Commercial

  • April 22, 2024

    Judge Finds Feds Own Historic Virgin Islands Resort

    A U.S. Virgin Islands federal judge has found the government owns the title to the historic Caneel Bay resort on a St. John peninsula, ruling against an operator in a dispute that arose after the resort suffered damage from back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes in 2017.

  • April 22, 2024

    Real Estate Investment Cos. Owe SEC $8.4M For $17.5M Fraud

    A pair of companies allegedly used in service of a fraudulent real estate investment scheme will pay over $8.4 million to end claims they were part of the $17.5 million ploy that took in more than 150 would-be investors with claims that the securities involved were "recession-proof."

  • April 22, 2024

    Miami Seaquarium Operator Fights Eviction Bid In $35M Suit

    The operator of the Miami Seaquarium is fighting an alleged attempt by Miami-Dade County to unlawfully terminate its lease, saying in a federal lawsuit it will lose $35 million from a possible eviction that occurred after the company's CEO criticized county officials in an email over the facility's condition.

  • April 22, 2024

    Seattle Property Owners Can't Use COVID To Stop $160M Tax

    A Washington appeals court said on Monday that Seattle can keep a $160 million property tax to pay for waterfront improvements, in an opinion that rejected an argument that diminished property values after COVID-19 should force the city to recalculate the tax.

  • April 22, 2024

    Feds Botched Building Contract Prices, Watchdog Reports

    Federal building overseers in the Southeast U.S. used distorted pricing for medium-term construction contracts that produced significantly inflated and unreasonably low-cost estimates, according to a government watchdog.

  • April 22, 2024

    NY Creates New Affordable Housing, Conversion Tax Breaks

    Developers in New York City could qualify for new property tax abatement programs for building affordable housing and converting office buildings into affordable housing units under the New York state budget that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hocul signed into law.

  • April 22, 2024

    Lessee Axed From NC Doctor's Quarrel With Ex-Partner

    The North Carolina Business Court has purged a defendant from an ophthalmologist's lawsuit claiming his former partner has reneged on a settlement to buy out the ophthalmologist's half of the practice, finding the defendant wasn't a party to the settlement and can't now be bound to it.

  • April 22, 2024

    Ralph Lauren Can Continue Appeal Of COVID Coverage Loss

    The Third Circuit on Monday lifted a stay that sidelined a Ralph Lauren Corp. appeal of a district judge's ruling that the fashion retailer failed to show insurable physical damage to stores from the COVID-19 pandemic, sending the case to an appellate motions panel with three similar actions.

  • April 22, 2024

    Trump, NY AG Reach Deal To OK $175M Fraud Appeal Bond

    Donald Trump's lawyers agreed Monday to bond conditions requiring the former president to give up control of his $175 million cash deposit pending appeal of a $465 million civil fraud judgment, staving off scrutiny from both the New York attorney general and the judge who entered the award.

  • April 22, 2024

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Davis Polk and Rosenberg & Estis are among the law firms that handled the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, a period that saw properties for a variety of asset classes — including an office building — trade hands.

  • April 22, 2024

    Mo. Tax Board Says Horse Breeding Farm Is Agricultural Land

    A Missouri property used to breed and care for horses that are shown at shows should have been classified as agricultural instead of commercial, the state tax commission ruled.

  • April 22, 2024

    Latham-Led CoStar To Buy Matterport In $1.6B Deal

    Latham & Watkins LLP-advised CoStar Group said Monday it has agreed to buy 3D spacial-capture technology company Matterport at an estimated enterprise value of $1.6 billion, in a deal that will add its virtual property tour technology to CoStar's existing real estate information and analytics offerings. 

  • April 19, 2024

    Attys Wary Of 'Zero Tolerance' Approach In New PFAS Rule

    With Friday's finalization of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule designating two "forever chemicals" as hazardous, the stakes just got higher for real property due diligence work.

  • April 19, 2024

    Casino SPAC Can Return Money, Not Shares, Chancery Rules

    Stockholders in a blank-check company that failed to merge with a Philippines-based casino are entitled to a distribution from $37.5 million sitting in trust, but the company may not redeem any shares until an investor's Delaware lawsuit plays out, a Chancery Court vice chancellor said Friday.

  • April 19, 2024

    Insurers Push To Arbitrate Hurricane Damage Case

    An arbitrator should decide whether a Louisiana property owner's hurricane damage claims must be arbitrated, a group of surplus lines insurers argued in urging the Second Circuit to reject a New York district court's reliance on the circuit's precedent to find the arbitration clause at issue unenforceable.

  • April 19, 2024

    NY AG Doubts Trump Insurer Can Cover $175M Bond

    The New York Attorney General's Office told a Manhattan court Friday it has doubts about a California insurer's ability to cover a $175 million bond imposed on Donald Trump after a civil trial in which he was found responsible for conspiring to inflate his wealth for financial gain.

  • April 19, 2024

    US Trustee Balks At 22% Rate On Petersen Health DIP Loan

    The U.S. Trustee's Office objected Friday to senior living company Petersen Health Care's proposed bankruptcy financing, telling a Delaware judge that the combined 22% interest rate on the $45 million debtor-in-possession loan is "above market."

  • April 19, 2024

    Pillsbury Makes Longtime Commitment To 'Iconic' SF Building

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has extended the lease on its San Francisco offices for 11 more years, the firm announced Friday.

  • April 19, 2024

    Polsinelli Adds Shareholder To Tax Credit Practice In Dallas

    An attorney who spent more than a decade developing a niche practice specializing in tax credit financing has moved her practice to Polsinelli PC's Dallas office after five years at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC.

  • April 19, 2024

    The Week In Trump: NY Trial And A High Court Date Loom

    Despite a few snags, jury selection for Donald Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan unfolded relatively quickly, clearing the way for opening statements Monday in the historic case as the former president prepped for a U.S. Supreme Court debate over his supposed immunity.

  • April 19, 2024

    Fried Frank Advises $632M Hotel Portfolio Refinancing

    Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP advised hotel operator MCR and developer Building and Land Technology on a $632 million refinancing of a portfolio of 53 hotels in more than a dozen states.

  • April 19, 2024

    EPA Says 2 'Forever Chemicals' Are Hazardous Substances

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday officially declared two "forever chemicals" to be hazardous materials under federal law, which could bring a host of consequences for Superfund site cleanups and development projects.

  • April 18, 2024

    What 4 Real Estate Leaders Said At NYU's REIT Symposium

    The public real estate investment trust sector will bounce back from its current troubles "at some point," said Jon Gray, Blackstone's president. He was not the only company executive who sounded hopeful about the industry's future at New York University's 28th annual REIT symposium.

  • April 18, 2024

    Investors In Failed Manila Casino Deal Sue For SPAC Shares

    Shareholders in a blank-check company that failed to take a Philippines casino public have intervened in two Delaware Chancery Court lawsuits to recoup their failed investments, with one seeking to litigate damages from the busted $2.6 billion deal and the other pushing for the company's liquidation.

  • April 18, 2024

    Investor Says Healthcare REIT Ties Undercut Lease Terms

    An activist investor on Thursday urged shareholders to vote against two of National Health Investors Inc.'s incumbent board members at an annual meeting in May, alleging that conflicts of interest between directors on the board and the company's largest tenant are harming the real estate investment trust.

Expert Analysis

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • Key Provisions In Florida's New Insurer Accountability Act

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    Florida's recent bipartisan Insurer Accountability Act introduces a range of new obligations for insurance companies and regulatory bodies to strengthen consumer protection, and other states may follow suit should it prove successful at ensuring a reliable insurance market, say Jan Larson and Benjamin Malings at Jenner & Block.

  • Best Practices For Lenders To Limit Recourse Liability

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    As projects face loan maturities in a higher interest rate environment, lenders should diligently observe even seemingly innocuous formalities following an event of default in order to minimize potential recourse liability, especially when borrowers have certain covenants, say Ryan Goins and Matthias Kleinsasser at Winstead.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • Rising Interest Rates Bring Risk For Construction Contractors

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    With rising interest rates causing many construction projects to be slowed or halted, it's important for general contractors to implement safeguard measures against the risk of significant financial losses caused by owner-driven schedule modifications, says Kevin Riexinger at Gfeller Laurie.

  • Keys To Navigating The Post-Pandemic CRE Market

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the commercial real estate market continues to face repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, lawyers should use office occupancy and leasing volume numbers to anticipate future trends and help guide clients through an uncertain landscape, says Joseph Calvanico at J2C Valuations.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • How Rate Exportation Is Shifting Amid Regulatory Trends

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    All banks and their partners, including fintechs, that wish to lend to borrowers in multiple states and charge uniform interest rates should heed regulatory developments across the country and determine how best to mitigate risks in their efforts to offer credit to consumers on a nationwide basis, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • How The Commercial Real Estate Slump May Weigh On Banks

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    The continuing underperformance of the U.S. commercial real estate market has significant implications for the financial performance and disclosure requirements for various banks, especially regional ones with large debt exposures, say Atanu Saha and Yong Xu at StoneTurn.

  • Negotiating Material Escalation In Construction Contracts

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    As material price escalation clauses have remained popular in construction contracts despite an easing of recent supply chain issues, attorneys representing owners should understand key considerations for negotiating such clauses, and strategies to mitigate potential exploitation by contractors, says H. Arthur Black II at Brooks Pierce.

  • Landlords Should Prep As WeWork Faces Potential Ch. 11

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    After years of financial trouble and the recent announcement that it has substantial doubt that it would be able to continue as a going concern, WeWork may have a bankruptcy filing in its future that would have a significant impact on landlords and other stakeholders who are owed money by the company, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

  • Key Drivers Behind Widespread Adoption Of NAV Financing

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    While net asset value-based lending has existed for years, NAV lending has only started to move into the mainstream recently — likely due to difficult market conditions faced by sponsors including persistent inflation, high interest rates and a lack of exit opportunities, say Matthew Kerfoot and Jinyoung Joo at Proskauer.