Real Estate

May 30, 2024
Curaçao Expropriation Suit Tossed Over Sovereign Immunity

A D.C. federal judge on Thursday tossed an Iranian American women's rights activist's $110 million suit accusing Curaçao's banking regulator of unlawfully seizing her stake in a $700 million investment company, saying the regulator has sovereign immunity and that, in any case, no expropriation had taken place.
May 30, 2024
Only $100K Owed For NJ Theater's Virus Losses, Judge Says

A Zurich unit owed a theater only $100,000 for its COVID-19-related losses under its policy's communicable disease coverage provision, a New Jersey federal court ruled, rejecting the theater's arguments that each public health order constituted a separate occurrence and that a "blanket" $1.9 million limit was applicable.
May 30, 2024
Venezuelan Oil Co. Looks To Slip Asset Seizure Suit

An Oklahoma-based oil drilling company insisted Thursday that the D.C. federal court has jurisdiction to decide claims that the company's Venezuelan subsidiary was illegally expropriated without compensation as Venezuela's state-owned oil company looks to slip the long-running suit.
May 30, 2024
Sorority, Ex-Affiliate End Trademark Suit After Mediation

A sorority and a former affiliate have agreed to scrap a trademark dispute alleging the affiliate continued to use the sorority's name and symbols after their relationship had been severed.
May 30, 2024
Judge Finds US Owns Fla. Island In Long-Running Dispute

A federal judge ruled that the government owns a vacant island off the harbor of Key West, Florida, in rejecting a developer's long-running claim to title, finding that the U.S. Navy has used the site as a buffer from forces such as hurricanes and private development.
May 30, 2024
Deals Rumor Mill: Aramco, Double Eagle, WeWork

Saudi Arabia is planning a stock sale of state-backed oil giant Armaco that could exceed $10 billion, Double Eagle hopes to unload a Permian-based oil producer for $6.5 billion, and Adam Neumman has ended his bid to reacquire WeWork. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.
May 30, 2024
Mass. Foreclosure Law May Be Unconstitutional, Judge Says

A Massachusetts law blocking towns and cities from returning excess funds from foreclosure sales may be an unconstitutional taking, a federal judge has said.
May 30, 2024
Jersey Shore Motel Loses Condemnation Fight With Town

A New Jersey borough properly used eminent domain to take over a local 50-room motel where it plans to provide parking and electric vehicle charging, a New Jersey appellate panel ruled.
May 30, 2024
WeWork Gets OK For $4B Chapter 11 Plan

A New Jersey bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved office space provider WeWork's plan to wipe out $4 billion in debt and end its Chapter 11 case after hearing there were no remaining creditor objections.
May 30, 2024
Conn. Atty Avoids Default In $1.4M Transfer Scam Suit

A Connecticut attorney has won the right to defend herself against accusations she knowingly participated in an email transfer scam that stole more than $1.4 million from a New Jersey-based real estate development company last year.
May 30, 2024
High Court Calls For 2nd Circ. Redo In BofA Preemption Fight

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday threw out a Second Circuit decision that freed Bank of America NA from class action litigation brought over a New York escrow interest law, ruling that the circuit court wasn't "nuanced" enough in finding the law preempted for national banks.
May 29, 2024
Malaysia Plans Suits Over $14.9B Award To Sulu Claimants

Units of Malaysia's national natural gas company are planning to file litigation in Europe against claimants awarded $14.9 billion and their litigation funder following a high-stakes arbitration with the Southeast Asian country over a 19th-century land deal, according to newly filed documents in New York.
May 29, 2024
Tribe Says Mining Co. Can't Protect 500 Docs In Land Suit

A Native American tribe has asked a Minnesota federal court to ignore a mining company's objections to a magistrate judge's order compelling it to produce nearly 500 documents related to a land exchange dispute, arguing that it failed to establish attorney-client privilege claims.
May 29, 2024
DACA Holder Accuses Fla. Credit Union Of Discrimination

A man with temporary immigration protections through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is accusing Florida's third-largest credit union of unlawfully denying him a home loan based on his immigration status, in a suit filed Wednesday in federal court.
May 29, 2024
NC State Is Blocking Probe Of PCBs In Building, Court Told

North Carolina State University is trying to exploit the judicial process in order to destroy evidence of building contamination, a cancer-stricken professor told a state appeals court Tuesday in a bid to advance plans for a carcinogen inspection.
May 29, 2024
More Law Firms Are Relocating, Signing New Leases In 2024

More law firms have relocated or renewed their office leases in the first quarter of 2024 than during the same period over the last four years, continuing a post-pandemic trend that began late last year as more firms made moves, according to a recent report by real-estate services company Savills.
May 29, 2024
South Baltimore Citizens Call On EPA For Incinerator Relief

Baltimore has turned a blind eye to South Baltimore residents suffering from respiratory diseases and persistently urging the city to transition away from Maryland's largest trash incinerator to zero-waste infrastructure for dealing with refuse, two environmental groups and a residents group say in an administrative complaint Wednesday.
May 29, 2024
Wash. Panel Ends Quest Diagnostics' COVID Coverage Quest

Quest Diagnostics' insurers don't owe the medical testing lab COVID-19-related business loss coverage, a Washington appeals court said, ruling the company failed to show that the presence of the virus resulted in physical loss or damage to its property.
May 29, 2024
Nestle Purina Sued Over Foul Odors At Denver Plant

Two Colorado residents hit Nestle Purina PetCare Co. with a proposed class action in federal court Tuesday, saying the company's pet food manufacturing facility emits gag-inducing odors that have disrupted lives and reduced property values.
May 29, 2024
Law Firm Says Atty Can't Elude Malpractice Claims In RE Case

Chaitman LLP has urged a New Jersey state court to preserve its malpractice claims against a suspended solo attorney, arguing that discovery so far has shown that the attorney was deeply involved in guiding a case that ended in failure for its clients and exposed Chaitman to its own malpractice suit.
May 29, 2024
8th Circ. Backs Ark. Landowners' Jury Win In Flooding Suit

The Eighth Circuit has upheld a group of Arkansas landowners' nearly $350,000 jury win in their lawsuit accusing Lawrence County of building a bridge that caused flooding that damaged their crops.
May 29, 2024
CNN Tells 11th Circ. Trump Defamation Claims Fall Flat

CNN called on the Eleventh Circuit to reject former President Donald Trump's attempt to revive his $475 million defamation suit against the network, arguing that its use of the phrase "big lie" to describe his claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen "does not convey Trump is Hitler."
May 29, 2024
Ind. Tax Court Says Hotel In Construction Was Fairly Assessed

An Indiana hotel that was under construction in 2010 was properly assessed despite claims that the county assessor had not assessed all unfinished commercial properties equally, the state tax court ruled.
May 29, 2024
Greenberg Traurig Gets 30-Year Tax Break From Saudi Arabia

Greenberg Traurig LLP is among the first law firms to get licensed as a regional headquarters, or RHQ, company in Saudi Arabia, allowing the firm to take advantage of a major tax break, the firm announced Tuesday.
May 29, 2024
Colo. Creates Tax Credit For Creative Industries Infrastructure

Colorado established a state income tax credit for capital improvement projects that support creative industries, under legislation signed by Gov. Jared Polis.

Expert Analysis

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.
What WeWork's Ch. 11 Filing Means For Landlords

WeWork’s recent Chapter 11 filing in New Jersey has the potential to be one of the most consequential cases in the real estate industry in many years, and presents a number of issues for landlords, including unexpired leases, assumption, assignment and more, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Still Murky After A Choppy 2023

This year brought several important Clean Water Act jurisdictional developments, including multiple agency rules and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that substantially altered the definition of "waters of the United States," but a new wave of litigation challenges has already begun, with no clear end in sight, say attorneys at Nossaman.
The 4 Top Philadelphia Commerce Court Opinions Of 2023

Four 2023 rulings from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas — including decisions on judicial privilege, stay requests, sheriff's sales and the appointment of a receiver — highlight the court's commitment to stringent standards and address evolving challenges in commercial litigation, say Jonathan Hugg and Sarah Boutros at Eckert Seamans.