Commercial

  • July 12, 2024

    Wayfair Says Contractor On 1st Megastore Stiffed Vendors

    Online retailer Wayfair LLC says the company it hired to oversee the build-out of its first "large-format" brick and mortar location failed to pay multiple subcontractors on the project, forcing Wayfair to pay the subcontractors directly to ensure that the store opened on time, according to a complaint filed Friday.

  • July 12, 2024

    Saul Ewing Adds Entertainment, Real Estate Litigator In LA

    Saul Ewing LLP has added as a partner in its Los Angeles office a trial attorney with a nearly 30-year track record of representing public and private companies, along with executives and investors in entertainment and real estate disputes.

  • July 12, 2024

    Ohio Warehouse Sale Too Old To Boost Value, Tax Panel Says

    A county board in Ohio was wrong to rely on the $27 million sale price of a warehouse property to raise its tax valuation because that sale occurred more than two years before the applicable tax lien date, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled.

  • July 11, 2024

    2nd Circ. Backs Disbarred Atty's Prison Term For Fraud Plea

    A disbarred California attorney can't reverse a Manhattan federal court's 5½-year prison sentence and $5.5 million restitution order that followed his guilty plea to wire fraud for a real estate and venture fraud scheme, the Second Circuit ruled Thursday.

  • July 11, 2024

    All Grand Jury Witnesses Get Civil Immunity, Colo. Panel Says

    A Colorado state appeals court held for the first time Thursday that all types of grand jury witnesses have absolute immunity for their testimony, though they don't have sweeping protection for statements made before the proceedings start. 

  • July 11, 2024

    Ross Steps Down At Related Cos. To Run Florida-Based Firm

    Stephen M. Ross, a giant in the real estate development world, is stepping away from his leadership role as chairman of Related Cos., which he founded in 1972, to focus on the South Florida market as the head of a new firm.

  • July 11, 2024

    Pa. Condo Owner Group Takes Inner-Tower Conflict To Court

    The residents association of a downtown Pittsburgh condo building sued the building's commercial association in state court, alleging they have been improperly denied access to commercial sections of the building needed to complete HVAC repair work.

  • July 11, 2024

    CLO Holder Can't Duck Portfolio Manager's Feud Just Yet

    A New York federal court has refused to finalize a February decision dismissing all claims against an investment scheme created to hold collateralized loan obligations whose liquidation is at the center of a sprawling dispute.

  • July 11, 2024

    3 Firms Lead Brookfield's $1.3B DRA Industrial Buy

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised Brookfield on a $1.3 billion purchase of a 128-property industrial portfolio from DRA Advisors LLC, which retained Blank Rome LLP, while Dechert LLP represented those financing the deal, Law360 learned Thursday.

  • July 11, 2024

    'Bridgegate' Defense Offers Road Map For NJ RICO Case

    Counsel for the powerful New Jersey mogul and Democratic operatives facing explosive racketeering charges are likely to justify their actions as just business, experts told Law360, describing defense tactics similar to the ones that absolved defendants in "Bridgegate," New Jersey's most notorious politics-fueled crime in recent history.

  • July 11, 2024

    Golf Club Investment Co. Buys Up NJ Golf Club And Mansion

    Golf club-focused investment company Concert Golf Partners purchased a private 222-acre golf club and mansion located in Princeton, New Jersey, near Princeton University, the Florida-based company announced.

  • July 11, 2024

    Bilzin Sumberg Advises $70M Refi On Luxury Miami Office

    Miami-based developer CMC Group has taken out a $70 million loan to refinance its 4000 Ponce nine-story, Class A office and retail building in a transaction advised by Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP.

  • July 10, 2024

    Washington Justices To Tackle CARES Act Eviction Split

    Washington's Supreme Court has agreed to review whether the CARES Act eviction notice only applies to tenants who are late on rent, and not to violent tenants targeted by landlords for quick removal.

  • July 10, 2024

    NJ Panel Says Tax Amendment Challenge Had No Real Claim

    A New Jersey state appeals court on Wednesday tossed a challenge to an amendment blocking certain appeals from being litigated in the state's tax court, reasoning that parties can still fight tax matters in trial court.

  • July 10, 2024

    Co. Wants 'Duplicative' $18.8M Theft Coverage Suit Tossed

    A Georgia shopping center owner involved in coverage disputes with its insurer after suffering an $18.8 million theft and vandalism loss asked a Georgia federal court to dismiss or stay its insurer's case until its own prior Texas state loss coverage action against the carrier is decided.

  • July 10, 2024

    Federal Claims Tossed In Colo. Short-Term Rental Row

    A Colorado federal judge partially dismissed and remanded a suit filed by a nonprofit representing vacation rental owners who claim that a resort town's laws governing short-term rental licenses are overly restrictive.

  • July 10, 2024

    Developers Nab Va. Warehouse Financing, Break Ground

    Real estate investment firm Turnbridge Equities announced that it and development partner Manekin LLC have secured funding for the construction of a logistics center in Hampton, Virginia under the guidance of McDermott Will & Emergy LLP, and have broken ground on the project. 

  • July 10, 2024

    Move-Ins Up, Vacancies Down For South Florida, JLL Says

    JLL said in a set of updates released Wednesday on South Florida's office market that Miami-Dade and Fort Lauderdale saw positive net absorption and falling vacancies, while exclusive Palm Beach island boasted a vacancy rate of just 4.2% in the second quarter.

  • July 10, 2024

    McDermott-Led H.I.G. Secures $1.3B For 3rd Real Estate Fund

    Private equity shop H.I.G. Capital, advised by McDermott Will & Emery LLP, on Wednesday announced that it closed its third European real estate-focused fund after raising roughly $1.3 billion of capital commitments.

  • July 10, 2024

    Ohio Board Boosts Value Of Wendy's Property To $2.1M

    An Ohio city and school board proved that a property housing a newly constructed Wendy's restaurant was undervalued based on comparable properties in the area and that its value should be increased to $2.1 million, the state's Board of Tax Appeals ruled.

  • July 10, 2024

    Mass. Justices Say Intent Not Factor In Boston Appeal Bonds

    Boston's zoning law does not require that courts make a finding of bad faith before ordering a challenger to post a bond, Massachusetts' highest court concluded on Wednesday in a case involving the appeal of the issuance of a cannabis dispensary permit.

  • July 10, 2024

    The Real Estate Bankruptcies Making Headlines This Year

    The real estate industry is no stranger to distress, but recent market headwinds have made it even harder for certain companies to chart the course to calmer seas. Catch up on the major real estate bankruptcy developments that have made headlines so far this year.

  • July 10, 2024

    Real Estate Fundraising Charts Slow Recovery

    Private real estate fundraising remains fairly weak at the midpoint of the year, though investors have been building more of an appetite for the property industry that should lift prospects in the coming months.

  • July 10, 2024

    Tarter Krinsky Advises $178M NYC Office Tower Buy

    Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP guided Sovereign Partners' $178 million purchase of a 50-story office building at 780 Third Ave. in Manhattan.

  • July 10, 2024

    Pa. Developer's Heirs, Foundation Can't Appeal Fee Denial

    The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania won't take up a fee dispute stemming from a disagreement over the control of a foundation established by Pittsburgh developer Jack Buncher.

Expert Analysis

  • NY CRE Lenders Need Clarity On Foreclosure Standing

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    Recent contradictory New York case law regarding issues of standing in commercial real estate litigation creates confusion for borrowers and lenders alike, and should be addressed by courts in advance of the anticipated onslaught of commercial mortgage-backed securities foreclosures, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.

  • Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Adjusting Deals To Reflect Shifts In The CRE Market

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    As the commercial real estate market strengthens and moves out from a challenging time, industry participants should consider any concessions made due to recent trends and update transaction documents accordingly before entering into new deals, says Alexander Davis at Mayer Brown.

  • 4 International Arbitration Trends To Monitor In 2024

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    Global growth slowed substantially in 2023, and may continue into 2024 due to geopolitical instability, which could fuel four key trends in international arbitration in the coming year, including investor-state and commercial arbitration, an increase in arbitration out of China, and more, say Gregory Litt and Sharmistha Chakrabarti at Skadden.

  • How DOI Aims To Modernize Resource Damage Assessments

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    The U.S. Department of the Interior's recent proposal to redesign its Type A rule for conducting natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities could lead to a more streamlined, flexible assessment process that would benefit both natural resource trustees and potentially responsible parties, says Brian Ferrasci-O'Malley at Nossaman.

  • Key Issues When Navigating A Tenant's Bankruptcy

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    In light of recent Chapter 11 filings by Rite Aid and WeWork — companies with thousands of commercial leases — practitioners should review issues that can arise when bankruptcy is used to exit a lease, including the consequences of lease rejection and the statutory cap on landlord damage claims for a rejected lease, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • The Year Ahead In Foreign Investment And National Security

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    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.

  • Sale-Leasebacks May Provide A Safe Financing Alternative

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • What The 2023 Bank Failures Taught Us, And What's To Come

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    As 2023 draws to a close, it's apparent that the bank failures this past spring sparked a seismic shift in the regulatory and supervisory landscape for banking organizations, and the consequences are still continuing to be felt throughout the financial sector as we head into 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • A Difficult Year For CRE, But Future May Be Brighter

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    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.

  • 3 Developments That Will Affect Hospitality Companies In 2024

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    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.