More Real Estate Coverage
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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March 25, 2024
BLM Adhered To Law In Granting Oil Lease Sales, Judge Rules
A D.C. federal judge has ruled in favor of the Bureau of Land Management in litigation brought by environmental groups seeking to challenge six oil and gas leases in the western United States, saying the agency did all that it was required to under the National Environmental Policy Act when it approved the lease sales.
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March 25, 2024
Owens Corning Extends $3.9B Masonite Deal Review
Construction materials manufacturer Owens Corning has agreed to give antitrust enforcers more time to review a planned $3.9 billion deal to purchase door-maker Masonite International Corp.
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March 25, 2024
Law360 2024 Real Estate Authority Editorial Board
Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2024 Real Estate Authority Editorial Board, which includes leading industry experts, to provide feedback and shape coverage goals.
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March 25, 2024
Justices Won't Review 11th Circ. $285M Arbitrator Bias Suit
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review an Eleventh Circuit decision refusing to vacate $285 million in arbitral awards issued to the operator of the Panama Canal, a case that the petitioners said raised questions about the standard by which courts may nix awards over an arbitrator's "evident partiality."
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March 22, 2024
5th Circ. Lifts SEC Climate Rule Stay After 8th Circ. Lottery Win
The Fifth Circuit on Friday lifted a temporary block on the implementation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new emissions reporting requirements, following the selection of the Eighth Circuit as the venue for consolidated proceedings of the various suits about the agency's controversial rules.
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March 21, 2024
8th Circ. Backs Attys' Win In COVID Hotel Eviction Challenge
Two government attorneys did not violate the U.S. Constitution when they gave the green light to a Minnesota police department to forcibly remove a resident from a Super 8 motel in June 2020 amid a COVID-19 era eviction ban, the Eighth Circuit ruled in a precedential opinion Thursday, citing a "dearth of precedent."
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March 20, 2024
Philly Charter School Exec Convicted Of Embezzlement
A nonprofit executive was convicted Wednesday in Pennsylvania federal court on all 18 counts of siphoning funds from a tax-exempt educational and housing organization to live lavishly, while the same jury found a colleague guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud but absolved him of other charges.
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March 20, 2024
Faegre Drinker Adds Former Honigman Construction Pro
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has strengthened its construction and real estate litigation group in Chicago with Raj Patel, previously a partner with Honigman LLP, the firm said Wednesday.
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March 20, 2024
NY High Court Revives Suit Against NYC Property Taxes
A lawsuit challenging the fairness of New York City's property tax system lives on, with New York's highest court finding a group's complaint sufficiently pleads causes of action against the city for violations of New York's Real Property Tax Law and the federal Fair Housing Act.
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March 20, 2024
Intel, Commerce Dept. Forge $8.5B Logic Chip Partnership
A proposed $8.5 billion partnership between the federal government and Intel Corp. could yield thousands of jobs and up to $100 billion in logic chip facility expansion and modernization in four states.
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March 19, 2024
La. Green Groups Urge Petrochemical Plant Permit Probe
A coalition of environmental groups urged Louisiana's Supreme Court to wade into their dispute with the state concerning permits that would allow a plastics manufacturer to construct a major petrochemical facility within the state's "Cancer Alley."
Expert Analysis
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Industry Takeaways From OMB's Final Buy America Guidance
The Office of Management and Budget's recently released guidance on "Buy America" requirements for federal infrastructure projects provides clarity in certain areas but fails to address troublesome inconsistencies with state laws and international trade agreements, so manufacturers and suppliers will need to tread carefully as agencies implement the changes, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth Shaw.
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Texas Produced Water Ruling Helps Clarify Oil, Gas Leases
A Texas state appeals court's recent opinion in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that the mineral lessee under an oil and gas lease owns the water extracted during oil and gas production, is a first step toward clarity on an issue that has divided the midstream industry, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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Pa. Case Highlights Complexity Of Oil And Gas Leases
A Pennsylvania state court's recent decision in Douglas Equipment Inc. v. EQT Production Co. is a reminder that oil and gas leases are rather strange creatures — morphing from something akin to a traditional surface lease to a mineral property conveyance the moment oil and gas is produced, says Christopher Rogers at Frost Brown.
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Calif. Protected Species Law Changes: Real Fix Or Red Tape?
California's recent amendments to its "fully protected species" statutes create a temporary permitting regime intended to accelerate the building of renewable energy, transportation and water infrastructure in response to climate change — but the new legislation could become another obstacle to the projects it purports to benefit, says Paul Weiland at Nossaman.
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EPA Focus On Lead Could Heighten Private Litigation Risk
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues a series of initiatives aimed at reducing lead exposure, including last month's proposal to strengthen removal requirements for lead-based paint, the risks of private suits from citizens groups over lead contamination grow, say Jonathan Brightbill and Madalyn Brown Feiger at Winston & Strawn.
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Ruling Affirms Drillers' Right To Choose Methods In Colo.
In the wake of the Tenth Circuit's decision in Bay v. Anadarko E&P Onshore, a bellwether trespass case, oil and gas operators can breathe easy knowing that Colorado landowners cannot dictate their method of drilling — even in the face of more reasonable alternatives, say Lauren Varnado and Jessica Pharis at Michelman & Robinson.
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NYC Sidewalk Obligations Must Go Beyond Construction
New York City's recently announced Get Sheds Down plan will bring sweeping changes to regulation of the scaffolding and construction sheds looming over sidewalks — but it cannot stop there, says Michael Pollack at Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law.
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5 Quick Takeaways From Feds' New Bank Capital Proposals
The federal banking agencies' recent proposed rulemaking on capital requirements is the culmination of a holistic review of U.S. capital standards initiated by the Federal Reserve, and at over 1,000 pages, the proposal will take some time to fully digest, but there are a few items that can be immediately highlighted, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Contract Disputes Recap: Timeliness, Evidence, Fact-Finding
Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw look at three recent opinions from three stages of government contract claims litigation about avoiding untimeliness by ticking procedural boxes, supporting factual positions at the summary judgment stage and how the appellate boards review default terminations.
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The Importance Of Sustainable, Resilient Construction Design
Due to the significant role that the construction industry plays in climate change, industry participants must understand the concepts of sustainable and resilient design practices, as well as the risks associated with implementing or foregoing these practices, say Daniel Brennan and Marissa Downs at Laurie & Brennan.
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Sackett Ruling, 'Waters' Rule Fix Won't Dry Up Wetlands Suits
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency narrowing the scope of Clean Water Act protections, the Biden administration is amending its rule defining "waters of the United States" — but the revised rule will inevitably face further court challenges, continuing the WOTUS legal saga indefinitely, say attorneys at Milbank.
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The Supreme Court Is At War With Itself On Extraterritoriality
The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued two conflicting pronouncements about the presumption against extraterritoriality without acknowledging the tensions between these decisions, which leaves lower courts, practitioners and potential defendants in the dark, says Jonah Knobler at Patterson Belknap.
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Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification
With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.