Posted
by

A-Court-Side-Seat-Main-300x180

THE FEDERAL APPELLATE COURTS

The U.S. Court of Appeals
On November 23, 2020, the court, in a 2-to-1 vote, rejected the plaintiff’s request for an emergency injunction pending appeal in the case of Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Nation, et al. v. Wolf. The majority held the requirement for such relief did not meet the requirements set forth in Winter v. NRDC, 555 US 7 (2008). Here, the plaintiffs allege that that the government’s construction of a border wall violates several environmental laws that were illegally waived by the Secretary of the Interior. Judge Millett dissented in part because the plaintiffs demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits. She pointed to the argument that the authority of the Secretary—or Acting Secretary—to take these actions has been successfully challenged in several federal district courts. An expedited pleading schedule was established by the court.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

We’ve been busy podcasting! Here are some of our recent episodes focused on real estate and hospitality (and hosted by Joel Simon).

Industry_Podcast_cover-update-final-bottom

Episode #22: Real Estate Market Update: Listen in for an update on the current real estate market, which types of lenders are active in the market and the popular transaction types that are thriving in today’s environment.

Episode #17: Hotels & Hospitality: Opportunities, New Strategies and Future Transformation (Christian Salaman): Joel and Christian discuss the status of the hospitality industry, and provide an update on distressed projects, recovery forecasting and financing sources.

Episode #7: Real Estate and Financial Strategies during COVID-19 (Caroline Harcourt): Caroline and Joel discuss the impact of COVID-19 across the real estate sector, including forbearance requests to lenders, the impact on leasing and the opportunities and challenges down the road.

Don’t miss out, subscribe to our blog.

Posted
by

Commerical-Foreclosures

In this video mini-series, Real Estate partner Caroline Harcourt and Insolvency & Restructuring partner Patrick Fitzmaurice and special counsel Jon Doolittle join forces to explore some of the key components of a commercial foreclosures. The trio provide a general overview of the pre-foreclosure process, outline important considerations when drafting a foreclosure complaint, offer guidance on the steps that go into obtaining a judgement of foreclosure and sale, and flag some a variety of important post-sale issues.  Watch the video here.

 

 

Posted
by

Climate21-logo-300x169This is a brief review of the recently released “Climate 21 Project” policy memo. It is the work of many former members of the Obama Administration who are deeply concerned about climate change and what steps the new administration can take in the first 100 days to confront a problem. Offering “actionable advice” rather than a policy agenda, the group recognizes that Congress must do its part by providing new statutory authorities within the early days of the new administration, and the President must be prepared to aggressively exercise the powers of his office. As the members of the Group see it, there are four interlocking crises facing the President: (a) the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) the economic devastation visited upon many people by the pandemic; (c) racial injustice; and (d) accelerating threats posed by climate change.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

real estate blockchain tokenizationBlockchain technology is a digitized, distributed ledger that immutably records and shares information using software protocols and advanced cryptology. The development of blockchain-based smart contracts—self-executing software algorithms integrated into a blockchain with trigger actions based on pre-defined parameters—has made it possible for parties to automate the process of executing commercial transactions between counterparties in a more direct, trustworthy and efficient manner.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

CDC-logo-300x221Months after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a nationwide eviction moratorium using its emergency pandemic powers under the Public Health Service Act, the efficacy of this unprecedented measure remains unclear. While the Order ostensibly protects tenants facing homelessness or housing insecurity due to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through the end of 2020, legal challenges have been initiated in Ohio and Georgia, with additional lawsuits appearing likely. Further, even barring legal challenges, courts have not handled these cases in a uniform manner. With lawmakers unable to reach any stimulus or COVID-19 relief agreement before the election, the CDC Order appears likely to remain the only federal eviction moratorium through its expiration on December 31, 2020.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

GettyImages-1150744671-300x225Hydrogen is gaining global recognition for its potential as a key player in the energy transition. Investors and businesses are exploring opportunities across multiple sectors, including energy, manufacturing, transport and finance. According to a report by Bloomberg, the current pipeline for global hydrogen projects is worth an estimated $90 billion. The EU is not going to be left behind, with a focal point of its Green Deal being on hydrogen.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

A-Court-Side-Seat-Main-300x180

This roundup of recent environmental and regulatory law rulings and rulemakings includes an EPA deadline extended, a NEPA exclusion and PSM application upheld, and an unsuccessful appeal to the federal officer removal doctrine.

Continue Reading ›

Posted
by

California voters say “No” to split roll, and San Francisco voters say “Yes” to higher gross receipts taxes and real estate transfer taxes. ChartIn “California’s Proposition 15 Is Failing While San Francisco Accepts a Bevy of Local Tax Measures“, colleagues Craig A. Becker, Breann E. Robowski, William L. Bennett discuss that California and San Francisco voters were asked to decide several tax‑related referenda with major implications across all business industries. Although it is too early to state with certainty, voters appear to have rejected Proposition 15, a measure that would introduce a so-called “split roll” property tax system. On the same day, voters in San Francisco overwhelmingly approved a battery of tax-related measures: Proposition F, which overhauls San Francisco’s business taxes; Proposition I, which doubles the real estate transfer tax on transactions exceeding $10 million; Proposition L, which institutes an aggressive new “Overpaid Executive Gross Receipts Tax;” and Proposition J, which repeals and replaces an annual parcel tax.