Residential
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April 08, 2025
Expedia's Cuban Island Bookings Were Illegal, Jurors Told
A Cuban-American man who says he is the rightful heir to an island off the coast of Cuba that was seized by the Communist government told jurors Tuesday that Expedia illegally trafficked in stolen property by offering reservations for resorts on the island through its website.
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April 08, 2025
NY High Court Probes If State Emissions Cap Preempts City's
New York's highest court questioned Tuesday why the state Legislature did not explicitly state that it meant for a 2019 climate law to preempt a law regulating greenhouse gas emissions that New York City passed earlier that year, amid property owners' challenge to the city law.
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April 08, 2025
Cushman Atty Transitions In-House As Kidder Mathews GC
Kidder Mathews announced Monday that it has hired Edward Castro, a 30-year corporate attorney with experience in commercial real estate law, as general counsel advising the company and its 19 West Coast offices.
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April 08, 2025
Contractor's Win In Insurance Fraud Suit Upheld By 6th Circ.
A Sixth Circuit panel affirmed Continental Building Co.'s defeat of a lawsuit that leveled insurance fraud claims at the general contractor, finding a subcontractor failed to trace its losses to Continental's claim that it defaulted on a contract.
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April 08, 2025
9th Circ. Wary Of Judge Becoming 'King' Of Veteran Housing
The Ninth Circuit appeared skeptical Tuesday of a California federal court's decision to establish control over a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility due to inadequate homelessness measures, with one panel member expressing concern the district judge gave himself the overbroad powers of a "king."
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April 08, 2025
100 Fannie Mae Workers Fired Over 'Unethical Conduct'
More than 100 Fannie Mae employees have been let go, the government-sponsored enterprise and the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday, citing "unethical conduct" including fraud as the reason for the terminations.
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April 08, 2025
Battery Park City Authority Hires Ex-CBRE Atty As GC
Former CBRE legal counsel and managing director Elaine Kleinberg has been hired as general counsel for New York state's Battery Park City Authority, the public benefit corporation announced Monday.
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April 08, 2025
No Sanctions For DC In RealPage Antitrust Case
The District of Columbia and its attorneys at Cohen Milstein have escaped a sanctions bid in the district's rental pricing case against RealPage Inc. and local landlords, as one of the building owners also had a motion to dismiss the claims against it denied.
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April 08, 2025
Berkshire Unit Looks To Transfer Commission Fee Claims
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company is pushing a Missouri federal court to transfer a proposed class action accusing it and other companies of conspiring to artificially inflate buyer-broker commission fees, arguing the claims should be litigated in Iowa federal court instead.
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April 08, 2025
Starwood Pays $800M For 11 Master-Planned Communities
A joint venture between affiliates of Starwood Capital Group and Starwood Land purchased 11 master-planned communities across the Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas, submarkets for $800 million from Hines, the buyers announced.
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April 07, 2025
Realtor.com Parent Drops Trade Secrets Suit Against CoStar
Realtor.com's parent company, Move Inc., agreed on Monday to end trade secret litigation it had lodged against rival CoStar Group Inc. and one of Realtor.com's former employees, who it alleged stole confidential trade secrets and used them after joining CoStar.
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April 07, 2025
Honigman Hires Ex-Ice Miller Real Estate Atty In Chicago
Honigman LLP added former Ice Miller LLP partner Michael R. Tirman as a real estate transactions partner in its Chicago office, the firm announced Monday.
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April 07, 2025
Ex-TBS GC Chairs CoStar Board In Latham-Advised Refresh
Latham & Watkins LLP advised CoStar Group on a "refreshment" of the company's board of directors that includes a new role for a former Turner Broadcasting Systems general counsel, according to a Monday announcement that follows pressure from hedge funds D.E. Shaw and Third Point.
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April 07, 2025
ACLU, Others Slam Bid To 'Magic Eraser' CFPB Redlining Deal
A slew of public interest groups mobilized Friday against the Trump administration's bid to recant a recently settled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau redlining case, telling an Illinois federal judge that the move is about politics, not fairness, and should be denied.
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April 07, 2025
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Proskauer and Mermel Associates are among the law firms that scored work on the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, with a large Extell Development buy leading the way.
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April 07, 2025
San Francisco Says Group Can't Sue Over Homeless Camps
San Francisco pushed for a win in California federal court, arguing that the nonprofit accusing the city of unconstitutionally destroying homeless encampments doesn't have standing to sue.
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April 07, 2025
Mortgage Lenders, Attys Stole From NY Debtors, Suit Says
A New York homeowner filed a proposed class action in Brooklyn federal court alleging that the state's mortgage lenders, loan servicing agents and foreclosure attorneys have conspired to inflate the amounts owed on post-foreclosure sales.
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April 07, 2025
Mass. High Court Ponders 'Reasonable' Wear In Lease Dispute
Massachusetts justices on Monday grappled with defining "reasonable" wear and tear on a rental property as they considered whether a property owner can require tenants to have their apartments professionally cleaned when moving out.
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April 07, 2025
Montana To Appraise Taxable Real Property Every 2 Years
Montana will reappraise most taxable real property every two years under a bill signed by the governor.
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April 04, 2025
Judge Allows Deposition Of Witnesses In Russian Exec's Suit
A New York federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government can depose two men about a Russian bank executive's alleged effort to avoid economic sanctions following Russia's invasion and annexation of the Crimea region, saying it is necessary to "prevent a failure of justice."
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April 04, 2025
Ex-BigLaw Attorney, Aspen Officals Drop Remodeling Fee Suit
Litigator Steven Molo and a county government agreed to dismiss a lawsuit claiming officials improperly charged nearly $750,000 in impact fees for a 2023 remodeling project on the attorney's Aspen, Colorado, home under a 2020 land use ordinance.
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April 04, 2025
Colo. Residents Say City Stormwater Fees Are Unlawful Taxes
A Boulder, Colorado, community organization has alleged in state court that the city is unlawfully charging residents fees for stormwater and flood management in order to pay for $66 million worth of bonds issued for a local flood mitigation project.
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April 04, 2025
Houston Housing Authority Hit With Sex Harassment Suit
A female former Houston Housing Authority Corp. employee has alleged in Texas federal court that she was sexually harassed, dealt with sexist remarks, got demoted and was retaliated against by her supervisor when she worked there.
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April 04, 2025
Morgan Properties Nabs $501M Midwest Multifamily Portfolio
Morgan Properties purchased a 3,054-unit portfolio of multifamily assets across the Midwest from Trilogy Real Estate Group for $501 million, the multifamily community owner announced Friday.
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April 04, 2025
Kuwait, Feds Reach Deal In Minister Embezzlement Case
The U.S. government, the Kuwaiti government and the California business partner of a former Kuwaiti deputy prime minister accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the Middle Eastern nation told a California federal court that they've reached a deal in a related federal civil forfeiture case.
Expert Analysis
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What Contractors Can Do To Address Material Cost Increases
In light of the Trump administration's plans to increase tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, construction industry players should proactively employ legal strategies to mitigate the impacts that price increases and uncertainty may have on projects, says Brenda Radmacher at Seyfarth Shaw.
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Reg Waiver Eases Calif. Rebuilding, But Proceed With Care
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order suspending some environmental review and permitting requirements for the reconstruction of homes and businesses damaged by recent wildfires may streamline rebuilding efforts, but will require careful navigation of the evolving regulatory landscape, says Gregory Berlin at Alston & Bird.
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A View Of The Shifting Insurance Regulatory Landscape
Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland explore how the Federal Insurance Office's climate report, the new presidential administration and the California wildfires might affect the insurance regulatory landscape.
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The Tides Are Changing For Fair Access Banking Laws
The landscape of fair access banking laws, which seek to prevent banks from denying services based on individuals' ideological beliefs, has shifted in the last few years, but a new presidential administration provides renewed momentum for advancing such legislation against the backdrop of state efforts, say attorneys at Latham.
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How Congress Can Stem Consumer Finance Law Uncertainty
In the face of rising uncertainty about consumer finance laws that are based largely on fluctuating administrative rules, Congress should cement certain existing laws into statute and clarify federal agencies' delegations of authority, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.
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Illuminating The Trend Of Florida's Unpaid Hurricane Claims
The sheer number of insurance claims closed without payment for damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene reveals a systemic problem within Florida's insurance industry exacerbated by complex issues, including climate change and state regulators' resource limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.
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Insurance Considerations For LA Wildfire Recovery
Businesses and homeowners affected by the destructive Southern California wildfires must act swiftly and strategically to navigate the complexities of the insurance recovery process, including by identifying all applicable policies, documenting damage thoroughly and keeping abreast of relevant state law, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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LA Wildfires' Effect On Calif. Insurer Of Last Resort
Attorneys at Willkie discuss the background of California's insurer of last resort — known as the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan — and examine the process of assessing member insurers and relevant recent property insurance market developments in light of the destruction from the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
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Algorithm Price-Fixing Ruling May Lower Antitrust Claims Bar
A Washington federal court's refusal to dismiss Duffy v. Yardi Systems, an antitrust case over rent prices allegedly inflated by revenue management software, creates an apparent split in the lower courts over how to assess such claims, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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California's New Homeowner Law Could Hamper Foreclosures
While A.B. 2424, which took effect this month in California, gives homeowners in default additional protections, it also provides loopholes that can be used to delay foreclosure auctions, and the cost of these delays will likely be passed on to the borrower, says Stephen Britt at Severson & Werson.
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Small Biz Caught In Corporate Transparency Act Crossfire
Despite compliance being put on hold due to a nationwide preliminary injunction, small businesses have been caught in the middle of the legal battle over the Corporate Transparency Act — and confusion over the law's requirements could result in major penalties, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.
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What's Ahead As Transparency Act Comes To A Crossroads
Synthesizing the contrasting federal district and appellate court rulings on the Corporate Transparency Act’s validity reveals several main areas of debate that will likely remain at issue as challenges to the law continue winding through the courts, say attorneys at Farella Braun.
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Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4
Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.