Commercial
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July 03, 2024
Wash. Mall, Retail Center Seek $1.3M In Property Tax Refunds
A Seattle mall and shopping center are seeking property tax refunds topping $1.3 million, according to complaints in state court that claim the county assessor failed to use appropriate data and overvalued the properties.
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July 03, 2024
Wash. Justices Say City RV Camping Ban Is Constitutional
The Washington Supreme Court upheld a city ordinance on Wednesday banning recreational vehicles and trailers from parking on municipal streets for more than four hours, rejecting a man's argument that the law violated his constitutional travel rights by barring him from living indefinitely in his 23-foot trailer on city property.
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July 03, 2024
No 'Unfettered Discretion' For Zoning Boards: Mich. Justices
The Michigan Supreme Court has held that conditionally rezoning a property is only valid if the property's proposed use is already allowed under a town's ordinances, instructing a trial court to determine whether a racing dragway is a permitted use under a township's commercial zone.
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July 03, 2024
Hospitality REIT, Activist Investor Agree To End Board Fight
Braemar Hotels & Resorts and hedge fund Blackwells Capital said they plan to resolve their litigation in a deal that calls for the activist investor to withdraw from a proxy fight and buy a bigger stake in the real estate investment trust.
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July 03, 2024
Enviro Group Claims Navy Bungled SF Superfund Cleanup
The U.S. Navy's efforts to remediate an 866-acre shipyard Superfund site in San Francisco have been flawed from the start, undermined by the Navy, which has gone so far as to obscure the results of its own contamination testing, per an environmental advocacy group's suit.
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July 03, 2024
Developer Owes $10M For Boston Project Delays, Suit Says
Massachusetts contractor Suffolk Construction Co. Inc. claims the developer of a significant mixed-use residential and commercial block in Boston's South End still owes it more than $10 million, saying delays due to the pandemic and a change in the type of cabinetry in the apartments contributed to higher costs.
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July 03, 2024
Coffey Modica Promotes 2 Partners, 1 Counsel In NY
New York litigation boutique Coffey Modica LLP announced the promotion of two attorneys to partner, including the firm's first hire in 2021, as well as the elevation of another lawyer to counsel.
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July 03, 2024
NY Extends Tax Breaks For Green Roofs On City Buildings
New York is extending for another three years a property tax abatement program that encourages residential and commercial buildings in New York City as part of a bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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July 03, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
An insurer won a coverage dispute over a $3.2 million injury verdict stemming from a bar fight, Texas' largest nonprofit health system failed to differentiate its pandemic business loss claims from other cases, and a petroleum company was denied coverage for multidistrict litigation over gas additives.
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July 02, 2024
Ga. City Comes Out On Top In T-Mobile Cell Tower Suit
The city of Columbus, Georgia, has come out on top in a legal battle with a wireless infrastructure builder who says that the city unfairly blocked its requests to build T-Mobile a cell tower, a conflict that also involved the local Shriners.
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July 02, 2024
Distress Darkens Conversion Plans At Brookfield Malls
Financial challenges have shaken some of Brookfield's plans to redevelop a batch of malls it acquired six years ago into mixed-use centers, and two of the real estate company's indoor shopping complexes slumped into loan distress last month, KBRA said on Tuesday.
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July 02, 2024
Gov. Says Ky. Tower's Sale Didn't Cancel Ties To Laundering
Prosecutors and a pair of Miami businessmen have traded briefs over preserving the government's case in Florida federal court to seize $9.1 million from the sale of a Louisville, Kentucky, tower over alleged ties to a Ukrainian money laundering operation.
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July 02, 2024
The Commercial Real Estate Q&A's You Can't Miss
Check out Law360 Real Estate Authority's most buzzed-about commercial real estate Q&As from the first half of 2024.
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July 02, 2024
Data Analysis Shows Swift Influx In EPA Brownfield Grants
A Law360 Real Estate Authority analysis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's brownfield grant awards since the program's inception shows a steep increase in funding, particularly in funding of cleanups, since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed in 2021.
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July 02, 2024
Alaska Village Hits Army Corps With Gold Mine Permit Suit
The Native Village of Dot Lake is asking an Alaska federal judge to throw out a permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued for an open pit gold mine Kinross Gold Corp. and Peak Gold LLC are developing near the Yukon border.
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July 02, 2024
Mass. Panel Won't Cut Tax Value Over Denied Building Permits
The owner of commercial property in Massachusetts failed to show that local denials of building permits impacted the tax value of the property, a state panel said in a decision released Tuesday, rejecting the owner's appeal of a local assessment.
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July 02, 2024
Real Estate Lawyers On The Move
Haynes and Boone and McDonald Hopkins are among the law firms that have made recent real estate or construction hires.
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July 01, 2024
Ill. Tax Applies To Re-Renters Of Hotel Rooms, Dept. Says
Illinois will impose an occupation tax on people who re-rent hotel rooms in the state as part of recently enacted omnibus legislation, the state Department of Revenue said.
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July 01, 2024
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Hirschen Singer and Kramer Levin 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 eight deals north of the $20 million mark become public.
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July 01, 2024
Orrick Renews Black Rock Tower Lease
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has agreed to a lease renewal for its six floors in Midtown Manhattan's Black Rock tower, CBRE announced Monday.
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July 01, 2024
Hinckley Adds 2 McElroy Deutsch Attys To Real Estate Team
Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP has expanded its offerings in the Constitution state, adding two commercial real estate financing attorneys from McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP.
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July 01, 2024
Top Real Estate Atty Leaves Willkie To Co-Lead Weil Practice
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's former real estate department co-chair and New York co-managing partner, known for high-profile work that includes the largest real estate investment trust initial public offering in U.S. history, is becoming co-leader of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP's real estate practice, the firm announced Monday.
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July 01, 2024
Manhattan Office Leasing Marks Annual Gains In Q2
JLL said in a report Monday that office leasing activity in Manhattan during the second quarter of 2024 was higher than last year thanks largely to relocations led by a major law firm in June.
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June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes
By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
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June 28, 2024
'Nothing Stopping' Collection On $10B Verdict, LA Judge Says
A Los Angeles judge on Friday decided to amend the judgment from a $10 billion verdict that found business owner Haresh Jogani stole a multibillion-dollar real estate business from his four brothers, awarding stock potentially worth billions to the brothers while dismissing his attorney's objections that the order is not allowed due to Haresh Jogani's appeal.
![Among two back-to-back U.S. Supreme Court opinions was one handed down Friday overturning the long-held Chevron doctrine that deferred ambiguous legislation to agency interpretation, giving courts the final say if Congress hasn't specified implementation details. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)](https://assets.law360news.com/1852000/1852990/14784de40480c4d56b5a998b7501d2c369d41dcb-bf71f498f9bf4cebbd345770c1e2fbea_earns-chevron_2400x2892.jpg)
Real Estate Policy Areas To Watch In Chevron's Wake
Housing rules, permitting practices and climate goals stand to be challenged by an anticipated wave of litigation spurred by back-to-back U.S. Supreme Court opinions that alter how and when judges can interpret ambiguous legislation.
![The General Services Administration's attempt to cut back its footprint in Washington, D.C., has caused the vacancy rate for the city's office market to hit a record high of 22.4%, according to a report from CBRE. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)](https://assets.law360news.com/1853000/1853325/469da37e5235ce1ca59c1cb8e5c51c7aae85e1af-federal_fleet_unrepaired_recalls_75935.jpg)
Gov. Office Shedding Pushes DC Vacancies To Record High
The General Services Administration's moves to cut back its footprint in Washington, D.C., drove the vacancy rate for the city's office market to a record high of 22.4%, with nearly half of the previous quarter's occupancy loss stemming from federal government lease changes, according to CBRE.
![Goldman Sachs Alternatives has raised $3.4 billion in capital commitments for its latest real estate secondaries fund. (Sipa via AP Images)](https://assets.law360news.com/1853000/1853009/f1b87e9cddb83c38e56c47deb35057109b18265d-photo_illustration_in_india_-_18_dec_2023_88356.jpg)
Property Plays: Goldman, WaFD, The Alamo
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.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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A Framework For Investigating Commercial Loan Fraud
As commercial loan transactions are increasingly subject to sophisticated fraud schemes, lenders must adopt dynamic strategies to detect, investigate and mitigate these schemes, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.
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Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.
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Yellow Corp. Lease Assumption Shows Landlord Protections
Yellow Corp.’s recent filing of a motion to assume unexpired leases is a helpful reminder to practitioners to maintain a long-term approach about what is most beneficial for an estate and to not let a debtor's short-term cash position dictate business decisions, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.
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How A Bumblebee Got Under Calif. Wildlife Regulator's Bonnet
A California bumblebee's listing as an endangered species could lead to a regulatory quagmire as California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits now routinely include survey requirements for the bee, but the regulator has yet to determine what the species needs for conservation, says David Smith at Manatt.
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The Clock Is Ticking For Fla. Construction Defect Claims
Ahead of the fast-approaching July 1 deadline for filing construction defect claims in Florida, Sean Ravenel at Foran Glennon discusses how the state's new statute of repose has changed the timeline, and highlights several related issues that property owners should be aware of.
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Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.