Commercial

  • October 07, 2024

    Factory Mutual Must Fully Cover Plant Explosions, Suit Says

    Petrochemicals maker Indorama Ventures accused Factory Mutual Insurance Co. in Texas federal court Monday of wrongly refusing to fully cover roughly $100 million in losses stemming from a series of major explosions in 2019 near an Indorama plant in Texas.

  • October 07, 2024

    2nd Circ. Axes Challenge To NYC COVID Guaranty Law

    A panel of Second Circuit judges ruled on Monday that a landlord lacks standing to challenge a New York City pandemic-era protection for commercial real estate tenants, finding that the property owner failed to allege that an enforcement action by the city was imminent.

  • October 07, 2024

    Split DC Circ. Says FERC Can Require Power Plant Upgrade

    Federal energy regulators were right to require NextEra Energy to upgrade its New Hampshire nuclear power plant's circuit breaker to accommodate a new transmission line being developed by Avangrid Inc., a split D.C. Circuit panel has ruled.

  • October 07, 2024

    Title Co. Denied Early Win In $13M Hotel Investment Fight

    A California federal judge declined to grant a title company an early win in a lawsuit brought by an investor accusing it of improperly releasing the investor's $13 million contribution to a 17-hotel deal, finding that a dispute remained over multiple factual issues.

  • October 07, 2024

    Sparring With Adams, Feds Shadowbox The Supreme Court

    The corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams may be the next front in an ongoing clash between federal prosecutors' desire to police official misconduct and a line of U.S. Supreme Court cases holding that alleged graft does not always amount to a federal crime.

  • October 07, 2024

    NJ City Sues To Halt Hudson Riverfront Development

    The Hoboken Planning Board has turned into a rubber stamp for developers including a duo that wants to build towers that will impede the view from the scenic Palisades cliffs, a neighboring city alleged in a New Jersey state court lawsuit.

  • October 07, 2024

    11th Circ. Balks At Ex-Braves' $47M Easement Case

    Former Atlanta Braves players John Smoltz and Ryan Klesko, challenging a U.S. Tax Court ruling that slashed the value of a conservation easement deduction by 90%, won't have their appeal heard by the Eleventh Circuit after the court said Monday the duo had jumped the gun on challenging the decision before it was made final.

  • October 07, 2024

    Manafort Associate's Bribery Case Won't Get Top Court Look

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the case of a former bank CEO who had argued the Second Circuit's decision to uphold his conviction for bribing former Donald Trump staffer Paul Manafort wrongly criminalized even the smallest of benefits a bank executive receives from a customer.

  • October 07, 2024

    Judge Agrees To OK Tender Greens' $28M Credit Bid Sale

    One Table Restaurant Brands LLC, the Los Angeles-based operator of casual restaurant chain Tender Greens and Mexican eatery Tocaya, received a Delaware bankruptcy judge's interim approval Monday to sell its assets to a private equity-backed stalking horse bidder for a $28 million credit bid.

  • October 07, 2024

    Brothers' $10B Real Estate Battle Nets Another $11.6M In Fees

    A California judge granted over $11 million in attorney fees Monday to a man who prevailed in a 20-year legal battle with his brother over a real estate empire when a jury awarded him and his other brothers a $10 billion verdict, granting the bulk of the request.

  • October 07, 2024

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Fried Frank and DLA Piper are among the law firms that steered the largest New York City real estate deals to hit records last week, with several Empire State Realty Trust matters topping the list.

  • October 07, 2024

    Feds Seek Tape, Allege Witness Tampering In WeWork Case

    Prosecutors asked Sunday to subpoena a recording of an incident in which they say a former investment firm CEO who is accused of making a fraudulent offer for WeWork shares had improper contact with a witness expected to testify at the ex-CEO's upcoming trial.

  • October 07, 2024

    Royer Cooper Finds Right Fit With Ex-Armstrong Teasdale Atty

    A real estate attorney's more than two decades of experience representing stakeholders on all sides of commercial real estate transactions made him the perfect choice for Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC to make its first lateral addition to the Philadelphia-based firm's real estate practice in three years.

  • October 07, 2024

    6 High Court Cases To Watch For Trial Attorneys

    As the U.S. Supreme Court lifts the curtain on a new term, the justices are slated to consider a variety of cases impacting the work of trial litigators, including a death penalty case over a state-disavowed conviction, the boundaries of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and corporate veil piercing.

  • October 07, 2024

    3 Firms Advise $1B Blue Owl Buy Of Data Center Firm IPI

    Asset manager Blue Owl Capital said Monday that it will pay $1 billion to acquire digital infrastructure fund manager IPI Partners, in a deal advised by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Morrison Foerster LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

  • October 07, 2024

    Supreme Court Passes On Developer's Takings Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday not to evaluate an Eleventh Circuit decision in favor of a developer who accused an Alabama county and its zoning board of an unconstitutional regulatory taking after they revoked a permit for a $1 million three-story development and issued a stop-work order.

  • October 07, 2024

    High Court Won't Look At Texas Tax Foreclosure Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review a Texas high court ruling that upended an oil company's victory over litigants challenging the tax foreclosure sale of mineral interests.

  • October 04, 2024

    Antitrust Groups Ask 9th Circ. To Revive Price-Fixing Suit

    Three antitrust advocacy groups asked the Ninth Circuit to resuscitate a proposed class action accusing several hotel operators and two software companies in Nevada federal court of engaging in a price-fixing scheme involving algorithmic software.

  • October 04, 2024

    Martin Selig Fights Founder Deposition In Renovation Bill Suit

    Affiliates of Martin Selig Real Estate told a Washington state court that the company's founding billionaire should not be deposed in a suit brought by a tenant of the Seattle Federal Reserve building over the bill for renovation work at the property.

  • October 04, 2024

    Property Plays: Verizon, HUD, ArentFox Schiff

    Property Plays is a weekly roundup of the latest loans, leases, sales and projects around the country. Send your tips — all confidential — to realestate@law360.com.

  • October 04, 2024

    Iowa Farmer Wants Court To Nix Federal 'Swampbuster' Law

    A farmer pushed an Iowa federal court to overturn the "Swampbuster" part of a federal conservation program that aims to protect wetlands for public use, arguing that the law is unconstitutional.

  • October 04, 2024

    Fried Frank Guides $68M Brooklyn Retail Properties Deal

    Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP guided L3 Capital LLC's $68 million sale of multiple properties in Brooklyn, New York, to real estate investment trust Empire State Realty Trust Inc., according to official property records.

  • October 04, 2024

    Ex-Skadden Partner Leaves Retirement, Joins AY Strauss

    Commercial real estate boutique A.Y. Strauss announced Thursday that it had hired a former Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP litigator who is returning to the legal field after retiring in 2020.

  • October 04, 2024

    Ore. Court Reverses Transfer Of Pot Facility's Tax Account

    A property tax account for the interior improvements in an Oregon warehouse leased to a marijuana grower was improperly reassigned from the grower to the warehouse owner, the state's tax court said, reversing a change made by a local assessor.

  • October 04, 2024

    Perkins Coie Renovates Portland Office Upon Lease Renewal

    More than four decades after first setting up shop in Portland, Oregon, Perkins Coie announced this week that it is renewing its office lease in the city's Pearl District and conducting renovations to include features like uniform offices and hoteling areas.

Expert Analysis

  • Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA

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    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.

  • Climate Among Many Factors Driving Up RE Insurance Costs

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    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.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Debriefings, Timeliness, Documentation

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    ​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.

  • Collecting Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The therapeutic aspects of appreciating and collecting art improve my legal practice by enhancing my observation skills, empathy, creativity and cultural awareness, says attorney Michael McCready.

  • A Look At Recent Case Law On Expedited Judgment In NY

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    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.

  • Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage

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    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.

  • Reassessing Lease Provisions To Account For ESG Initiatives

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    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.

  • Avoid Getting Burned By Agencies' Solar Financing Spotlight

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    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.

  • Co-Tenancy Clause Pointers For Shopping Center Landlords

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    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.

  • Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools

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    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.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    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.

  • Keys To Successful Commercial Property Insurance Claims

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    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.