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Laura LoBue, a Litigation partner in Pillsbury’s Construction Counseling & Dispute Resolution practice, was featured in Building for Good (B4G)’s attorney spotlight series ‘Spotlight for Good,’ which was recently showcased by the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law.

In 2019, LoBue joined Building for Good, launching its services in D.C. and establishing Pillsbury’s ongoing partnership with the organization. LoBue is a significant volunteer resource for Wildflower Schools pro bono projects as they go from conception, through construction, up to operation. In addition, she is a member of B4G’s Development Committee and helps to grow its fundraising platform in the D.C. area. Read LoBue’s full feature here. 

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Partner Caroline Harcourt recently moderated Bisnow’s panel, “High Risk, High Reward: Finding Investment Opportunities in Pandemic-Challenged Sectors” panel on Tuesday, October 5.Capture333-1-e1634675703662 Topics covered identifying the key components to maximize returns on your next deal and insights on contrarian philosophies in opportunistic investment opportunities. In case you missed it, click here to view the recording.

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Environmental Justice, as an urgent policy priority of the Federal Government, dates back to 1994, and President Clinton’s issuance of Executive Order 12898. This order directed federal agencies to identify and address, as appropriate, “the disproportionately high and adverse human health and environment effects of its many programs, policies, and procedures on minority populations and low-income populations.” Executive Order 12898 supplements Executive Order 12550 (1980), whose primary legal basis was Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in particular, Sections 601 and 602, which prohibit discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial aid and assistance.

Over the years, the Supreme Court has reviewed the scope and importance of Title VI. For example, in Alexander v. Sandoval, decided in 2001, the Court concluded that while private parties could sue to enforce Section 601 or its implementing regulations, Section 601 only prohibits intentional discrimination; which is very difficult to prove. In addition, the Court ruled in Sandoval, that private parties cannot sue to enforce regulations implementing Section 602. Perhaps as an acknowledgement of these shortcomings, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has for many years operated an administrative system to process environmental justice complaints (see 40 CFR Part 7). The process is complex and the results—usually whether a state agency has failed to uphold Title VI—have generally been unsatisfactory. To be successful, many proponents of environmental justice believe that a statutory foundation must be established, and significant efforts have been made to do so.

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Partner Rachel Horsch recently moderated Bisnow’s panel, “Recovery of the Bay Area’s Office Market“. Topics covered how office spaces are evolving to accommodate for changing workforceRachel-Updated-e1634230711188 needs, such as changing layouts, offices in residential buildings and hybrid work. Panelists discussed these topics, showcasing their most innovative projects and shed light on the future of the market in the Bay Area.  Click here to view the recording.

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In July, several U.S. Senators introduced the Revitalizing Downtowns Act to Congress. In our previous post, we discuss how the bill is modeled after the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit, would provide a federal tax credit equal to 20 percent of “qualified conversion expenditures” with respect to a “qualified converted building.

As the pandemic continues, many office buildings may remain vacant and unused, leaving downtowns with fewer opportunities for investment and revenue generation. One potential impact of the bill would be the increased investment in affordable housing. With many cities large and small struggling to provide enough affordable housing, the act would create an opportunity to develop vacant buildings into much needed affordable housing developments.

In addition to creating jobs, the creation of affordable housing has the potential to slow down the gentrification affecting many large cities, said former U.S. Congressman Lacy Clay, now a  Senior Policy Advisor at Pillsbury.

Read more here.

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Anthony Cavender, a Houston-based Environmental & Natural Resources senior counsel was featured in an exclusive Q&A with AmLaw’s Texas Lawyer. Cavender is one of Pillsbury’s longstanding environmental lawyers, having joined the firm in 2003. Over the years, he quietly became one of the leading authorities on environmental decisions throughout the nation. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, he penned 33 blog posts for Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel blog under the heading, “A Court-Side Seat.”  A round up of last year’s year-in-review, which features excerpts of Tony’s blog posts can be found here. Cavender shares his views on how the environmental practice has evolved over the decades, what the long-term trends for the practice are, how he became a blogger, how he determines which decisions warrant a review, and what direction he thinks the respective agencies and courts will take under the new administration.

Read his full feature here.

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On September 30, 2021, the United States Senate confirmed Rohit Chopra as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Mr. Chopra helped establish the CFPB following its creation through the Dodd-Frank Act and served as an Assistant Director at the CFPB from 2010 to 2015. Director Chopra will likely continue the CFPB’s focus on institutions’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the housing, small business lending, and mortgages among other things. Pillsbury colleagues Brian H. Montgomery, Craig J. Saperstein, Deborah S. Thoren-Peden, JiJi Park, The Honorable William Lacy Clay Jr., Yvette Puckett Cravins, and Daniel C. Wood explain additional insights in Senate Confirms Rohit Chopra as CFPB Director.

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Real estate tokenization and smart home technology continue to grow, negotiations surrounding the bipartisan infrastructure bill stall its passing, artificial intelligence is poised to transform the construction industry, and more.

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A first for commercial real estate occurs, proptech sees a significant increase in venture capital funding, the Victorian government shuts down all construction sites after protests turn violent, and more. Continue Reading ›