Commercial
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September 25, 2025
DC Court Upholds Transfer Tax On Long-Term Leaseback
The $39 million sale of a Washington, D.C., property and a long-term deal to lease it back to the seller constituted two separate taxable transactions, an appeals court said Thursday, rejecting a claim for a $1 million refund.
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September 25, 2025
NJ Amusement Park Co. Won't Get Hearing On Shore Project
New Jersey appeals court found Thursday that a Jersey Shore amusement park owner isn't entitled to a hearing before an agency that approved a grant making way for a luxury housing and retail development on the site of a nearby parking lot.
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September 25, 2025
CSX Says Biz Owner Rehashing Claims In Rail Crossing Suit
Railroad company CSX Transportation Inc. has asked a Pennsylvania federal court to permanently ax a local business owner's request for punitive damages amid a dispute over access to a railroad crossing, arguing the owner is repeating claims the court already rejected.
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September 25, 2025
RXR Launches Luxury Office Venture With $3.5B Portfolio
RXR has formed an investment platform for top-tier office buildings in New York City, backed by a portfolio of Manhattan properties worth $3.5 billion in deal value, the firm said.
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September 25, 2025
NJ Panel Tosses Suit Over West Windsor Industrial Project
A New Jersey appellate court on Thursday backed the permanent dismissal of a suit filed by two West Windsor residential property owners over the township's approval of a zoning ordinance for a more than 5 million-square-foot commercial and industrial project.
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September 25, 2025
Flagstar Seeks Instant Win In Ex-Live Well VP Fraud Case
Flagstar Bank has urged a Michigan federal judge to grant it an early win against a former executive of the now-bankrupt Live Well for his role in a scheme to defraud lenders by inflating the value of bonds, saying because the executive already pled guilty to securities fraud, he cannot now deny liability in the bank's civil case.
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September 25, 2025
Casinos In Queens, Yonkers Advance In Race For Licenses
Two existing New York gaming facilities moved forward Thursday in the high-stakes competition for three full casino licenses, after two committees appointed by local elected officials approved their plans.
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September 25, 2025
SmartLabs Accused Of Dodging Rent On Cambridge Lab
Boston-headquartered SmartLabs is facing a lawsuit over millions in unpaid rent owed to the landlord of one of its Cambridge facilities, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.
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September 25, 2025
Wis. Judge Backs Wildlife Refuge Land Swap Deal
A Wisconsin federal judge has granted summary judgment to the federal government and two utility companies against all claims in a suit filed by conservationist groups that alleged that the government wrongfully approved a land exchange deal with the utilities so the companies could build part of a 101-mile transmission line project through a wildlife refuge.
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September 25, 2025
Holland & Knight Launches Real Estate Dispute Team
Holland & Knight LLP announced it has formed a new real estate disputes and advocacy team, noting the group will provide counsel to clients on lease litigation matters, complex contract claims and other commercial property disputes.
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September 25, 2025
The Torch Tower, With A Thrill Ride, Back Online In Manhattan
Construction has resumed at Extell Development's supertall hotel and thrill ride project in Manhattan known as The Torch, and Law360 has updated the status of that project on its tall buildings tracker.
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September 24, 2025
Tower Developer Linked To Menendez Ally Wants Suit Tossed
The developer behind a disputed high-rise project — once led by a businessman convicted in the bribery scheme involving former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez — is asking a New Jersey judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a neighboring municipality, arguing the case is incurably flawed.
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September 24, 2025
Calf. Property Owner Renews Ch. 11 With $10M+ In Debt
The owner of a lot in California estimated to be worth $46 million renewed efforts to perform a Chapter 11 and address unsustainable debt, having filed for bankruptcy earlier this year but not completing the process.
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September 24, 2025
Hyperscalers Say Spend Hits $400B With 5 New US Sites
OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank on Wednesday said they are planning five additional U.S. sites to host artificial intelligence data centers, in a step toward spending $500 billion on their Stargate project by the end of 2025.Â
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September 24, 2025
Davis Polk Guides $1B Manhattan Buy Across The Finish Line
New York City recently saw its first single-asset commercial real estate deal above the $1 billion mark in 2025, and a Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP lawyer who worked on the matter told Law360 that the trade is a sign of strength in the Manhattan office market.
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September 24, 2025
Final JC Penney Ch. 11 Distributions On Horizon, Atty Says
Lawyers winding down the bankruptcy estate of department store J.C. Penney told a Texas bankruptcy judge on Wednesday they expect to be able to make final creditor payments shortly, nearly five years after the Chapter 11 plan took effect.
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September 24, 2025
Rick Perry's Data Center REIT Launches Plans For $550M IPO
Fermi America, a venture by former U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to build a 5,000-acre Amarillo, Texas, energy and data center, sought a $13.1 billion valuation Wednesday in an initial public offering guided by Haynes Boone and Vinson & Elkins LLP.
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September 24, 2025
Marsh US Real Estate Leader On Insurance Landscape
Commercial real estate companies, squeezed by higher interest rates in recent years, have also seen a dramatic increase in insurance premiums. Duncan C. Ellis, who leads Marsh's U.S. and Canada real estate and hospitality practice, spoke to Law360 Real Estate Authority about what's behind the trends in commercial real estate insurance.
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September 24, 2025
Ohio House Bill Seeks Approval Rule For Some Property Tax
Ohio would require some political subdivisions to obtain approval from their member governing bodies before imposing property tax above a statutory limit under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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September 24, 2025
11th Circ. Asked To Combine Easement Deduction Appeals
The Eleventh Circuit should consolidate two cases appealing U.S. Tax Court rulings that cut $47 million in deductions for conservation easement donations, a partnership argued, saying the government's opposition to combining them overlooks the opportunity to save resources.
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September 23, 2025
Task Force Advances $3.5B NYC Marine Terminal Plans
A key task force has advanced the New York City Economic Development Corp.'s $3.5 billion plan to revitalize a 122-acre section of the Brooklyn waterfront, which would modernize and expand the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
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September 23, 2025
Wilmington Trust Seeks Receiver After $19M Loan Default
A single-asset real estate firm that owns an office building in the Denver Technological Center, or DTC, filed for Chapter 11 and faces a request for a receiver over the building it owns after it defaulted on a $19 million loan last year, according to court filings.
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September 23, 2025
Conn. Atty Denies Blame For Title Co.'s $920K Refinancing Loss
A Connecticut lawyer sought to fend off arguments in state court by Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. that his alleged mistakes on a $2.5 million refinancing led to a $920,000 loss for the insurer, claiming he and the company owed distinct duties to a policy-holder.
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September 23, 2025
Pelorus Kicks Off $1B Fund To Bolster Cannabis Businesses
Pelorus Capital Group has launched a $1 billion fund for investing in marijuana operating businesses to coincide with its existing cannabis real estate strategy, in a bet on the industry's capital needs, the company said Sept. 23.
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September 23, 2025
Star Chef Didn't Violate 'Vague' Pact With Boston, Judge Says
A Massachusetts state court has ruled that a "vague" agreement between celebrity chef Barbara Lynch and the city of Boston to escrow proceeds from the sale of her flagship No. 9 Park restaurant while the city seeks to collect her unpaid taxes doesn't prevent Lynch from using the funds to pay other creditors.
Expert Analysis
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Utilizing Rep And Warranties Insurance In CRE Transactions
With insurance and commercial real estate legal trends suggesting that representations and warranties insurance is likely to grow substantially in the next several years, CRE buyers and sellers should learn how such insurance can help resolve conflicting positions during transaction negotiations, say attorneys at Troutman.
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Recent Decisions Caution Against Broad Indemnity Provisions
Two recent decisions in disparate jurisdictions are reminders that businesses and practitioners should be mindful of contractual indemnity rights and draft indemnity provisions that enhance the predictability of enforceability without being overly broad, says Gregory Jaske at Olshan Frome.
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How Real Estate Funds Can Leverage Del. Statutory Trusts
Over the last two years, traditional real estate fund sponsors have begun to more frequently adopt Delaware Statutory Trust programs, which can help diversify capital-raising strategies and access to new sources of capital, among other benefits, say attorneys at Polsinelli.
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What 9th Circ. Ruling Shows About Rebutting SEC Comments
The Ninth Circuit's June opinion in Pino v. Cardone Capital suggests that a company's lack of pushback to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission comment may be evidence of its state of mind for evaluating potential liability, meaning companies should consider including additional disclosure in SEC response letters, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.
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2 NY Cases May Clarify Foreclosure Law Retroactivity
Two pending cases may soon provide the long-awaited resolution to the question of whether retroactive application of the New York Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act violates the state Constitution, providing a guide for New York courts inundated with motions in foreclosure and quiet title actions, says Fernando Rivera Maissonet at Hinshaw & Culbertson.
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A Look At Florida's New Protected Series LLC Legislation
A new law in Florida enhances the flexibility of using limited liability companies as the entities of choice for most privately held businesses, moving Florida into a small group of states with reliable uniform protected series legislation for series LLCs, says Louis Conti at Holland & Knight.
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How Trump's Trade Policies Are Shaping Foreign Investment
Five months into the Trump administration, investors are beginning to see the concrete effects of the president’s America First Investment Policy as it presents new opportunities for clearing transactions more quickly, while sustaining risk aversion related to Chinese trade and potentially creating different political risks, say attorneys at Covington.
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Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting
A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.
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Observations On 5 Years Of Non-Notified CFIUS Inquiries
Since 2020, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has identified and investigated covered cross-border transactions not formally notified to CFIUS, and a look at data from 50 non-notified matters during that time reveals the general dynamics of this enforcement function, say attorneys at Cooley.
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How States Are Taking The Lead On Data Center Regulation
While support for data center growth is a declared priority for the current administration, federal data center policy has been slow to develop — so states continue to lead in attracting and regulating data center growth, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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Texas Bill Could Still Boost Property Rights In Gov't Disputes
The passage of a bill in Texas that would provide litigants with access to a greater swath of judicial remedies in immunity disputes with government entities and officials would be an invaluable boon for property rights, says Nathan Vrazel at Munsch Hardt.
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Indemnity Lessons From Mass. Construction Defect Ruling
The Massachusetts high court's decision in Trustees of Boston University v. CHA, holding that a bespoke contractual indemnity provision means that a construction defect claim is not subject to Massachusetts' statute of repose, should spur design and construction professionals to negotiate limited provisions, says Christopher Sweeney at Conn Kavanaugh.
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4 Strategies For De-Escalating Hospitality Industry Disputes
As recent uncertainty in the travel business exacerbates the risk of conflict in the hospitality sector, industry in-house counsel and their outside partners should consider proactive strategies aimed at de-escalating disputes, including preserving the record, avoiding boilerplate clauses and considering arbitration, say Randa Adra at Crowell and Stephanie Jean-Jacques at Hyatt.