Expert Analysis

• Key Insurance Coverage Considerations For AI Data Centers

  

  The burgeoning artificial intelligence industry has sparked a surge in data center projects — a trend likely to be accelerated by the White House's AI Action Plan — but with these complex facilities come equally complex risks, engendering important insurance coverage considerations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Unpacking The New Opportunity Zone Tax Incentive Program

  

  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act brought several improvements to the opportunity zone tax incentive program that should boost investments in qualified funds, including making it permanent, increasing federal income tax benefits in rural areas, redesignating the qualified zones, and requiring more in-depth reporting, says Marc Schultz at Snell & Wilmer.

• Data Center Construction Trends, Challenges In Ill. And Texas

  

  Data centers in Illinois and Texas are reshaping the industrial landscape, but this growth brings legal complexity, so developers, contractors and corporate legal departments must have a deep understanding of each state's legal terrain and take a proactive approach to risk management, say attorneys at Hicks Johnson.

• Definitions Of 'Waters Of The United States' Ebb And Flow

  

  The issue of defining whether "waters of the United States" include streams and channels that sometimes have water and sometimes do not has been fraught since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 Rapanos decision, but a possible new rule may help property owners stay out of court, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.

• Texas Property Law Complicates Financing And Development

  

  A new Texas law imposing expansive state-level restrictions on properties owned by entities from designated countries creates a major obstacle for some lenders, developers and other stakeholders, as well as new diligence requirements for foreign companies, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• How Bankruptcy Law Caps Landlords' Rejected Lease Claims

  

  With corporate bankruptcy filings for the first half of the year at a 15-year high, landlords should be prepared for commercial tenants to use the bankruptcy process to reject unwanted leases in order to lessen corporate footprints and improve liquidity, say attorneys at Mintz.

• Annual Report Shows CFIUS Extending Its Reach In 2024

  

  The recently released 2024 annual report from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States reveals record civil penalties and enhanced internal capabilities, illustrating expanding jurisdiction and an increasing appetite for enforcement actions, says Nathan Fisher at StoneTurn.

• Navigating The New Playbook For SBA 504 Loans

  

  As the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan program’s relevance grows amid climbing foreclosure activity, regulatory changes and a notable ruling from the Eighth Circuit are reshaping origination and workout strategies, highlighting the need for a national framework to improve resolutions, protect recoveries and support small businesses, says Casey Sieck at Day Pitney.

• Assessing Strategies For Mixed-Use Pro Sports Projects

  

  Counsel managing mixed-use sports and entertainment districts must combine expertise ranging from stadium-arena finance to municipal law to public relations into a unified strategy, and a series of practice tips can aid project management from inception to completion, say attorneys at Katten.

• 4 Questions For Insureds To Overcome Flood Exclusions

  

  In a year of record flash flooding in the U.S., affected policyholders, who may assume that their policy's flood exclusion precludes recovery for losses, should look to the many factually and legally nuanced cases presenting pathways to coverage, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

• Opportunity Zone Overhaul Is Good News For Investors

  

  Recently enacted reforms making the qualified opportunity zone program permanent, restoring the basis step-up for capital gains and adding flexibility to the zone designation process enhance the program’s appeal for long-term investment, says Steven Hadjilogiou at McDermott.

• Texas High Court Decision Could Reshape Contract Damages

  

  The Texas Supreme Court recently held that an order of specific performance for a real property transaction doesn't preclude a damage award, establishing a damages test for this scenario while placing the onus on lower courts to correctly determine the proper remedies and quantum of damages, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• A Guide To Army Corps Appeals As Wetlands Definition Shifts

  

  Two years after the Supreme Court's Sackett decision, the definition of federal wetlands is about to change again, making it an apt time to review the process by which developers can appeal an Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional determination, says Bryan Peeples at Pender & Coward.