Commercial
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August 28, 2024
Hopkins Carley Life Sciences Expert Seeing Smaller SF Deals
New lease deals for life sciences space in the San Francisco Bay Area are now often for smaller footprints and shorter terms than they were several years ago as companies seek greater flexibility, a Hopkins & Carley real estate leader recently told Law360 Real Estate Authority.
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August 27, 2024
Colo. House Advances Further Cuts To Property Tax Rates
The Colorado House advanced legislation Tuesday to limit property tax growth, a move supporters hope will also stave off a pair of ballot initiatives that critics say would devastate schools and other local services.
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August 27, 2024
Polluted Conn. Property Owner's Fraud Suit Deemed Too Late
The former owner of a contaminated Connecticut industrial property waited too long to sue the company that bought the site in 1999 on claims that the buyer fraudulently transferred funds to avoid paying for environmental cleanup, a state court judge has ruled.
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August 27, 2024
SL Green Tries To Sink Fraudulent Property Transfer Suit
SL Green Realty Corp. wants out of an investment firm's claims that the real estate investment trust transferred ownership of a New York conference center to avoid a $12.9 million judgment, arguing it did nothing wrong.
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August 27, 2024
Reports On 76ers Arena Proposal Don't Allay Chinatown's Fears
A series of studies released by the office of Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker underscored unanswered questions and uneasiness coming from the neighboring Chinatown community about the potential effects of building a new arena in Center City, even if it brings new tax revenue.
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August 27, 2024
4 Firms Build Sixth Street's $250M Industrial REIT Investment
Sixth Street Partners plans to invest $250 million into Plymouth Industrial REIT through a joint venture and preferred equity deal packaged by four law firms, seeing more opportunities with the real estate investment trust on the horizon, according to an announcement Tuesday.
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August 27, 2024
Citadel's Griffin Unveils Plans For Bayfront HQ Tower In Miami
Billionaire Ken Griffin has revealed his highly anticipated plans to develop a waterfront supertall tower in Miami's Brickell Financial District to house the future headquarters of his hedge fund Citadel LLC, which he moved to the city in 2022.
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August 26, 2024
Businessmen Say Feds' Ky. Tower Seizure Suit Can't Proceed
Two Miami businessmen have objected to a federal magistrate judge's recommendation opposing their attempt to toss litigation by the U.S. government as it looks to seize about $9.1 million from the sale of a Kentucky office tower, saying the United States can't prove its case.
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August 26, 2024
Ex-Braves Tell 11th Circ. Easement Appeal Not Premature
A partnership created by former Atlanta Braves players urged the Eleventh Circuit to review its $47 million conservation easement lawsuit, saying the IRS' motion to dismiss the appeal for premature filing was a mere attempt to sow confusion in the proceedings.
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August 26, 2024
Judge Won't Eject Trustee From Irish Developer's $942M Ch. 7
A Connecticut bankruptcy judge has denied a nearly two-and-a-half-year-old motion to remove a Chapter 7 trustee from an Irish developer's $942 million bankruptcy, saying the developer's appellate losses and a recent U.S. Supreme Court certiorari denial, ultimately favoring the trustee, left the motion finally ripe for a decision.
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August 26, 2024
US Office Vacancies Up 20% In Q2, Colliers Says
The office vacancy rate in the top 15 U.S. markets increased by 19.9% in the second quarter this year, but the office vacancy rate in four U.S. markets also decreased compared to the prior quarter, according to a Colliers report.
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August 26, 2024
Pa. Goodwill Qualifies For Charitable Exemption, Court Says
A Goodwill store in Pennsylvania qualifies for a charitable exemption from property tax, the state's Commonwealth Court ruled Monday, finding the store satisfies constitutional requirements for the exemption by providing employee training and driver's training.
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August 26, 2024
Las Vegas Hotel Lands $190M Clean Energy Financing
Nuveen Green Capital wrapped up a $190 million financing deal on behalf of a Las Vegas-area resort and casino, the environmentally minded real estate financier announced Monday.
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August 26, 2024
Fox Rothschild Lands Condo Team From Armstrong Teasdale
A team of 10 real estate attorneys from Armstrong Teasdale LLP have jumped to Fox Rothschild LLP, where they'll form the core of a new practice, the firm said Monday.
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August 26, 2024
Mo. Lowe's 'Dark Store' Comparables Get Rejected
A Missouri Lowe's property was properly valued at $9 million, the state tax commission ruled, rejecting the property owner's attempt to use vacant storefronts as comparable properties.
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August 26, 2024
Haber Law Continues Growth With Team From Beloff Law
Miami's Haber Law is continuing its growth spurt with the addition of a team from Beloff Law PA, including its founder, with 50 years of experience in real estate law.
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August 26, 2024
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Neal Gerber, Fried Frank and DLA Piper are among the law firms that handled the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, a busy period that saw two transactions above the $300 million mark become public.
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August 26, 2024
Mo. Circle K Station's $1.2M Value Upheld
A Circle K gas station in Missouri was correctly assessed, despite the property owner's protest, because the owner failed to provide comparable properties to prove the value should be reduced, the state's tax commission ruled.
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August 26, 2024
Cleary Marks 75 Years In City Of Love With New Paris Office
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is celebrating its 75th anniversary in the City of Love by moving its Paris office to a new location in the Opera district, the firm announced Monday.
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August 23, 2024
Property Plays: KKR, NYC, GSA
Property Plays is a weekly roundup of the latest loans, leases, sales and projects around the country. Send your tips — all confidential — to realestate@law360.com.
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August 23, 2024
Cypriot Cos. Say Serbia Must Face $32M Real Estate Claim
A group of Cypriot companies claiming that the Republic of Serbia owes them about $32 million for allegedly expropriated real estate are urging an international tribunal not to toss their claims, saying the country asserts wrongly that the arbitral body doesn't have jurisdiction in the dispute.
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August 23, 2024
Insurer Must Cover Flooded Basements, Mich. Panel Says
An insurer must pay a property owner over $150,000 in damages stemming from drain backups and water damage, a Michigan state appeals court ruled, finding that the property owner inquired about increased coverage before the discovery of the loss.
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August 23, 2024
JV Secures $73.3M Loan To Build Fla. Student Housing
Four real estate companies formed a joint venture that secured a $73.3 million senior construction loan for the venture's development of a Class A student housing project that will be located on the Florida State University campus, they announced.
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August 23, 2024
Colo. Board Wrong In Nixing Fees From Valuation, Court Rules
The Colorado Board of Assessment Appeals improperly applied a state Supreme Court decision that erroneously revived a dispute over whether fees should be included in a resort's property valuation, a state appeals court ruled.
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August 23, 2024
Wachtell Reps As MLB's Braves Announce Executive Shakeup
The parent company of the Atlanta Braves on Friday announced that Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk will have increased voting power, representing a major shift in control after Liberty Media Corp. split off from the MLB team and its associated real estate development company in November 2022 to become a separate publicly traded entity.
Expert Analysis
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NY Ruling Offers A Foreclosure Road Map For Lenders
A New York appellate court recently upheld a summary judgment ruling in favor of a commercial lender's foreclosure in U.S. Bank v. 1226 Evergreen Bapaz, illustrating the proofs lenders will need to prosecute a foreclosure action, especially where the plaintiff is an assignee of the originating lender, say attorneys at Sherman Atlas.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects
With better facts and greater emphasis on the Kentucky Constitution, Walgreen Co. may succeed in its latest Kentucky Court of Appeals challenge to a tax assessor's method of valuing leaseholds on real property for purposes of determining ad valorem tax, say Mark Sommer and Elizabeth Ethington at Frost Brown Todd.
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Utilizing Liability Exemption When Calif. Cities Lease Property
With rising costs pushing California municipalities to lease real estate assets instead of purchasing them, municipalities should review the ample case law that supports certain exceptions to California Constitution Section 18(a) requirements, providing that certain long-term lease obligations are not considered to be liabilities, says Steven Otto at Crosbie Gliner.
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How NJ Worker Status Ruling Benefits Real Estate Industry
In Kennedy v. Weichert, the New Jersey Supreme Court recently said a real estate agent’s employment contract would supersede the usual ABC test analysis to determine his classification as an independent contractor, preserving operational flexibility for the industry — and potentially others, say Jason Finkelstein and Dalila Haden at Cole Schotz.
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A Checklist For Lenders Preparing For CRE Loan Defaults
Considering the recent interest rate environment, lenders should brush up on the proper steps that they should take when preparing to respond to a borrower's default on a commercial real estate loan, and borrowers should understand what lenders will be reviewing, says attorney Norma Williams.
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7th Circ Joins Trend Of No CGL Coverage For Structural Flaws
The Seventh Circuit, which recently held potential structural instability did not count as property damage under a construction company's commercial general liability policy, joins a growing consensus that faulty work does not implicate coverage without tangible and present damage to the project, say Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty, and Elan Kandel and James Talbert at Bailey Cavalieri.
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Criminal Enforcement Considerations For Gov't Contractors
Government contractors increasingly exposed to criminal liability risks should establish programs that enable detection and remediation of employee misconduct, consider voluntary disclosure, and be aware of the potentially disastrous consequences of failing to make a mandatory disclosure where the government concludes it was required, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.
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Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.
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The Often Overlooked NY Foreclosure Notice Requirements
As multifamily real estate defaults mount, New York foreclosing parties should be aware of pitfalls and perils that can await the litigant who is not prepared to ensure adherence with tenant notice requirements under the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.
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A Case Study For Calif. Cities In Water Utility Takeovers
With growing water scarcity and drier weather looming, some local governments in California have sought to acquire investor-owned water utilities by eminent domain — but the 2016 case of Claremont v. Golden State Water is a reminder that such municipalization attempts must meet certain statutory requirements, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer
The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.
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Lower Courts May Finally Be Getting The Memo After Ciminelli
A year after the U.S. Supreme Court again limited prosecutors' overbroad theories of fraud in Ciminelli v. U.S., early returns suggest that the message has at least partially landed with the lower courts, spotlighting lessons for defense counsel moving forward, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.