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Real Estate
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May 03, 2024
Real Estate Authority: Dirty Money, Forever Chems, Housing
Law360 Real Estate Authority covers the most important real estate deals, litigation, policies and trends. Catch up on this week's developments by state — as well as on the illicit billions tucked away in commercial real estate, attorney takeaways from new "forever chemical" designations, and one foreign investor's bet on U.S. housing.
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May 03, 2024
Navajo Ask Biden To Stop Uranium Movement On Tribal Lands
The Navajo Nation's government leaders are calling on President Joe Biden to halt the transport of uranium ore across the tribe's reservation lands, arguing that the practice disregards its laws and threatens its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
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May 03, 2024
Freddie Mac, Insurer Settle $32M SEC Probe Coverage Dispute
Government-backed lender Freddie Mac told a Washington, D.C., federal court Friday that it has settled with an insurer in a $32 million coverage suit stemming from civil actions and federal probes around its collapse during the 2008 global financial crisis.
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May 03, 2024
Mich. Justices Punt On Privacy Questions In Drone Dispute
The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday dodged a novel question about the constitutionality of a town's drone surveillance of a couple's property, ruling that photos taken by the drone could not be suppressed in a zoning proceeding.
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May 03, 2024
Florida Court Revives County's Suit Over Fairgrounds Deal
A Florida appeals court on Friday revived Hernando County's lawsuit against a local county fair association over a broken contract to redevelop a county fairgrounds property, ruling that it is not clear the lawsuit is time-barred.
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May 03, 2024
'Reckless' NY Developer Owes Investor $3M+, Suit Says
A real estate investor is owed at least $3 million tied to its stake in a commercial development project in Shelton, Connecticut, according to a lawsuit in state court that accuses a Brooklyn-based developer of misusing money.
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May 03, 2024
Fed Bill Will Give Ga. Its First Nat'l Park, Protect Burial Lands
Georgia congressional lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation that would establish the Peach State's first national park, upgrading the site from its national monument status while also offering protections for more Native American burial mounds.
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May 03, 2024
DC Circ. Backs Feds' Puerto Rico Port Expansion Project
The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the federal government's plans to broaden shipping lanes at Puerto Rico's largest port, rejecting arguments from a trio of environmental groups who accused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of failing to take the requisite hard look at the dredging project's environmental risks.
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May 03, 2024
Judge Says Lender Can't Escape CFPB's Loan Data Suit
A Florida federal judge has refused to dismiss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's suit accusing mortgage servicer and lender Freedom Mortgage Corp. of violating federal law by submitting inaccurate government mortgage loan data.
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May 03, 2024
4th Circ. Preview: Hemp, Wells And A Withdrawal
The Fourth Circuit's second session of 2024 will have the court pondering the tension between Virginia's recent hemp restrictions and federal regulations, and how the Truth in Lending Act impacts a case accusing PNC Bank of an unauthorized account withdrawal.
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May 03, 2024
Brothers Accuse Cos. Of Mishandling $1.1M EB-5 Investments
Two brothers from India sued companies behind a combination residential-resort project they invested in under the EB-5 investor visa program, telling a Florida federal court that their green card petitions were denied because the companies mishandled their $1.1 million investment.
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May 03, 2024
Akerman Hires Miami-Dade Atty As Chair Of Land Use Team
Akerman LLP hired Dennis A. Kerbel, a veteran Miami-Dade County, Florida, government attorney, as the new chair of its land use and entitlements team in its Miami office, the firm announced.
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May 03, 2024
Debevoise, Davis Polk Guide Windstream, Uniti Merger
Uniti Group Inc., advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, on Friday unveiled plans to merge with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP-led telephone service company Windstream Holdings II LLC in a deal that includes a $425 million cash component, $575 million in preferred equity and a minority share in common equity of the combined company.
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May 03, 2024
Stockbridge Real Estate Fund Raises $709M
San Francisco-based Stockbridge Capital Group said Friday that it had closed on a real estate investment fund with $709 million in commitments last month, the largest in its history.
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May 02, 2024
NY Jury Hears Trump On Tape Discussing $150K Payment
Manhattan jurors in Donald Trump's criminal trial heard secretly recorded conversations of the former president discussing what prosecutors say is a $150,000 hush money payment for a former Playboy model intended to boost his 2016 election campaign.
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May 02, 2024
Biden Expands Protections For 2 National Monuments In Calif.
President Joe Biden on Thursday expanded protections on nearly 120,000 acres of land for two California national monuments considered sacred to Native Americans, while permanently returning one to its original Indigenous name.
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May 02, 2024
Allstate Secures Win In Untimely Ga. Storm Damage Dispute
The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a trial court's grant of a directed verdict in favor of Allstate in a dispute brought by two homeowners who claimed the insurer owed over $430,000 after it failed to cover all sums they believed were owed for storm damage.
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May 02, 2024
Activist Files New Proxy Fight In REIT Takeover Attempt
Activist investor Blackwells Capital LLC continued its campaign against hospitality executive Monty J. Bennett by separately urging shareholders of Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. and an advisory firm that Bennett controls to approve a board shake-up during upcoming annual meetings.
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May 02, 2024
USAA Wrongly Denied Fire Damage Claim, Wash. Couple Says
A Washington couple accused their homeowners insurer of unreasonably denying their fire damage claim despite their timely response to all of the insurer's claim inquiries and requests, further accusing the insurer of violating Washington's Consumer Protection Act and Insurance Fair Conduct Act.
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May 02, 2024
Kushner-Owned Co. Owes $15M For Scrapped Apartment Deal
A New Jersey appeals panel has ordered a company owned by Kushner Cos. LLC to pay $15 million to real estate sellers in a $186 million deal that fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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May 02, 2024
Split Conn. Supreme Court Says No To 'Ratio' Utility Bills
In a rare 4-3 opinion, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a corporate landlord cannot use a ratio utility billing system to divide monthly costs among units not equipped with precise individual meters, stressing a legislative policy of protecting tenants from fluctuating fees beyond their immediate control.
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May 02, 2024
Mass. Property Is Agricultural, Appellate Board Says
A 14-acre property should be classified as agricultural, as the owner proved the land's main use was farming, the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board said in a ruling released Thursday.
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May 02, 2024
DLA Piper Investment Funds Leader Joins Willkie In Chicago
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has announced that the former co-head of DLA Piper's investment funds practice joined the firm's asset management group as a partner in its Chicago office.
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May 02, 2024
Eckert Seamans Sues For Inclusive Zoning Fight Fees
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott says a group representing Pittsburgh-area developers still owes nearly $76,000 in legal fees for the firm's work on a federal suit challenging an "inclusive zoning" ordinance, according to a complaint filed in Pennsylvania state court Thursday.
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May 02, 2024
Nixon Peabody Adds Two Community Finance Attys In DC
Nixon Peabody LLP has hired two partners, who will focus their practices on helping nonprofits and other clients understand and obtain tax credits for a range of community development projects, to its community development finance practice in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Thursday.
Expert Analysis
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What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks
Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.
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How FinCEN Proposal Expands RE Transaction Obligations
Against a regulatory backdrop foreshadowing anti-money laundering efforts in the real estate sector, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's proposed rule significantly expands reporting requirements for certain nonfinanced residential real estate transfers and necessitates careful review, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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How Calif. Video Recording Ruling May Affect Insured Exams
A recent California appellate decision, Myasnyankin v. Nationwide, allowing policyholders to video record all parties to an insurance examination under oath, has changed the rules of the road for EUOs and potentially opened Pandora's box for future disputes, say John Edson and Preston Bennett at Sheppard Mullin.
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Business Litigators Have A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
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Unpacking FinCEN's Proposed Real Estate Transaction Rule
Phil Jelsma and Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner take a close look at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recently proposed rulemaking — which mandates new disclosures for professionals involved in all-cash real estate deals — and discuss best next steps for the broad range of businesses that could be affected.
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Series
Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.
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Texas Insurance Ruling Could Restore Finality To Appraisal
The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Rodriguez v. Safeco, determining that full payment of an appraisal award precludes recovery of attorney fees, indicates a potential return to an era in which timely payment undoubtedly disposes of all possible policyholder claims, says Karl Schulz at Cozen O'Connor.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC
The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Corporate Transparency Act Isn't Dead Yet
After an Alabama federal court's ruling last week rendering the Corporate Transparency Act unconstitutional, changes to the law may ultimately be required, but ongoing compliance is still the best course of action for most, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.
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New FinCEN Guide Provides Useful BOI Context For Banks
Financial institutions should review a new Financial Crimes Enforcement Network compliance guide for helpful details about how the agency's beneficial ownership information database should be used, though questions remain about the access rule and whether it will truly streamline bank borrowers' Corporate Transparency Act due diligence, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.
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How Firms Can Ensure Associate Gender Parity Lasts
Among associates, women now outnumber men for the first time, but progress toward gender equality at the top of the legal profession remains glacially slow, and firms must implement time-tested solutions to ensure associates’ gender parity lasts throughout their careers, say Kelly Culhane and Nicole Joseph at Culhane Meadows.
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Opinion
Contractors Need Protection From NJ Homeowner Protections
A recently passed New Jersey law, combined with the state's Consumer Fraud Act, is intended to protect innocent homeowners, but legislative action must be taken to prevent homeowners from abusing the law to avoid paying hardworking contractors, say Gary Strong and Madison Calkins at Gfeller Laurie.
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Opinion
NY Shouldn't Pair 421-a Restoration And Good Cause Eviction
The good cause eviction system of rent control should not be imposed in New York, nor should its legislation be tied to renewal of the 421-a tax abatement program, which New York City desperately needs, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.
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7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves
As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.
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Series
Cheering In The NFL Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Balancing my time between a BigLaw career and my role as an NFL cheerleader has taught me that pursuing your passions outside of work is not a distraction, but rather an opportunity to harness important skills that can positively affect how you approach work and view success in your career, says Rachel Schuster at Sheppard Mullin.