Residential
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February 26, 2025
Low-Key Fort Lauderdale Draws Big-Time Development
Sitting between posh Palm Beach and cosmopolitan Miami, Fort Lauderdale can feel a little overshadowed with its low-key vibe, but during South Florida's recent real estate boom, the city has carved out its own middle ground that has attracted new residents — and developers have taken notice.
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February 26, 2025
Wash. Judge Says Officials Are Immune To Energy Code Suit
A Seattle federal judge has thrown out a building industry coalition's renewed legal challenge to Washington regulations that discourage natural gas appliances in new construction, ruling the state officials named as defendants are protected because they aren't responsible for enforcing the rules.
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February 26, 2025
How One Atty Approached AI Price Gouging Amid LA Wildfires
In a recent Q&A, an LA-area lawyer who helped a hotel handle inadvertent price spikes following the January fires discussed that matter, as well as the larger question of price gouging at hotel and rental properties.
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February 26, 2025
Ariz. Sen. OKs Extending Property Tax Oversight Commission
Arizona would extend the life of its Property Tax Oversight Commission by eight years under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate.
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February 26, 2025
Simpson Thacher Guides $1B Real Estate Secondaries Fund
Neuberger Berman, an investment management firm advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, has capped its second real estate private equity secondary fund at $1.05 billion, surpassing its target by $200 million, according to a Wednesday announcement.
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February 26, 2025
DOJ Says RealPage Can't Ditch Antitrust Claims
The U.S. Department of Justice and a group of states are urging a North Carolina federal judge to reject a move by RealPage Inc. and a group of landlords to escape claims that use of the company's software paves the way for collusion on setting rental prices.
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February 26, 2025
Michigan Counties Say Firm's Client Solicitations Merit DQ
Michigan counties sought to disqualify plaintiff firm Visser & Associates PLLC Tuesday, telling a federal judge that the lawyers went back on their word by soliciting potential class members in a suit claiming the government entities improperly kept a surplus of foreclosed home sales.
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February 26, 2025
Real Estate Group Of The Year: Weil
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP served as lead real estate adviser in Home Depot's $18.3 billion acquisition of SRS Distribution Inc. and helped shepherd an $8 billion merger between two rival amusement park companies, earning the firm a spot among the 2024 Law360 Real Estate Groups of the Year.
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February 26, 2025
Vets Press 9th Circ. To Affirm LA Campus Housing Judgment
A group of veterans' organizations, retired military officers and legal scholars are urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold a California federal judge's decision that the federal government must build veterans housing on a Los Angeles campus, saying such housing is greatly needed and complies with federal law.
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February 26, 2025
Adams Says SDNY Memo Leaks Doom His Bribery Case
New York City Mayor Eric Adams opened up a new line of attack against his federal corruption case Wednesday, arguing that the judge must dismiss the charges due to the "extreme prejudice" caused by leaked Justice Department memos alleging a quid pro quo between the mayor and the Trump administration.
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February 26, 2025
Former Trust GC On NYC's Changing Development Game
In this Q&A, Lisa Lim, a partner at Rosenberg & Estis PC, talks about her work as general counsel setting up a new entity to finance public housing repairs and the outlook for New York City development after dramatic changes to its zoning law.
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February 26, 2025
Justices Vacate TM Award That Put Co.'s Affiliates On Hook
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday vacated an award that reached nearly $47 million in a trademark dispute that questioned whether affiliates of a real estate development company should be liable for the payment even though they were not defendants in the case.
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February 25, 2025
Fla. Bill Targets Last-Resort Coverage For Unsafe Condos
A bill introduced ahead of Florida's 2025 legislative session looks to bar the state's Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from providing or renewing coverage policies for condominiums that fall short of inspection requirements.
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February 25, 2025
NY AG Probe Latest Headache For Crumbling Property Empire
Following New York's passage of a tenant-friendly rent law in 2019, a spate of distressed Emerald Equity Group LLC properties are facing foreclosure or bankruptcy. Now, scrutiny by the state Attorney General's Office has added a new layer to the landlord's ongoing struggles.
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February 25, 2025
Report: 2025 Seen As A Year Of Opportunity For Real Estate
Commercial real estate executives see 2025 as a period of opportunity for investment, according to a Seyfarth Shaw LLP report released Tuesday.
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February 25, 2025
Law Firm Leasing Reaches Highest Level Since Before COVID
Law firms in the United States have broken through years of pandemic-related uncertainty about market conditions and the need for office space to record the highest volume of lease activity in more than five years, according to newly released data.
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February 25, 2025
Silicon Valley City Planners Say Landowners Can't Duck Suit
A company backed by a group of Silicon Valley business people looking to build a mini-city has urged a California federal court not to toss price-fixing claims against Solano County property owners, arguing that doing so at this point would be "premature."
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February 25, 2025
10th Circ. Affirms Falsity Claims Bar Coverage Of HOA Fight
The Tenth Circuit affirmed that two AIG units need not cover a ski resort's homeowners association and other insureds found liable for trying to induce the owner of resort condo units to pay $15.5 million in fees it didn't owe, pointing to what are known as knowledge-of-falsity exclusions.
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February 24, 2025
Texas Bank Fights To Keep $28M In Assets In Ginnie Mae Suit
A bank told a Texas federal court that it will lose $28 million worth of collateral assets if Ginnie Mae secures a summary judgment win in a suit over a vacated first-priority lien.
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February 24, 2025
Placement Co. Hit With False Ads Suit Over Referral Model
A company that places senior citizens in retirement homes was hit with proposed class claims alleging it falsely advertises free services and steers business away from communities that decline to participate in its "pay-to-play" business model.
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February 24, 2025
Conn. Solo Wants Willkie Partner's $27K Fee Bid Slashed
A Connecticut solo practitioner who lost a First Amendment lawsuit after leaking a Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's partner's landlord-tenant dispute to the New York Post on Monday criticized the partner's bid to recoup his legal fees, arguing $8,250 is more reasonable than his current $27,000 demand.
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February 24, 2025
Law Firm Must Face Malpractice Suit Over Home Project Case
The New Jersey Appellate Division reinstated a malpractice suit against a Garden State firm on Monday in a published decision finding that the plaintiff was allowed to assign some of the proceeds of the case to third parties ahead of time.
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February 24, 2025
Blackstone Paying $5.65B For US Marina Servicing Giant
Blackstone has agreed to acquire Dallas-based Safe Harbor Marinas, the largest marina and superyacht servicing business in the U.S., from Sun Communities Inc. for $5.65 billion, the companies said Monday.
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February 24, 2025
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
DLA Piper and Lippes Mathias are among the law firms that scored work on the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, a group of transactions that included a nine-figure Manhattan commercial deal and multiple hotel trades.
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February 21, 2025
Quinn Emanuel-Backed Clients Join Eaton Fire Litigation Fray
Southern California Edison on Friday was hit with yet another lawsuit over the destructive Eaton Fire, this time by an Altadena family represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, the largest firm yet to get involved in the litigation.
Expert Analysis
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Understanding The IRC's Excessive Refund Claim Penalty
Taxpayers considering protective refund claims pending resolution of major questions in tax cases like Moore v. U.S., which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, should understand how doing so may also leave them vulnerable to an excessive refund claim penalty under Internal Revenue Code Section 6676, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Bankruptcy Ruling Shifts Lease Rejection Claim Calculation
A New York federal court’s recent ruling in In re: Cortlandt provides guidance on how to calculate a landlord's damages claim when a bankruptcy debtor rejects a lease, changing from an approach that considers the remaining rent due under the lease to one that considers the remaining time, say Bethany Simmons and Noah Weingarten at Loeb & Loeb.
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Do Not Overstate Fla. Condo Termination Ruling's Impact
A close look at the unique language at issue in Avila v. Biscayne, in which a Florida appellate court deemed a condo termination to be invalid, shows that the case is unlikely to significantly affect other potential terminations, say Barry Lapides and Edward Baker at Berger Singerman.
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Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s spring 2024 consumer compliance supervisory report found that relatively few institutions had significant consumer compliance issues last year, but the common thread among those that did were inadequacies or failures in disclosures to consumers, says Matthew Hanaghan at Nutter.
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What Calif. Eviction Ruling Means For Defaulting Borrowers
A California appellate court's recent decision in Homeward Opportunities v. Taptelis found that a defaulting borrower could not delay foreclosure with an improperly served notice of pendency of action, but leaves open a possibility for borrowers to delay eviction proceedings merely by filing lawsuits, say Anne Beehler and Krystal Anderson at Holland & Knight.
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How 3D Printing And Prefab Are Changing Construction
The growing popularity of trends like 3D printing technology and prefabrication in the construction industry have positive ramifications ranging from reducing risks at project sites to streamlining construction schedules, say Josephine Bahn and Jeffery Mullen at Cozen O'Connor.
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Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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A Deep Dive Into High Court's Permit Fee Ruling
David Robinson and Daniel Golub at Holland & Knight explore the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that a local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner may be a Fifth Amendment taking — and where it leaves localities and real estate developers.
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The Case For Overturning Florida Foreclosure Ruling
A Florida appellate court's recent decision in Desbrunes v. U.S. Bank National Association will potentially put foreclosure cases across the state in jeopardy, and unless it is reconsidered, foreclosing plaintiffs will need to choose between frustrating and uncertain options in the new legal landscape, say Sara Accardi and Paige Knight at Bradley.
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Bracing For The CFPB's War On Mortgage Fees
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau homes in on the legality of certain residential mortgage fees, the industry should consult the bureau's steady stream of consumer lending guidance for hints on its priorities, say Nanci Weissgold and Melissa Malpass at Alston & Bird.
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DOJ Consent Orders Chart Road Map For Lending Compliance
Two recent consent orders issued by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its efforts to fight mortgage lending discrimination highlight issues that pose fair lending compliance risks, and should be carefully studied by banks to avoid enforcement actions, says Memrie Fortenberry at Jones Walker.
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Reverse Veil-Piercing Ruling Will Help Judgment Creditors
A New York federal court’s recent decision in Citibank v. Aralpa Holdings, finding two corporate entities liable for a judgment issued against a Mexican businessman, shows the value of reverse veil piercing as a remedy for judgment creditors to go after sophisticated debtors who squirrel away assets, says Gabe Bluestone at Omni Bridgeway.
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Calif. Housing Overhaul May Increase Pressure On Landlords
Two recently enacted California laws signal new protections and legal benefits for tenants, but also elevate landlords' financial exposure at a time when they are already facing multiple other hardships, says Laya Dogmetchi at Much Shelist.