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On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. This $1.7-trillion omnibus spending bill covers a lot of ground, but qualifying mergers and acquisition advisors and brokers got a late gift when lawmakers...
Ground leases are typically 99-year property leases between the tenant and property owner. During the lease, the tenant or lessee typically develops a site by erecting a commercial building or taking over an existing site and making it their own. At the end of the...
The Federal Trade Commission announced a proposal to end companies' practice of requiring non-compete clauses as part of their employment contracts. An estimated 30 million workers (18% of the workforce) currently are bound by non-competes. This would be a major...
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced some changes to Rule 10b5-1 under the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. The changes will include disclosure requirements to better ensure investor protection and affirmative defense against insider trading....
It is common for companies to use non-competition agreements. These contracts are often part of the onboarding of employees, executives, co-owners, and founders or in connection with the exit of key personnel who are also equity owners during an acquisition. Companies...
One issue that can kill a real estate transaction is the gap between the offer and the appraisal. Banks typically will only lend the amount they think the property is worth. For example, the buyer's offer for an apartment building may be $10 million, but the bank's...
The white-hot real estate market here in Texas and throughout the country has been a prime reason for the Federal Reserve to raise its interest rates four times in 2022, going to the highest rate since 2008. This change caused a modest and slow decline in prices in...
Commercial property with an easement can be an excellent investment, but it is essential to understand precisely how it will impact the property and its value before closing the deal. Easements are legally binding interest in a property that enables non-owners or...
Houston famously does not have zoning laws, but most major cities do. Despite the lack of zoning laws, there is a complex system of codes, ordinances and rules in place. Zoning rules and other real property codes foster organized growth in a community to ensure that...
Real estate development types change with the times. The 1950s saw the rise of suburban tracts of single-family housing. More recently, there was a push to renovate and repurpose industrial spaces and old buildings to serve new users. In future decades, the current...