Commercial

  • May 30, 2025

    Cleveland Says Browns' Stadium Suit Is In Wrong Venue

    Cleveland asked an Ohio federal court Friday to reconsider its decision to allow the Cleveland Browns to amend their lawsuit over a planned stadium move, arguing that the judge failed to address the city's jurisdictional challenge.

  • May 30, 2025

    Praying Or Parking? Religious Land Use Fights Head To Court

    Local zoning and planning boards, usually unelected decision-making bodies, often operate with sweeping discretion that can provide cover for discrimination against religious communities. But backed by pro bono attorneys, religious groups are leaning on a 2000 federal law in their bid for court intervention.

  • May 30, 2025

    Atlanta Seeks Win In Ex-Building Officials' Age Bias Suit

    A former Atlanta building official has failed to show his age was the deciding factor in not being promoted to a chief inspector role, the city told a federal court, urging it to toss the man's discrimination lawsuit.

  • May 30, 2025

    Cleary Helping Cushman & Wakefield On Move To Bermuda

    Cushman & Wakefield's parent company is seeking to move its place of incorporation from England and Wales to Bermuda, with the assistance of counsel from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, the real estate brokerage firm said in a regulatory filing.

  • May 30, 2025

    REIT Investors' $12M Deal Over NexPoint Merger Get Final OK

    A New York federal judge granted final approval to a $12 million securities class action settlement reached with Jernigan Capital investors who alleged the defendants omitted material information amid a 2020 sale to NexPoint Advisors, and awarded $3.9 million in fees Thursday to lead counsel for prosecuting the case.

  • May 30, 2025

    Diaz Reus Sued For Fraud, Conflict In Failed Miami Water Park

    A Florida consultant has sued law firm Diaz Reus & Targ LLP over allegations it created an adverse conflict of interest in ownership over a failed Miami water park when the firm's managing partner and his brother, another firm member, attempted to "strong-arm" him into reducing his interest in the venture.

  • May 30, 2025

    Fenwick & West Leases New San Francisco Office Space

    Fenwick & West LLP will move to a new San Francisco office after signing a 50,000-square foot lease for office space in a 38-story Class A office tower owned by real estate investment trust Paramount Group Inc., according to an announcement from JLL.

  • May 30, 2025

    Mass. Can't Delay Developer's Suit Over Brownfields Credit

    Massachusetts tax officials who have taken more than two years to consider the appeal of a denied brownfields tax credit must hand over the administrative record in the case so that a developer can pursue a motion for judgment on the pleadings, a state court justice has ordered.

  • May 30, 2025

    Thompson Hine Brings Ex-Troutman Real Estate Atty To LA

    Thompson Hine LLP hired a former Troutman Pepper Locke LLP real estate transactions partner as a new real estate partner in Los Angeles, the firm announced May 29.

  • May 30, 2025

    Bravo Property Trust Lands $400M From Middle East Investor

    Real estate financing company Bravo Property Trust announced on Friday that a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund manager will invest up to $400 million in the firm to support its bridge and construction loan offerings.

  • May 29, 2025

    Alston & Bird, Smith Mackinnon Steer $710M Fla. Bank Deal

    The holding company for Seacoast National Bank said Thursday that it would acquire Villages Bancorporation Inc., the holding company of Citizens First Bank based in The Villages, Florida, for approximately $710 million in a deal guided by Alston & Bird LLP and Smith Mackinnon PA.

  • May 29, 2025

    NY Landlord LLC Transparency Bill Advances

    The New York State Senate passed a bill on May 28 to require landlords of rent-stabilized properties to disclose members of their limited liability companies.

  • May 29, 2025

    KC Royals Say Mortgage Deal Doesn't Imply Move To Kansas

    The Kansas City Royals have made a third-party purchase of the mortgage on a potential site for a new ballpark in Overland Park, Kansas, but denied that the transaction meant the MLB team was moving from the city and state of Missouri that have been its home since launching in 1969.

  • May 29, 2025

    Shareholders Sue REIT, Ready Capital Over 2023 Merger

    A proposed class of investors in a REIT that merged with commercial real estate lender Ready Capital Corp. two years ago claimed in Washington federal court that they were misled by executives from both companies ahead of the $787 million deal.

  • May 29, 2025

    Texas Bars Some Property Tax Hikes Above Voter-OK'd Rates

    Texas will prohibit school districts from adopting property tax rates above voter-approved thresholds in response to a natural disaster if voters previously rejected a similar proposed rate increase, under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.

  • May 29, 2025

    Latham-Led Luxury Vacation Rental Startup Raises $50M

    Wander, a platform for luxury short-term rentals, announced that it raised $50 million in a Series B round co-led by QED Investors and Fifth Wall to support the company's expansion efforts, with guidance from Latham & Watkins LLP.

  • May 29, 2025

    Clifford Chance Hires Investment Funds Partner From Kirkland

    Clifford Chance LLP announced Tuesday the hiring of a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP for its funds and investment management practice in the U.S., a month after Kirkland picked up an investment funds partner from Clifford Chance.

  • May 29, 2025

    Developer Sells Miami Office Tower Project Site For $211.5M

    Developer and property manager Swire Properties has sold a project development site for a planned Miami office tower to Melo Group for $211.5 million, a representative for commercial real estate firm CBRE told Law360.

  • May 29, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Guides $100M Brooklyn Hotel Sale

    A hedge fund sold off a Brooklyn hotel to a real estate investment and development firm in a $100 million deal guided by Greenberg Traurig LLP, according to official property records.

  • May 29, 2025

    Ariz. Hilton Hotel Developer Lands $86M Refi Loan

    The developer and property manager of a newly constructed luxury Hilton Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, obtained an $86 million refinancing loan for the property in a deal guided by commercial real estate firm Walker & Dunlop, according to a May 29 announcement.

  • May 28, 2025

    Multivista Aims To Take Guesswork Out Of Construction

    In a recent interview with Law360 Real Estate Authority, the owner of a franchise of proptech company Multivista explained how cataloged insights into the building process can help prevent mistakes or down the road serve as valuable evidence in the event of a dispute or warranty claim.

  • May 28, 2025

    NJ County To Put $240B In Land Records On Blockchain

    Land record management company Balcony on Wednesday said it has struck a deal to store some 370,000 property deeds in Bergen County, New Jersey, on its blockchain platform, in the biggest-ever U.S. effort of its kind.

  • May 28, 2025

    Landfill Co. Challenges Va. City's Land Use Law

    A landfill owner in Chesapeake, Virginia, claimed in a federal suit filed Wednesday that a local land use law wrongfully lets the city strip away property rights that have allowed the landfill to keep operating over the years despite changes in land use restrictions.

  • May 28, 2025

    Calif. Hotel Operator Sued By JV Partner In Ch. 11 Case

    The joint venture partner of a bankrupt California hotel owner-operator lodged an adversary complaint against the company in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in Delaware, urging the court to transfer several of the joint venture's California properties.

  • May 28, 2025

    Greenspoon Marder Adds Former GC To Hospitality Group

    Greenspoon Marder LLP hired a former general counsel and senior vice president for pizza and burger chain Emmy Squared as a partner for the firm's hospitality, alcohol and leisure industry group in its New York City office, the firm announced Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Insurer Quota-Sharing Lessons From $112M Bad Faith Verdict

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    In Indiana GRQ v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance, an Indiana federal jury recently issued a landmark $112 million bad faith verdict, illustrating why insurers must understand the interplay between bad faith law and quota-sharing before entering into these relatively new arrangements, say Jason Reichlyn and Christopher Sakauye at Dykema. 

  • A Look At New IRS Rules For Domestically Controlled REITs

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    The Internal Revenue Services' finalized Treasury Regulations addressing whether real estate investment trusts qualify as domestically controlled adopt the basic structure of previous proposals, but certain new and modified rules may mitigate the regulations' impact, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • How New Rule Would Change CFIUS Enforcement Powers

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    Before the May 15 comment deadline, companies may want to weigh in on proposed regulatory changes to enforcement and mitigation tools at the disposal of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, including broadened subpoena powers, difficult new mitigation timelines and higher maximum penalties, say attorneys at Venable.

  • 2nd Circ. Eminent Domain Ruling Empowers Municipalities

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Brinkmann v. Town of Southold, finding that a pretextual taking does not violate the Fifth Amendment's takings clause, gives municipalities a powerful tool with which to block unwanted development projects, even in bad faith, say James O'Connor and Benjamin Sugarman at Phillips Lytle.

  • SEC Should Be Allowed To Equip Investors With Climate Info

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rule to require more climate-related disclosures will provide investors with much-needed clarity, despite opponents' attempts to challenge the rule with misused legal arguments, say Sarah Goetz at Democracy Forward and Cynthia Hanawalt at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change.

  • How Cos. Can Comply With New PFAS Superfund Rule

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous substances" under the Superfund law will likely trigger additional enforcement and litigation at sites across the country — so companies should evaluate any associated reporting obligations and liability risks, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How EB-5 Regional Centers Can Prepare For USCIS Audits

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    In response to the recently announced U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services guidelines that require EB-5 regional center audits every five years to verify their compliance with immigration and securities laws, regional centers should take steps to facilitate a seamless audit process, say Jennifer Hermansky and Miriam Thompson at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Understanding The IRC's Excessive Refund Claim Penalty

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    Taxpayers considering protective refund claims pending resolution of major questions in tax cases like Moore v. U.S., which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, should understand how doing so may also leave them vulnerable to an excessive refund claim penalty under Internal Revenue Code Section 6676, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Bankruptcy Ruling Shifts Lease Rejection Claim Calculation

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    A New York federal court’s recent ruling in In re: Cortlandt provides guidance on how to calculate a landlord's damages claim when a bankruptcy debtor rejects a lease, changing from an approach that considers the remaining rent due under the lease to one that considers the remaining time, say Bethany Simmons and Noah Weingarten at Loeb & Loeb.

  • What Calif. Eviction Ruling Means For Defaulting Borrowers

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Homeward Opportunities v. Taptelis found that a defaulting borrower could not delay foreclosure with an improperly served notice of pendency of action, but leaves open a possibility for borrowers to delay eviction proceedings merely by filing lawsuits, say Anne Beehler and Krystal Anderson at Holland & Knight.

  • How 3D Printing And Prefab Are Changing Construction

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    The growing popularity of trends like 3D printing technology and prefabrication in the construction industry have positive ramifications ranging from reducing risks at project sites to streamlining construction schedules, say Josephine Bahn and Jeffery Mullen at Cozen O'Connor.

  • A Deep Dive Into High Court's Permit Fee Ruling

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    David Robinson and Daniel Golub at Holland & Knight explore the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that a local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner may be a Fifth Amendment taking — and where it leaves localities and real estate developers.

  • What To Consider When Buying RE Promissory Notes

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    In light of recent distress in the real estate market, note purchases — in which an investor buys a promissory note and mortgage rather than actual property — can be a worthwhile alternative to traditional investments, but require careful contemplation of unique risks and strategic considerations, say Douglas Praw and Katelyn DeMartini at Holland & Knight.