Commercial
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June 18, 2025
How To Be A Savvy Legal Adviser When Building Data Centers
All eyes are on force majeure and limitation of liability provisions in contracts for building data centers, but a few other legal considerations also bear great significance in the outcome of a successful project.
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June 18, 2025
Ore. Lawmakers Approve $800M Portland MLB Stadium Bill
Oregon lawmakers have advanced a plan to attract a Major League Baseball team with $800 million in state spending on a new arena at a waterfront site in Portland, a development effort advised by attorneys from firms that include Sidley Austin LLP and Holland & Knight LLP.
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June 18, 2025
Pittsburgh, State Should Pay For Demolished Bridge, Co. Says
A Pennsylvania property owner has accused Pittsburgh and the state's Department of Transportation of effectively taking its property by demolishing a railroad-highway bridge that provided access to a parking lot, an auto parts distribution center and other land, arguing the company is owed damages.
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June 18, 2025
Phillips Lytle Forms Land Use, Permitting, Zoning Group
Phillips Lytle LLP has created a team of 11 attorneys who will focus on land use, obtaining permits and zoning matters, the firm announced Tuesday.
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June 18, 2025
MLB's Rays Discussing Sale To Fla. Real Estate Developer
The Tampa Bay Rays confirmed on Wednesday the Major League Baseball franchise is in "exclusive discussions" to be sold to a group led by real estate developer Patrick O. Zalupski, three months after the team pulled out of an agreement to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg.
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June 18, 2025
NY Tribe Looks To Block Long Island Town Code Enforcement
A Long Island tribe is asking a New York federal court to block the Town of Southampton from imposing its municipal codes on 84 acres of their lands, saying its officials are attempting to prevent them from using the site for economic gain.
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June 18, 2025
Mushroom Farm Faces $6M Tax Liens Tied To Fraud Case
A defunct Pennsylvania mushroom farm failed to pay the outstanding balance in a payroll tax fraud case that sent its owner to jail last year and owes more than $6 million worth of tax liens, the U.S. Department of Justice told a federal court.
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June 18, 2025
Wash. Panel Sides With Insurer In Café Fire Damage Suit
A couple's commercial property insurer has no duty to cover damage from a kitchen fire at their café, a Washington state appeals court affirmed, finding the couple lacked certain protective safeguards that were required as part of their fire suppression system.
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June 18, 2025
Dentons Global Hospitality Leader Sees Underwriting Caution
As President Donald Trump's trade war continues, lenders are increasingly exercising caution in underwriting deals for hotels, particularly in areas that depend on a steady influx of international travel, Dentons' global hospitality leader told Law360 in a recent interview.
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June 18, 2025
Butler Snow Hires Real Estate Attorney Sharpe In Charleston
Law firm Butler Snow LLP said it has hired real estate attorney Mark S. Sharpe to its Charleston, South Carolina, office.
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June 18, 2025
Calif. Eyes Urban Infill Housing, Sidestepping CEQA Overhaul
California state lawmakers faced with an ongoing housing crisis have backed a measure to boost new urban projects, even while avoiding other confrontations over a long-cited obstacle to housing construction.
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June 18, 2025
Vornado's NYU Lease Drives Manhattan Office Leasing Spike
Manhattan office leasing activity spiked in May, driven partially by a large Vornado lease with New York University that brought year-to-date activity 37% higher than the same period in 2024, according to a report from CBRE.
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June 17, 2025
SilverRock's $60M Ch. 11 Stalking Horse Bid Gets Green Light
Acknowledging property owner and creditor valuation objections and unsettled claims, a Delaware bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved a $60 million stalking horse offer intended to jumpstart bidding for a 134-acre tract southeast of Los Angeles that was once part of a resort development plan.
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June 17, 2025
Cannabis REIT Reckless To Claim Due Diligence, 3rd Circ. Told
Investors in a cannabis-focused real estate investment trust urged the Third Circuit on Tuesday to revive their proposed class action alleging it violated securities laws by ignoring information about a tenant, saying it was reckless to have claimed it conducted due diligence when it knew it did not.
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June 17, 2025
Pa. Landlord Says Kohl's Can't Skirt Lease, Shield Profits
The owner of a Pottstown, Pennsylvania, mall has accused Kohl's of attempting to unilaterally terminate its lease and duck payment obligations while liquidating merchandise to which the landlord was entitled, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.
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June 17, 2025
Florida Lawmakers Approve Ending Business Rent Tax
Florida would eliminate its business rent tax and require a study on whether the state could eliminate or reduce residential property taxes under budget-related legislation the state Legislature approved.
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June 17, 2025
Tax Court Slashes Conservation Easement Value By $11M
The U.S. Tax Court on Tuesday lopped off nearly $11 million of the claimed value of a property donated as a conservation easement, saying the land's best use case would be for low-density residential housing, timber and recreation, not a vacation resort.
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June 17, 2025
Insurer Can't Force Another To Cover Worker Injury Suit
An insurer cannot force another to defend a property owner in an underlying worker injury lawsuit through the doctrine of equitable estoppel after both insurers ultimately agreed the policy in question isn't triggered, a New York federal court ruled, finding the policy unambiguous.
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June 17, 2025
Kayne Anderson Closes $1.7B Opportunistic RE Debt Fund
A Kayne Anderson opportunistic real estate debt fund closed with $1.69 billion raised, surpassing its $1.5 billion fundraising goal, the alternative investment firm's real estate division announced Tuesday.
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June 17, 2025
Akin Adds Pair Of M&A, Real Estate Funds Attys In Chicago
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP announced Tuesday it has brought on two more Mayer Brown LLP attorneys who are based in Chicago.
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June 17, 2025
NYC Real Estate Firm Founder Says Ex-Partner Ruined Firm
The founding partner of a now-dissolved New York City boutique real estate firm is suing a former partner who he'd mentored for years, alleging he schemed to undermine the firm and orchestrate a client exodus that ultimately plunged the firm into financial ruin and forced it to dissolve.
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June 17, 2025
Florida Judge Awards $487K In Real Estate Fraud Case
A Florida federal judge awarded more than $487,000 to two investors who alleged that they were tricked into providing funds for multiple South Florida real estate projects in a multimillion-dollar real estate fraud scheme.
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June 17, 2025
Cadwalader Oversees $235M NYC Hotel Portfolio Refinancing
Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies landed a $235 million refinancing of a New York City hotel portfolio that entered special servicing in October, in a filing prepared by Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP.
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June 17, 2025
Construction Attorneys Brace For Impact Of Tariff Uncertainty
With the industry's reliance on materials and tight project schedules, anyone involved in construction has to be keeping a close eye on developments in the current trade wars, lawyers in the field told Law360 Real Estate Authority.
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June 16, 2025
SilverRock Lenders Say $60M Ch. 11 Baseline Bid Too Low
Secured lenders of resort construction firm SilverRock Development Corporation have objected to the debtor's proposed designation of a stalking-horse bid, telling a Delaware bankruptcy court on Monday the $60 million offer is far below the asserted value of the company's real estate assets.
Expert Analysis
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Consider Best Legal Practices For Commissioning Public Art
Commissioning public art for real estate projects can provide many benefits to real estate developers and the public, but it's important to understand the unique legal and contracting aspects of the process to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget, says Sarah Conley Odenkirk at ArtConverge.
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Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA
After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.
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Climate Among Many Factors Driving Up RE Insurance Costs
A proactive approach to risk management may determine the viability of the U.S. commercial real estate sector as weather crises and other factors drive insurance costs higher, says Ulrick Matsunaga at Crosbie Gliner.
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Bid Protest Spotlight: Debriefings, Timeliness, Documentation
James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims concerning an agency's decision not to hold post-award discussions, a timeliness trap in certain Federal Supply Schedule procurements and the importance of providing contemporaneous documentation in price-evaluation protests.
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A Look At Recent Case Law On Expedited Judgment In NY
A number of recent New York state court decisions clarify and refine the contours surrounding Civil Practice Law and Rule 3213, providing landlords, lenders and other payees guidance on how to seek accelerated judgment in certain litigation, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.
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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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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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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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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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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.