Commercial

  • June 12, 2024

    Mississippi Casino Developer's Creditors Want To Force Ch. 7

    Creditors for developer Diamondhead Casino Corp., which has been trying for years to build a casino in Mississippi near the Gulf Coast, filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition in Delaware bankruptcy court against the company Wednesday, saying they are owed $2.4 million.

  • June 12, 2024

    CMBS Loan Special Servicers Rack Up Fees — And Lawsuits

    Commercial mortgage-backed securities deals are structured to protect special servicers from litigation, but a recent crop of lawsuits and counterclaims may make it harder for them to continue business as usual.

  • June 12, 2024

    NY Court Strikes Housing Tax Break's Labor Dispute Process

    A New York state court has undercut a provision in a since-expired affordable housing tax break that enabled a city watchdog to issue judgments against developers who underpaid construction workers, deeming the provision unconstitutional because decisions could not be appealed.

  • June 12, 2024

    $18.8M Theft Coverage Suit Must Be Heard In State Court

    A Texas federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought against an insurer over $18.8 million in theft and vandalism at a Georgia shopping center belongs in state court, refusing to create diversity by removing a plaintiff. 

  • June 12, 2024

    Real Estate Firm Fights CBRE's Bid To Slip Negligence Claim

    A real estate investment firm told an Iowa federal court to reject CBRE Inc.'s dismissal bid in a $10.3 million suit over Iowa property deals that fell through, arguing that CBRE "grossly oversimplifies" the firm's professional negligence claim against it.

  • June 12, 2024

    Texas AG: Wind Project Lease Negotiators Need A License

    Texas' attorney general told the Lone Star State's real estate commission that a person involved in lease negotiations for a wind farm project should have had a license from the commission following a recent project that cast doubt on the requirement.

  • June 12, 2024

    Historic Brownfields Funding Is Fueling Cleanup Catch-Up

    Under the time crunch of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding for brownfield cleanups has increased by more than 700% in the last three years as cities and nonprofits vie to tackle their most complex sites.

  • June 12, 2024

    Ohio Tax Board Undoes Vacant Eatery's COVID-19 Value Cut

    An Ohio County Board of Revision erred when it lowered a vacant restaurant property's value after the property owner argued the value had dropped as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled.

  • June 12, 2024

    Perkins Coie Real Estate Chair Eyes Energy As Rates Hold

    As the Federal Reserve continues to hold on interest rates and hint that it may take longer to start lowering them, more real estate investors are looking to alternative energy projects, Perkins Coie's real estate leader told Law360 Real Estate Authority in a recent interview.

  • June 11, 2024

    Insurer Given Early Exit From Contractor's Cost Overrun Suit

    An insurance company was axed Monday from a general contractor's $8.5 million lawsuit against a developer seeking payment for its work building an apartment complex, with a North Carolina state court judge ruling it was too soon to rope in the insurer.

  • June 11, 2024

    Vornado JV Inks $400M Refi For NYC Office, Retail Building

    A street retail joint venture led by Vornado Realty Trust secured a $400 million refinancing for a 315,000-square-foot office and retail property at 640 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, according to a statement from Vornado on Monday.

  • June 11, 2024

    WeWork Announces CEO Switch As It Leaves Ch. 11

    WeWork, fresh from the confirmation of its Chapter 11 restructuring plan, said Tuesday it will be led by John Santora, who will take over as CEO as the company leaves bankruptcy behind.

  • June 11, 2024

    Cannabis REIT Will Invest $43M Into Purchased Fla. Land

    Cannabis-focused real estate investment trust Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. plans to invest $43 million into 16 acres of Ocala, Florida, land that it bought for $13 million.

  • June 11, 2024

    Net Lease REIT Sells 2 Office Properties For $60.7M

    Net Lease Office Properties said Tuesday that it has sold two Minnesota office properties leased to Blue Cross Blue Shield for a combined $60.7 million. 

  • June 10, 2024

    3 Firms Guide $125M ND Data Center Construction Loan

    CIM Group announced Monday that the investment firm closed on a $125 million loan to Applied Digital for the company's construction of a North Dakota data center campus, in a deal guided by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Milbank LLP and Lowenstein Sandler LLP.

  • June 10, 2024

    NYC Tells 2nd Circ. No Sanctions In COVID Rent Law Suit

    New York City told the Second Circuit that its late-in-the-game jurisdictional arguments don't warrant sanctions amid litigation over pandemic protection for commercial real estate tenants, arguing that it raised the claims as soon as possible.

  • June 10, 2024

    Ex-Real Estate Business Partners Duel In Calif. Court

    Two former real estate business partners lodged dueling suits against each other in California state court with accusations of backstabbing, theft and lying.

  • June 10, 2024

    Conn. Hospital Broke $4.25M Property Sale Deal, Buyer Says

    A Connecticut hospital has been accused in state court of breaking its $4.25 million property sale contract after the sale was called off following the hospital's merger with Northwell Healthcare Inc.

  • June 10, 2024

    Manhattan Office Leasing Up Again From 2023, Per CBRE

    Leasing activity in Manhattan's office market remained elevated in May compared to a year prior, with a Covington & Burling LLP deal leading the way as the month's biggest transaction, CBRE said Monday.

  • June 10, 2024

    Co. Says 16 Intervenors Will Drag Out Alaska Mine Dispute

    A company seeking relief from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to block a mining proposal for a stretch of pristine salmon habitat on Alaska's Bristol Bay asked a federal judge to exclude more than a dozen environmental groups from joining the case.

  • June 07, 2024

    Federal Realty Exits Santa Monica Outdoor Mall For $103M

    Federal Realty Trust said it has exited Santa Monica, California's struggling Third Street Promenade by selling off a group of eight properties in the outdoor mall near the city's pier for $103 million.

  • June 07, 2024

    DOE Reveals National Definition Of Zero-Emissions Building

    The U.S. Department of Energy unveiled a federal definition for determining whether a residential or commercial building qualifies as a zero-emissions building as part of an ongoing effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions across the traditionally heavily emitting sector.

  • June 07, 2024

    NYC Hotel Land Sale Ends $275M Lease Dispute

    An investment group led by David Werner sold a Manhattan hotel property to an affiliate of Highgate Capital Investments LP for $275 million in a deal overseen by Latham & Watkins LLP, per county property records filed June 6.

  • June 07, 2024

    Real Estate Co. Will Begin $170M Houston Tower Project

    A Tennessee-based real estate company is set to begin construction on a $170 million, 37-story, mixed-use, Class A tower project in Houston, Texas, in October, according to a filing with Texas' Department of Licensing and Regulation.

  • June 07, 2024

    Texas Top Court Denies Roofer's Challenge To Adjuster Laws

    The Supreme Court of Texas tossed on Friday a roofing company's challenge to the state's public adjuster licensing laws, saying that requiring a license or preventing certain conduct didn't violate the roofer's free speech rights.

Expert Analysis

  • NY CRE Lenders Need Clarity On Foreclosure Standing

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.