There are three basic areas that require attention from parties and their lawyers when it comes to a title insurance commitment: “Requirements,” “Exceptions” and “Endorsements.”
Steeg Law a Winner in New Orleans CityBusiness 2023 Reader Rankings for Legal Services: Real Estate
I am extremely proud to announce that Steeg Law Firm is a winner in New Orleans CityBusiness’ 2023 Reader Rankings for Legal Services: Real Estate.
6 Small Issues With Real Estate Documents That Can Turn Into Big Problems
Six seemingly unimportant issues can arise in real estate documents and business contracts that can turn into big problems. Here are some tips on how to avoid them. In other words: DO sweat the small stuff.
Violins of Hope
This past January, The National WWII Museum in partnership with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra held two concerts by Violins of Hope in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023. I was privileged to attend both concerts in New Orleans.
Modernizing Real Estate Purchase Agreements for 2023 and Beyond
The evolving economy, climate change and health concerns are forcing real estate buyers and sellers to adapt their standard purchase agreements for a changing world. Agreements may now need: specific provisions to address more intense weather events; general force majeure provisions for entirely unanticipated events; and tweaks to standard provisions to better address the impacts of rising interest rates.
Practical Provisions for Commercial Leases in Light of Changing Times
Over the last two years, lawyers’ standard lease language was tested by natural disasters, the pandemic and drastic changes in the way people work. To adapt to changing times, attorneys should consider incorporating a variety of practical provisions into their corporate leases regarding term, base and additional rent, casualty insurance, premises rights, and force majeure.
In the Path of Wind and Rain: Thoughts on Working Remotely
Biz New Orleans surveys all the leaders on the New Orleans 500 list to collect data and insights about topics important to the business community. I shared my thoughts on working remotely in the latest report in that series, “In the Path of Wind and Rain, N.O. Businesses Rely on the Cloud.”
Beware the Person Who Uses a Power of Attorney in Their Own Self Interest
A recent case is a cautionary tale for lenders and anyone else who relies on a power of attorney: powers of attorney for real estate are subject to a number of technicalities, and courts are very strict about them when a person (the agent) uses a power of attorney granted to the agent by a third party (the principal), for the benefit of the agent.
Increased Flood Risk in SE Louisiana: Consequences and Opportunities for Developers and Owners
I ran across a new study by the engineering firm Arup and the non-profit First Street Foundation that contains important predictions about flooding that are of particular importance to real estate development in Southeastern Louisiana.
Steeg Law Attorneys Included in 2022 Louisiana Super Lawyers
I am pleased to announce that myself and two other attorneys from Steeg Law were selected by our peers for inclusion in 2022 Louisiana Super Lawyers. I, along with senior associate, Lillian E. Eyrich, were included under Real Estate, and partner Charles L. Stern, Jr. was included under Business Litigation. I have received this honor every year since 2008, and Chuck has received this honor every year since 2007.
Robert Steeg Profiled in the Inaugural Edition of New Orleans 500
The New Orleans 500, a new annual publication from Biz New Orleans magazine, profiles the business leaders who are driving the greater New Orleans economy today and making decisions that will shape the region’s future. The inaugural edition is out now, and I am humbled to share that I am among the collection of 500 profiles of “the city’s most influential, involved and inspiring executives.”
Join Steeg Law in the 80 for 80 Challenge!
Steeg Law invites you to join us in the “80 for 80 Challenge” to consider for your end of the year giving. Businesses with a Louisiana Tax ID are eligible to receive a 100% refundable state tax credit up to $5,000 for contributions to Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, including Agenda for Children. The SRTC program funds Agenda’s Early Childhood Opportunity Fund, which directly supports the needs of early learning centers in New Orleans and SE Louisiana, investing in increased access to high-quality early care and education for our youngest learners.
2022 U.S. News-Best Lawyers Ranks Steeg Law Firm a Metropolitan Tier 1 Law Firm in Real Estate
I am pleased to share the news that Steeg Law has been included in the 2022 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms.” Steeg Law has been ranked a Metropolitan Tier 1 Law Firm in New Orleans for Real Estate Law, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions/UCC Law and Litigation – Real Estate. Steeg Law has been honored every year since 2010, the first year that Best Lawyers began including law firms in their rankings. U.S. News-Best Lawyers also included Steeg Law in several other categories.
Robert M. Steeg Joins New Orleans CREW
I have recently become a member of New Orleans Commercial Real Estate Women (New Orleans CREW), the premier commercial real estate association in the Greater New Orleans Area for women from all disciplines of commercial real estate (and even a few savvy men!).
New Orleans Museum of Art to Reopen September 14
As the President of the New Orleans Museum of Art, I am happy to share the news that the museum fared well during Hurricane Ida and that it will reopen on September 14, 2021. To learn more about the NOMA’s emergency preparedness protocol and details on the reopening, please read this letter from Susan Taylor, Montine McDaniel Freeman Director.
Be Careful What You Do in Addition to What You Sign: How Conduct Can Confirm an Agreement in the Absence of a Signature
In the recent case decided by the Louisiana Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, it seems pretty clear that the court felt that one of the parties to a real estate transaction was trying to avoid its obligations by asserting that it had never signed the document, an option to purchase. The court didn’t let that party avoid its obligations because that party had engaged in conduct consistent with the document. The court ruled that the non-signing party had nevertheless confirmed the agreement and was bound by it.
Servitudes Need Extra Care, but the Survey is Key
Servitudes are a very useful real estate device to create rights in favor of one parcel of real estate over another. They cover a multitude of uses, ranging from vehicular and/or pedestrian passage to parking to height limitations to the availability of access to light and view. Servitudes are complex creatures, and too often there is too little attention paid to them when they are created or when subsequent transactions involving them occur. The recent case of Brehm v. Amacker illustrates several lessons.
The Reopening of NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts
As the President of the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), I am delighted to announce that the Lapis Center for the Arts reopened on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The newly renovated cultural space will serve multiple functions, including film screenings, lectures, theater and dance performances, and much more.
Why You Should Be Glad Your Lawyer Is a Stickler for Details
Lawyers, transactional lawyers in particular, are sometimes criticized for being too picky and for paying too much attention to the little things. In his song, “The End of the Innocence,” musician Don Henley even has a famous lyric about it: “Lawyers dwell on small details.” But several recent Louisiana appellate court cases, in different areas of the law, illustrate the often serious pitfalls of minor, technical errors. In many cases, the law sets out very specific, detailed procedures that must be followed, and if they are not, the results can be very serious. The following three cases demonstrate why you should be glad your lawyer is a stickler for details.
Changes and Trends in Real Estate Due to COVID-19
As it has in virtually every aspect of our lives, Covid-19 has drastically accelerated trends in the field of real estate that were emerging slowly before the pandemic, and has ushered in some brand-new changes as well. Our clients at Steeg Law are grappling with these trends and changes, and our documentation of their deals tries to help them achieve the flexibility that these times demand.
Two recent articles highlight some of the key trends and changes brought about by Covid-19. The first article, from CNBC, points to a new development directly related to the pandemic – shorter lease terms on new leases, and the consequences and risks posed to both landlord and tenant by this change. The second article, from The New York Times, describes the acceleration of a trend that was already in existence, namely the shortened life span of commercial real estate buildings and the need for multiple adaptive reuses over the life of the building. The pandemic has caused building owners to anticipate even shorter life-spans for their buildings.