Real Estate

  • March 14, 2024

    Ore. Skateboard Church Denied Tax Break Over Late Purchase

    A tax-exempt Oregon church serving Portland skateboarders is not entitled to a property tax exemption because it did not own its property before the statutory deadline for commencing its charitable activities, the Oregon Tax Court has decided.

  • 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

    EPA Designates First Navajo Nation Superfund Site

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding the Lukachukai Mountains Mining District in northeastern Arizona to its National Priorities List, with the district's uranium mining waste piles marking the first designated Superfund site on the Navajo Nation.

  • March 13, 2024

    Subpoenas Can't Skirt USPTO Discovery Rules, 4th Circ. Says

    In a precedential ruling, the Fourth Circuit said Wednesday that companies can't use the subpoena power of the courts to go beyond the limits of discovery that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office puts on deposing employees in foreign countries.  

  • 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

    NC City Asks State Justices To Review Homebuilders' $5M Win

    The North Carolina city of Greensboro urged the state's high court to review the $5.25 million judgment won by D.R. Horton Inc. and True Homes LLC in the homebuilders' class action accusing the city of charging illegal preservice water fees.

  • 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.

  • March 13, 2024

    Fla. Restaurateur Says Seller Broke $7.3M Colo. Home Deal

    A Miami restaurateur is suing an Aspen family trust for allegedly pulling out of a deal for him to buy a $7.3 million property in the Colorado mountain town, claiming they had no right to terminate the deal over their failure to obtain a demolition permit.

  • March 13, 2024

    6th Circ. Told Woman Helped Life Partner Avoid $3M In Taxes

    The federal government justifiably sold off the property of a woman who paid for it with money from her dead long-term life partner, the U.S. government told the Sixth Circuit on Wednesday, saying the purchase helped her partner skirt more than $3 million in tax liabilities.

  • March 13, 2024

    NYC Condo Developer's Ch. 11 Liquidation Plan Gets OK

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved the Chapter 11 liquidation plan of 540 West 21st St. Holdings LLC, the developer of a scrapped luxury condo project in New York City's West Chelsea neighborhood, overruling an objection from the managers of a neighboring building.

  • March 13, 2024

    Autism Claims Tossed In Lockheed Martin Toxic Land Suit

    A Florida federal judge has thrown out autism-related claims in a suit alleging Lockheed Martin Corp.'s weapons factory in Orlando leaked toxic chemicals, saying the science underlying the plaintiffs' expert's opinion "is just not there."

  • March 13, 2024

    Ala. Hotelier Says Insurer Must Cover Fire Damage

    A Montgomery, Alabama, hotel owner said an insurer must cover a property-destroying fire under a $13 million policy, telling a New York federal court the insurer made "no attempt whatsoever" to meet its obligations despite the hotelier having met all conditions under the policy.

  • March 13, 2024

    Wash. Assessor Was Wrong To Deny COVID Relief, Hotels Say

    A business group representing Washington hotels told a state court that a county assessor erred when he refused to lower the 2020 property assessments for hotels in the area due to financial losses stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

  • March 13, 2024

    Mass. Justice Presses AG On Fast-Track Bid For Zoning Case

    A Massachusetts high court justice on Wednesday expressed concerns about the state attorney general's aggressive bid to fast-track the enforcement of a divisive housing law to the full court as soon as May.  

  • March 13, 2024

    Ore. Tax Court Restores Property Value To Local Assessment

    Neither the owner of a residential riverfront property in Oregon nor a county assessor showed enough evidence to change the county's $72,000 valuation, the Oregon Tax Court has ruled, rejecting the higher value found by the court's magistrate division.

  • March 13, 2024

    Patriots Owner Flags $2M Lien On 'Useless' Skydiving Facility

    The real estate business of New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft asked a Massachusetts judge to discharge a $2 million mechanic's lien on a defunct indoor wind tunnel and skydiving attraction at a shopping center next to the football team's stadium.

  • March 13, 2024

    Blackstone Closes $600M Credit Deal For Utah Data Center

    Blackstone Credit & Insurance has provided a $600 million senior secured credit facility for Aligned Data Centers' data center development project in West Jordan, Utah, the companies have announced.

  • March 13, 2024

    EB-5 Suit Says Hotel Project Tricked Non-English Speakers

    A real estate investment company is facing a proposed class action in California federal court alleging it took advantage of immigrant investors' limited English by fraudulently making them agree that the company and an Embassy Suites project could keep their investments indefinitely.

  • March 12, 2024

    Committee Approves Bill Aimed At Blocking New Mining Rule

    The House Committee on Natural Resources voted Tuesday to approve a bill aimed at blocking a proposed rule amendment by the Biden administration that would tighten the permitting process for mining projects deemed critical by the federal government despite concerns from Democrats over impacts to the environment and Native American sacred sites. 

  • March 12, 2024

    HUD Withholds Refunds Due To Homeowners, Suit Says

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was hit Tuesday with a proposed class action in Florida accusing the agency of failing to refund homeowners $384 million in mortgage insurance premium overpayments when they terminated their government-backed mortgages early.

  • March 12, 2024

    Yardi, Landlords Say Hagens Berman Can't Lead Antitrust Suit

    Property management software company Yardi Systems Inc. and multiple landlords are fighting a putative class's bid to appoint Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as interim lead counsel for a rent price-fixing class action in Washington federal court.

  • March 12, 2024

    Judge Questions If Citibank Can Avoid Escrow Theft Burden

    A Washington appellate judge questioned Tuesday if Citibank and a loan servicer could escape liability after a rogue escrow agent stole nearly $1 million from a real estate company's refinancing deals, suggesting during oral arguments that the bank gets loan payments as successor lender and should bear some burden.

  • March 12, 2024

    FEMA Claims Process Leaves NM Fire Victims Lost, Suit Says

    Five New Mexico residents are suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency over its response to a massive 2022 fire, alleging it has created delay, confusion and ambiguity in the claims process for the fire's victims.

  • March 12, 2024

    MV Realty Says NC AG Is Working For Real Estate Industry

    Embattled Florida-based real estate company MV Realty told the North Carolina Supreme Court the state's attorney general is "wielding the power of the state under the guise of consumer protection" to shut down the business at the behest of "entrenched real estate brokerage interests."

  • March 12, 2024

    Judge OKs Ch. 7 Liquidation For Reverse Mortgage Co.

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday converted Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust Inc.'s Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, saying the debtor's plan administrator's request for conversion has "good and sufficient cause" under the Bankruptcy Code.

Expert Analysis

  • A Challenging CRE Environment Holds Opportunities In 2024

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    As the commercial real estate market faces reduced occupancy levels and rising financing costs, the new landscape will be favorable to those who can leverage capital, strategic vision and expertise to meet challenges like taking on distressed properties and converting office space to residential use, say Nesa Amamoo and Vered Rabia at Skadden.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

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    Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

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    A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

  • 5 Most Notable Class Action Standing Cases Of 2023

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    Key appellate class action decisions this past year continued the trend of a more demanding approach to the threshold issue of standing during each phase of litigation, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • 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.

  • A Difficult Year For CRE, But Future May Be Brighter

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    2023 was a challenging year for the commercial real estate industry, marked by significant uncertainty, but market pressure and signs of rising interest rates provide some reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the year ahead as pandemic headwinds and gridlock fade away, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

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    Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

  • 3 Developments That Will Affect Hospitality Companies In 2024

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    As the hospitality industry continues its post-pandemic recovery, it faces both challenges and opportunities to thrive in 2024, including navigating new labor rules, developing branded residential living spaces and cautiously embracing artificial intelligence, says Lauren Stewart at Sheppard Mullin.

  • What WeWork's Ch. 11 Filing Means For Landlords

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    WeWork’s recent Chapter 11 filing in New Jersey has the potential to be one of the most consequential cases in the real estate industry in many years, and presents a number of issues for landlords, including unexpired leases, assumption, assignment and more, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • 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.

  • The 4 Top Philadelphia Commerce Court Opinions Of 2023

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    Four 2023 rulings from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas — including decisions on judicial privilege, stay requests, sheriff's sales and the appointment of a receiver — highlight the court's commitment to stringent standards and address evolving challenges in commercial litigation, say Jonathan Hugg and Sarah Boutros at Eckert Seamans.

  • A Former Bankruptcy Judge Talks 2023 High Court Rulings

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    In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four bankruptcy law opinions — an extraordinary number — and a close look at these cases signals that changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code will have to come from Congress, not the courts, says Phillip Shefferly at the University of Michigan Law School.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 5 Traps To Avoid When Selling CRE In Las Vegas Area

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    When dealing with commercial real estate in Clark County, Nevada — which includes the Las Vegas metro area — even sophisticated sellers may be ensnared by a myriad of tricky issues, ranging from transfer tax nuances to arbitration laws, says Chris Walther at Fennemore Craig.

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