More Real Estate Coverage

  • May 21, 2024

    Strategic Hiring Was The New Normal For BigLaw In 2023

    The 400 largest law firms by headcount in the U.S. grew more slowly in 2023 than in the previous two years, while Kirkland & Ellis LLP surpassed the 3,000-attorney threshold, according to the latest Law360 ranking.

  • May 21, 2024

    The Law360 400: Tracking The Largest US Law Firms

    The legal market expanded more tentatively in 2023 than in previous years amid a slowdown in demand for legal services, especially in transactions, an area that has been sluggish but is expected to quicken in the near future.

  • May 20, 2024

    Law On Indian Country Jurisdiction Still Unsettled, Tulsa Says

    Officials of Tulsa, Oklahoma, have asked a federal district court to deny an intervention bid by the United States in a tribal challenge over criminal jurisdiction, saying that as an alternative, the lawsuit should be paused pending the outcome of a state case in which the governor's brother is fighting a speeding ticket.

  • May 20, 2024

    NC License Law Didn't Violate 1st Amendment, 4th Circ. Finds

    The Fourth Circuit held on Monday that North Carolina's licensing requirements for surveyors don't violate the free speech rights of a drone pilot who sought to create maps for customers, with the court finding the state regulation is backed by sound public interests.

  • May 20, 2024

    EPA Touts Brownfield Grants In Visit To Polluted Philly Site

    Biden administration officials visited a riverfront site in Philadelphia where the city is using federal support to clean up contamination and add amenities, as they promoted $3 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency support to four New Jersey communities.

  • May 20, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Town Atty Sues Over 'False' Ethics Complaint

    Former Newington, Connecticut, town attorney Benjamin Ancona Jr. and other former officials took the Hartford-area suburb to state court claiming the town's assessor and others defamed them in and regarding a now-dismissed ethics complaint that was purportedly loaded with false statements.

  • May 20, 2024

    Latham Adds Former Chief Legal Officer Of REIT In NY

    Latham & Watkins LLP announced Monday that the former chief legal officer for real estate investment trust Safehold Inc. has joined the firm's New York office as a partner in the real estate practice.

  • May 17, 2024

    Utah, Farm Groups Ask To Reopen Bears Ears Monument Suit

    The state of Utah and two farming associations have asked a D.C. federal court to lift a more than three-year stay in a tribal case over the Bears Ears National Monument, saying the case is now moot and another monument case is pending before the Tenth Circuit.

  • May 16, 2024

    No Double Jeopardy In Philly Execs' Embezzlement Case

    Two former Philadelphia nonprofit executives convicted for an embezzlement scheme weren't subject to double jeopardy when a judge rescheduled trial after several jurors left, the Third Circuit ruled Thursday, reasoning that the court had no other choice.

  • May 16, 2024

    Ariz. Lawmakers Say Groups Can't Be Part Of Monument Suit

    The Arizona Legislature is fighting bids by a slew of conservation groups and tribes to intervene in two lawsuits in federal court that challenge a Biden administration proclamation designating an Indigenous sacred site in the Grand Canyon region as a national monument.

  • May 16, 2024

    Ex-Execs Accuse Truist Of Hijacking Control Of Mortgage Unit

    Three former executives who spearheaded the real estate finance arm of Truist Financial Corp. before they left for a competitor are countersuing the bank for allegedly usurping control of the business, saying Truist then tried forcing them out to skirt paying severance.

  • May 16, 2024

    Haynes Boone Adds Sheppard Mullin RE Finance Pro In Calif.

    Haynes and Boone LLP continues to grow its Orange County office, announcing Wednesday that a Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP real estate finance ace is joining the office in Costa Mesa, California, as a partner.

  • May 15, 2024

    Real Estate Seller Can't Show He Was Stiffed On Commission

    A Texas appellate court ruled that a man claiming he was cheated out of a commission for assisting in a real estate sale didn't have enough to back up his claims, agreeing Tuesday that a lower court was correct in granting an early win to the property's seller.

  • May 15, 2024

    11th Circ. Judge Doubts Defense Of IRS Easement Notice

    An Eleventh Circuit judge was skeptical Wednesday of the government's arguments that the Internal Revenue Service could issue a notice imposing reporting requirements on potentially abusive conservation easements without soliciting public feedback that administrative law requires.

  • May 15, 2024

    4th Circ. Revives Landowners' $523K Win Against Pipeline Co.

    A Fourth Circuit panel has instructed a Virginia federal court to reinstate a more than $523,000 jury award for the condemnation of easements across a family's property by Mountain Valley Pipeline, holding the verdict can be supported by credited testimony.

  • May 14, 2024

    Ga. Appeals Court Weighs Validity Of 190-Year-Old Land Grant

    A company seeking to "restore and conserve" approximately 1,000 acres of coastal marshland told Georgia Court of Appeals on Tuesday that the state is attempting to renege on a 190-year-old property grant and take back the land simply because it may soon be worth more than $100 million.

  • May 13, 2024

    Ex-Pa. City Housing Head Gets 3 Years In Prison For Fraud

    The former head of an economically distressed Pennsylvania city's public housing authority was sentenced Monday to over three years in prison for bilking the agency out of $545,000 through a yearslong scheme of submitting inflated contracting bills for housing repairs to line his own pockets.

  • May 13, 2024

    High Court Won't Take Up Wyo. Wildfire Suit

    The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a suit by survivors of the 2018 Roosevelt wildfire in Wyoming against the U.S. Forest Service over the government's decisions in fighting the fires.

  • May 10, 2024

    4th Circ. Judge Suspects 'Abuse' In Land Donor Tax Case

    The Fourth Circuit appeared poised Friday to rule that a couple owes taxes and penalties after claiming an inflated $5.1 million valuation on donated land for deductions, with one judge positing he believed the couple had engaged in "abuse" of a conservation donation.

  • May 10, 2024

    Solar Co. Stockholders Claim Execs, Board Caused Losses

    SunPower's current and former leadership was accused in a derivative shareholder suit of sending the residential solar power company into a financial tailspin by revising financial statements multiple times and causing the stock value to drop.

  • May 10, 2024

    Flaster Greenberg Real Estate Pro Joins High Swartz In Pa.

    A corporate attorney specializing in commercial real estate transactional work moved his practice this week to High Swartz LLP's office in the Philadelphia suburbs after 10 months with Flaster Greenberg PC.

  • May 10, 2024

    Nationstar Mortgage Wants To Escape 'Junk Fee' Suit

    Nationstar Mortgage LLC has asked a Washington federal judge to toss a proposed class action alleging it illegally charged homeowners a "junk fee" for written payoff quotes, saying the suit's claims fail because expedited payoff fees are not unlawful and do not breach the terms of the relevant loan agreements.

  • May 09, 2024

    Vinson-Led EnCap Lands $1.5B For Energy Transition Fund

    Vinson & Elkins LLP advised EnCap Investments LP on a $1.5 billion fund that seeks to invest in projects meant to decarbonize the power industry, as well as in low-carbon fuels and other green ventures.

  • May 09, 2024

    Nossaman Scores New Land Use Partner For Seattle Office

    Nossaman LLP announced it has hired an attorney with experience advising and defending clients in environmental matters as a partner for its environment and land use team in the firm's Seattle office.

  • May 08, 2024

    Ballard Spahr Real Estate Pro Joins Hyland Levin In NJ

    New Jersey regional firm Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP leveled up its real estate practice this week with the hire of a Ballard Spahr LLP attorney of more than five years, bringing significant experience in commercial real estate in and out of the law.

Expert Analysis

  • As AI Pricing Tools Evolve, So Does Antitrust Risk

    Author Photo

    As the use of pricing algorithms has given rise to regulatory scrutiny and civil actions, such as RealPage Rental Software Antitrust Litigation in the Middle District of Tennessee and Gibson v. MGM in the District of Nevada, independent pricing decisions and other best practices can help limit antitrust risk, say attorneys at Axinn.

  • What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review

    Author Photo

    Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

    Author Photo

    Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

    Author Photo

    When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • ESG Around The World: Australia

    Author Photo

    Clive Cachia and Cathy Ma at K&L Gates detail ESG-reporting policies in Australia and explain how the country is starting to introduce mandatory requirements as ESG performance is increasingly seen as a key investment and corporate differentiator in the fight for global capital.

  • Industry Takeaways From OMB's Final Buy America Guidance

    Author Photo

    The Office of Management and Budget's recently released guidance on "Buy America" requirements for federal infrastructure projects provides clarity in certain areas but fails to address troublesome inconsistencies with state laws and international trade agreements, so manufacturers and suppliers will need to tread carefully as agencies implement the changes, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth Shaw.

  • Texas Produced Water Ruling Helps Clarify Oil, Gas Leases

    Author Photo

    A Texas state appeals court's recent opinion in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that the mineral lessee under an oil and gas lease owns the water extracted during oil and gas production, is a first step toward clarity on an issue that has divided the midstream industry, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Pa. Case Highlights Complexity Of Oil And Gas Leases

    Author Photo

    A Pennsylvania state court's recent decision in Douglas Equipment Inc. v. EQT Production Co. is a reminder that oil and gas leases are rather strange creatures — morphing from something akin to a traditional surface lease to a mineral property conveyance the moment oil and gas is produced, says Christopher Rogers at Frost Brown.

  • Calif. Protected Species Law Changes: Real Fix Or Red Tape?

    Author Photo

    California's recent amendments to its "fully protected species" statutes create a temporary permitting regime intended to accelerate the building of renewable energy, transportation and water infrastructure in response to climate change — but the new legislation could become another obstacle to the projects it purports to benefit, says Paul Weiland at Nossaman.

  • EPA Focus On Lead Could Heighten Private Litigation Risk

    Author Photo

    As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues a series of initiatives aimed at reducing lead exposure, including last month's proposal to strengthen removal requirements for lead-based paint, the risks of private suits from citizens groups over lead contamination grow, say Jonathan Brightbill and Madalyn Brown Feiger at Winston & Strawn.

  • Ruling Affirms Drillers' Right To Choose Methods In Colo.

    Author Photo

    In the wake of the Tenth Circuit's decision in Bay v. Anadarko E&P Onshore, a bellwether trespass case, oil and gas operators can breathe easy knowing that Colorado landowners cannot dictate their method of drilling — even in the face of more reasonable alternatives, say Lauren Varnado and Jessica Pharis at Michelman & Robinson.

  • NYC Sidewalk Obligations Must Go Beyond Construction

    Author Photo

    New York City's recently announced Get Sheds Down plan will bring sweeping changes to regulation of the scaffolding and construction sheds looming over sidewalks — but it cannot stop there, says Michael Pollack at Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Real Estate Authority Other archive.