Real Estate

  • May 17, 2024

    Real Estate Authority: Loan Doctors, CFIUS, Mixed-Use Boom

    Catch up on the week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including potential conflicts of interest in special servicing, a data center buy stymied by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and one hospitality pro's prediction for more mixed-use residential and hotel demand.

  • 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 17, 2024

    DC Circ. Affirms Ex-HUD Official's Conviction For False Docs

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the documents falsification conviction of a former high-ranking staffer within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General, rejecting his arguments that prosecutors had diverged at trial from the charges laid out in an indictment.

  • May 17, 2024

    Eagles Coach Didn't Fumble When He Flew Nest, Panel Says

    Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni and his wife were allowed to back out of buying a $2.3 million home in New Jersey because the sellers hadn't disclosed or obtained a waiver for a "right of first refusal" from a previous owner's children, a New Jersey state appeals court affirmed Friday.

  • May 17, 2024

    RedBird Flags Brookfield 'Gamesmanship' In Chancery Suit

    Private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners has urged Delaware's Court of Chancery to strike unauthorized motions by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners seeking dismissal of a RedBird suit to recover a $150 million escrow included in a $5.7 billion sale of data centers to Brookfield affiliates last year.

  • May 17, 2024

    Feds Say Crypto Scammer Gave Nod To 'Seinfeld' Gag

    The lie that the character George Costanza told on "Seinfeld" appears to have inspired a New York City fraudster, as federal prosecutors announced Friday that a Brooklyn man admitted to running a million-dollar crypto and real estate scam in part through a phony company called Vandelay Contracting Corp.

  • May 17, 2024

    Koch-Tied Group Says Transparency Law Offends Federalism

    The Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional because it does not regulate interstate commerce yet mandates that state-registered entities disclose personal information, a conservative group affiliated with the billionaire Koch brothers told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday.

  • May 17, 2024

    Fla. Appeals Court Nixes Condo Tax Sale After Address Mix-Up

    A Florida state appeals panel authored a split decision ordering a lower district court to reverse a tax deed sale after a property owner in Miami-Dade claimed the county's clerk of court failed to provide notice that his condo was being put up for sale due to a delinquent tax bill.

  • May 17, 2024

    T. Boone Pickens' Ranch Buyer Can Proceed With TM Suit

    The new owner of the late T. Boone Pickens' luxurious hunting estate in the Texas Panhandle can proceed with a lawsuit accusing a neighboring property owner of infringing the ranch's trademark rights by using them to advertise a land sale, a federal judge concluded Thursday.

  • May 17, 2024

    Short-Term Rental Owners Sue Colo. City Over Phase-Out Law

    A group of short-term rental property owners claimed in Colorado federal court that a local ordinance enacted late last year "effectively bans most existing short-term rentals."

  • May 17, 2024

    Pot Co. Can Amend Complaint Or Reply To Dismissal Motion

    A Michigan federal judge has given a cannabis company three weeks to either amend its complaint against a former business partner or respond to a motion to dismiss its claims that the former business partner sabotaged a project by convincing investors to put their money elsewhere.

  • May 17, 2024

    Texas Justices Side With Car Dealership In Lease Dispute

    The Supreme Court of Texas reversed and remanded a landlord's win against its former car dealership tenant, ruling Friday that the dealership's $1.3 million jury verdict wasn't upended when it gave up its appeal of a separate eviction suit.

  • May 17, 2024

    Wash. Energy Codes Challenged Again After 9th Circ. Decision

    In the wake of a Ninth Circuit ruling that forced Washington officials to revisit regulations on natural gas appliances used in new construction, a group of natural gas companies, homeowners and construction interests are claiming the state's apparent fix is again out of step with federal law.

  • 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

    'That Is A Lie!' Trump Atty Assails Cohen In Fraud Trial Cross

    Donald Trump's lawyer lashed out at central prosecution witness Michael Cohen on Thursday during a second day of cross-examination in New York state's criminal fraud case, attacking his credibility and key testimony linking Trump to crimes.

  • May 16, 2024

    Funko Beats Investor Suit Over Warehouse Move For Now

    Toy company Funko Inc. on Thursday beat a proposed investor class action alleging it failed to disclose accurate information about problems relocating a distribution center and updating critical software, with a Washington federal judge saying the investors have failed to prove the company's statements were false or misleading, among other things.

  • 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

    Apt. Complex Must Face Insurer's Mold Death Coverage Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has refused to toss an insurer's suit seeking to evade coverage of an apartment complex accused of failing to stop a mold infestation that killed a tenant, finding the insurer has plausibly alleged it does not have a duty to defend under the prevailing insurance policy.

  • May 16, 2024

    HUD Calls Pa. Medical Marijuana Housing Suit Premature

    A Pennsylvania housing authority and two would-be residents acted hastily in suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, since HUD hadn't formally threatened to pull the authority's funding over a state court order to offer assistance to medical marijuana users, a HUD lawyer told a federal judge Thursday.

  • May 16, 2024

    Ex-Connecticut Budget Official Denies 22 Corruption Charges

    A former Connecticut state budget official and beleaguered attorney who oversaw millions in state school construction funds pled not guilty on Thursday to a host of corruption charges, including that he coerced contractors into paying him kickbacks.

  • 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

    Navajo President Seeks Approval Of Water Rights Settlement

    The Navajo Nation's president has urged the federally recognized tribe's council to approve two historic water rights settlements as soon as possible, saying decadeslong negotiations have finally come to an end and now promise to secure funding for critically needed infrastructure.

  • May 15, 2024

    Hedge Fund Says Deal With Colo. Developer Lacked Details

    A Colorado-based hedge fund owner and the former president of one of his entities have urged a Colorado state court to permanently toss a suit related to a Denver commercial housing project, arguing that they can't be accused of violating the project's term sheet due to its vagueness.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • Sellers Seeking Best Deal Should Focus On Terms And Price

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    Rising interest rates and a decline in the automotive mergers and acquisitions market mean that a failed deal carries greater stakes, and sellers therefore should pursue not only the optimum price but also the optimum terms to safeguard their agreement, says Joseph Aboyoun at Fox Rothschild.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: South Korea

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    Numerous ESG trends have materialized in South Korea in the past three years, with impacts ranging from greenwashing prevention and carbon neutrality measures to workplace harassment and board diversity initiatives, say Chang Wook Min and Hyun Chan Jung at Jipyong.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Illinois Trump Tower Ruling Illuminates Insurance 'Occurrence'

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    In Continental Casualty v. 401 North Wabash Venture, an Illinois appellate court found that Trump Tower was not entitled to insurance coverage for operating its HVAC system without a permit, helping to further define a widely litigated general liability insurance issue — what constitutes an "occurrence," say Robert Tugander and Greg Mann at Rivkin Radler.

  • A Look At Successful Bid Protests In FY 2023

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    Attorneys at Sheppard Mullin look beyond the statistics in the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s recent annual report on bid protests, sharing their insights about nine categories of sustained protests, gained from reading every fiscal year 2023 decision in which the protester had a positive result.

  • A Bird's Eye View Of NYC's New Parapet Inspection Law

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    Building owners in New York City should be ready for the city's new parapet inspection requirements going into effect in January, which will likely necessitate additional construction work for countless buildings not previously subject to formal inspections, says Benjamin Fox Tracy at Braverman Greenspun.

  • AI Isn't The Wild West, So Prepare Now For Bias Risks

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    In addition to President Joe Biden's recent historic executive order on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence, there are existing federal and state laws prohibiting fraud, defamation and even discrimination, so companies considering using or developing AI should take steps to minimize legal and business risks, says civil rights attorney Farhana Khera.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • AI's Baked-In Bias: What To Watch Out For

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    The federal AI executive order is a direct acknowledgment of the perils of inherent bias in artificial intelligence systems, and highlights the need for legal professionals to thoroughly vet AI systems, including data and sources, algorithms and AI training methods, and more, say Jonathan Hummel and Jonathan Talcott at Ballard Spahr.

  • How Fla. Bankruptcy Ruling May Affect Equity Owners

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    A Florida bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Vital Pharmaceuticals — which rejected the Third Circuit’s Majestic Star decision that determined a bankrupt corporation’s flow-through status was not protected by the automatic stay — may significantly affect how equity owners can mitigate the impact of flow-through structures in bankruptcy, say Eric Behl-Remijan and Natasha Hwangpo at Ropes & Gray.

  • Calif. Ruling May Open Bankruptcy Trustees To Tort Liability

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    In Martin v. Gladstone, a recent California appellate court decision, the application of tort concepts to bankruptcy trustees could pose a new concern for trustees and federal receivers when controlling and maintaining commercial property, says Jarrett Osborne-Revis at Buchalter.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling May Beget Fraud Jury Instruction Appeals

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    The Fifth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Greenlaw decision, disapproving disjunctive fraudulent-intent jury instructions, will likely spawn appeals in mail, wire and securities fraud cases, but defendants must show that their deception furthered ends other than taking the victim's property, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

  • Considerations For Navigating Mixed-Use Developments

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    As mixed-use developments continue to rise in popularity, developers considering this approach to urban planning must be aware of key considerations ranging from title and zoning laws to proper engagement with stakeholders, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.

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