Real Estate

  • August 06, 2024

    New Bill Would Create 400K-Acre National Monument In Ariz.

    A bill introduced by a ranking member of the House natural resources committee looks to protect 400,000 acres in southern Arizona while declaring the site with ties to at least 13 federally recognized tribes a national monument.

  • August 06, 2024

    Ex-Mayor's Fight With Law Firm No RICO Case, 5th Circ. Told

    Counsel for convicted fraudster and former Texas Mayor Laura Maczka-Jordan said it's significant that a law firm accusing her and her husband of racketeering represented itself during oral arguments before the Fifth Circuit Tuesday, arguing that the case deals with a lease dispute rather than a racketeering scheme.

  • August 06, 2024

    11th Circ. Won't Let Chubb Unit Ax $13.8M Appraisal Award

    A Florida condo association's insurer waived its ability to challenge an over $13.8 million storm damage appraisal award by only arguing in court that the association's appraiser had a conflict of interest, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday, finding the insurer could've lodged a challenge during the appraisal process itself.

  • August 06, 2024

    Conn. AG Says Utility Misconstrued Power Plant Cleanup Deal

    The Connecticut Attorney General's Office has told a state court that The United Illuminating Co., now part of Avangrid Inc., raised inapplicable defenses to an environmental cleanup lawsuit by misconstruing an earlier consent decree as a "contract" the government could breach as the utility remediated an abandoned New Haven power plant.

  • August 06, 2024

    NC Panel OKs Short-Term Rentals In Luxury Home Community

    A North Carolina state appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that an Asheville-area neighborhood's ban on short-term rentals is unreasonable, finding the community's covenants don't explicitly outlaw that type of real estate arrangement.

  • August 06, 2024

    Finance Co. EasyKnock Scams Poor Homeowners, Suit Says

    Home finance company EasyKnock Inc. has been sued on allegations it targeted a low-income Philadelphia resident in an "equity-theft" scheme designed to dupe homeowners with an upfront cash payment for a gradual sale of their home that secretly transfers the title to the company.

  • August 06, 2024

    Ohio Board Affirms Nix Of Tax Break For Church's Rec Site

    A recreation field owned by an Ohio-based church doesn't qualify for a property tax exemption because it wasn't used as a place of worship, the state Board of Tax Appeals affirmed.

  • August 06, 2024

    Ariz. Tribe Seeks To Block Lithium Exploration Project

    An Arizona tribe is asking a federal district court to block the approval of a lithium exploration project that it says threatens the life of a sacred medical spring used for cultural and religious purposes, arguing the Bureau of Land Management failed to consider its actions on the historic property.

  • August 06, 2024

    DC Circ. Rules Russia Is Immune From Suit Over Jewish Texts

    The D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the federal court never had jurisdiction over a Jewish group's decades-old allegations that Russia is illegally holding on to its long-lost sacred texts, finding that the country has sovereign immunity and voiding nearly $200 million in fines levied against Russia.

  • August 07, 2024

    Simpson Thacher Pilots Stonepeak's $3B Opportunities Fund

    Private equity firm Stonepeak, advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, raised $3.15 billion for a fund dedicated to opportunistic investing in the infrastructure sector, beating the fund's target by over $600 million, according to a Tuesday announcement.

  • August 06, 2024

    Aztec Fund Files For Ch. 11 With $100M In Liabilities

    The Aztec Fund Holding Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court, listing at least $100 million in liabilities.

  • August 06, 2024

    More Training Needed On SF Encampment Rule, Judge Says

    A California federal magistrate judge has partially sided with homelessness advocates and San Francisco residents accusing the city and county of violating the U.S. and state constitutions by destroying homeless residents' self-made encampments and forcing them out of the city with citations, fines and arrests.

  • August 05, 2024

    Marriott Says NYC Hotels' Housing Of Migrants Violated Deal

    Marriott International Inc. has accused a hotel company in Jamaica, Queens, of breaching a contract by repurposing two properties for migrant housing while refusing to "de-identify" itself with the global hotel brand.

  • August 05, 2024

    5th NYC Housing Worker Gets Prison In Anti-Corruption Bust

    A Manhattan federal judge hit a retired public housing worker with 20 months in prison on Monday for taking over $83,000 of bribes, showing that prison is the most likely outcome for those convicted of felonies in the anti-bribery sweep.

  • August 05, 2024

    Andrews Myers Construction Atty Joins Cozen O'Connor

    Cozen O'Connor has hired a construction litigator in California who has more than 14 years of experience representing clients in matters involving infrastructure, industrial and other construction projects, the firm announced Monday.

  • August 02, 2024

    How Two Non-Bankruptcy Attys Won A Rare Ch. 7 Jury Trial

    A pair of Boston-based attorneys from Davis Malm scored a victory in a rare bankruptcy-related jury trial despite not being bankruptcy practitioners themselves, after a Delaware panel rejected a trustee's bid to recoup $44 million from a former grocery store magnate.

  • August 02, 2024

    Iowa, ND Move For Win In NEPA Rule Fight

    States led by Iowa and North Dakota are asking a federal judge to scrap a Council on Environmental Quality rule they say threatens to turn the National Environmental Policy Act into an "action-forcing" process to advance the Biden administration's climate and environmental justice goals.

  • August 02, 2024

    Public Interest Groups Back ISP Bulk Billing Opt-Out

    More than 30 public interest groups urged the Federal Communications Commission to allow consumers in multitenant environments to "escape" bulk billing for broadband service but quickly saw pushback from an industry group that calls the arrangements beneficial.

  • August 02, 2024

    Wolverine, Travelers Drop Coverage Claims Over PFAS Suits

    Footwear company Wolverine and various Travelers units have agreed to end their coverage battle over underlying lawsuits accusing the company of injuring individuals through its leather tannery operations and exposing individuals to so-called forever chemicals, the parties told a Michigan federal court.

  • August 02, 2024

    Del. Judge Won't Toss Cos.' False Claims Coverage Dispute

    A Delaware Superior Court judge refused to enforce a "no-action" clause in a suit brought by real estate holding companies seeking directors and officers coverage for an underlying False Claims Act qui tam action, according to a document obtained by Law360 on Friday.

  • August 02, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Grants Pass, Population Data, CMBS Risk

    Catch up on the past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including city and state reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on homeless encampments, a new proptech venture leveraging population data for investors and developers, and one BigLaw leader's view of which sectors are most sensitive to commercial mortgage-backed securities distress.

  • August 02, 2024

    Navajo Restrict Radioactive Transport On Reservation Lands

    For the next six months, no radioactive material can be transported across the Navajo Nation's reservation without prior agreement with the country's largest federally recognized tribe, according to an executive order signed by President Buu Nygren.

  • August 02, 2024

    Colo. Appeals Panel Rejects Lower Tax Rate For Hospital

    A Colorado rehabilitation hospital should be classified as a commercial property for tax purposes because it was predominantly designed for its services and not for residency, a state appeals court said, reversing a state assessment board.

  • August 02, 2024

    Insurers Seek Quick Win In $2M Injury Coverage Suit

    An AmTrust Financial unit and a Hartford unit each told a New York federal court that the other must solely cover a Manhattan property owner in a construction worker's $2 million injury action, disagreeing over whether the owner is an additional insured under the Hartford unit's policy covering a lessee.

  • August 02, 2024

    Ex-Loeb Tax Atty Latest Addition To Kilpatrick's NY Team

    A former Loeb & Loeb LLP attorney is bringing his experience in U.S. federal tax matters and real estate transactions to Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, the firm announced Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • Yellow Corp. Lease Assumption Shows Landlord Protections

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    Yellow Corp.’s recent filing of a motion to assume unexpired leases is a helpful reminder to practitioners to maintain a long-term approach about what is most beneficial for an estate and to not let a debtor's short-term cash position dictate business decisions, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.

  • Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age

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    As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

  • High Court's BofA Ruling Leaves State Preemption Questions

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    A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Cantero v. Bank of America sheds light on whether certain state banking regulations apply to federally chartered banks, but a circuit split could still force the Supreme Court to take a more direct position, says Brett Garver at Moritt Hock.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing

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    When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • How A Bumblebee Got Under Calif. Wildlife Regulator's Bonnet

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    A California bumblebee's listing as an endangered species could lead to a regulatory quagmire as California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits now routinely include survey requirements for the bee, but the regulator has yet to determine what the species needs for conservation, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • The Clock Is Ticking For Fla. Construction Defect Claims

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    Ahead of the fast-approaching July 1 deadline for filing construction defect claims in Florida, Sean Ravenel at Foran Glennon discusses how the state's new statute of repose has changed the timeline, and highlights several related issues that property owners should be aware of.

  • Wiretap Use In Cartel Probes Likely To Remain An Exception

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    Although the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division has recently signaled interest in wiretaps, the use of this technology to capture evidence of antitrust conspiracies and pursue monopolization as a criminal matter has been rare historically, and is likely to remain so, say Carsten Reichel and Will Conway at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

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    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

  • Debate Over CFPB Definition Of Credit Is Just Beginning

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently worked to expand the meaning of credit, so anyone operating on the edges of the credit markets, or even those who assumed they were safely outside the scope of this regulatory perimeter, should pay close attention as legal challenges to broad interpretations of the definition unfold, says John Coleman at Orrick.

  • A Closer Look At Feds' Proposed Banker Compensation Rule

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    A recently proposed rule to limit financial institutions' ability to award incentive-based compensation for risk-taking may progress through the rulemaking process slowly due to the sheer number of regulators collaborating on the rule and the number of issues under consideration, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    The FTC And DOJ Should Backtrack On RealPage

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    The antitrust agencies ought to reverse course on their enforcement actions against RealPage, which are based on a faulty legal premise, risk further property shortages and threaten the use of algorithms that are central to the U.S. economy, says Thomas Stratmann at George Mason University.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

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