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Real Estate
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November 26, 2024
Illinois Landowners Blast FERC Moves On $7B Power Line
The Federal Energy Regulatory unlawfully amended a negotiated rate authority for the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage power line despite not sanctioning a 2020 change in project ownership, Illinois residents, farmers and landowners told the D.C. Circuit Monday.
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November 26, 2024
7th Circ. Says Insurer Must Defend $3.4M Faulty Work Row
An architectural design firm's commercial general liability insurer must defend it and its owner against faulty work claims seeking more than $3.4 million in damages, the Seventh Circuit ruled, after the Illinois Supreme Court overturned prior appellate precedent siding with insurers in such disputes.
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November 26, 2024
Victim Shares Blame For $1.4M Scam, Connecticut Atty Says
A New Jersey real estate development company is at least partly to blame after it transferred more than $1.4 million to a fraudster without taking proper precautions, a Connecticut attorney said Tuesday in response to a federal lawsuit that accuses her of involvement in the scam.
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November 25, 2024
Gov't Defends EB-5 Rule That Hikes Up Petition Fees
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency pushed for an early win in Texas federal court against a suit challenging increases for filing fees for petitions related to USCIS' EB-5 immigrant investor program.
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November 25, 2024
Informant Says He Brought Developers To Madigan's Law Firm
An ex-Chicago alderman who wore a wire to meetings with former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was back on the stand Monday describing how he arranged a meeting with developers of a Chicago apartment building at Madigan's law office, with jurors hearing a call in which Madigan said to "go ahead and process" a zoning change for that project after the alderman asked if the developer gave him legal work.
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November 25, 2024
Judge Bemoans 'Chaotic' Contracts In Jack Nicklaus IP Case
The New York state judge presiding over golf legend Jack Nicklaus' intellectual property lawsuit on Monday signaled he may not be able to untangle a set of contradictory contracts, which could lead to a trial over who can use the "Golden Bear's" name and likeness.
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November 25, 2024
Hemp Sellers Say Conn. Cannabis Laws Violate Constitution
A dozen Connecticut hemp retailers filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and attorney general challenging a number of state laws meant to regulate so-called high-THC hemp products, claiming the statutes are so vague they are unconstitutional.
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November 25, 2024
Feds Want Ex-FBI Agent's Bribery Appeal Tossed
Federal prosecutors have told the D.C. Circuit to reject an ex-Federal Bureau of Investigation agent's appeal of his bribery convictions in a property buying scheme, arguing there was "sufficient evidence" against him.
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November 25, 2024
Judge Vacates Minnesota Mediation Order In Land Dispute
A federal district court judge on Monday vacated a mediation order in a dispute over more than 3,000 acres of land taken into trust for a Minnesota tribe after parties involved in the litigation said any settlement would require compromise on their legal positions or a voluntary remand.
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November 25, 2024
NJ Judge Allows Nonprofit To Join Affordable Housing Fight
A New Jersey nonprofit is aligned with the state's government in a challenge to a new affordable housing obligation framework it adopted, but that alignment of goals does not mean the nonprofit should not also be allowed to intervene on the case, a Garden State judge said in an order.
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November 25, 2024
Tenant's Death Excluded From Coverage, Kansas Judge Says
A Kansas federal judge granted an insurer an early win in a coverage dispute with an apartment complex over an underlying lawsuit in which a tenant's son says his father died of hypothermia because of a faulty furnace, finding that a "habitability exclusion" barred coverage for the suit.
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November 25, 2024
Mortgage Co. Unfairly Inflated Borrowers' Balances, Suit Says
Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing was hit Friday with a proposed class action alleging the company and its predecessor in interest, Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, inflated borrowers' balances on long-dormant second mortgages through "unfair, deceptive and unconscionable means."
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November 25, 2024
4th Circ. Stands By HELOC 'Offset' Ruling Against PNC
The full Fourth Circuit has declined to reconsider a panel decision that extended protections under the Truth In Lending Act by barring banks from dipping into a cardholder's deposit account to cover outstanding payments on a home equity line of credit without the borrower's consent.
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November 25, 2024
Law Firm Leasing Surpasses Pre-COVID Rate So Far In 2024
The rate at which U.S. law firms are signing major office leases — those at or above 20,000 square feet — has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to new data released by Savills on Monday, showing that while activity is up, firms are divided on whether to expand, downsize or maintain their square footage.
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November 25, 2024
AG Slams Bid To 'Indoctrinate' Public In NJ RICO Case
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin has rebuffed attacks from businessman George Norcross and others charged in his office's sprawling racketeering case in a pair of opposition filings, accusing the defendants of attempting to try the case in the press and contending that their argument to toss the case is out of place.
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November 25, 2024
DOJ Says Realtor Commissions Deal Is No Antitrust Shield
The U.S. Department of Justice warned the National Association of Realtors that changes to broker commission rules agreed to in a settlement with home sellers do not shield the industry from government antitrust scrutiny.
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November 25, 2024
Fla. Judge Trims Complaint Over Deadly Crane Collapse
A Florida state court judge Monday dismissed several liability counts against a Connecticut manufacturer sued in a lawsuit over a crane collapse in downtown Fort Lauderdale that killed a worker and injured at least two other people, saying the liability allegations must be more specific.
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November 25, 2024
Justices Won't Hear Takings Clause Claim For Wrecked House
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a woman's petition seeking to review a Fifth Circuit decision that held McKinney, Texas, did not need to compensate her for destroying her home while resolving a hostage situation with an armed fugitive.
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November 25, 2024
Housing Project Will Pollute Public Water, Conn. City Says
The construction of 16 houses in Ledyard, Connecticut, will contaminate the groundwater and endanger the drinking water supply for people living on the site, the city of Groton's water department said in an appeal of the project's approval to the state court.
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November 25, 2024
Condo Boards Likely Safe From Corporate Transparency Law
New corporate reporting requirements under an anti-money laundering law likely do not apply to condominium associations, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled.
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November 25, 2024
Fla. Judge Won't Toss Banker's Suit Over $1.7M Stolen Funds
A Florida judge said Monday he would not dismiss a lawsuit by a Miami banker who is the son of Ecuador's former comptroller accusing his company's ex-CFO of embezzling $1.7 million to invest in a condominium unit, but the judge ordered the banker to provide a more specific breakdown of the allegedly misused funds.
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November 25, 2024
3 Firms Guide $11.5B Building Materials Co. Buyout
Summit Materials Inc. announced Monday that it has reached an agreement to be bought out by rival Quikrete Holdings Inc. that sees the construction materials company valued at $11.5 billion, in a deal guided by Davis Polk, Troutman Pepper and Covington.
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November 25, 2024
Home Automation Co. Strikes $1.5M Deal To End OT Suit
A smart home technology company reached a $1.5 million deal to resolve allegations from a collective of current and former employees who accused the company of wrongfully classifying them as overtime-exempt, costing them overtime pay, according to a filing in Georgia federal court.
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November 25, 2024
Justices Won't Review Mich. Gun Range Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a proposed gun range's challenge to a Michigan town's zoning denial, denying its petition over Second Amendment protections for firearm training.
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November 22, 2024
Ex-NFL Player Scott Turner Picked For Trump's HUD Secretary
Donald Trump announced Friday that he nominated retired NFL player and former executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council Scott Turner to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Expert Analysis
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Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ recently launched webpage, which details the actions — and inactions — that led to enforcement activity, provides important insights for dealmakers about filing requirements, mitigation commitments and the cost of noncompliance, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners
Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Reassessing Lease Provisions To Account For ESG Initiatives
As companies seek to build ESG considerations into their businesses, it's crucial to understand how such initiatives can quickly become significant enough to compel reassessment of lease agreement provisions, and how best to modify leases accordingly, say Julian Freeman and Gabe Pitassi at Cox Castle.
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Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.
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It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers
Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.
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Avoid Getting Burned By Agencies' Solar Financing Spotlight
Recently coordinated reports and advisories from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission maximize the spotlight on the consumer solar financing market and highlight pitfalls for lenders to avoid in this burgeoning field, says Mercedes Tunstall at Cadwalader.
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Co-Tenancy Clause Pointers For Shopping Center Landlords
Large retail tenants often require co-tenancy provisions in their leases, entitling them to remedies if a shopping center's occupancy drops in certain ways, but landlords must draft these provisions carefully to avoid giving tenants too much control, says Gary Glick at Cox Castle.
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Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools
A comparison of traditional algorithmic pricing models and those powered by generative artificial intelligence can help regulators and practitioners weigh the pros and cons of relying on large language models to price products or services, say Maxime Cohen at McGill University, and Tim Spittle and Jimmy Royer at Analysis Group.
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Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls
Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
After Chevron: Conservation Rule Already Faces Challenges
The Bureau of Land Management's interpretation of land "use" in its Conservation and Landscape Health Rule is contrary to the agency's past practice and other Federal Land Policy and Management Act provisions, leaving the rule exposed in four legal challenges that may carry greater force in the wake of Loper Bright, say Stacey Bosshardt and Stephanie Regenold at Perkins Coie.
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DOJ Must Overcome Hurdles In RealPage Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice's recent claims that RealPage's pricing software violates the Sherman Act mark a creative, and apparently contradictory, shift in the agency's approach to algorithmic price-fixing that will face several key challenges, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.
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Keys To Successful Commercial Property Insurance Claims
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
While insurance needs for commercial leasing arrangements are driven by the characteristics of the premises and the nature of the tenants' intended operations, there are several universal best practices landlords and their counsel can follow when making claims after loss or damage.
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How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies
An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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Tips For Handling Single Asset Real Estate Bankruptcy Cases
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Bankruptcy counsel should consider several strategies when representing either a debtor or lender in single asset real estate debtor Chapter 11 cases, which generally arise when a debtor is forced to file for relief to stop an impending foreclosure sale.
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What To Know About CFPB Stance On Confidentiality Terms
A recent circular from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a growing effort across government agencies to address overbroad confidentiality agreements, and gives employers insight into the bureau's perspective on the issue as it relates to the Consumer Financial Protection Act, say Holly Williamson and Elizabeth King at Hunton.