Real Estate

June 28, 2024
Judge Rejects Collusion Claim In Contested Foreclosure Deal

A Michigan federal judge approved on Thursday a class settlement between 43 Michigan counties and people who lost their homes in tax foreclosure, putting to bed accusations of collusion between the settling lawyers.
June 28, 2024
Seattle Co. Owes $5.6M For Upgrades At Old Fed Building

A company that owns the Seattle Federal Reserve Building owes a construction contractor $5.6 million for renovations on two floors, a Washington state court has ruled.
June 28, 2024
Condo Seeks Bar On Enforcement Of Corp. Transparency Act

A Boston condominium association has asked a federal judge to shield it and other Massachusetts condo boards from enforcement of an anti-money laundering measure, saying the requirement to submit personal information to a government database creates an undue and unnecessary burden on volunteer organizations.
June 28, 2024
Colombia Fends Off Real Estate Project Seizure Claim

Colombia has claimed an "unprecedented" victory in an arbitration initiated by a group of U.S. investors seeking hundreds of millions of dollars after their real estate development project was seized over allegations that the project had connections with illegal activity.
June 28, 2024
DC Circ. Panel Rejects Mich. Tribe's Casino Land Trust Bid

A D.C. appellate court panel on Friday rejected a Michigan tribe's bid to compel the federal government to take land into trust for a casino venture outside Detroit, saying the court is not convinced that the tribe's proposal to channel a portion of the profits into the tribal community's unmet needs is lawful.
June 28, 2024
Tulsa Fights Prisoners' Bids To Join Jurisdiction Row

The city of Tulsa is fighting bids by nearly a dozen people incarcerated within the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to intervene in a challenge by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over tribal jurisdiction, arguing that the federal district court first must consider the municipality's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
June 28, 2024
NYC Realty Co. Defeats Most Of Building Super's Wage Claims

A New York realty group secured early wins on all but one of a building superintendent's wage claims, with a New York federal judge ruling Friday the worker had provided scant evidence in support, but the group must face claims related to wage deficits caused by a time clock malfunction.
June 28, 2024
Insurer Says Kennel Expansion Complaints Not Covered

A Hanover unit told a California federal court that it has no obligation to defend a dog kennel in an underlying lawsuit alleging that the kennel's expansion, which increased capacity from about 20 dogs to 200 dogs, interfered with the community's rights of possession.
June 28, 2024
Mass. Senate OKs $5B Housing Bill Without Local-Option Tax

Massachusetts would authorize about $5 billion in bonding authority to promote housing under legislation passed by the state Senate that leaves out a local-option real estate transfer fee sought by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey.
June 28, 2024
NYC Housing Worker Gets Jail In 1st Sentence Of Bribery Bust

A Manhattan federal judge hit a retired New York City public housing superintendent with a year in prison Friday for taking $7,500 in bribes, a potentially worrisome signal for 69 others charged in a major anti-corruption sweep.
June 28, 2024
5th Circ. Tosses Texas Health System's COVID-19 Suit

The largest nonprofit health system in Texas cannot get coverage for COVID-19-related business interruption losses it said totaled over $192 million, the Fifth Circuit affirmed, highlighting previous circuit precedent establishing that COVID-19 does not cause "physical loss or damage."
June 28, 2024
High Court Enters July With 3 Rulings To Go

In a rare move, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue opinions into the beginning of July as the court tries to clear its merits docket of three remaining cases dealing with presidential immunity, whether governments can control social media platforms' content moderation policies and the appropriate deadline to challenge agency action.
June 28, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen Uber hit with claims from Addison Lee and the former CEO of the Kabbee app, animal by-product company Leo Group file a defamation claim against a local anti-odor campaigner, and a self-styled lord who claims to be the illegitimate son of the late Prince Phillip resume legal action against his cousins for a share in his late aunt's estate. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
June 28, 2024
Venable's Real Estate Finance Group Gains Partner In NY

Venable LLP has expanded its real estate finance group by hiring a New York-based partner from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.
June 28, 2024
Supreme Court Backs Oregon City's Anti-Camping Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Oregon city's anti-camping ordinances Friday against a challenge from homeless residents who allege the laws penalize them for being homeless.
June 27, 2024
Freedmen Heir Has Standing In Land Leasing Row, Court Says

A descendant of those enslaved by the Cherokee Nation can challenge the federal government's alleged restriction on funds from early 20th century land allotments, a D.C. Circuit judge said, arguing that she suffered a cognizable injury due to the Interior Department's failure to provide an accounting of the transactions.
June 27, 2024
Texas Bank Moves For Partial Win In Ginnie Mae Loan Suit

Texas Capital Bank told a federal judge that it's entitled to tens of millions of dollars in collateral on which it has a first-priority lien that it said Ginnie Mae wrongfully diverted to itself, and that the court has already addressed the issue that warrants partial summary judgment in its favor.
June 27, 2024
Insurers Call Rite Aid Ch. 11 Opioid Deal Unfair

Counsel for bankrupt drugstore chain Rite Aid told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge Thursday that it hopes to reach an agreement with at least some of its insurers on payments into an opioid settlement fund before closing arguments in its Chapter 11 plan confirmation Friday.
June 27, 2024
NY Regulators Say Pot Companies' Bid Would Ruin Industry

New York's cannabis authority has urged a state court to toss a lawsuit seeking to invalidate hundreds of retail permits over claims that the agency gave special treatment to certain applicants, arguing that granting such a request would be "financially ruinous" for many and detrimental to the "emerging retail cannabis industry."
June 27, 2024
IRS To Offer Combined Filing For Energy Investment Credits

The Internal Revenue Service will let clean energy project owners that are claiming investment tax credits for more than 200 facilities file the claims with a single form, an agency official said Thursday.
June 27, 2024
4th Circ. Dismisses Chinese Currency Issues In $3.6M Award

The Fourth Circuit on Thursday shut down an argument that enforcing a $3.6 million Hong Kong arbitral award would violate U.S. public policy by allowing the winning party to skirt Chinese currency controls, in a dispute stemming from the organization of a real estate development firm.
June 27, 2024
NY Historic Building Rehab Tax Credits Apply Per Structure

New York's $5 million tax-credit cap for rehabilitation projects of historic properties is applied on a per-structure basis even if multiple structures are included on a single application, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in a declaratory ruling.
June 27, 2024
Alaskan Land Trust Fight Remanded Over Misplaced Authority

An Alaska federal judge has vacated and remanded a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior to take a 787-square-foot piece of land in downtown Juneau into trust for an Alaskan tribal government, saying the agency relied on an aboriginal title factor already established in a law designed to settle the state's land claims.
June 27, 2024
US Service Members Want Timeshare Class Action Certified

A putative class of U.S. service members who borrowed timeshare loans pushed for class certification for their suit in Florida federal court against two timeshare companies, which were accused of violating the Military Lending Act by not making legally required disclosures about the loans and arbitration requirements.
June 27, 2024
Fla. County Owes Tax To Other County, Fla. Justices Rule

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that counties are not immune from being taxed on properties they own in other counties, affirming a decision that said Pinellas County cannot claim sovereign immunity to duck taxes on property it owns in neighboring Pasco County.

Expert Analysis

4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
Environmental Justice: A 2023 Recap And 2024 Forecast

A 2023 executive order directing each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission, as well as the many lawsuits and enforcement actions last year, demonstrates that EJ will increasingly surface in all areas of law and regulation, from technically challenging to seemingly ordinary permitting and construction matters, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
The Year Ahead In Foreign Investment And National Security

In 2024, expect the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, already at the forefront of addressing national security threats, to increase monitoring and enforcement related to outbound investment, focus on supply chain resilience in nondefense sectors, and heighten oversight of agricultural transactions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
Sale-Leasebacks May Provide A Safe Financing Alternative

Amid rising interest rates and unpredictable market conditions, sale-leasebacks can be a useful investment option for both buyers and sellers, though their potential drawbacks demand careful consideration, says Chanel Di Blasi at Crosbie Gliner.
5 Recent Developments Family Offices Are Watching In 2024

Although family offices have long been exempt from many of the more onerous regulations and reporting requirements governing U.S. investment advisers and asset managers, recent amendments to federal rules will have an impact on how family offices invest and operate in 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
A Challenging CRE Environment Holds Opportunities In 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.