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  • August 07, 2025

    Smoke Taint Evidence Complicates Recovery For Wineries

    Recent widespread fires in and around California's wine-producing regions, which produce a vast majority of the nation's wine, have spurred concern from policyholders and public officials over how wineries can seek coverage for smoke tainting their products. Victor Jacobellis, an insurance recovery attorney at Merlin Law Group, spoke to Law360 about the implications of smoke taint as well as a Senate bill that could provide a baseline standard for measuring it.

  • August 07, 2025

    Trump Greenlights Private Equity, Crypto 401(k) Investing

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to make it easier for retirement plans to invest in a wider range of assets, including cryptocurrency, private equity and real estate.

  • August 07, 2025

    Housing Advocates Say Opponents Stole Name For PAC

    A housing advocacy nonprofit in the Boston suburb of Newton say that opponents of a zoning measure appropriated its name, "Newton for Everyone," for a political action committee to fund candidates opposing the plan, violating its trademark rights and other laws.

  • August 07, 2025

    Texas Bill Seeks Two-Thirds Vote To Exceed Max Tax Rate

    Texas would require two-thirds approval from voters to allow local taxing entities to increase property taxes beyond a maximum rate permitted by law without a vote under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • August 07, 2025

    NY AG Says Landlord Overcharged City Subsidized Tenants

    The New York Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit in state court against a New York City landlord who it says overcharged rent-stabilized tenants receiving subsidies and then sued some of the tenants for nonpayment.

  • August 07, 2025

    Former LVMH Atty Joins Realtors Association's Legal Team

    The National Association of Realtors announced Aug. 7 it has appointed as its vice president of litigation and associate general counsel the former vice president of legal affairs and head of litigation at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.

  • August 07, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Divorce Dust-Ups And Judicial Rebukes

    Litigation in the North Carolina Business Court is heating up this summer with new complaints centered on fears a former state politician's divorce proceedings will impede his companies' operations and accusations that a climate technology company has failed to pay out a former engineer's ownership interest.

  • August 06, 2025

    Under Pressure, Higher Ed Leans On Real Estate

    As institutions of higher education contend with declining enrollment and federal funding cuts, some are finding creative ways to monetize their real estate, which comes with important legal considerations, according to attorneys.

  • August 06, 2025

    Aimco Agrees To $740M New England Portfolio Sale

    Real estate investment trust Apartment Investment and Management Co. will get paid $740 million for selling off a 2,719-unit portfolio of five New England apartment properties to an affiliate of real estate investor and manager Harbor Group International LLC, Aimco announced Wednesday.

  • August 06, 2025

    Ex-Homeowners Seek OK On Tax Foreclosure Suit Deal

    A proposed class of former property owners asked a Michigan federal judge Tuesday to give initial support to a settlement with several counties that would allow the ex-homeowners to receive the surplus profits they allege the county treasurers made selling their tax-delinquent properties.

  • August 06, 2025

    Wells Fargo Beats Cert. Bid In Mortgage Racial Bias Suit

    Mortgage applicants accusing Wells Fargo of discriminating against borrowers from racial minorities by charging them higher interest rates have been denied class certification, with a California federal court ruling they have failed to show sufficient commonality among their claims.

  • August 06, 2025

    Colo. Justices Asked To Rule On Pro Se Appeal Authority

    A plumbing company and two Colorado homeowners asked the state's Supreme Court on Tuesday to clarify that the Colorado Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to prevent litigants from making "frivolous" pro se filings, contrary to a prior ruling from the court.

  • August 06, 2025

    Big CRE Brokers Report Stubborn Optimism In Q2 Results

    With most of commercial real estate's major brokers posting leasing gains and capital markets closings, executives said recently in announcing second-quarter earnings that they expect activity to continue as clients grow jaded to drama from recent trade disputes.

  • August 06, 2025

    AmeriFirst Financial Floats Global Deal In Ch. 11 Case

    Bankrupt mortgage service provider AmeriFirst Financial Inc. proposed a global settlement of disputes in its Chapter 11 case that will break a months-long roadblock to resolution of its bankruptcy proceedings.

  • August 06, 2025

    NYC Council Approves Manhattan Mixed-Use Rezoning Plan

    A rezoning plan that aims to build more than 9,500 homes in midtown Manhattan was approved Wednesday by the New York City Council's Committee on Land Use and a related subcommittee.

  • August 06, 2025

    Rising Star: DLA Piper's Katherine Jahnke Dale

    Katherine Jahnke Dale of DLA Piper has been a key adviser on a transformation of Chicago's Fulton Market neighborhood, along with projects that include a $7 billion redevelopment near the United Center and a purchase agreement for a former steel plant now envisioned as a technology hub, earning her a spot among the real estate law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • August 06, 2025

    Inland Empire Calif. Multifamily Complex Sells For $148M

    Broker Marcus & Millichap said it has arranged the $148.4 million sale of a 328-unit multifamily property in Southern California's Inland Empire area from its developer to a New York real estate firm.

  • August 05, 2025

    New Developer To Build $1.5B Resi Towers In Jersey City

    A new real estate developer stacked with former Brookfield Properties and Croesus Group executives unveiled the company's inaugural project on Tuesday — a $1.5 billion mixed-use project slated for construction in Jersey City, New Jersey.

  • August 05, 2025

    FHFA Doubles Freddie, Fannie LIHTC Investment Caps

    The Federal Housing Finance Agency will raise Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae's investment caps for Low Income Housing Tax Credit-qualifying properties from $1 billion for each government-sponsored enterprise to $2 billion annually, the agency announced on Tuesday.

  • August 05, 2025

    Court Trims Most Of Contractors' Suit Against NJ Prosecutors

    A New Jersey federal judge has trimmed the majority of claims brought against the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office by two contractors alleging they were illegally targeted in a criminal investigation over a business rivalry with an assistant prosecutor, ruling that the agency is protected by sovereign immunity.

  • August 05, 2025

    Pa. Bill Seeks 5-Year Reassessment Cycle For Property Taxes

    Pennsylvania would establish a schedule that would require counties to reassess property for tax purposes every five years under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • August 05, 2025

    Housing Builder Boxabl Goes Public Via $3.5B SPAC Deal

    Housing solutions company Boxabl Inc., advised by Winston & Strawn LLP, announced plans on Tuesday to go public via a merger with Loeb & Loeb LLP-led special purpose acquisition company FG Merger II Corp. in a deal that values the business at $3.5 billion.

  • August 04, 2025

    Rocket Cos. Investor Drops Mich. Derivative Suit

    An investor in the parent company of online mortgage lender Rocket Mortgage has dropped derivative allegations that the company's brass concealed a loan demand downturn a week after a proposed shareholder class action making similar claims was voluntarily tossed.

  • August 04, 2025

    Ex-Yankee Strikes $729K Deal With Moldy Mansion's Landlord

    Former Major League Baseball player Joshua Donaldson will receive around $729,000 from the landlord of a Connecticut mansion that suffered a mold problem after they reached a post-verdict deal to end their federal contract dispute.

  • August 04, 2025

    DC Circ. Backs FBI Agent's Bribery Sentence

    The D.C. Circuit Court has affirmed a former FBI special agent's two-year sentence for taking a bribe in connection with a property-buying scheme, finding that he accepted at least $6,500 from a real estate developer in exchange for illegally sharing information from a protected database to which the FBI subscribed.

Expert Analysis

  • Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

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    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.

  • In The CFPB Playbook: A Sprint To The Finish Line

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    The fourth quarter of 2024 was an impressive demonstration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate, enforce and supervise, even on borrowed time following the election results, and we should expect the current bureau to run nonstop until Jan. 20, say attorneys at Covington.

  • The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

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    From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.

  • 10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

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    In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Story Of 2024's Biggest Bank Regs, And Their Fate In 2025

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    U.S. federal bank regulators were very active in 2024 with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation, but many regulations face an uncertain future under the new administration, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Conducting A 'Reasonably Expected Market Area' Analysis

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    Regardless of whether the incoming administration scales back on redlining examinations and investigations, lenders should take steps to understand how regulators define "reasonably expected market areas," and how to conduct analyses of such areas, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.

  • Adapting Force Majeure To A Predictably Unpredictable World

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    As the climate and political landscapes get more complicated, force majeure provisions will likely be triggered increasingly often, demanding an evolving understanding of when events and their impacts are truly unforeseeable, say attorneys at Nossaman.

  • Impact Of Corporate Transparency Act Ambiguity On Banks

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    Even though banks generally needn't file beneficial ownership information reports, financial institutions must continue to monitor the status of the Corporate Transparency Act and understand its requirements in case the nationwide injunction that was issued against the CTA earlier this month is overturned, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Strategies For Home Equity Investment Providers In 2025

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    The home equity investment product market is thriving even amid consumer concerns, regulatory scrutiny and conflicting court decisions, setting the stage for a promising but challenging environment for providers in 2025, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • What Interest Rate Cuts Mean For Housing Markets

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    The Federal Reserve's recent reduction of interest rates may provide limited immediate relief for real estate sectors, but offers potential opportunities for commercial real estate investors and construction firms, which now face an environment ripe for new projects, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

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    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • 'Reverse Redlining' Suit Reveals Language Risks For Lenders

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    The Justice Department's case against consumer finance provider Colony Ridge highlights the government's focus on lending to consumers with limited English proficiency and the risks of generating marketing materials in other languages while conducting actual transactions in English, say attorneys at Goodwin.