is unlawfully refusing to release more than $4.6 million that the firm is holding in escrow, according to a complaint filed in New York state court.

  • March 26, 2024

    Ex-LA Deputy Mayor's Fate In Bribery Trial Goes To Calif. Jury

    Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan connected corrupt public officials to wealthy developers for years as part of the "CD-14 Enterprise" racketeering conspiracy, a federal prosecutor told California federal jurors in closing arguments Tuesday, saying their shared goal was ensuring they "get money, keep power and avoid the Feds."

  • March 26, 2024

    Feds Move To Seize Ex-Mongolia PM's NY Apts. Tied To Graft

    Brooklyn federal prosecutors say a former prime minister of Mongolia used the proceeds of a corruption scheme to purchase two luxury Manhattan apartments for a combined $14 million, according to a suit seeking to seize the properties.

Expert Analysis

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

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    Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Still Murky After A Choppy 2023

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    This year brought several important Clean Water Act jurisdictional developments, including multiple agency rules and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that substantially altered the definition of "waters of the United States," but a new wave of litigation challenges has already begun, with no clear end in sight, say attorneys at Nossaman.

  • 'Brownfields' Definition Key To Energy Community Tax Credits

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    As the IRS rolls out guidance for claiming community energy tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, a review of the long-standing statutory definition of "brownfields" reveals that it continues to serve the goal of creating opportunities for investment in abandoned properties, says Louise Dyble at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • ESG Around The World: Singapore

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    Singapore is keen to establish itself as a leading international financial center and a key player in the sustainable finance ecosystem, and key initiatives led by its government and other regulatory bodies have helped the Asian nation progress from its initially guarded attitude toward ESG investment and reporting, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

  • Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

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    To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.

  • Unpacking Long-Awaited Clean Energy Tax Credit Guidance

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    Recently proposed Internal Revenue Service regulations provide welcome confirmatory guidance on the application of investment tax credits as reworked by 2022's Inflation Reduction Act, prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules that are largely consistent with market expectations, and broader eligibility criteria that should please the wind power industry in particular, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Navigating USCIS' New Minimum EB-5 Investment Period

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    Recent significant modifications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ EB-5 at-risk requirement are causing uncertainty for several reasons, but investors who consider certain key aspects of prospective projects can mitigate the immigration and investment risks, say Samuel Silverman at EB5AN, Ronald Klasko at Klasko Immigration, and Kate Kalmykov at Greenberg Traurig.

  • ESG Around The World: Mexico

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    ESG has yet to become part of the DNA of the Mexican business model, but huge strides are being made in that direction, as more stakeholders demand that companies adopt, at the least, a modicum of sustainability commitments and demonstrate how they will meet them, says Carlos Escoto at Galicia Abogados.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

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