Commercial

  • October 15, 2024

    Justices Reject Homebuilder Case Over Minn. Fee Scale

    The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear claims from a homebuilders' trade group that a court failed to consider whether "valuation-based" permit fees that scale higher for more expensive projects should match the support two Minneapolis suburbs provide.

  • October 11, 2024

    Property Plays: Tallest Towers, 701 Brickell, Nuveen

    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.

  • October 11, 2024

    RICO Suit Accuses VC Co. Of Falsely Claiming Native Ties

    Three California corporations have hit the owners and operators of a venture capital firm with a racketeering suit in federal court, accusing them of falsely claiming they have Native American ties and can procure grants and loans for development projects managed by non-Native entrepreneurs.

  • October 11, 2024

    EB-5 Investor Urges Rollback Of Immigration Fee Hikes

    An EB-5 immigrant investor urged a Colorado federal judge to set aside controversial immigration fee increases that took effect in April, arguing that a 2022 law required a study from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before the immigrant investor program fees could be raised.

  • October 11, 2024

    Bellwether Plaintiffs Let Halliburton Escape Pollution Dispute

    Two bellwether plaintiffs in litigation seeking to hold the owners and operators of a former pipe manufacturing facility liable for contamination have agreed to permanently drop their claims against Halliburton Energy Services.

  • October 11, 2024

    Subcontractor Owes Travelers $325K For Hotel Work Deal

    A Travelers unit is entitled to recover $325,000 for payments made against its surety bonds to settle a general contractor's claims that a subcontractor abandoned work on an Idaho hotel, a Washington federal court ruled, finding the subcontractor liable under an indemnity agreement with Travelers.

  • October 11, 2024

    Fox Rothschild Aims To Exit Malpractice Suit Over Land Row

    Fox Rothschild LLP has called on a New Jersey state court to throw out malpractice claims leveled against it by two siblings who accused a lawyer at the firm of bungling a 1984 property deed and 1993 trust belonging to their stepfather, arguing the sisters are trying to improperly hold it responsible for purported, decades-old negligence by other law firms.

  • October 11, 2024

    Construction Contract Co. Document Crunch Closes Series B

    Document Crunch, a contract software company servicing the construction industry, announced on Thursday the raising of $21.5 million in a Series B funding round, less than a year after its first capital raise.

  • October 10, 2024

    Okla. LLC Wants GSA Office Lease Award Nixed

    An Oklahoma-based company urged the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to order the U.S. government to vacate and reevaluate a 15-year Ohio office lease award that it gave to another company.

  • October 10, 2024

    Investor Connected To Texas AG Seeks To Ax Fraud Case

    Nate Paul, a real estate investor at the heart of the failed impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has moved to dismiss federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges against him, arguing that the indictment does not claim that he acted willfully when allegedly ripping off lenders and investors.

  • October 10, 2024

    Back-To-Back Storms Expose Outdated NFIP Holes, Pro Says

    The one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton should give policymakers another reason to bolster the country's leading flood insurer and rethink water risks, according to Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers and a leading figure among flood loss reduction professionals. Here, Law360 talks to Berginnis about how the back-to-back storms lay bare the country's flood risks.

  • October 10, 2024

    Walmart To Invest In Community Solar Project Portfolio

    Developer Solar Landscape said Walmart has committed to invest in a series of 74 community solar projects in Maryland and Illinois, about half of which are intended to reduce energy cost for low- and moderate-income households.

  • October 09, 2024

    Chancery Keeps $5B Md. Data Center Project Fight In Del.

    A court battle over control and management of early work on a potential $5 billion data complex in western Maryland will remain in the First State despite a marginally earlier-filed suit in Texas' new business court, a Delaware vice chancellor ruled late Wednesday.

  • October 09, 2024

    The Tallest Towers And The Law Firms They Lean On

    As new skyscrapers reshape skylines across the country, Law360 Real Estate Authority is tracking the development of the tallest towers and the law firms guiding them, detailing the challenges and triumphs along the way.

  • October 09, 2024

    Worker Protections Center Stage In NYC Hotel License Debate

    Despite recent changes accommodating the hospitality industry's concerns, small-hotel owners and their advocates voiced serious concerns during a Wednesday City Council hearing about worker protections embedded in a bill that would introduce licenses for New York City hotels.

  • October 09, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Open To Rebooting CoStar Antitrust Fight

    A Ninth Circuit judge on a three-judge panel appeared open Wednesday to reviving counterclaims alleging CoStar monopolizes commercial real estate information markets, telling CoStar's counsel repeatedly that the lower court's ruling "reads more like summary judgment" than the granting of a motion to dismiss and improperly draws inferences in favor of CoStar.

  • October 09, 2024

    Emmet Marvin, Jeffrey Zwick Guide $155M NYC Project Loan

    An affiliate of nursing and rehabilitation center operator Allure Group secured a $155 million loan from Valley National Bank, tied to a New York mixed-use development, in a deal guided by Emmet Marvin & Martin LLP and Jeffrey Zwick and Associates PC.

  • October 09, 2024

    'San Francisco' In Oakland Airport Name Is Fair Use, Port Says

    The Port of Oakland has told a California federal judge that San Francisco's preliminary injunction bid should be rejected as the city is not likely to prevail on its trademark infringement claims over the renaming of Oakland's airport to "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport," saying it doesn't create confusion.

  • October 09, 2024

    How Built Environment Interacts With Climate Risk

    As worsening disasters result in skyrocketing property insurance rates, CoreLogic data shows that construction decisions can cause significant variations in climate risk, even in neighboring counties.

  • October 09, 2024

    Skyline Robotics Is Bringing Proptech To New Heights

    With tech solutions being developed for just about every aspect of daily life, a robot window-washer for high-rise buildings may not stand out as the next big idea. But Skyline Robotics thinks the deployment of its Ozmo system for a New York City skyscraper could be a breakthrough that ultimately provides the real estate world with benefits far beyond just a clear view.

  • October 09, 2024

    Unclear Road For $275M Biz Tax Plan, DC Panel Chair Says

    The District of Columbia Tax Revision Commission may scrap a proposal for a business activity tax that could raise $275 million annually to reduce other business taxes, the panel chair said Wednesday.

  • October 09, 2024

    Mo. Clinics Fail To Meet Charity Requirement For Exemption

    Health clinics in four Missouri counties are not eligible for charitable exemptions from property tax despite being part of a nonprofit organization, the state's tax commission ruled.

  • October 09, 2024

    Philly Developer Says Ex-Blank Rome Atty Falsified Records

    The owner of a popular Philadelphia nightclub claims a now-disbarred ex-Blank Rome real estate attorney falsified court records, forged documents and failed to represent the club owner in several legal matters over a five-year period.

  • October 09, 2024

    AIG Unit Renews Miami Office Lease With Nuveen

    An American International Group Inc. unit renewed its lease for 13,350 square feet of Miami office space that's being rented out by Nuveen Real Estate, according to Colliers South Florida.

  • October 09, 2024

    Real Estate Pro From Simon Property Joins AY Strauss

    A longtime executive at real estate giant Simon Property Group joined real estate boutique A.Y. Strauss's Livingston, New Jersey, office as a partner, according to a recent firm announcement.

Expert Analysis

  • A Legal Playbook For Stadium Construction Agreements

    Author Photo

    As a new wave of construction in the professional sports arena space gets underway, owners must carefully consider the unique considerations and risks associated with these large-scale projects and draft agreements accordingly, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • Document Retention Best Practices To Lower Litigation Risks

    Author Photo

    As new technologies emerge and terabytes of data can be within the purview of a single discovery request, businesses small and large should take four document management steps to effectively minimize risks of litigation and discovery sanctions long before litigation ensues, says Kimbrilee Weber at Norris McLaughlin.

  • Riding My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Using the Peloton platform for cycling, running, rowing and more taught me that fostering a mind-body connection will not only benefit you physically and emotionally, but also inspire stamina, focus, discipline and empathy in your legal career, says Christopher Ward at Polsinelli.

  • The Challenges SEC's Climate Disclosure Rule May Face

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Debevoise examine potential legal challenges to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new climate-related disclosure rule — against which nine suits have already been filed — including arguments under the Administrative Procedure Act, the major questions doctrine, the First Amendment and the nondelegation doctrine.

  • Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents

    Author Photo

    Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.

  • How FinCEN Proposal Expands RE Transaction Obligations

    Author Photo

    Against a regulatory backdrop foreshadowing anti-money laundering efforts in the real estate sector, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's proposed rule significantly expands reporting requirements for certain nonfinanced residential real estate transfers and necessitates careful review, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Unpacking FinCEN's Proposed Real Estate Transaction Rule

    Author Photo

    Phil Jelsma and Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner take a close look at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recently proposed rulemaking — which mandates new disclosures for professionals involved in all-cash real estate deals — and discuss best next steps for the broad range of businesses that could be affected.

  • New FinCEN Guide Provides Useful BOI Context For Banks

    Author Photo

    Financial institutions should review a new Financial Crimes Enforcement Network compliance guide for helpful details about how the agency's beneficial ownership information database should be used, though questions remain about the access rule and whether it will truly streamline bank borrowers' Corporate Transparency Act due diligence, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.

  • DC's Housing Tax Break Proposal: What's In It, What's Missing

    Author Photo

    Proposed Washington, D.C., rules implementing the Housing in Downtown Tax Abatement program — for commercial property owners who convert properties into residential housing — thoroughly explain the process for submitting an application, but do not provide sufficient detail regarding the actual dollar value of the abatements, says Daniel Miktus at Akerman.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: The Terms Matter

    Author Photo

    Stephanie Magnell and Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth examine recent decisions from the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, which offer reminders about the importance of including contract terms to address the unexpected circumstances that may interfere with performance.

  • Reducing Carbon Footprint Requires A Tricky Path For CRE

    Author Photo

    As real estate owners find themselves caught between rapidly evolving environmental, social and governance initiatives and complicated societal debate, they will need to carefully establish formal plans to remain both competitive and compliant, say Michael Kuhn and Mahira Khan at Jackson Walker.

  • New CMS Rule Will Change Nursing Facility Disclosures

    Author Photo

    A new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services significantly expands disclosure requirements for nursing facilities backed by private equity companies or real estate investment trusts, likely foreshadowing increased oversight that could include more targeted audits, say Janice Davis and Christopher Ronne at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Shareholder Approval Rule Changes Mean For Cos.

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved proposed rule changes to shareholder requirements by the New York Stock Exchange, an approval that will benefit listed companies in many ways, including by making it easier to raise capital from passive investors, say attorneys at Baker Botts.