Residential

  • July 31, 2024

    Rising Star: Simpson Thacher's Sam Rudik

    Sam Rudik, a recently promoted partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, guided Blackstone on several billion-dollar transactions over the past three years, including a handful of major development deals and acquisitions involving data centers, landing him a spot among real estate attorneys under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 31, 2024

    With CENSAI, Real Estate Dives Into Detailed Population Data

    The real estate industry's growing embrace of technology has placed greater emphasis on the role of data in making decisions. Data and technology firm i360 has recently made a move into this sector with CENSAI Population Intelligence, a new venture it says will provide investors and developers more reliable and up-to-date insights and projections on markets and even individual properties.

  • July 30, 2024

    Fla. Insurance Co. Accused Of Causing Black Mold Death

    A Florida insurance company was accused of wrongfully causing the death of a woman who died from black mold contamination in a state complaint brought by her sole descendant, who alleges the insurer didn't send a promised team to remediate the woman's home after it was damaged by Hurricane Ian.

  • July 30, 2024

    Zillow Escapes Real Estate Agent's Trade Practices Claim

    Zillow Inc. on Tuesday escaped a proposed class action by a Connecticut real estate agent who claimed the website's computer-based home value estimates and "contact agent" buttons interfered with the ability of on-the-ground professionals to manage listings, work with clients and accurately price properties.

  • July 30, 2024

    Ex-HFZ Capital Chief Can't Reduce Bail In $86M Fraud Case

    A Manhattan judge on Tuesday denied, for now, a request by the former head of troubled real estate firm HFZ Capital Group to lower a hefty bail requirement so he can get out of Rikers Island while fighting $86 million theft and tax fraud charges.

  • July 30, 2024

    Ohio Bill Would Create Credit For Property Tax, Rent

    Ohio would allow homeowners and renters to claim a refundable property tax credit or rebate if their property tax or rent-equivalent tax exceeds 5% of their household income under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives.

  • July 30, 2024

    Insurer Says No Coverage For Florida Sex Assault Claims

    A trust facing a negligence claim after a minor said she was sexually assaulted while staying at the trust's vacation rental isn't owed any coverage for the lawsuit, its insurer told a Florida federal court Tuesday, citing a sexual molestation exclusion.

  • July 30, 2024

    No Damage Needed To Replace NJ Beach House, Panel Says

    New Jersey property owners looking to replace an existing structure located in a flood hazard area don't have to show it's in an unusable condition, a state appellate panel ruled Tuesday, backing the state Department of Environmental Protection's denial of a request by neighbors to rescind a developer's permit to replace a beachfront home.

  • July 30, 2024

    Feds Must Maintain Center's EB-5 Status During Fee Dispute

    A Montana federal judge ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to maintain a regional center's designation to participate in the EB-5 investor visa program while he reviews claims that the agency moved to terminate its designation without proper notice.

  • July 30, 2024

    Ropes & Gray Adds Partner To Int'l Tax Practice

    Ropes & Gray LLP recently added a tax adviser with a wealth of experience navigating transactions, funds and investments for clients as a partner in its New York office, the firm said.

  • July 30, 2024

    Legal Fees Caused Operating Cost Spike In Q2, Equity Says

    As Equity Residential reported higher occupancy, sales and income in the second quarter, an executive on Tuesday told investors that the multifamily giant's defense costs in "regulation by litigation" legal cases were on the rise, as well, driving an annual increase in operating expenses.

  • July 30, 2024

    NYC Condo Building Nears Peace Deal With Lenders In Ch. 11

    Bankrupt New York City condominium complex Hudson 888 Owner told a bankruptcy judge Tuesday that it is days away from reaching a settlement for its Chapter 11 plan, which will see it hand over its real estate to its main lender to clear its debts.

  • July 29, 2024

    Ky. Tower Sale Laundering Case Should Proceed, Judge Told

    A Florida magistrate judge has recommended denying a bid by two Miami businessmen to toss litigation filed by the U.S. government looking to seize about $9.1 million from the sale of a Kentucky office tower over alleged ties to a Ukrainian money laundering scheme.

  • July 29, 2024

    Tenants Reach $16.5M Settlement In Service Fees Suit

    A certified class of Section 8 housing voucher holders agreed to settle their claims for $16.5 million in California federal court against property owners and managers who allegedly violated the tenants' federal housing assistance payments contracts by wrongfully overcharging them with additional rent for amenities such as washers and dryers.

  • July 29, 2024

    Mich. Top Court Says 2020 Tax Foreclosure Ruling Retroactive

    The Michigan Supreme Court on Monday gave retroactive effect to its 2020 decision that said local governments violate homeowners' rights by profiting from the sales of their tax-foreclosed homes, saying Michigan's "robust" history of protecting against takings weighs in favor of making the ruling retroactive.

  • July 29, 2024

    BofA Mortgage Loan Officers Get Conditional Cert. In OT Suit

    A group of mortgage loan officers who accused Bank of America of misclassifying the employees as overtime-exempt has cinched conditional collective certification, with a North Carolina federal judge rejecting the bank's arguments that their job duties were too different to merit certification.

  • July 29, 2024

    Conn. Justices OK Vrbo Host's Short-Term House Rentals

    A divided Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Monday that a Vrbo host in Branford was allowed to rent out his property to vacationers under a set of regulations passed in 1994, before the local zoning board changed the rules in 2018 to ban his activities.

  • July 29, 2024

    Fraudster Faces Florida Condo Eviction Over Chain-Smoking

    A Florida luxury condominium association has brought a state court lawsuit against an admitted real estate fraudster and seeks to have him removed as a tenant over his chain-smoking, saying he broke the terms of his lease but continues to reside in his condo unit.

  • July 29, 2024

    9th Circ. Rules Ch. 7 Debtor Can't Exempt Home From Estate

    The Ninth Circuit ruled that a debtor in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case in Washington state cannot pursue above-limit homestead exemption and that the remaining proceeds of her property should go to the bankruptcy estate, reversing the bankruptcy appellate panel's decision in 2022.

  • July 29, 2024

    Realtor.com Parent Fights Uphill For CoStar Injunction

    A California federal judge appeared skeptical Monday of a preliminary injunction request from Realtor.com's parent company seeking to block rival CoStar from misappropriating trade secrets and unlawfully accessing its computers, saying the alleged theft doesn't appear to involve a secret "formula" but rather website content.

  • July 29, 2024

    NY City's Rent Regs Draw Legal Challenge

    The Hudson Valley Property Owners Association made good on its promise to challenge Poughkeepsie, New York's, move to adopt rent stabilization citywide, alleging in New York state court that the underlying vacancy rate the city used to opt in was miscalculated.

  • July 29, 2024

    Mich. Justices Uphold Power To Pause Pandemic Deadlines

    The Michigan Supreme Court affirmed Monday that it had the power to suspend case filing deadlines for three months at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ruling the temporary measure was not an overreach of the judiciary's authority.

  • July 29, 2024

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Romer Debbas and Marcus Attorneys are among the law firms that steered the largest New York City deeds that hit public records last week, a slow period that saw only five transactions north of $15 million become public.

  • July 29, 2024

    Workspace To Sell Residential Development For £13M

    Flexible workspace provider Workspace Group PLC said Monday that it has agreed to sell a residential redevelopment site in the southeastern English town of Woking for £13 million ($16.7 million).

  • July 26, 2024

    CFIUS Report Says More On Real Estate Than Meets The Eye

    The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' latest report to Congress shows no significant change in the number of real estate-related cases the committee reviewed in 2023, but that does not mean properties weren't on the government's radar, attorneys say.

Expert Analysis

  • Fla. Banking Brief: All The Notable Compliance Updates In Q2

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    Florida financial institutions must now navigate minimum interest rates for attorney trust accounts, restrictions on property sales to prohibited foreigners, and a ban on weighing environmental, social and governance factors to determine a customer's creditworthiness — changes that will add to banks' compliance pressures, says Patricia Hernandez at Avila Rodriguez.

  • NY Court Sends Mixed Signals On Contested Foreclosure Law

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    Although New York's Appellate Division, Second Department, has avoided addressing the constitutionality and retroactive application of the Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act, its conflicting pattern of applying FAPA to existing cases is creating confusion regarding the future of the law, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Abrams Fensterman and litigation support analyst Robert Marx.

  • Expect CFPB Scrutiny On AI In Lending

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau prioritizes regulatory oversight of the financial services industry's use of automated systems and artificial technology, it will need to balance regulation and innovation, and companies should prepare to mitigate any potential for bias or unfair, deceptive or abusive acts and practices, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

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    With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

  • Texas Construction Statute Of Repose Leaves Open Questions

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    Texas' new significantly shorter statute of repose barring certain suits against construction contractors contains some ambiguous wording that will likely raise questions to be decided by courts, says Mason Hester at Munsch Hardt.

  • 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

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    As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

  • In The CFPB Playbook: Abuse Policy, PACE, Payment Apps

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    From defining "abusive" conduct to implementing green energy financing to policing payment apps, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was busy last quarter. Akerman's Nora Rigby discusses all this and more in the first installment of bureau activity recaps by former CFPB personnel.

  • How To Avoid Flopping When Flipping Fla. Real Estate

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    As land prices rise, Florida real estate developers are increasingly contracting to flip property to other purchasers for a profit, and they should carefully consider the unique risks and issues associated with the different forms that the process can take, says Gary Kaleita at Lowndes.

  • Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

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    Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

  • States Must Fight Predatory Real Estate Listing Agreements

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    As momentum against long-term real estate listing agreements continues to grow, states should take action to render existing agreements unenforceable and discourage future unfair and deceptive trade practices in real estate, says Elizabeth Blosser at the American Land Title Association.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

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    At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

  • Ohio Tax Talk: Building On Federal Affordable Housing Credit

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    Ohio's soon-to-be-implemented low-income housing tax credit could significantly affect the state's affordable housing landscape and influence tax-credit deal financing for these projects, though Senate changes may have dampened the new credit's immense potential, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.