Commercial
-
December 06, 2024
Fox Rothschild Can't Escape Malpractice Suit Over Land Row
A New Jersey judge on Friday denied Fox Rothschild LLP's bid to exit a malpractice suit in which two sisters alleged that a lawyer now at the firm bungled a 1984 property deed and 1993 trust belonging to their late stepfather, depriving them of a lucrative land parcel, reasoning that disputed facts keep the suit alive.
-
December 06, 2024
DC Circ. Won't Revisit Retroactive FARA Registration
The D.C. Circuit rejected a bid asking the en banc court to reconsider a panel ruling that bars the federal government from suing to compel former foreign agents to retroactively register their onetime foreign influence.
-
December 06, 2024
Offit Kurman Adds Lanak & Hanna Environmental Atty In LA
Offit Kurman Attorneys At Law continues expanding its two-year-old Los Angeles office, announcing Thursday it is bringing in a Lanak & Hanna PC construction, environmental and real estate litigator as a principal.
-
December 05, 2024
2 Firms Guide Ground Lease For $780M NYC Soccer Stadium
A New York professional soccer team began construction on its $780 million, 500,000-square-foot Queens stadium and secured a 49-year ground lease, in a deal guided by Venable LLP and Paul Hastings LLP, according to several official announcements.
-
December 05, 2024
Macy's, Bank And Parking Garage Settle $2.7M Repair Fight
Macy's Retail Holdings has resolved litigation against it by a bank and a parking lot operator over $2.7 million in repairs and maintenance fees needed at a nearby parking garage, according to a Thursday court filing.
-
December 05, 2024
GSA To Sell 8 Federal Buildings, Saving Up To $475M
The U.S. General Services Administration has announced plans to offload eight federally owned properties, a move that could potentially save the federal government $475 million over 10 years.
-
December 05, 2024
Ariz. Parcel's Improvements Have No Value, Tax Court Says
The improvements to an industrial parcel in Arizona have no value, the state tax court ruled, agreeing with the owner that a county assessor's valuation of the property was excessive.
-
December 04, 2024
RXR Realty Faces Foreclosure Suit On $670M NYC Office Loan
A lender has moved to foreclose on a $670 million Manhattan office loan, more than a year after borrower RXR Realty defaulted on the loan following a major tenant's decision not to renew a lease at the property, per a filing in New York state court.
-
December 04, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Adds Real Estate, Capital Markets Attys
Lowenstein Sandler LLP has hired partners for its business litigation and capital markets and securities teams in New York City, the firm announced Wednesday.
-
December 04, 2024
Valley Sells $925M In Loans As Banks Shed CRE Loans
Lenders, especially banks under pressure from regulators, are now taking big steps to distance themselves from commercial real estate. Those strategies include selling even performing loan portfolios at a discount, as well as starting foreclosures to draw buyers.
-
December 04, 2024
Treasury Finalizes Broad Energy Investment Tax Credit Regs
The U.S. Treasury Department released final regulations Wednesday for the clean energy investment tax credit, which includes notable changes to the proposed energy property definition to include functional components in calculating the incentive's value, such as a biogas facility's upgrading equipment.
-
December 04, 2024
Real Estate Pro Joins Flaster Greenberg In Philly
An attorney with more than 10 years of experience as in-house counsel at Philadelphia-area real estate development firms has moved his practice to Flaster Greenberg PC to grow his client base with complex projects, the firm said Tuesday.
-
December 04, 2024
What Real Estate Pros Learned About Office Sector In 2024
While the long-term story of the office sector post-pandemic is still yet to be told, 2024 offered some clues as to what may be in store for that asset class going forward.
-
December 03, 2024
Texas Judge Blocks 'Quasi-Orwellian' Anti-Laundering Law
A Texas federal judge on Tuesday halted the Biden administration's roll-out of new reporting requirements aimed at unmasking anonymous shell companies, granting a nationwide preliminary injunction sought by business interests challenging their constitutionality.
-
December 03, 2024
Ex-Braves Blast Tax Court's 'Disregard' In Easement Fight
Two former Atlanta Braves players penalized for allegedly overstating the value of a conservation easement donation urged the Eleventh Circuit to toss the costly ruling against them, saying the U.S. Tax Court's decision showed "blatant disregard" for the appeal court's precedent in deciding the matter.
-
December 03, 2024
Mich. Seat Co. On Hook For €4.1M German Lease, Suit Says
A German property owner has said in a new complaint that a Michigan-based automotive seat manufacturer is on the hook for a €4.1 million ($4.3 million at current exchange rates) lease after its European entity defaulted on payments and entered insolvency proceedings.
-
December 03, 2024
Insurance Execs Charged With $250M Fake Policy Scheme
An insurance company and two executives issued bogus insurance policies purporting to offer over $250 million in coverage to companies and homeowners, according to an indictment announced by the Manhattan district attorney Tuesday.
-
December 03, 2024
Gov't Properties REIT Buys NC School System Campus
Real estate investment trust Easterly Government Properties Inc. announced Tuesday it acquired a three-property campus of commercial properties in Cary, North Carolina, which are leased primarily to a local public school system.
-
December 03, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Fishery's $2M Water Damage
An insurer told an Arizona federal court it owed no coverage to a seafood company embroiled in underlying litigation over more than $2 million in water damage, saying the fishmonger's splashing at its rental property wasn't accidental and its polices weren't in effect at the time.
-
December 03, 2024
Pastor Wants Judge DQ'd Over Attorney Turnover Comment
A Michigan pastor said Monday that a federal judge should be disqualified from overseeing his lawsuit alleging a township's zoning ordinance discriminates against religious entities because of a comment the judge made about the pastor having "issues" with attorney turnover.
-
December 03, 2024
California Tribe Says Feds Didn't Consult On Casino Project
A California tribe is looking to block the U.S. Department of Interior from approving a casino project on its historic homelands, arguing that the federal government failed to consult it on the endeavor that will irreparably harm its sovereignty and its rights over sacred objects located on the site.
-
December 03, 2024
JV Nabs NYC Waterfront Property, $85M Construction Loan
A joint venture of Joyland Group and Prospect Development purchased an undeveloped Brooklyn, New York, waterfront property for $48.25 million, simultaneously securing an $85 million construction loan, according to a Tuesday statement from JLL, which arranged both deals.
-
December 03, 2024
Timeshare Co. Argues Jury Never Should've Seen Fraud Suit
A company selling timeshares in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told a state appeals court Tuesday that a consumer fraud suit never should have reached a jury, arguing that an evidence rule bars the claims.
-
December 03, 2024
Real Estate Lawyers On The Move
Nixon Peabody, Dorsey & Whitney and Baker McKenzie are among the law firms that have made recent real estate or construction hires.
-
December 03, 2024
4 Firms Guide KKR JV's £900M Hotel Portfolio Buy
A joint venture between global investment firm KKR and investment manager The Baupost Group acquired a £900 million ($1.14 billion) portfolio of 33 U.K. Marriott International hotels from a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in a deal guided by four law firms, KKR announced.
Expert Analysis
-
Key Issues When Navigating A Tenant's Bankruptcy
In light of recent Chapter 11 filings by Rite Aid and WeWork — companies with thousands of commercial leases — practitioners should review issues that can arise when bankruptcy is used to exit a lease, including the consequences of lease rejection and the statutory cap on landlord damage claims for a rejected lease, say attorneys at Proskauer.
-
The Year Ahead In Foreign Investment And National Security
In 2024, expect the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, already at the forefront of addressing national security threats, to increase monitoring and enforcement related to outbound investment, focus on supply chain resilience in nondefense sectors, and heighten oversight of agricultural transactions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
-
Sale-Leasebacks May Provide A Safe Financing Alternative
Amid rising interest rates and unpredictable market conditions, sale-leasebacks can be a useful investment option for both buyers and sellers, though their potential drawbacks demand careful consideration, says Chanel Di Blasi at Crosbie Gliner.
-
5 Recent Developments Family Offices Are Watching In 2024
Although family offices have long been exempt from many of the more onerous regulations and reporting requirements governing U.S. investment advisers and asset managers, recent amendments to federal rules will have an impact on how family offices invest and operate in 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
A Challenging CRE Environment Holds Opportunities In 2024
As the commercial real estate market faces reduced occupancy levels and rising financing costs, the new landscape will be favorable to those who can leverage capital, strategic vision and expertise to meet challenges like taking on distressed properties and converting office space to residential use, say Nesa Amamoo and Vered Rabia at Skadden.
-
What The 2023 Bank Failures Taught Us, And What's To Come
As 2023 draws to a close, it's apparent that the bank failures this past spring sparked a seismic shift in the regulatory and supervisory landscape for banking organizations, and the consequences are still continuing to be felt throughout the financial sector as we head into 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
A Difficult Year For CRE, But Future May Be Brighter
2023 was a challenging year for the commercial real estate industry, marked by significant uncertainty, but market pressure and signs of rising interest rates provide some reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the year ahead as pandemic headwinds and gridlock fade away, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
-
3 Developments That Will Affect Hospitality Companies In 2024
As the hospitality industry continues its post-pandemic recovery, it faces both challenges and opportunities to thrive in 2024, including navigating new labor rules, developing branded residential living spaces and cautiously embracing artificial intelligence, says Lauren Stewart at Sheppard Mullin.
-
What WeWork's Ch. 11 Filing Means For Landlords
WeWork’s recent Chapter 11 filing in New Jersey has the potential to be one of the most consequential cases in the real estate industry in many years, and presents a number of issues for landlords, including unexpired leases, assumption, assignment and more, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
-
The 4 Top Philadelphia Commerce Court Opinions Of 2023
Four 2023 rulings from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas — including decisions on judicial privilege, stay requests, sheriff's sales and the appointment of a receiver — highlight the court's commitment to stringent standards and address evolving challenges in commercial litigation, say Jonathan Hugg and Sarah Boutros at Eckert Seamans.
-
A Former Bankruptcy Judge Talks 2023 High Court Rulings
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four bankruptcy law opinions — an extraordinary number — and a close look at these cases signals that changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code will have to come from Congress, not the courts, says Phillip Shefferly at the University of Michigan Law School.
-
5 Traps To Avoid When Selling CRE In Las Vegas Area
When dealing with commercial real estate in Clark County, Nevada — which includes the Las Vegas metro area — even sophisticated sellers may be ensnared by a myriad of tricky issues, ranging from transfer tax nuances to arbitration laws, says Chris Walther at Fennemore Craig.
-
'Brownfields' Definition Key To Energy Community Tax Credits
As the IRS rolls out guidance for claiming community energy tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, a review of the long-standing statutory definition of "brownfields" reveals that it continues to serve the goal of creating opportunities for investment in abandoned properties, says Louise Dyble at Sheppard Mullin.