Real estate
Add to my areasEvery story on LexCircuit filed under real estate: court orders, regulation, ethics opinions, litigation and research, each summarized across its sources.
Dunton Rainville enters Granby, Quebec, through merger with Ménard Notaires
Quebec law and notarial firm Dunton Rainville has merged with notary David F. Ménard's practice in Granby, entering the Haute-Yamaska market. Ménard, Aurélie Tessier and their team will operate under the Dunton Rainville name; terms and headcount were not disclosed. Granby gives the firm eight Quebec markets, following its acquisition of Hackett Campbell Bouchard in 2024 and its combination with Monty Sylvestre in 2025.
Announcement (Droit-inc) → · Canadian Lawyer
Pennsylvania Act 108 creates statewide licensure for electrical contractors and electricians
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1260 was approved on October 22, 2026, as Act No. 108 of 2026, the Electrical Services Licensure Act. From October 22, 2028, an individual may not provide electrical services for compensation unless licensed as an electrician or residential electrician by the new State Board of Electrical Licensure, and entities may not contract for electrical services unless licensed as electrical contractors. The board, fees, fines and penalties take effect December 21, 2026.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly (palegis.us)) → · Pennsylvania Senate Republicans
Ashurst Perkins Coie opens Houston office with Bracewell partners Tom Tomlinson and Tamara McKinzie
Ashurst Perkins Coie on October 19, 2026, launched a Houston office with two partners from Bracewell: Thomas Tomlinson, who joins its projects, energy, environment and resources group, and Tamara McKinzie, who joins its real estate group. Houston becomes the firm's third Texas office after Dallas and Austin, and its first new office since the merged firm officially launched in July 2026.
Announcement (The Lawyer) → · Legal Business, Ashurst Perkins Coie
Snell & Wilmer opens Mexico City office with four-partner group
Snell & Wilmer opened a Mexico City office on October 19, 2026, with four partners and a group of associates, led by managing partner José I. Rivero. It is the firm's second office in Mexico, after Los Cabos in 2008, and the new team advises on corporate finance, M&A, real estate, and labor and employment matters for businesses and investors operating in Mexico.
Announcement (Snell & Wilmer) → · Bloomberg Law
Ashurst Perkins Coie hires Bracewell energy lawyer Tamara McKinzie in Houston
Ashurst Perkins Coie has hired energy and finance lawyer Tamara L. McKinzie from Bracewell in Houston, even though the firm has no office in the city, Bloomberg Law reported on October 15, 2026, citing two people familiar with the situation. One source said the firm, formed in the June merger of Ashurst and Perkins Coie, is eyeing more Houston hires with energy and mining expertise.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · The Lawyer
DMH Stallard merges with 17-strong Surrey firm GBH Law
Southeast England firm DMH Stallard merged with Godalming-based GBH Law, bringing a 17-strong team into a firm of more than 400 people including 93 partners, Insider Media reported October 14, 2026. Solicitors Journal carried the announcement the same day. Managing partner Richard Pollins said GBH Law will bring real strength to the firm's commercial teams.
Announcement (Solicitors Journal) → · Insider Media, DMH Stallard
Rulings this week
- UK · EWHC Spares 5,000 late-served Dieselgate claims but makes claimants share costs
- 9TH CIR. Keeps California's captive audience meeting ban on hold
- CANADA Ontario Court of Appeal says licensed paralegals can negotiate accident benefits settlements for parties under disability
- UK · UKSC Backs insurer against Spain and France in Prestige oil spill arbitration case
State and local law roundup, week ending October 9, 2026: 3 developments
Illinois and Iowa suspended state dyed-diesel penalties for farm hauling this week. Illinois Executive Order 2026-08, filed October 6, bars penalties for farm use of dyed diesel on highways through December 31, 2026; Iowa's October 7 disaster proclamation extends its suspension to livestock and feed loads through February 4, 2027. California's SB 799 (Chapter 980) lets the South Bay Regional Housing Trust fund moderate-income housing from January 1, 2027.
Entries (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor of Iowa, State of Illinois, Office of the Governor
Michigan caps county treasurer electronic parcel-record fees at 30 cents, $2,000 per request
Michigan enacted Senate Bill 102 as 2026 Public Act 112 on October 9, 2026, amending section 1 of 1895 Public Act 161. The act adds subsections (6) to (9) to MCL 48.101 for electronic copies of county treasurer records. A treasurer charges at most 30 cents per parcel record, capped at $2,000 per request, and transmits records electronically in a delimited, open-standards format.
Edinburgh's VMH Solicitors acquires Falkirk commercial property firm Orme Law
Edinburgh-based VMH Solicitors has acquired Falkirk firm Orme Law on undisclosed terms, adding a dedicated commercial property team to its residential property, private client and estate agency business. The deal extends VMH's reach through Orme Law's Meeks Road offices in Falkirk, giving it a presence across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the wider Central Belt.
Announcement (The Scotsman) → · Falkirk Herald
Harding Evans acquires Penarth firm Merrils Ede, founded in 1865
Newport-headquartered Harding Evans has acquired Merrils Ede, a Penarth solicitors' practice founded in 1865 with a longstanding private client practice, giving the Welsh firm its first office in the Vale of Glamorgan. Merrils Ede's six-person team transfers to Harding Evans, which now has three offices: Newport, Whitchurch in Cardiff and Herbert Terrace in Penarth.
Announcement (Insider Media) → · Wales247
Pennsylvania requires water-supply evidence before final development approval under Act 58
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro approved Senate Bill 1287 on October 8, 2026, as Act No. 58 of 2026, amending Section 503.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. The act requires applicants whose subdivision or development will use water other than private wells to present evidence of water supply before final subdivision and land development approval. The House passed the bill 203-0 on October 6, 2026.
Jones Day hires McDermott's Zena Ho for Los Angeles real estate finance
Jones Day has added Zena Ho as a Los Angeles partner in its Financial Markets Practice, focusing on real estate finance for lenders, REITs, private equity funds and real estate companies. She joins from McDermott Will & Schulte; Law360 reported the move on October 8, 2026.
Announcement (Jones Day) → · Law360 Pulse
Burness Paull hires CMS Scottish hotels head Roland Smyth as real estate partner
Scottish firm Burness Paull has hired Roland Smyth, who led CMS's Scottish hotels and leisure team, as a partner in its real estate team to grow its hotels and student accommodation work. Smyth, qualified in Scots and English law, specializes in hotel management and franchise agreements and joins a cross-practice sector team whose clients include Marriott, Virgin Hotels and Motel One.
Announcement (Scottish Legal News) → · Insider Media
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader hires Kirkland private capital partner Paul Guan in Hong Kong
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader said on October 5, 2026, that private capital and M&A partner Paul Guan has joined its Hong Kong office from Kirkland & Ellis. Guan advises private equity sponsors, institutional investors, and financial institutions on Asia-Pacific deals with a focus on real estate and data centers, and reunites with former Paul Hastings partners David Wang and Meka Meng as the firm continues Asia hiring after its July combination with Cadwalader.
Announcement (Hogan Lovells Cadwalader) → · Law.com International
Banner Jones acquires Mansfield firm Harrop White, Vallance & Dawson
Banner Jones Solicitors acquired Mansfield practice Harrop White, Vallance & Dawson effective October 1, 2026, Chad and East Midlands Business Link reported. The nearly 150-year-old firm will move into Banner Jones's new Mansfield offices in November, expanding property, wills, family, and commercial capacity while keeping client relationships with the existing team.
Announcement (Chad) → · East Midlands Business Link
Buchalter absorbs Griffith Davison, adding Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston offices
Law.com's Texas Lawyer reported on October 1, 2026, that Buchalter absorbed Texas boutique Griffith Davison, expanding its Dallas office and opening Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston locations. The combination brings more than 40 Texas lawyers into Buchalter; Scott Griffith will chair construction litigation and Kimber Davison will serve as Texas regional managing partner.
Announcement (Law.com Texas Lawyer) → · Buchalter
California pilots partial property-tax exemption for moderate-income rental housing
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1294 on September 29, 2026. It adds subdivision (h) to Revenue and Taxation Code section 214, a pilot partial welfare exemption equal to the value of rental units serving low- and moderate-income households. It covers properties in Alameda County, Sacramento County or San Francisco where units are newly built, or converted from commercial use, between January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2030.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires ministerial approval of qualifying townhome subdivisions
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1751, the Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act, on September 29, 2026. New Government Code sections 66499.45 and following subject qualifying townhome subdivisions to ministerial approval on sites zoned for multifamily use or underutilized single-family-only sites. New parcels must be at least 600 square feet, with units in fee-simple, condominium, community-land-trust, limited-equity-cooperative or tenancy-in-common ownership, and tenant, rent-control and demolition protections apply.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California bars use of state-owned property for immigration-enforcement staging or detention
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1807 on September 29, 2026. New Government Code sections 7284.25 and 7284.26 bar the use of state-owned property, including garages, parking lots, state parks and vacant lots, for immigration enforcement, such as staging vehicles or personnel and processing, interviewing, detaining or taking custody of people. Property under an existing state lease and specified Corrections and Caltrans uses are exempt.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California makes density-bonus approvals nondiscretionary and exempt from CEQA review
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2433 on September 29, 2026, amending the Density Bonus Law, Government Code section 65915. From January 1, 2027, a city or county's grant of a density bonus, incentive or concession, or waiver of development standards is not discretionary and requires no CEQA review. Once an application is deemed complete, the city or county must give the applicant a density-bonus eligibility determination. Applicants filing a base density study may elect a floor-area-ratio bonus.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires early estimates of housing-project improvement costs
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1014 on September 29, 2026. New Government Code section 65941.3 lets housing applicants request a preliminary estimate of required onsite and offsite improvements, which the city or county must provide within 30 business days with a good-faith list of improvement types and costs. Within 30 business days of deeming a postentitlement permit application complete, the city must give an itemized list of required improvements and generally may not require unlisted ones.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California lets defendants move to strike suits against priority care developments and doubles housing-suit bond cap
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1344 on September 29, 2026. New Code of Civil Procedure section 425.21 lets defendants bring a special motion to strike lawsuits challenging approval or permitting of priority care developments, which provide housing tied to behavioral-health services and other specified purposes. The court denies the motion only if the petitioner shows a probability of prevailing. SB 1344 also raises the cap on undertakings in suits against qualifying housing projects from $500,000 to $1 million.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California bars cities and counties from approving new private detention facilities
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1367 on September 29, 2026. Government Code section 65850.05 prohibits cities and counties from approving a new land use that authorizes construction of a detention facility, or a change of use that lets an existing building serve as one. A detention facility is any structure a private entity operates for a governmental entity to hold people for criminal, civil or administrative purposes. The ban applies to charter cities.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California denies charitable property-tax exemption to detention facilities
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 420 on September 29, 2026. It adds Revenue and Taxation Code section 214.12, providing that property operated as a detention facility is not exempt from property tax as religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable property for purposes of the welfare exemption. The bill is declaratory of existing law.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California widens Infill Infrastructure Grant eligibility to streamlined housing sites
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 772 (Ch. 804, Stats. 2026) on September 29, 2026. It amends Health and Safety Code 53559 and 53559.1 to widen the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019: qualifying infill projects may sit on sites mostly bordered by previously developed urban uses, and qualifying infill areas include sites made ready for streamlined housing under the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022. HCD must rank applications on on-demand transit access and walkability.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California bars treating building-height impacts alone as significant under CEQA
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 958 on September 29, 2026. New Public Resources Code section 21080.82 provides that impacts of increased building height alone, such as shadow, air circulation, light reflection or attracting wildlife, are not significant under CEQA if the project's use and density were analyzed in a certified EIR, the site is previously graded infill without sensitive biological resources, the project is not industrial, and it fits local airport land use plans.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
Pinsent Masons elects Richard Griffiths managing partner after contested vote
Pinsent Masons elected property group head Richard Griffiths as managing partner to succeed Laura Cameron on November 1, 2026, Global Legal Post and the firm reported on September 30, 2026. Cameron had sought a second term in a contested election against Griffiths and UK employment head Helen Corden. Griffiths will work alongside senior partner John Maciver, who takes office on October 1.
Announcement (Pinsent Masons) → · Global Legal Post, Law.com International, Scottish Legal News
NAHL posts H1 profit rise and near-debt-free path after Searches UK clearance
AIM-listed NAHL Group reported on September 30, 2026, that first-half revenue rose 5% to £18.3 million and profit before tax rose 31% to £2.3 million, with net debt at £1.1 million, Legal Futures and the company’s RNS said. The board said CMA clearance means the £1.234 million enterprise-value sale of Searches UK should complete imminently and, with a £1.85 million supplier-dispute settlement due by October 15, 2026, expects a net cash position by end of October.
Announcement (London Stock Exchange RNS / Stockopedia) → · Legal Futures
California extends emergency rent-gouging limits to all rental housing and narrows landlord exemptions
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1365 on September 30, 2026, amending Penal Code section 396. From January 1, 2027, the emergency price-gouging ban covers rental housing regardless of initial lease length, and existing exemptions become affirmative defenses. Rent increases above 10% are defensible for repair costs only if incurred within a year before the emergency, while the unit was rented or offered for rent or intended for rent within six months.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
Manhattan federal judge enjoins New York ban on algorithmic rent-setting software on First Amendment grounds
U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni preliminarily enjoined New York from enforcing Section 3 of General Business Law 340-B, the state's ban on algorithmic rent-setting tools, and denied Attorney General Letitia James's motion to dismiss RealPage's suit. In a 27-page opinion filed September 29, she called it a close call but found RealPage marginally likely to show the law restricts speech protected by the First Amendment.
Opinion (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York) → · Reuters, Law360, MLex
California's SB 876 requires home insurers to offer 50% extended replacement cost and doubles emergency claim penalties from 2028
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 876 (Chapter 656, Statutes of 2026) on September 27. Starting January 1, 2028, insurers may not issue or renew a residential property policy without offering extended replacement cost coverage of at least 50% above the dwelling limit, must assign a primary point of contact on emergency claims within 30 days, and face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per act, or $20,000 if willful, for unfair practices tied to a state of emergency.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · CalMatters
Jones Day adds five partners in Australia across disputes, finance, energy, corporate, and IP
Jones Day hired five partners in Australia, Law.asia and Bloomberg Law reported on September 29, 2026. Dylan McKimmie joined global disputes in Brisbane from Norton Rose Fulbright; Leigh De Jong (financial markets/real estate), Christopher Flynn (energy), Lance Sacks (corporate), and Ken Saurajen (intellectual property) joined in Sydney from MinterEllison, Gilbert + Tobin, Baker McKenzie, and Clayton Utz respectively. Jones Day said it has added 10 lateral partners in Australia in 2026.
Announcement (Law.asia) → · Bloomberg Law, Jones Day
Ison Harrison acquires Dootsons in first expansion outside Yorkshire
Employee-owned Yorkshire firm Ison Harrison acquired North West practice Dootsons, its first major deal outside Yorkshire, the Law Gazette and Legal Futures reported on September 28 and 29, 2026. The acquisition adds offices in Leigh, Culcheth, and Newton-le-Willows, lifting headcount to about 500 and turnover to £42 million. All 27 Dootsons fee-earners and staff are joining, including managing partner Andrew Stockton.
Announcement (Law Gazette) → · Legal Futures
New Jersey makes EV charger installations at existing buildings a ministerial permit, barring site plan review
Governor Sherrill signed S-3739 (P.L.2026, c.94) on September 28, 2026. Municipal administrative officers must approve applications to install electric vehicle supply equipment at existing gasoline stations, retail establishments and other existing buildings through a non-discretionary permit, without site plan or land use board review or variance relief. Municipal and county review is limited to specific, identifiable public health or safety impacts supported by substantial evidence. The act took effect immediately and applies to pending applications.
Enrolled text (New Jersey Legislature) → · Office of the Governor
Cole Schotz brings back Nino Cammalleri as New Jersey real estate member
Cole Schotz announced that Nino G. Cammalleri returned as a member of its New Jersey Real Estate Department after more than a decade as senior vice president and real estate counsel at Seritage Growth Properties, Law360 Pulse reported on September 23, 2026. His practice covers commercial and mixed-use acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, repurposing, and development.
Announcement (Law360 Pulse) → · Cole Schotz
California sets 48-month expiration for approved tentative subdivision maps
SB 1169 (Chapter 423), approved September 20, rewrote Government Code Section 66452.6 so that an approved or conditionally approved tentative subdivision map expires 48 months after approval, plus any local-ordinance extension of up to 36 months. Where the subdivider must spend at least $236,790 on offsite public improvements, each phased final-map filing extends expiration by 48 months, up to 10 years from approval.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
Sacramento County and five cities must form a joint powers authority for housing and homelessness by January 2028
SB 802 (Chapter 417), approved September 20, enacted the Sacramento Regional Housing and Homelessness Joint Powers Authority Act, requiring Sacramento County and the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, and Folsom to establish a joint powers authority by January 1, 2028. The authority assumes oversight of the Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care, sets system performance goals, and coordinates prevention, outreach, shelter, and housing programs.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires qualifying cities and counties to offer remote building inspections for specified residential work
AB 1738 (Chapter 271), approved September 18, added Section 17970.9 to the Health and Safety Code, requiring California cities and counties to offer homeowners and their contractors the option of remote building inspections for specified residential work, including heat-pump installations, reroofs, small photovoltaic systems, and smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Larger agencies must comply by January 1, 2028; small agencies that issue remote inspections by July 1, 2028.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California grants Martinez tidelands under public-trust conditions
AB 2312 (Chapter 394), signed September 20, grants tidelands trust lands to the City of Martinez to hold as trustee for maritime and water-dependent commerce, navigation, fisheries, scientific study, open space, wildlife habitat, and water-oriented recreation. The city may not alienate the lands and may lease them for up to 66 years at fair rent, with longer terms requiring State Lands Commission approval. The state reserves highway use, public fishing rights, and archaeological, historical, and mineral deposits.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California accepts verified e-signatures for mobilehome lien releases from 2028
AB 2174 (Chapter 386), signed September 20, requires the department, beginning January 1, 2028, to accept verified electronic signatures — digital signatures meeting Government Code section 16.5 attributes — on documents releasing or satisfying a legal owner's security interest in manufactured homes, mobilehomes, commercial coaches, truck campers, and floating homes, with the same force as an original signature. The 120-day escrow moratorium on competing title-record amendments is retained.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California authorizes workforce-housing infrastructure financing districts
AB 2110, the Workforce Housing Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Act (Chapter 381), signed September 20, lets cities and counties form workforce housing enhanced infrastructure financing districts under an infrastructure financing plan reviewed every ten years. Every financed development must reserve all units for public safety, education, health care, or manufacturing personnel, with at least 70 percent for lower income households. Bonds require a two-thirds vote of district voters.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
Michigan allows electronic return of rental security deposits
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 22 on September 21, 2026, now 2026 Public Act 102, effective immediately. It amends the Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act, 1972 PA 348, so a landlord may return a security deposit balance by direct deposit or electronic transfer to a bank account, or to an internet or mobile payment account, instead of a check with the notice of damages. The landlord must deposit the amount within 10 days of mailing the notice.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Michigan Executive Office of the Governor, Detroit Free Press
Michigan requires fee-free rent payment option in every rental agreement
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 373 on September 21, 2026, now 2026 Public Act 103, effective immediately. It amends MCL 554.633 so that a residential rental agreement may not impose an added charge or fee on every permitted method of paying rent: where more than one method is allowed, at least one must be fee-free. A violating provision is void. The Senate passed the bill 24-12 on July 3 and the House 99-5 on August 25.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Michigan Executive Office of the Governor, Detroit Free Press
California authorizes workforce-housing tax increment financing districts
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2110 on September 20, 2026, as Chapter 381, enacting the Workforce Housing Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Act. It lets cities and counties establish workforce-housing enhanced infrastructure financing districts funded by tax increment financing. Financed housing must reserve all units for public safety, education, health care, or manufacturing personnel and lower- or moderate-income households, with affordability covenants of 55 years for rentals and 45 for owner-occupied homes. Bonds need two-thirds voter approval; effective January 1, 2027.
California strengthens HOA residents' access to member-owned EV chargers in common areas
Governor Gavin Newsom approved SB 1267 on September 20, 2026, as Chapter 350, effective January 1, 2027. The law amends Civil Code Section 4745 so a homeowner in a common interest development may install an EV charging station in a common area for the owner's exclusive use when installation in a designated parking space is impossible or unreasonably expensive. Associations must authorize installation through a license agreement, and associations or owners may also install shared chargers for all members.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
Michael Best combines with Kane Kessler to open New York office
Am Law 200 firm Michael Best & Friedrich completed a strategic combination with New York midsize firm Kane Kessler, establishing Michael Best’s New York presence. Kane Kessler brings roughly 40 attorneys and practices including corporate, securities, capital markets, M&A, litigation, IP, and real estate. Kane Kessler managing partner Rob Lawrence will lead the New York office; Michael Best now reports nearly 400 attorneys across 19 U.S. offices.
Announcement (New York Law Journal) → · Above the Law, Law360
Queen’s Park’s Canford Group buys PDC debt-recovery legal platform
On September 16, 2026 Law Gazette and PE Hub reported that Queen’s Park Equity-backed Canford Group acquired Hertfordshire’s PDC Group—Property Debt Collection, PDC Law, and PDC Conveyancing—as a third vertical beside Canford Law and Canford Law Scotland. Managing director Reece Wheeldon stays with a significant equity stake; terms were undisclosed. The combined platform employs 218 people.
Announcement (PE Hub) → · Law Gazette