Real Estate

  • 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.

  • March 12, 2024

    La. Property Owners, Insurers Settle $5M Hurricane Ida Fight

    Lloyd's of London and other insurers and underwriters have agreed to settle claims by a group of New Orleans-area property owners who allege the insurers wrongly denied more than $5.1 million in claims from Hurricane Ida damage after the insurers demanded the dispute be resolved in arbitration.

  • March 12, 2024

    Trustee Claims MV Realty Used Ch. 11 To Dodge State Actions

    The U.S. trustee in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of MV Realty argued on Tuesday that a Florida federal judge should dismiss or convert the case, alleging that the real estate company is simply using the action to stall state prosecutors and rack up fees against homeowners instead of reorganizing.

  • March 12, 2024

    NY Homeowners Settle Suit Over Legal Rep For Foreclosures

    Two Brooklyn homeowners agreed to settle a proposed class action accusing New York court administrators and justices of failing to assess whether unrepresented homeowners are eligible for free legal counsel in initial settlement conferences for foreclosure suits.

  • March 12, 2024

    Pa. Property Owner Knocks Insurer's Early Win Bid

    A Pennsylvania property owner urged a federal court to reject its insurer's bid for a pretrial win, arguing that a vacancy provision in its policy is ambiguous and does not preclude coverage of the $5 million in damages it seeks following a warehouse break-in.

  • March 12, 2024

    Tenn. Senate Panel OKs Plan To Bar State Property Taxes

    Tennessee voters could decide whether to constitutionally bar state property taxes under a resolution approved Tuesday by a Senate panel to advance the measure to next year's General Assembly.

  • March 12, 2024

    FTC Welcomes Choice Hotels Dropping Wyndham Hostile Buy

    The Federal Trade Commission's top antitrust staffer said Tuesday that he was "pleased" Choice Hotels International Inc. had given up on a hostile takeover of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, warning that the deal had "posed serious competition questions."

  • March 12, 2024

    6th Circ. Won't Revive Mich. Mall's Faulty Parking Lot Suit

    A general contractor is not liable for a Michigan parking lot that began to fail "mere months" after construction, the Sixth Circuit said, finding the company did not violate its contract with outlet mall chain Tanger.

  • March 11, 2024

    Fed, Others Tell Judge New Community Lending Rule Is Legal

    The Federal Reserve Board and other banking agencies say that the American Bankers Association and other groups only sued to rewrite the Community Investment Act for their own ends, asking Friday for a Texas federal judge to reject the plaintiffs' call for a preliminary injunction.

  • March 11, 2024

    Landlords' Group Slams FCC Digital Equity Rule In DC Circ.

    A property owners' advocacy group has sued the Federal Communications Commission in the D.C. Circuit, claiming the agency soared well past its legal limits in passing a new broadband equity rule and will put renters' access to internet service at greater risk.

  • March 11, 2024

    NYC Youth Services Group Hits Ch. 11, Folds After 200 Years

    A 200-year-old nonprofit that provides foster care and youth education services in New York City filed for Chapter 11 protection, saying decreased demand for its programs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately led it to financial ruin.

  • March 11, 2024

    DC Circ. Probes Gov't Trial Strategy For Ex-HUD Official

    A former assistant inspector general for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development who is urging the D.C. Circuit to toss his conviction for falsifying government documents seemed to get a sympathetic ear from at least one judge during oral arguments on Monday.

  • March 11, 2024

    Travelers Owes No Coverage For Mo. Wall Mishap, Judge Says

    Travelers has no duty to provide over $1.4 million to a St. Louis area property developer for administrative expenses and loss of rental income stemming from a retaining wall failure, a Missouri federal court ruled Monday, finding such coverage didn't extend to additional insureds on a general contractor's policy.

  • March 11, 2024

    US Appeals Corporate Transparency Act Ruling To 11th Circ.

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury is moving quickly to appeal an Alabama federal judge's ruling that the Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional, filing a notice of appeal to the Eleventh Circuit on Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • '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.

  • Why Courts Are Nixing Insurer Defense Recoupment Claims

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    Following a recent trend, the Hawaii Supreme Court's decision in St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co. v. Bodell Construction Co. provides a concise explanation of the argument that an insurer generally may not recoup costs for defending claims, based on three considerations, says Bradley Nash at Hoguet Newman.

  • 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.

  • DOJ Comments Reveal Road Ahead For Mortgage Redlining

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    Comments from two U.S. Department of Justice representatives at a recent fair lending conference show that the DOJ is prioritizing investigations and enforcement against redlining risks, and highlight important compliance steps for lenders, say Lori Sommerfield and Chris Willis at Troutman Pepper.

  • How The NY AG Leads Investigations In Civil Securities Fraud

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    Although investigating white collar fraud can put significant strain on state and local resources, the New York Attorney General's Office has continued to use its expansive statutory authority to take a leading role in bringing civil enforcement actions in highly complex financial matters, say Carrie Cohen and Nathan Reilly at MoFo.

  • Lessons From This Year's Landmark Green Energy IP Clash

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    In this year's Siemens v. General Electric wind turbine patent dispute, a Massachusetts federal court offers a cautionary tale against willful infringement, and highlights the balance between innovation, law and ethics, as legal battles like this become more frequent in the renewable energy sector, say John Powell and Andrew Siuta at Sunstein.

  • DOJ's RealPage Notice Signals Focus On Pricing Algorithms

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division recently filed a statement of interest in the Realpage multidistrict litigation to stake out its position that price-fixing algorithms pose a great anti-competitive threat, which suggests that the DOJ and private parties may continue to bring similar actions in the future, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    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.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

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    The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.

  • 4 Key Types Of Coming FHLBank Reforms To Watch

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    Though the Federal Housing Finance Agency's recent report on the Federal Home Loan Bank System has received relatively little attention, the regulatory and legislative changes it proposes in four categories herald the start of a significant effort by the agency to reform the system’s structure and operations and overhaul requirements for member banks, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Series

    Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.

  • The SEC's Cooled Down But Still Spicy Private Fund Rules

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    Timothy Spangler and Lindsay Trapp at Dechert consider recently finalized U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules, which significantly alter the scope of obligations private fund advisers must meet under the Investment Advisers Act, noting the absence of several contentious proposals and litigation that could result in implementation delays.

  • 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.

  • Trump NY Fraud Trial Shows Civil, Criminal Case Differences

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    Former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial currently unfolding in New York provides a reminder that civil bench trials can be just as damaging, if not more so, than criminal prosecutions, due to several key elements of civil litigation procedure, says retired attorney David Moskowitz.

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