Commercial

  • May 31, 2024

    Texas Justices To Take On Parking Garage Easement Suit

    The Texas Supreme Court agreed Friday to review a Texas appellate court's decision granting judgment to a garage owner who refused to allow the tenants and employees of a downtown office building continue parking in the garage despite a written parking easement.

  • May 31, 2024

    9th Circ. Says LA's COVID-19 Eviction Ban Was No Taking

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday declined to reinstate a Los Angeles landlord's $100 million suit challenging the city's pandemic-era eviction ban, finding it didn't constitute a physical taking since the landlord "voluntarily opened" his property to tenants, and that loss of rental income itself doesn't establish a governmental taking.

  • May 31, 2024

    Healthcare REIT Closes $120M Loan For 8-Property Portfolio

    Diversified Healthcare Trust has finalized a deal for a 10-year, interest-only $120 million mortgage loan that's secured by eight of its properties located in seven states, the healthcare-focused real estate investment trust announced.

  • May 31, 2024

    IRS Can Seek Tax Beyond Bankruptcy Deal, 11th Circ. Affirms

    A deal between the IRS and an Alabama real estate developer to settle his tax debt for $2 million during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings wasn't final, and the agency can demand additional taxes from him, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Friday.

  • May 31, 2024

    Kirkland Guides Town Lane To $1.25B Debut Real Estate Fund

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP advised the close of an inaugural, $1.25 billion fund for Town Lane, a real estate firm founded by a brother-sister duo with decades of combined experience at Blackstone and Sycamore Partners, according to a Friday news release.

  • May 31, 2024

    Contractor, Insurers Settle NYC Four Seasons Coverage Row

    A New York federal judge dismissed a general contractor's suit seeking coverage from two insurers for an underlying $1 million action over damage to a Four Seasons hotel in midtown Manhattan, saying the parties have reached a proposed settlement.

  • May 31, 2024

    Atty Gets 2nd Suspension Over Sale Of $1.6M Painting

    The Florida Supreme Court approved a one-year suspension for a New Jersey-based attorney and real estate developer this week who pled guilty to smuggling a $1.6 million painting out of his house in 2013 to avoid an asset sale.

  • May 31, 2024

    Phoenix Office Activity Down Annually In Q1, CBRE Says

    The Phoenix area's office market notched negative absorption again in the first quarter of 2024, with vacancy rates remaining high and total leasing activity down on an annual basis, according to a CBRE report.

  • May 31, 2024

    WeWork's Winding Road Through Bankruptcy Court

    Office space provider WeWork won approval for its $4 billion Chapter 11 reorganization plan Thursday, overcoming opposition from landlords, unsecured creditors and its own founder to emerge debt-free under new equity ownership. 

  • May 30, 2024

    Only One Landlord Allowed To Duck DC RealPage Suit

    One of several landlords that stands accused by the District of Columbia of using property management platform RealPage to fix the price of rentals has managed to convince a D.C. Superior Court judge to kibosh the claims against the real estate investment trust permanently.

  • May 30, 2024

    Defendant Dropped From Calif. Broker Commissions Case

    A California federal judge has dismissed a multiple listing service from a proposed antitrust class action that accused the service and several real estate brokerages of engaging in a conspiracy to artificially inflate buyer broker commissions on home sales.

  • 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

    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

    AECOM Joins Team For NBA Arena, Resort On Vegas Strip

    Developer LVXP said it has tapped AECOM to assist in a planned NBA-ready arena anchoring a 27-acre site with a luxury resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

  • May 30, 2024

    RFR Execs Face $16M Manhattan Office Loan Suit

    The lender behind the senior and junior mezzanine loans tied to a New York City office property filed suit in state court against the two principals of real estate investment firm RFR, saying the pair are on the hook for a combined $16.6 million after the borrower defaulted.

  • 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 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

    CBRE Wants Would-Be Property Buyer's Suit Trimmed

    CBRE Inc. urged an Iowa federal court to toss a professional negligence claim in a real estate investment firm's $10.3 million suit over a failed Iowa property deal, arguing that, as a real estate brokerage, it wasn't obligated to tell the firm about a competing buyer.

  • May 29, 2024

    Tremont Chicago Hotel Reaches Agreement With Lender

    A defunct hotel near Chicago's commercial center has reached an agreement with its senior secured creditor, resolving its request to dismiss the case or lift the Chapter 11 automatic stay while reserving the right to revisit the stay under some circumstances.

  • May 29, 2024

    2nd Circ. Judge Weighs Sanctioning NYC In Rent Law Case

    A Second Circuit judge on Wednesday pressed an attorney for New York City on why the city should not be sanctioned for bringing up a jurisdictional challenge to a landlord's suit over a pandemic-era guaranty law at the "11th hour" of proceedings, after the city had lost in previous rulings.

  • May 29, 2024

    7 Courthouse Facelifts Funded By The $1.2T Spending Bill

    Seven federal courthouses across the U.S. and Puerto Rico are receiving funds for upgrades or construction as part of Congress' latest $1.2 trillion spending package, and security and seismic concerns are top of mind at many of the buildings selected.

  • May 29, 2024

    Gibson Dunn, Cleary Advise $120M Luxury Retail Buy

    A Florida real estate investment firm has closed on $120 million in financing for its discount acquisition of a luxury retail building at 680 Madison Ave. in New York, in a transaction advised by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

  • May 29, 2024

    3 Firms Guide Blackstone's $768M Hawaii Resort Deal

    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and Cades Schutte LLP guided Blackstone Real Estate's $725 million sale of a Hawaii resort and the simultaneous $43 million sale of an adjacent 65-acre parcel, according to a statement from the seller Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • A Cautionary Tale Of Flawed Debt Accounting And SEC Fines

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent improper-accounting charges against Malvern Bancorp and its ex-CFO highlight crucial practice issues, including the need to objectively evaluate borrowers' credit, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Bat's Newly Endangered Status Likely To Slow Development

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    A recent change in the classification of the northern long-eared bat from "threatened" to "endangered" could have significant effects on development in large portions of the Eastern and Southeastern U.S. — and in the absence of straightforward guidelines, developers will have to assess each project individually, says Peter McGrath at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • Litigation Can Facilitate EB-5 Investor Visa Determinations

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    Processing times in the EB-5 investor visa program continue to rise, but filing a mandamus claim in the right venue against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may offer applicants mired in delay a means to expedite processing, says Mark Stevens at Clark Hill.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Regulators Must Get Creative To Keep Groundwater Flowing

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    Even as populations have boomed in Sun Belt states like Arizona, California and Texas, groundwater levels have diminished due to drought and overuse — so regulators must explore options including pumping limits, groundwater replenishment and wastewater reuse to ensure future supplies for residential and commercial needs, says Jeffrey Davis at Integral Consulting.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • Key Provisions In Florida's New Insurer Accountability Act

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    Florida's recent bipartisan Insurer Accountability Act introduces a range of new obligations for insurance companies and regulatory bodies to strengthen consumer protection, and other states may follow suit should it prove successful at ensuring a reliable insurance market, say Jan Larson and Benjamin Malings at Jenner & Block.

  • Best Practices For Lenders To Limit Recourse Liability

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    As projects face loan maturities in a higher interest rate environment, lenders should diligently observe even seemingly innocuous formalities following an event of default in order to minimize potential recourse liability, especially when borrowers have certain covenants, say Ryan Goins and Matthias Kleinsasser at Winstead.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • Rising Interest Rates Bring Risk For Construction Contractors

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    With rising interest rates causing many construction projects to be slowed or halted, it's important for general contractors to implement safeguard measures against the risk of significant financial losses caused by owner-driven schedule modifications, says Kevin Riexinger at Gfeller Laurie.

  • Keys To Navigating The Post-Pandemic CRE Market

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the commercial real estate market continues to face repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, lawyers should use office occupancy and leasing volume numbers to anticipate future trends and help guide clients through an uncertain landscape, says Joseph Calvanico at J2C Valuations.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.