Featured Articles

Real Estate Opportunity Fund Performance

Doug Cornelius
July 07, 2008 11:17

Stephane Fitch of Forbes.com put together a sensationalist piece on real estate opportunity funds: The Other Real Estate Disaster. Fitch puts together some interesting numbers on the extent of holdings by private real estate funds: They account for one-sixth of $2 trillion in total net assets in...

Recent Articles

Government Seizes 650 Park Avenue

Doug Cornelius
December 18, 2008 15:45

According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has filed a forfeiture proceeding against 650 Fifth Avenue in New York. In its press release: United States files civil forfeiture action against ASSA corporation's interest in Manhattan office...

Stealing the Empire State Building

Doug Cornelius
December 03, 2008 12:55

The New York Daily News tried to show that it is easy to "steal" property by filing fake deeds. The story is rather foolish, but if you want to read it: It took 90 minutes for Daily News to 'steal' the Empire State Building. The reporters think that by filing a forged deed, they somehow could...

Tenant Allowance and Build-Out Obligations When a Tenant Files for Bankruptcy

Doug Cornelius
December 02, 2008 16:00

Sutherland published a timely legal alert on what a landlord can do with a tenant allowance and tenant build-out obligations when a tenant goes bankrupt: Obtaining Relief From Tenant Allowance and Build-Out Obligations When a Tenant Files for Bankruptcy.The alert points out that lease provisions...

Not Not Creating a Title Insurance Behemoth

Doug Cornelius
November 26, 2008 15:12

The off and on combination of Land America Financial Group with Fidelity National Title Title is back again. LandAmerica press release: LandAmerica Signs Stock Purchase Agreement for Underwriters.The two signed a merger, then Fidelity terminated, now they restructured the transaction again. This...

Not Creating a Title Insurance Behemoth

Doug Cornelius
November 24, 2008 19:24

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF - News) canceled its plans to acquire LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: LFG - News) . The combination would have created a behemoth that controlled almost half of the title insurance market.Under the agreement, Fidelity National had discretion to...

A Look at Commercial Real Estate Debt

Doug Cornelius
November 14, 2008 13:56

The Real Estate and Real Estate Capital Markets Group at Goodwin Procter put together A Look at Commercial Real Estate Debt: Where We Are Now and Where We May Be Going. Disclaimers

Creating a Title Insurance Behomoth

Doug Cornelius
November 07, 2008 17:35

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF - News) and LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: LFG - News) today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which FNF will acquire LFG. [Press Release] That means Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company and Lawyers Title...

FinCEN Withdraws Proposed Rulemaking for Unregistered Investment Companies

Doug Cornelius
October 31, 2008 11:34

On September 26, 2002, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, proposing to require unregistered investment companies to establish and implement anti-money laundering programs. (Anti-Money Laundering Programs for Unregistered Investment Companies, 67 FR 60617...

Emerging Trends in Real Estate

Doug Cornelius
October 27, 2008 16:00

The Urban land Institute's  Emerging Trends in Real Estate for 2009 came out with a picture of doom and gloom, predicting that in 2009, commercial real estate will suffer its worst year since the industry's crash of 1991-92, with a noticeable rebound unlikely until 2011 at the earliest. It...